The first mark of any good restaurant is how to find it, and Brasserie Constance – which is, as we shall see, a very good restaurant indeed – nearly defeated Boothby and I in that regard. Situated in ‘Fulham Pier’ (no, me neither), the restaurant is lurking on the first floor of a contemporary building in the shadow of Fulham’s football ground, Craven Cottage.
Irritatingly, one of the pathways to it along the river has been closed off, meaning that we spend a good 15 or 20 minutes attempting to negotiate entrance into it. At one point, Boothby says, only half-joking, ‘why don’t we just call it a night and go to the River Café instead?’ ‘Only if you’re paying’, I replied. The joke stopped swiftly thereafter.
When we do, finally, find our way into Brasserie Constance, we are pleasantly surprised to find that this restaurant, which has only been open a few months, is already firing on all cylinders when it comes both to aesthetics and staff. Our wonderfully pleasant and friendly waitress Amelia greets us with genuine warmth, and immediately begins recommending drinks and snacks.
We’re not blown away by the cocktails – Boothby’s Royal Bramble has strong grown-up Ribena vibes, and the whisky-based Julep Spry feels overthought – but the first couple of dishes, a lamb and mint skewer and a pair of walnut, stilton and pear tarts, swiftly let us know that we are in the hands of a culinary expert.
And so it should be – this place is overseen by ‘culinary director’ Adam Byatt, who is responsible for a string of high-end British restaurants which include Trinity in Clapham and Charlie’s at Brown’s in Mayfair. Byatt is rightly associated with the very best of modern English cuisine, and so everything that we try – for which Amelia offers the most incisive and well-received of recommendations – is utterly delicious.
There’s a coronation chicken pate en croute starter, along with some London smoked salmon that is carved tableside from the trolley and a trio of oysters Rockefeller. All of them are about as good as contemporary cuisine gets, prepared and served to perfection. Accompanied by a well-chosen Assyrtiko, a crisp and minerally delight, it’s a true joy that makes up for the schlep here.
What to have for a main? There are numerous wonderful-sounding dishes, from roast saddle of venison to brill baked on the bone with coronation butter, but both Boothby and I are tempted by the rack of Welsh lamb, which duly arrives in glory. It comes with turnip puree, of all things, and we order sides of baby potatoes with minted butter and tomato salad, the latter in a vague nod to healthiness.
It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever – fittingly, given that we’re eating it in the middle of autumn – and when we ask the charming Mancunian sommelier for a recommendation, his splendidly unusual suggestion of a spicy, gorgeously warming Austrian red is a hugely welcome one.
We are, by this stage, fairly replete, but we ask Amelia which is her favourite pudding – nothing that she has recommended having let us down – and she smiles warmly. ‘You’re not leaving here without trying the Baked Alaska.’ So we opt for that, with a banoffee filling, and we were right to put our faith in her. It’s utterly wonderful, one of the nicest and best things I’ve eaten all year, and proof that Brasserie Constance is firing on all cylinders.
Accompanied by a lighter blackberry ice cream, it’s the perfect end to a fantastic meal. As we leave, Amelia asks, with genuine interest, ‘Did you have a good time?’ We are able to reply, quite honestly, that between her warm and hugely capable service and the Byatt-supervised cooking, we had as good a time as we’ve had in a restaurant in memory. And that has to count for something.
Brasserie Constance, Level 1, Fulham Pier, Stevenage Rd, London SW6 6HH. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.brasserieconstance.com.
