Augustine Kitchen

i cannot fault Augustime Kitchen. the servive is perfect, the atmosphere relaxed and the welcome friendly. it is the food however that knocks you off your seat. Be it the prawn starter wrapped in the thinnest of filo or the cocotte of lobster, the taste buds are tickled with nuanced flavours that leave one smiling.

To date we have been circa five times and not hit a poor note. The cote du boeuf for two is stunning and leaves plenty to take home. nothing like a hot beef sandwich with horseradish the day after!

The value too is a draw. where in London can you get top flight cooking for GBP15 for two courses on a prix fixe basis and come away amazed at what you received?

The wine list and menu are short and to the point and the focus is definitely on bringing out the best with what the seasin brings. Last time i went i tasted a coq au vin which opened my eyes to a dish i'd normally snub. highly recommended.

   

Traditional french dishes with expert execution and the odd twist. Delicious and extremely good value.

All you could ask for a local bistro/restaurant - terrific.

I ate here by chance with a friend who lives locally; we sat down at 2.30pm on a Saturday, just in time for the fixed-price lunch; the place was still pretty full, with couple and some larger family groups. Set price lunch (for just £10) had a couple of choices for starter, main or pudding. game terrine was home-made and pretty punchy, and the mains of boeuf bourgignon and fish on a bed of greens looked and tasted good. Glad to see wines by the carafe. Just over £40 for 2, which included an extra glass of red and service. Pleasant service (from a Spanish lady, not French!).

A lovely independent restaurant with authentic regional French cooking and charming service. Mid week in August it was quiet, but this suited our party of four. There were plenty of things on the menu we wanted to eat, and I started with king prawn and basil papilotte - 5 juicy fat prawns, individually wrapped with a sliver of basil leaf and transparent crunchy filo pastry - these created menu envy around the table. Grilled entrecote with tarragon butter for the main course came with proper thin French fries, while the rack of lamb for others arrived with luscious gratin potatoes and we couldn't help dipping in to the creamy-cheesy sauce. The pike mouse with lobster sauce and pearl barley looked quite light, but was said to be good as well as filling. It was all going so well we had to have desserts. The diplomat pudding was good, a sort of bread and butter pudding with plenty of rum, the chocolate and pistachio mousse suitably rich, while the pink praline floating island was a bit underwhelming. The locals are lucky to have this smart but not stuffy restaurant on their doorstep.

Super meal. Really high quality cooking. Excellent service. Only criticism was that it was a little quiet this evening. It is great to see and meet a chef who takes such obvious pride in his cooking and service. So much better than many of the over rated and over priced restaurants on the other side of the river. Chapeau Monsieur.

We have now been to Augustine Kitchen on five different occasions for lunch. Except for a minor lack of seasoning in a squash soup in the autumn last year, every dish has been wonderful. We have been greeted warmly on each occasion and been made to feel immediately at home and relaxed. The restaurant is bright and airy and decorated with delightful personal memorabilia from Chef/Patron Franck's childhood in the Evian Region of France with delightful grainy vintage photographic images of his Grandmother and cooking mentor Augustine and various uncles and village folk. These are artistically scattered over a full length chalk board on which the menu of the day, little captions to the images, anecdotes and other information is hand written. The little bar is well stocked, particularly with interesting Cognac's,Armagnac's and a selected range of Malt Whiskies (always a good sign) and other various “digestifs”. The tables are well spaced for a small “sallle” and impeccably set with pressed linen napkins, sparkling glasses and good heavy silverware. It is understated and quietly classy, we felt immediately at home and slightly privileged. The menu and wine list are both reassuringly small, with good variety and very well edited . Whilst looking through them we were served with excellent, warm home made small banquette style bread with a real crunch to the crust and proper flavour, bite and moisture inside, served with delicious creamy salty butter. We have now ordered both the A la Carte and from the menu. We have never been disappointed. Generally we take the daily menu which must be amongst the very best “qualite prix” deals in London. At just under £10, one can select from two starters and two main courses. All the selection of ingredients, menu choice, preparation and cooking are done by Franck himself. The ingredients are fresh, the portions ridiculously generous for a fixed price menu and they invariably look and taste as though he has just prepared it for you alone. There are great touches like sautéed wild mushrooms with grilled chicken, lardons in the sauté potatoes and sauces tend to be well reduced and richly flavoured without being sticky or overpowering. The dishes generally have colour and texture. The “Pommes Dauphinoise” are rich and creamy and it is worth a visit for them alone! We have variously ordered fish, chicken, veal and beef prepared and cooked in various different ways and always been delighted. Patron Franck has usually popped up from his kitchen to chat about our meal and one can feel his pride and passion, on this last occasion he brought us up a little plate of smoked “Fera” (sp?) a lake fish found in his home region around Evian. Presented as beautifully as a sushi chef may have done and brought to us with a smile and enthusiasm. It was not yet on his menu, but I will certainly try it next time, if he has it. Such a treat. Augustine's only opened late last year, but we honestly think it will become a cult destination place. There are few local London restaurants where the style, quality and service are so natural. Better still it all comes at a price that makes you feel comfortable, a little spoilt and keen to return.

I'm a compulsive non-reviewer of everything but Augustine kitchen has made me a bit passionate. We finally have a local restaurant I want to go back to again, and again. Enough of gastropubs, this is real French food with sensible wine and good service (we got the new girl tonight, but the regular staff are excellent with a light touch and good understanding of the food and wine they serve). A bit like being in France really but without the clichéd disparaging treatment of Brits. Try it, you won't regret it. It's worth the babysitter. Oh, and the low rating for atmosphere relates to the back room. Sit in the front restaurant and it's fine .