Bleeding Heart Yard, C1N 8SJ
Meal for two with wine and service: around £100
020 7242 2056
http://www.bleedingheart.co.uk/restaurant/
The Bleeding Heart restaurant is almost 30 years old and is now joined by a bistro and tavern – it serves decent French food at mid-market prices. However, the name does not lie: the menu has lots of red meat options and looks a tad old fashioned: the clientele agree with this, being predominately blazered and bloated. I generally enjoyed the food here, with the only problem being the staff who are all French, universally unsmiling and supercilious – they appear to have walked straight out of a Dordogne Michelin starred restaurant in the 1980s.
Food and atmosphere
My starter was a fairly unremarkable potted crab and dill dish, which was a poor introduction to a fantastic Scottish Beef main with wonderfully sweet confit shallots and a rich red wine jus (£28.95). I would be interested to try the Sole Meuniere (£19.75), a remnant of the 1980s which, like calculator watches and bright chunky jumpers, could well be back in fashion now? Bleeding Heart does score highly on atmosphere though – it is split over a maze of wooden floored chambers and would be a great place to hide away for a romantic candlelit meal.
Verdict
There are a plethora of more interesting London restaurants but I think that Bleeding Heart does have a place, as long as the staff learn to be a bit less pretentious.
Also see: thecriticalcouple (living up to their name!), theperfecttrough.
October 16, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Hello Murray-interesting read. I’ve always had a mixed experience with these French Resteraunts-much more of an American lover-what are your thoughts? I could recommend a few places for you to try down your way.
Ron
October 29, 2012 at 10:11 pm
I like this place! Been a few times and tried 3 of the restaurants which make up The Bleeding Heart. Always better when the company is paying though!