So, the first day of the re-opening of Julie’s. What we have all been waiting for. It was busy and a wonderful day for sitting outside. There were no seats left however so we had to sit inside. Not a bad thing as it gave us the chance to see the new decor. The dining room exuded cosiness. It was clearly a big deal for the restaurant today.
The menu is French bistro inspired. I adore French food but because we are in England I would have loved personally for Julie’s to make it a standout British bistro. Taking British classics yet elevating them. We have decent food when it’s done well, why do we have keep looking to France? All the young French chefs are coming here now to learn from us according to Macaron. No longer will we hear les rosbifs perhaps? Why not give them all something to talk about? And reverse this notion of a country for bad food.
We ordered snacks, starting with the spider crab toast. The ratio of filling to toast was unbalanced. Far too much filling for the ‘toast’. There was a decent amount of lemon coming through. I was imagining it smothered onto actual toast in some way, however it was small, dainty and a snack as it was specified. To be clear, I was aware that no actual toast was coming but the filling would have been wonderful on it. More rustic, more deliberate. Perhaps not so fancy. Don’t get me wrong I am all for fancy food, there is a time and a place for it.
Next snack- The pea panisse. Crisp on the outside, smooth in the middle. The taste was delicate and fresh. Perfect with the crusty bread that was about to follow. An addictive one, we ate it all quite quickly.
Main course- We went for the fish of the day, which was cod. It was flaking apart beautifully, being a well-cooked piece of fish, but the skin could have been crispy and less charred. The Hollandaise was well made. The peas were a welcomed addition.
Chopped salad of the day- It was a well put together salad. The flavours and textures merged well. As far as a salad goes it was tasty.
Frites- They were delightfully crispy, well seasoned. Can we just call them chips though? I can’t ignore the proud Brit inside of me.
Pomme puree- It was smooth, no lumps. Buttery. As it should be.
Maple roasted carrots- What came were three whole carrots. Roasted nicely but they were not very sophisticated looking ones. There was no finesse. Quite big and bulky on the plate. This can be revisited for sure.
Vanilla cheesecake- The first thing I noticed was that the base was not giving that familiar biscuit crunch, it was too soft. Not sure if this was the intention but I prefer my cheesecake bottom with a distinct texture difference to offset the soft filling. It came with blood orange over the top, a great ingredient. It tasted fine, and in contrast to most of the other food it was a large portion. One to share is enough in my opinion.
For the very first day, Julie’s did well overall. It certainly sets the tone for what to expect going forward. The service was warm and friendly, and indeed the staff made you feel very welcome. The food is not yet at its best, but we can obviously see the restaurant’s good intentions. Let’s see what it’s like for a dinner next time.
