Le Pont Bistrot, London SE1: “It looks like the full 7p has been spent on this refurbishment” – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
Anyone with a working knowledge of London restaurants over the past 30 years will have stumbled across Le Pont de la Tour on the South Bank, formerly owned by Terence Conran. At one point in history, "going down Le Pont" was synonymous with understated luxury: it was a reassuringly priced French restaurant in a converted tea warehouse, serving lobster thermidor and, most importantly, offering on the balloon, high-quality French service. It was a rare treat at the time, because for most of the 20th century the British idea of the storefront involved a woman with a kingsize Rothmans in her mouth throwing a pig's tongue plowman in the general direction of your table. .
So it was interesting to learn late last month that Le Pont had expanded and opened an exciting new bistro next door that offered more convivial French classics such as comte gougères, duck confit with French peas and daily specials such as rabbit parmentier and skate wing with pepper. Escoffier recipes at Ivy Brasserie prices, he seemed to say.
The huge restaurant chain that owns Le Pont hasn't been very forthcoming with the details of this major refurbishment, but suffice it to say we should all go there to eat steak and fries whilst enjoying fabulous views over the beautiful River Thames. And, despite the fact that the Thames is, in fact, dirty and the last beautiful thing to happen there was the Great Frost Fayre in 1683, I booked a table for Sunday lunch, including because I love it when good rejigs come to old, tired, dated places.
Alarm bells started when we walked along the walkway at outside the Pont de la Tour looking for the bistro. Did I get the wrong address? It wouldn't be a first. I asked the restaurant staff, who directed me to a dingy door leading to the bar. “Is it the bistro? I asked.
"Yes," they replied. "The bistro is the bar area".
"Ah", I said, and everything became very clear: there is no " brand new" Le Pont Bistrot. It does not exist. It's an imaginary bistro. Food is simply served in the newly annexed bar, which needed upgrading a decade ago, with all the scabby leather seats, spotty mirrors and dank bathrooms with broken soap dispensers knocked out and thrown away in a dumpster. Instead, it looked like the full 7p had been spent on this particular 'renovation' - ie the cost of ink to print the new menu.
Anyone with a working knowledge of London restaurants over the past 30 years will have stumbled across Le Pont de la Tour on the South Bank, formerly owned by Terence Conran. At one point in history, "going down Le Pont" was synonymous with understated luxury: it was a reassuringly priced French restaurant in a converted tea warehouse, serving lobster thermidor and, most importantly, offering on the balloon, high-quality French service. It was a rare treat at the time, because for most of the 20th century the British idea of the storefront involved a woman with a kingsize Rothmans in her mouth throwing a pig's tongue plowman in the general direction of your table. .
So it was interesting to learn late last month that Le Pont had expanded and opened an exciting new bistro next door that offered more convivial French classics such as comte gougères, duck confit with French peas and daily specials such as rabbit parmentier and skate wing with pepper. Escoffier recipes at Ivy Brasserie prices, he seemed to say.
The huge restaurant chain that owns Le Pont hasn't been very forthcoming with the details of this major refurbishment, but suffice it to say we should all go there to eat steak and fries whilst enjoying fabulous views over the beautiful River Thames. And, despite the fact that the Thames is, in fact, dirty and the last beautiful thing to happen there was the Great Frost Fayre in 1683, I booked a table for Sunday lunch, including because I love it when good rejigs come to old, tired, dated places.
Alarm bells started when we walked along the walkway at outside the Pont de la Tour looking for the bistro. Did I get the wrong address? It wouldn't be a first. I asked the restaurant staff, who directed me to a dingy door leading to the bar. “Is it the bistro? I asked.
"Yes," they replied. "The bistro is the bar area".
"Ah", I said, and everything became very clear: there is no " brand new" Le Pont Bistrot. It does not exist. It's an imaginary bistro. Food is simply served in the newly annexed bar, which needed upgrading a decade ago, with all the scabby leather seats, spotty mirrors and dank bathrooms with broken soap dispensers knocked out and thrown away in a dumpster. Instead, it looked like the full 7p had been spent on this particular 'renovation' - ie the cost of ink to print the new menu.
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