db eats: Waterloo Bar & Brasserie

Dining options around train stations – or indeed any UK public transport hub – are notoriously uninspiring. True, St Pancras has broken the mould, yet the popularity and success of its food offer has yet to inspire other terminals to replicate the model.

Waterloo’s ego may have been dented by its loss of the Eurostar terminal, but that shouldn’t restrict its gastronomic ambitions to McDonalds or the Cornish pasty outlet at the foot of the escalator.

Luckily just across the road, The Waterloo Bar & Brasserie has relaunched after a classy makeover to make the most of a location that sees it poised to catch both travellers and visitors to the reinvigorated Old Vic theatre.

The quick lunch menu is poised as an alternative to the à la carte option, which is clear and concise for those who need to catch a train or play. Likewise, service was efficient, without rushing those diners free from time pressures.

A starter of wild rabbit terrine with grape purée and toasted brioche was delicately – possibly too delicately – flavoured, but only really let down by the fact that the “brioche” was actually just plain sliced white toast. This wasn’t a problem in itself, in fact the more simple option was probably more suited to this dish than brioche, but it’s nevertheless irritating to feel you’ve been downgraded.

Meanwhile a poached egg and white bean fritter with chilli jam was the most creative option on the menu, but the combination of the two main ingredients proved somewhat bland. The chilli jam saved rather than completed the dish.

A bottle of 2009 Fleurie from Domaine du Calvaire de Roche Grès hit the spot very nicely; a balanced, ripe, understated crowd-pleaser which made it easy for two people to finish the bottle and an ideal choice for anyone needing to be relatively awake after their meal.

The grill section suggests steak of various cuts is the speciality here – eminently suitable for diners on a deadline, but also the most expensive option on the menu.

I opted instead for the lamb rump with pea purée: it arrived cooked to a perfect medium rare with none of the toughness which can be a pitfall of this cut. The pea purée added a nice lift with a bright, green freshness that was doubly welcome on a chilly January evening.

A dish of red snapper was paired with woodland flavours of hazelnut and capers; a combination which my friend assured me worked very nicely.

The exploding chocolate soufflé with berry purée had tweaked my radar as soon as I set eyes on the menu in the restaurant doorway, so the anticipation made the fact that it had run out doubly disappointing.

The consolation prize of pineapple carpaccio with lemon sorbet and Malibu pannacotta was a refreshing, cleverly balanced deconstruction of a piña colada, with appealingly contrasted flavours and textures. My resentment about the chocolate pudding was appeased to a gentle simmer.

Unable to shake off the chocolate craving so easily, my friend opted for the unadventurous but satisfyingly box ticking chocolate brownie with hazelnut and vanilla ice cream.

If it were set across the river in Covent Garden, The Waterloo Bar & Brasserie would be just another face in the crowd, with a steady stream of London traffic to keep it busy. This side of the Thames, however it stands out as a serious contender in terms of quality, ambience and convenience. The Anchor & Hope at the other end of The Cut may outperform it, but try getting a table there.

For anyone needing another excuse to visit this still rather shabby corner of Central London, Feydeau’s rumbustious, hugely enjoyable farce runs at the Old Vic until 5 March. You’ll need at least a drink across the road afterwards while you recover your breath.

The Waterloo Bar & Brasserie
119 Waterloo Road,
London,
SE1 8UL

Tel: +44 (0)20 7960 0202
www.thewaterloobrasserie.com

Gabriel Savage, 22.02.2011