Casse Croute London Review

It’s been some time since I’ve indulged in some hearty French cuisine; the last, being when I cosied up to the romantically intimate interiors of Mayfair’s Boudin Blanc on a cold, wet winter’s evening towards the end of 2016. So, with the clocks marching forward an hour and sunnier weather becoming the norm, I decided to pay Casse Croute in London on Bermondsey Street a visit.

It’s a place I’ve been meaning to visit given it has always been in my line of sight every time I sat in front of the window seat of Jose’s addictive tapas bar, situated opposite the road from it.

The Interior of Casse Croute

Upon entering this French bistro, you realise how small yet cute the place is. Seating is just about sufficient for 25 people, with tables so close you’ll be privy to conversations about weekend plans, entertaining gossip, British weather and Brexit implications.

Despite this, Casse Croute boasts plenty of character and makes you feel you’re in the middle of Paris. Walls are swamped with Francophile pictures and paintings, many in art deco style. One image on the wall above our table even looked like it was inspired by the Boris Johnson look!

Casse Croute London

The Daily Menu

In terms of the restaurant’s menu, it is listed on a blackboard and offers 3 choices each for starters, mains and desserts.

This menu changes everyday depending on the ingredients available to the chef – something that makes me want to come back and see what else is on offer. The daily menu is snapped by one of the restaurant staff and uploaded to their website, so you’ll at least know what’s available before you arrive. Pretty cute eh?!

With just 3 courses available for each course, we found that this took away the problem of choice. It also meant that we could order different dishes and share along the way to decide which were the better choices.

The Food at Casse Croute

Casse Croute London

For the starter, I opted for the crayfish ravioli in creamy lobster orange sauce while Simon went for the foie gras, served with crusty French bread and a small side of salad. While both provided a great introduction to the quality of cooking here, we agreed that the ravioli dish was the better of the two. The only complaint we had was that there could’ve been more than just 3 of them to tuck into on the plate!

Next up were the main dishes and I couldn’t resist the sound of their confit duck cooked in an orange sauce and served with creamy, buttery mash potatoes. The duck was divine and combined with the other flavours present, meant I nearly finished the plate before being able to pass some of it over to Simon!

Casse Croute London

Simon’s choice was their beef wellington with porcini mushroom filling, served with green beans and a gravy like sauce dripped all over. As much as I loved my duck, I’ve got to admit that the beef wellington was truly exceptional.

Casse Croute London

The texture of the tender beef together with the delicate porcini and smooth pastry had that ‘je ne sais quoi’ quality to it and we were so close to ordering another plate of this. We would’ve done so if it wasn’t for the desire to try one of their desserts.

We went for one dessert to share and there was no argument as to what dish we both wanted. We were both drawn to the choux pastry choice, a small tower of two pieces on top of each other, one filled with strawberry cream and the other with a raspberry filling. The tower collapsed and was vanished in mere seconds as we went about making the plate spotless!

Casse Croute London

The Verdict

If you’re missing the feeling of being back in France and the deliciousness of French cuisine, then this cosy, little French bistro is a place you’ll want to book a reservation for. It’s another reason to pay trendy Bermondsey Street a visit. I can’t guarantee what dishes will be on that chalkboard, but hey, where’s the fun in always knowing anyway?!

Casse Croute London

109 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3XB

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