As London’s restaurant scene lurches from trend to trend, we should all be grateful for institutions that still celebrate timeless French classics. If there’s a menu in London where you’ll never see a yuzu kosho, it’s Les 2 Garçons - Crouch End’s charming, staunchly old-school bistro du quartier.
It’s the picture of a perfect bistro - all stout tables, dinky ceiling lamps and blackboard menus. Co-owner Jean-Christophe (JC) greets everyone at the door with a cheerful ‘bonsoir!’, playing the part of genial Maitre’d with panache. His fellow garçon, chef Robert Reid, somehow manages to ferry dishes to tables, handle the bulk of the cooking, all whilst stopping for an occasional chat.
Reading the menu feels akin to floating on a lilo in a swimming pool in 30 degrees: all worldly worries float away in the face of pate de campagne with prune and Armagnac, or a braised ox cheek Bourguignonne with pomme puree. This is proper, proper cooking.
Les 2 Garçons specialises in big, bold flavours, but it’s a restaurant defined by tiny details. The room is nicely laid out, giving every table space to breath but still carrying that bistro buzz. Baguette arrives warm, whilst a slab of generously salted butter is tempered enough to spread without melting. Later, the peppercorn sauce that accompanies an absolutely stunning dry-aged sirloin is not latte beige, but a rich, chestnut brown, hefty with green peppercorns, brandy and beef stock. Superb sauces are a hallmark of quality - perhaps not surprising, then, that Reid was previously head chef of Marco Pierre White’s three Michelin-starred Oak Room.
It’s 30 degrees outside, so we plump for a summery piece of roast cod, which flakes away into a magnificent sauce of butter beans, chorizo, and saffron aioli. The fish has that rare, pearlescent quality of perfect ‘cuisson’. As for the salade Tropezienne? Sublime; ripe tomatoes dressed generously in hazelnuts, preserved lemon, and more saffron aioli. Every bite is joyous. Reid fries an excellent frite, too - a worthy partner to one of the best steaks we’ve eaten in some time.
Pear tarte tatin for two feels an appropriate way to finish. A tatin is one of the great desserts - a hasty construction of fruit, butter, sugar and thyme, collapsed into something magical, far beyond the sum of its parts. This one is majestic, worthy of any of the Michelin-starred kitchens Reid called home before settling in north London.
Even if we are being terribly picky, we would struggle to find fault here. Les 2 Garçons is the real deal - a shimmering diamond in the rough, with cooking that would stand out anywhere in France, let alone London, and two owners who get hospitality inside-out. It’s the perfect neighbourhood bistro.