Stephen's reviews
Review of Le Cafe Du Marche
08 Sep 08, 23:27
Posh French Nosh for Notta Lotta Dosh 
OK, if I tell you a secret will you promise not to tell anyone? You will? Great. Then let us begin...
Cafe du Marche is one of those rarest of restaurants that you can find in London - one that manages to combine excellent un-fussy French food with a price that won't break the bank.
I say "that you can find", but, to be honest, located as it is, tucked away down the bottom of an oldey-worldey cobbled side street just off Charterhouse Square, it's not the kind of place that you're likely to stumble across by chance, And, thankfully, this quirk of geography seems to be reflected in the type of clientele that it attracts.
Instead of the braying city boys, preening new media types and sweating American tourists that you'll find cluttering up central London restaurants (those weighed down respectively by their wallets, egos and camera equipment) Cafe du Marche appears to be full of, dare I say it, normal people. Normal people with one thing in common - a love of fine food.
In typical French fashion the menu is a fixed price "à la carte affair" offering you a choice of starter, main and desert for the decidedly un-princely sum of £33. If you can't find anything you like on the main menu (which would prove difficult as it offered an excellent selection) there are also daily specials available for a small supplement of around £5-£10 per dish. Wine buffs will also not be left wanting as there's also a comprehensive wine list available to suit all pallets and pockets.
As it was my birthday when we ate there I went a bid mad and plumped for a bottle of Pauillac (at an eye watering £58 - but what the hell, I wasn't paying!) which proved to be a more than agreeable companion with which to wash down my lobster spaghetti starter, roast grouse main and selection of psychosis-inducing strong French cheeses for desert. Overall the meal was spot-on, with everything being super-tasty and cooked to perfection.
Likewise I'd struggle to find fault with either the service or ambiance. All the waiters were attentive and courteous and they'd even gone to the trouble of having a pianist on-hand to plonk away some un-annoying jazz repertories (who'd have thought that possible? Un-annoying jazz?) on an old upright in the middle of the room. Suffice to say we had no qualms adding a little extra to the 15% service charge applied to the final bill.
So, all in all, Cafe du Marche is (to date) something of a well kept secret amongst fans of French food. A true hidden gem of a place. Just don't tell anyone I told you so, I wouldn't want the brayers, preeners or sweaters of this world descending upon it and ruining it for everyone else.
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