Racine
Price guide: Mid-range
239 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2EP
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#27 of 115
expert-rated restaurants in London- Recommended for:
- Business travellers, Couples, Culture vultures, Foodies, Relaxation, Shopping, Special occasions
Expert review of Racine
A beguilingly bourgeois French restaurant bringing a neighbourhood vibe to Knightsbridge.
Combine Henry Harris’s elegantly robust cooking with a zhooshy location and you have something better than a local bistro par excellence. Racine attracts plenty of Knightsbridge residents but you’re just as likely to be sitting beside discerning foodies and French expats.
Food and drink:
There are more dishes on offer than is considered fashionable these days, but Racine’s sense of bounty and good, old fashioned choice are as appetizing as the ballotine, Bayonne ham and côte de boeuf. Classic sauces feature throughout – not just béarnaise and tartare, but ravigote and bourride. Fish gets a good showing, as do proteins such as guinea fowl, rabbit and veal. Offal lovers may find sweetbreads, calf’s brains in black butter, and tête de veau but anyone simply wanting a steak (sourced from nearby O’Shea’s butchers) will be easily pleased too. I’m not normally a fan of mont blanc – that rich yet sugary mix of chestnut purée, meringue and chocolate sauce – but Racine’s is a showstopper to rival le cancan. Surprisingly, this resolutely French establishment entertains wines from around the globe…
Ambience:
Behind the burgundy curtain is a simple room lined with banquettes and mirrors. The patina suggests it’s been here forever but it’s not even ten years old yet.
Service:
Excellent (welcoming, friendly, efficient) and they seem to know it, charging 14.5 per cent service.
Location:
Opposite Holy Trinity Brompton, great for posh shops and the museums of South Kensington.
Price advice:
Chef-patron Harris works hard to make the prix fixe proper good value – £15.50 for two courses, £17.75 for three – so don’t hesitate to try. Otherwise à la carte mains are £15.50-£29.75, and wines start at £20 a bottle.
More information on Racine:
- Price guide:
- Type:
- Restaurant
- Food:
- French
- Address:
- 239 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2EP
- Telephone:
- 020 7584 4477
- Website:
- http://www.racine-restaurant.com
- Serves:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Opening times:
- Mon-Fri noon-3pm, 6-10.30pm; Sat noon-3.30pm, 6-10.30pm; Sun noon-3.30pm, 6-10pm.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Reservations:
- Always essential
