Review: La Bibliothèque
Stepping into La Bibliothèque in East London we were transported to a sleek and warm atmosphere. The intimate and cosy interior was inviting with plush seating lining the sides of the restaurant. Lit-up cabinets featuring bottles of whisky and books, and tasteful art adorning the walls, with a beautiful cello taking centre stage in the room.
Our waitress seated us at our table for our 90-minute bottomless brunch. From the menu you choose a starter and a main, selecting from three options for each. You can also add dessert at a supplementary charge if you fancy ending on something sweet. With the bottomless brunch you can choose between Prosecco or one of the two cocktails. We began with a glass of the Hummingbird Effect, a strong vodka and Aperol based cocktail, and the Kaizen, a Japanese whisky and gin highball. The white peach and rose flavours of the Kaizen was more suited to our taste with its refreshing fruity and floral notes.
To start, the cloud-shaped sharing milk bread is served with two types of whipped butter: toasted sesame and crispy shallot. The toasted sesame was salty with an umami flavour, but the sweet notes of the caramelised shallot butter made it a clear winner. The milk bread had a golden crusty exterior and a pillow soft interior; it’s served warm so best to tuck in as soon as it arrives.
Our appetisers arrived mid-way through devouring the milk bread, a perfect pause to stop me from eating the entire thing! For appetisers, we ordered the beef short rib and the cod brandade. The beef short rib was sublime, the meat was very tender and falling apart with the lightest of touches. The tartness of the pickles was a great accompaniment to the rich and smoky beef. The cod brandade was also excellent, it tasted delicate and fresh. The crispy poached egg was sensational too. The yolk was satisfyingly running and encased in a crunchy light crumb coating.
For mains we chose the soy glazed chicken, which was cooked to perfection and juicy. The celeriac puree served alongside was creamy, and all the flavours were tied together by the aromatic black garlic sauce. We also had the ravioli, which was filled with a runny egg yolk and buttery baked potato. The ravioli sat atop a bed of leeks and was garnished generously with black truffle shavings. This is a dish that delighted our tastebuds and was a feast for our eyes.
Our waitress was very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. She explained each dish to us as they arrived at our table and checked on us regularly for refills. We were easily persuaded with a final glass of Prosecco to round off this exquisite meal!
Find out morea about La Bibliothèque here
Book La Bibliothèque here
See La Bibliothèque gift vouchers here