Why I love Gazette Brasserie

Gazette Brasserie is a bistro/cafe where customers can swing between a coffee stop, a beer in front of the TV or a full four-course meal. We were there for the meal and delved straight into the oeuf cocotte meurette, thanks to the waiter's recommendation that it helps hangovers. For the franco-igno, oeuf cocotte meurette is  a hot saucepan full of fried eggs, panchetta, mushrooms and fried bread. A tasty mixture that brought us back to life, and moreover, was incredibly filling. The waiter had told me that most customers eat it for a French breakfast, but the jury's out on whether it is more of an entrée.

We took time-out to wait for some other guests, which was a welcome respite to allow the soaking up of my heavy starter. The hefty wine list is impressive, but we gave it a miss to concentrate on the tasty London local draft beer, which we sipped whilst catching the Wales versus France rugby match on TV, which was on in the restaurant surrounded by intermittently noisy Gauls. It was a pleasant distraction rather than an annoyance, though served as evidence that Gazette Brasserie is a multi-functional, multi-national establishment.

For the main course, I grabbed the bavette skirt cut of beef. A simple steak and chips, with the meat cooked to our request. Vegetables are extra, but we decided against them. There were no attempts with the spectacular, just nice uncomplicated cooking. As a Saturday lunch, we were most satisfied. We washed down the meal with a warm cup of hot chocolate as the three-year-old member of our table devoured a banana split. We might have joined him, but we were fit to burst.

Gazette Brasserie is a fine establishment and thoroughly recommended as a place for coffee or some munch. The food is unpretentious and up front. I'd definitely go again, if just to try some of the specials which included oysters and duck.

Jon, Walton-on-Thames