Our Catherine channels her inner Francophile as she heads down to Bordelaise, the newest addition from the people behind Little Bar and Little Taperia in the ever-evolving foodie scene at Tooting’s Broadway Market. How’s the steak, you may ask…?
Rating:
Cuisine:
French-inspired. Although there are a few bistro classics on the menu, the focus in Bordelaise is the classic combination of steak and frites.
In a word:
Meaty
Appeals to:
Carnivores looking to get their fix and Francophiles after a dash of bistro-charm in London. Last minute extreme luncheon folks browsing Broadway Market, expat French folks looking for the food of home and on something of a budget. Anyone who liked the idea of a tiny, streamlined steakhouse…
The Ambiance:
Bordelaise is located right at the back of Tooting’s Broadway Market. I step inside, leaving the cold that whistles around the market behind, to find an intimate and charming space. Dark red walls and mood lighting exude a sexy vibe. By eight o’clock every seat in the house is taken.
Conversation drifts across tea lights in cups that decorate the wooden tables giving the place an enchanting bistro feel. This combined with the Parisian tones of the manager in the backdrop, may lead you to forget for a few moments that you’re actually in a market in Tooting…
The Food:
I start with a selection of mixed olives, sourdough bread and charcuterie to share. They are plenty to ease my hunger pangs as the smell of cooked meat floats before my nose, but light enough to enjoy before the main event.
Unable to choose between the two steak options: butcher’s or rib-eye – I try them both.
The butcher’s steak, also known as a flat iron, is deliciously pink and despite being a cheaper cut is by no means chewy. It’s accompanied by their namesake red wine sauce, bordelaise, which is served in a small copper saucepan.
The rib-eye doesn’t disappoint. It’s well-marbled and ever so tender with a just a hint of earthiness that lingers.
I opt for three sides dishes to accompany the steaks: creamed spinach, caramelised Madeira shallots and Dauphinoise potatoes.
The star of the show for me is the caramelised Madeira shallots – beautifully sticky and sweet to taste. The Dauphinoise potatoes are a golden delight of hot molten cheese layered around thin slices of potatoes. Sadly, I am not a fan of the creamed spinach. The spinach is swimming in a pool of cream and makes the dish too wet. ‘Spinached cream’?
The Verdict:
Affordable and steak are rare combination in London but Bordelaise seems to have cracked the combination – the butcher’s is only £10 Butcher’s and the rib-eye is a very reasonable £20. So if you’re looking for good food, with quality service to boot and food that’s nearly as cheap as chips (or at least as close to this as you’ll get with French steak in London…), you can’t go wrong coming here.
The Details:
Bordelaise, Units 9-11 Broadway Market, 29 Tooting High Street, SW17 0RJ
https://www.bordelaise.co.uk/
@BordelaiseSW17