This restaurant has it all. Checked tablecloths with matching floor, mirrors with funky frames, a slightly snotty manager and Coq au Vin on the menu. None of this fusion, modern, contemporary malarkey – this is pure ‘Allo! ‘Allo!
On this occasion, my fellow diner was also French – all we were missing were stripy t-shirts and berets… Going with the recommendations from the waiting staff we started with a selection of cured meats and patés along with grilled goats cheese with rosemary flavoured honey.
The huge starters arrived. Three slices of goats cheese sat atop oil soaked toasted bread dotted with roasted veg garnish, including the other starter comprising of what appeared to be the deli counter at Waitrose with mustard and cornichons. The meaty platter was hefty, but easy enough to polish off, and the fresh tasting patés had bags of flavour.
Full up from her starter, my fellow diner chose, ‘a light,’ Tuna Niçoise. I went all-out with the Coq au Vin. What arrived was a huge tuna steak sat upon plenty of new potatoes and lettuce circled with tomatoes and egg. My classic Coq au Vin came packed with button mushrooms, chicken pieces and button mushrooms. While nice, the tuna was again, too large, while the Coq au Vin sauce separated from the bags of oil that had been put into it – told you it was traditional.
Onto the dessert, classic Crepe suzette. Sticky sauce dotted with orange segments and a dollop of vanilla ice-cream. Simple and sweet, just as it’s supposed to be.
For the price point, this is simple French food executed correctly, and as hard as it is for me to say, Ma Cuisine Bistrot would benefit by downsizing the portions. The richness of the food would suit smaller portions. That’s my only grumble, oh, and there was a distinct lack of a wafer thin mint to finish.
Food: 3.5/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Value: 4/5
Cuisine type: French
Dinner for 2 (excluding drinks): £45
Wine: From £13.75 a bottle
Ma Cuisine Bistrot
The Old Post Office
9 Station Approach
Kew, Surrey
TW9 3QB
www.macuisinebistrot.co.uk