Food reviews

The Brasserie at John Lewis

The mere thought of Christmas shopping on Oxford Street usually fills me with dread but, this year, I might just dare to venture out there as there’s now a nice new restaurant to escape to when the crowds get too much. It’s not tucked away down some hard-to-find side street like most other appealing eateries in these parts either. This one sits right in the thick of it all, on the third floor of one of London’s most famous departments stores.

John Lewis relaunched all of its catering outlets earlier this year, moving its family-friendly self-service restaurant to the spacious fifth floor and installing an adjoining bistro and brasserie on level three.

In the buffet section upstairs, the children’s spread is laid out at kids’ height so they can choose between the healthy lunch options, while the bistro serves up grazing food to share between friends. But for sheer escapism, our favourite has got to be the brasserie, not least as it takes advance bookings and has views over tranquil Cavendish Square. The menu here is a real crowd-pleaser. Breakfast favourites like eggs Benedict right through to traditional afternoon teas, it’s filled to bursting point with tempting classics. At lunch, my male companion couldn’t resist the ‘fillet trio’ (posh fish & chips), which placed perfectly crisp pieces of battered haddock, cod and red mullet alongside a generous dollop of tartare sauce and a neat stack of hand-cut fries. My choice, the smoked haddock and dill risotto was excellent too, much thanks to its scattering of lightly roasted pine nuts, which added additional flavour and bite. We also devoured a tasting plate of small dishes from the bistro next door before finishing with an excellent cheesecake.