Katherine MacAlister is impressed with Brasserie Blanc’s new look – and she liked it before

It was an evening of celebrations, new beginnings, and re-evaluation. My oldest friends were moving on with their lives; new jobs, new relationships, children growing up, a time of reflection. Nothing stays still does it?

So it seemed appropriate to be discussing such a fluctuating time in Brasserie Blanc, it too boasting a new direction.

And if you liked the Jericho stalwart restaurant’s former look – with its blue walls, flamboyant art and plate glass windows, the updated image really suits, the culinary equivalent of a new haircut.

Nothing too revolutionary though – newly-painted contemporary grey walls, a wonderfully comfy bar and sofas, Ercol-style tables and chairs, and a refreshing summer menu, the onus more on relaxation and comfort. It’s certainly fresher.

What it doesn’t do, in a very modest French way, is shove Raymond Blanc’s association down your throat, which in this day and age of the celebrity chef is a marvel. (Marco Pierre White eat your heart out). Because despite it opening 18 years ago as the first Brasserie Blanc in what is now an impressive chain, apart from a scattering of RB’s books inside, a few menu hints, and of course the restaurant’s name itself, you would be none the wiser. Raymond is secure enough to let Brasserie Blanc rest on its laurels, where it reclines comfortably.

But while the decor might appeal and get the punters through the door, for them to return, the food needs to be equally as impressive.

And I have to say Brasserie Blanc’s new summer menu was the best I’ve come across in a long time. French yes, but original in that it’s scattered with dishes you tend not to see any more – escargot, steak tartare, scallops as a main course, fig tart, all of which whispered of sunny climes.

What to have was, therefore, a big problem, and despite having managed a quick cocktail first, became a serious business.

“How on earth do we choose from this menu?” my friend asked. “I want everything on it,” she added, although being able to opt for many of the dishes for both starters or mains helped. The escargots (£7.49) which came de-shelled in a snail dish, in a wonderfully herby garlic butter, smelled divine, although we rather missed the formality and process of the shells themselves.

The warm squid and chorizo salad (£6.90) with pan fried chicory and orange dressing was quite delectable and perfectly cooked – a lovely salty, juicy course.

We shared Maman Blanc’s eponymous range of salads, one of the few starters to remain on the menu. And while in the past it had been a bit dry and uninspired, today the £6.90 selection was fantastic, each dish given the attention required for a proper spread – the cucumber and dill, celeriac remoulade, tomato & onion salad, carrot vinaigrette, breakfast radish, potatoes & creme with relish all vying for our attention.

Oxford Mail:

  • Maman Blanc’s famous salads

Next up, the grand steak tartare (£19.90) which arrived with a beautifully centred egg yolk, cornichons, capers, shallots, herbs and sour dough bread, a deliciously unfatty, well mixed, and perfectly sized patty. A gift of a dish, beautifully executed.

The Queen scallops were another revelation, being served with the orange scallions still attached – so often this wonderful part of the shellfish is discarded unnecessarily – and accompanied by braised and roasted fennel and a cherry tomato fondue (£16.50).

The fig and jervaulx blue cheese tart (£11.50) was a gamble, because tarts can be very hit and miss, but this was superb – generous both in size and ingredients, a perfect matching of sweet and sharp, not too dense, and served with a vibrant chicory and pomegranate salad and a blue cheese dressing, a surprisingly light dish overall.

No one could fit in a pudding, but I ordered one anyway, expecting the £5.95 baked cherry amandine to arrive as a slice of cake. But the sumptuous round sponge that appeared complete with morello cherries, frangipane, toasted almonds, pistachios, and a vanilla anglaise, did however disappear predictably fast, three spoons appearing simultaneously to diminish it in record time. An absolute treat.

And as we finished off with a glass of champagne in recognition of life’s galloping pace, I reflected that Brasserie Blanc had pulled off the impossible, raising its game before anyone noticed it and then delivering a better version of itself. There’s a lesson there somewhere.

THE PARTICULARS

Brasserie Blanc
71-72 Walton St, Oxford OX2 6AG
Tel: 01865 510999

Website: brasserieblanc.com
Opening times: 8am-10pm Mon to Fri
8am - 10.30pm Sat
9am - 9pm Sun
Parking: Keep trying, you might get lucky.
Head chef: Shailesh Jha
Try the... Prix fixe menu, perfect for pre-theatre dinner, £9.95 for two courses, £12.45 for three. Amazing value.