Tom is a confident man who enjoys classics at old friends’ newest.
Bloomsbury’s Café Deco: free of pomp, pretension and fuss
There’s a satisfying simplicity to everything at Café Deco, a small Bloomsbury restaurant where things are stripped back to their essence, free of pomp, pretension and fuss. Its neat bar, bright floor, and huge picture windows make the space both practical and welcoming. As is the handsome, short menu that swoops through Europe with knowledge and ease.
Anna Tobias, the head chef, was trained by Ruthie Rogers, Jeremy Lee and Margot Henderson. This is a rare culinary trio. They have a huge influence on the kitchen. They are classic recipes that have been well executed, and they do so with generosity and abundance. A square of pristine pissaladière, all caramelised onion, intense anchovy and flaky puff pastry, is as strident as it is satisfying, the sort of bracing bite that kick-starts the tastebuds and whisks one to sunnier climes. The devilled egg is a British favorite, beautifully executed, with a lot of mayonnaise, and cayenne.
It is better to take good ingredients as a given than brag about them. There’s little need for breathless descriptions of breeding and provenance. Tobias says, “Trust me. We do.” Charcuterie is a rich, chewy, fatty form of salami and the most delicious culatello. It’s thin, like fluttering silk handkerchiefs. Perfectly fried cuttlefish and Squid have that golden crispiness and that whisper of the ocean. ‘Tastes like Italy,’ says my friend Matthew Fort. Trust me, that’s as exalted as his praise gets.
Meat stew and mashed are superior food. They have tender chunks of meat wrapped in delicious sauce that would delight Granny. This is not a casserole or a dish to be served with a dab of butter. It’s a traditional, unadorned British stew that has hints of nostalgia and hoar frost. Matthew’s partridge is equally unshowy, expertly roasted, with a pile of braised red cabbage and a blob of medlar jelly, the end of autumn, with a taste of the winter ahead.
Another stew with an Italian accent. This time, it’s made with cannellini beans and purple sprouting brocco. It is a beautiful verdant mess when properly prepared with a good amount of olive oil. The dish also has a subtle acidic taste. As you would expect from 40 Maltby Street’s team, the wine selection is interesting and reasonably priced. Rather like Café Deco, one of those rare and wonderful restaurants that despite being just a year old, feels like the oldest of friends.
About £35 per head. Café Deco, 43 Store Street, London WC1; cafe-deco.co.uk
DRINKS: Olly’s New Year fizz
You can support British winemakers by purchasing British bubblegum. It is high quality and some producers, such as Breaky Bottom (local to me in Sussex), are great. For richness and intrigue, pick bottles with a bit more age – my M&S 2016 Cava pick is a great value option. The non-vintage champagne (look out for the NV) is well balanced and ready for drinking. However, you can also choose lesser-known Champagnes like the Italian Pignoletto to get a more fruity option that will keep people dranking the bubbly until 2022. It’s a welcome glimpse of wine’s tantalising future.
WINE OF THE WEEK Vintage Cava 2016 (12%), £12, M&S. I can’t really fault this Spanish fizz on price or quality. Rich and vibrant as a golden peach, it’s handsome value for money.
Specially Selected Pignoletto Spumante DOC (11.5%), £6.99, Aldi. This is the ultimate crowd pleaser and bargain. Beautiful and as fragrant as pear bloom.
Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2017 (12%), from £17.99, Majestic. A rich fizz that has depth and layers of almond-lemony. South African wines are of extraordinary quality!
Les Pionniers NV Champagne (12%), £19, Co-Op. For under £20 this is my top pick for non-vintage Champagne on British shelves right now. Downright delicious.
Cloudy Bay Pelorus NV (12.5%), £24, Tesco. Fantastic aromas of coffee and cocoa beans, this is bubbly brilliance to rival the world’s best.