Racine on the Brompton Road arguably has a role in London’s gastronomic micro-history as the originator of the ‘bistrot de luxe’ movement, which comprehends the much-fêted Galvin on Baker Street and the newer Chelsea Brasserie in Sloane Square. In my opinion, however, it is to be cherished more simply as a rare locus of well executed vieux cuisine, where heavy, meat-centred dishes inhabit a menu peppered with enough unglossed ‘vollaile à la X‘ and ‘sea bass sauce Y‘ to make you wish you had a copy of Larousse Gastronomique handy.
The most recent meal I had there was also the most enjoyable. First up was a curious-sounding garlic and saffron mousse with mussels. This combination of flavours did not, as might be the case in many restaurants with a more modern sensibility, come in the form of a delicate, knowing amuse-bouche, but rather as a straight-up, gen-u-wine plateful of herb-flavoured dairy product. Unfortunately it collapsed before I had time to take a decent picture of it but I can confirm that it was truly a fine dish: the garlic and saffron notes combined to excellent effect, while the briny tang of the mussels, presented without shells and occupying an unusual role as, effectively, a garnish, provided the perfect counterpoint to the richness of the mousse.
Pork à la Barigoule
For my main course I took a punt on pork chop à la Barigoule, which turned out to be a hefty, well cooked slab of meat in a vinegary artichoke sauce (subsequent research reveals it to be a dish of Provençal origin.) While not as outstanding as the mousse, this was still a faith-restoring incarnation of a cut of meat usually associated in my mind with utterly flavourless school dinners. As for dessert, I can’t help feeling that Racine’s selection is rather anticlimatic; after such a stout meal, however, the small pot of vanilla cream and prunes that I had was probably as judiciously chosen as it was well prepared.
It has to be said that Racine is not exactly value-town: many of the main courses push or exceed £20, while the wine list leaves scant room for the budget-conscious drinker to hide. If, however, as the nights draw in, you feel in the need of some hearty yet thoughtful cuisine, you should definitely consider treating yourself to a meal there.
