Le Pigalle

[magnolia]

I had lunch at Pigalle on Friday, when it was very warm, and ducking into the dimmish, cool space was like finding a little refuge.

At 13h30 only half the table were full, and it never got more crowded (perhaps more people had preceded us).

The much-hyped François was very much in evidence - in fact he was the only staff member in evidence for the first 15 minutes - and as charming and gregarious as described, almost like a good natured 'heckler' as he would repeat peoples' various request at 'alto voce' "you want a glass of wine? I will get you a glass of the best wine!"

The lunchtime £9.95 prix fixe indicated : salad (mozzarella, basil & tomoto); a choice of chicken chasseur or cod; and dessert. When I asked what 'chasseur' meant, he said 'that's not available, it's now coq au vin'. We requested a few more minutes to look at the menu, as I wasn't in the mood for coq au vin. I looked over the menu, but nothing inspired, so I decided on coq au vin after all. When we then placed our order, we were informed that there was no coq au vin, just steak.

A bit exasperated - and definitely not in the mood for steak, I was about to turn away from the prix fixe and just order a salad - when François dashed off and came back to advise that chicken chasseur was back on the menu. So...back to Plan A, we both ordered the prix fixe, including the chicken chasseur (at that point - i.e. 13h50 - I didn't care what it was!)

Our starters arrived, and I have to say sadly they were totally lackluster: sad wilted basil; non-descript mozzarella and the usual flavourless tomatoes - though I should have known better as it's really hard to find a good tomato in London, so I harbour no grudge for this, especially since the chicken dish was so good. I'm not a huge chicken fan but once in awhile I get in the mood for it, and this juicy, generous portion came in glazed terra-cotta tureen, with several varieties of mushrooms. We then had creme brulee (which was more creme than brulee) and a decent chocolate mousse, though I think they used milk chocolate and I prefer dark... and good, strong coffee.

Lunch was a very, er, leisurely affair - we left at 16h00 ! (having arrived at 13h30). But that's OK, the chef came out and chatted, Francois did the rounds, and it was like a sort of dizzy comedy act. And at £32 or so incl t&t for two people, three courses (one sub-par; one great; one standard) a bottle of water, two coffees, plus very entertaining service, I'd go back - particularly as I still think that part of London is such an overpriced Tundra of restaurants (sorry to mix metaphors but you know what I mean)

[Wilfrid]

I have certainly formed the impression that members of staff will dart out and purchase ingredients during service, which means that dishes can be on and off the menu with seeming arbitrariness. I did give Francois the address for eGullet and suggested he check out this thread. No sign of him yet - Francois, lurkez-vous?

[Simon Majumdar]

I went to Pigalle with a dear chum on the recs of this board and I have to say it is a strange place

We werethe only people in the place at 9.00pm ( after a few moderately well made drinks in Che ) and Francois was very welcoming with a free glass of Champagne for the two of us.

We ordered the Cassoulet and Coq Au Vin and a bottle of Cahors.

The food was indeed excellent. The Cassoulet came with a huge piece of duck confit and Chorizo while my Coq au vin was filled with wonderfully fatty bacon.

Bill for two came to a little over £40.

A good rec for a non destinational night out

Thanks

S

[Andy Lynes]

Maybe we ought to decend en masse on the place sometime soon, perhaps when Wilfrid is in the country again?

[Clerkenwellian]

would really appreciate it if someone could post the phone number for Le Pigalle...

[jayrayner]

It is Tel 020 7734 5144

[Clerkenwellian]

jayrayner posted on Aug 28 2002, 04:34 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> It is Tel 020 7734 5144

thanks - and thanks also for the article pointing me to that restaurant and this website.

[StephenT]

There was some discussion about the fact that the place looks almost exactly the same as it did when it was Hujo's. To add to that, I recently noticed there are still Hujo's matchbooks on a table near the door.

[Miss J]

Looks like Le Pigalle's new-found success isn't just confined to Saturday nights. I tried to pop in last night (Tuesday) with a couple of friends, and once again it was completely packed.

Francoise seemed stressed - not only was he terse and unsmiling, but he actually avoided eye contact. He couldn't have seemed a more different man than if he'd been replaced by the Body Snatchers. Hopefully this was just a one-off bad night (I noticed he had one really large table of around 12, and another reserved for 10 arriving imminently). Still, it was a little worrying.

I think I'll hold off Le Pigalle for a few months and see if things calm down. However, if people are as won over as we are, it looks like it'll be reservation-only for the foreseeable future.

[Charlene Leonard]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Simon Majumdar]

There was some discussion about the fact that the place looks almost exactly the same as it did when it was Hujo's.  To add to that, I recently noticed there are still Hujo's matchbooks on a table near the door.

They did have the Hujo's matchbooks as I was offered one by Francoise when I asked for a card.

When I asked why they did not have any of their own he said rather disarmingly "we'll get round to that when we get rid of the 2000 of these that they left in the cellar"

You can't argue with the Logic

The review has obviously helped. I noticed that there was a **** of The Sutton Arms in Metro this morning by the really rather good writer Marina O Loughlin. So I guess it will be packed to the gunwhales now as well. Ho hum

S

[StephenT]

They are indeed busy almost every night now, according to Francois. I dropped by on the way home on Monday to apologise for our rather unruly, drunken incursion into his otherwise peaceful restaurant on Saturday and it turned out to be mostly him saying he was sorry he hadn't had a table for us.

I think he feels bad that he can't give tables to people who used to go there before it was that way. Pity, as it was a good place to head on the spur of the moment after a few drinks.

[Wilfrid]

See. Didn't I tell you it was good?

[magnolia]

Francoise seemed stressed - not only was he terse and unsmiling, but he actually avoided eye contact. He couldn't have seemed a more different man than if he'd been replaced by the Body Snatchers. Hopefully this was just a one-off bad night (I noticed he had one really large table of around 12, and another reserved for 10 arriving imminently). Still, it was a little worrying.

Well maybe they'll be flush enough to hire another waiter - the time I went for lunch (and it was pretty empty - maybe lunches are still a good bet?) there *seemed* to be one other waiter but he spent the whole time in hiding.

[Tyke]

I asked what 'chasseur' meant,

Might I respectfully suggest you buy a copy of 'Le Repertoire de la Cuisine' it will give you the recipes of all the great French sauces, and ingredients and prep for appetizers through to desserts. This will include Chicken Chasseur, a much lauded wedding breakfast special.

[Akiko]

has anyone been back to Pigalle recently? Has the hubbub died down and have they gone back to their former ways?

I never got to try it and would like to.... but don't want to be disappointed.

[Charlene Leonard]

I went about 2 weeks ago. Place was about 3/4 full by the time we left and I got the impression he was fully booked. Even whlist I was there someone pulled out the Observer article so I think people are still going there because of it. However, Francois said that he is pleased he is getting more regulars as a result of the article and there was another waiter there on the night we went. My husband says lunchtimes are much less busy. Food still fab, Francois as mad as ever, give it a go...

[Gavin Jones]

I had dinner on a Friday night with 2 friends 2 weeks ago.

It was still full - we'd booked & Francois was turning people away.

He is now assisted by 2 archetypal French waitresses - in fact I'm pretty sure it will soon be a Gaumont film set.

The frites were still good, but they were having supply issues not having the 2 starters we wanted. And the steaks were slightly smaller than I remember (but still a decent size). Venturing up the rather limited wine list they were selling the Crozes-Hermitage at less than twice retail.

I'd go midweek evening - Francois was bemoaning the fact that since Jay's article it was heaving - or a lunchtime - when a more relaxed service & less pressure on the kitchen will make it a more enjoyable experience.

[Gavin Jones]

Akiko, if you have a luncheon opportunity my advice would be La Trouvaille (Newburgh Street off Carnaby St) in preference to Le Pigalle.

I found myself in the vicinity of Bond Street and having inspected the menu at Embassy and decided against noticed the dining room was empty. The Sugar club too. I was walking on for a pave au poivre at Le Pigalle when I wandered passed la Trouvaille.

I ate there well over a year ago with a friend who was cutting opposite at which time she said it was totally deserted. There was then a mini-tsunami of interest and it was full a couple of times & I assumed the worst. Apparently even one SteveP. dined there

However the lunch menu was £19-75 for starter, entree, cheese, dessert.

I was entertained on the one side by two gents who'd got through a bottle of red before ordering and on the other by two publishing types who were discussing the shock revelations of Brian Sewell's part in Anthony Blunt (I may have misheard).

Decent Black pudding on carrot and pear with a glass of Frontonnais.

Really good Onglet with sauce Choron (tomato Hollandaise?).

Frites - not as good as Pigalle but acceptable.

Cheese: St Nectaire - Bleu d'Auvergne - Muenster

with a little splidge of truffled honey for the blue.

This was decent. (well better than the cheese course at Pied-a-terre with two lumps of a bleu d'Auvergne alike)

Couple of glasses of liqouricey Corsican wine.

Clafoutis (bollocks, it was a tart) of pear w. calvados ice cream.

Coffee & cognac.

Very good. Snooze.

[Andy Lynes]

According to MPW in Wild Food from Land and Sea sauce choron is indeed hollandaise with a strained reduction of white wine vinegar, tarragon, peppercorns and shallot added to it with tomato concasse and tomato puree.

In case you, or anyone else, hadn't seen this thread about the eGullet dinner at Trouvaille, http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?ac...1fc81ea1a1c82e2

[Kikujiro]

Like Gavin, I ate at La Pigalle today. I assume his party had gone, as when we turned up around 8 the other people in the place -- all five of them -- were all speaking French. I was too wankered on arrival -- hence my ordering snails and steak frites -- to comment decently on the food, except to say that the snails were fine but too salty, the steak cooked bleu as requested, and the frites superb [McD standard] but too salty ... Francois didn't seem to notice the fact that I kept addressing him by his first name (I've been once before, ages ago), but was otherwise impeccable.

Edited December 5, 2002 by Kikujiro (log)

[Paul Bell]

Saturday dinner at Pigalle, a couple of spare table when we arrived at 9.00 but they were full half an hour later. Francois was running around madly, charming and friendly whilst being grumpy about others (not happy about the table of twenty, the waitress who wasn't doing anything or that his last customer left on Friday at about 2 in the morning).

Fish soup was good, better than I expected, goats chesse sald was large, coq au vin good, frites excellent, and were indeed very salty which I like but some would not. Plus mark to the chef who served the coq au vin with taglaitelle (can't spell) instead of potatoes coz we ordered chips (he may of course have run out of new potatoes but never mind).

Two bottles of very decent cahors, which were preceded by Kirs au chocolat They had run out of creme de cassis, but the waitress said they had creme de cacao so we though we might as well try them and to be fair they were not horrible, different, interesting etc. Think it might start a trend though

Paul

[Jonathan Day]

A very pleasant lunch today at Le Pigalle with four of us at table: escargots, warm goat's cheese, fish soup, cassoulet, souris d'agneau (lamb shanks), coq au vin. A decent bottle of house merlot.

Fish soup didn't hit the heights of Loulou (few places do) but had a good stock served with a mild but nicely rounded rouille; coq au vin very good: flavourful, meaty chicken, neither over- or under-cooked with a rich stock and delicious mushrooms. Served with noodles, in honour of the ongoing pasta thread. Cassoulet as wonderful as before, with fat, flavour-filled beans.

This is "sweet" cooking: not in the sense of sugary, but rich, warm, deep flavours. This is a chef who isn't trying to shock or challenge his customers, just to bring them back, for a few hours, to a simpler and slower world. One of our guests, who had never eaten in Europe before, was overwhelmed at the flavour of the cassoulet. The food at this place all goes down very easily. And for minuscule prices, for central London.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that we were the only customers for the whole lunch service. If this continues, Le Pigalle can't last long.

Come on, eGulleteers. Let's not let this place go under!

[Kikujiro]

Fair enough. Will try to get there again soon.

[Miss J]

So many things to do in the New Year. At this rate, I'll have January completely booked.

(Am I the only sad sack working on Christmas Eve?)