Brunch Heaven @ La Fromagerie

Many years ago when we discovered the quaint villagey area of Marylebone and the fantastic La Fromagerie. At the time we were living in food hell. Ie. Brentford. Which if you have never visited, it takes an age to get to and from. It’s in the arse end of London and somehow we were there for far too long.

Once in a while we would end up in heaven. Wandering those peaceful streets of Marylebone, looking in those oh so pretty shops, and the oh so prettier people. How we dreamed of living here, rather than in Brentford.

So on some Sundays we would make a beeline for La Fromagerie for brunch. We were always impatient and hated queuing but it was the done thing, and so we queued as true Englishmen do, although one of us is not. We would wait till it was our turn to sit on that long wooden bench with those oh so pretty people.

The selection of salads on show were heaven on earth. The cheese boards from the cheese room used to drive us wild with happiness. All this washed down with a bottle of crisp white wine was a perfect way to spend a Sunday in London. There was none better.

I really cannot remember the last time we made it out this way on a Sunday, but this given Sunday we had planned it so. Maybe to bring back those magical memories of a long gone yesteryear.

Not much has changed in the shop cum restaurant, only that the organic shop had closed next door and they had opened it up into more seating. Damn that was so needed in my view.

I have read so many bad reports about the place of late, which mainly all came down to the service that was being given. Yes the service was never great, it was mainly rushed and busy, but it was always with a smile.

Our trip this time saw us seated in the new (slightly gloomy) area on a smaller long bench, which after a while we had two Asian ladies sit next to us. You could tell they were not happy about sitting next to anyone, or just us, and I think they wanted to move but were too polite to ask.

The salads that were laid out for you to choose from have disappeared, and replaced with a more standard menu. A shame as I always loved looking at what I could have, not reading what I can.

The menu is light and ideal brunch material. There are several cheese boards, all selected from the cheese shop adjacent. Heaven. But this time I was not in the mood for a slice of cheesy heaven, but after seeing lentils and canard on the menu I was sold. Lina was undecided between a beetroot salad and baked Tunworth cheese wrapped in pastry. Well the thought of melted cheese kinda swung it for her.

I’m glad she did, as it was unxious. Melted cheese in a lovely pastry was, well what can I say. Delicious.

My lentils were still al dente and the duck leg had so much flavour. Yum. I even gnawed all the meat off the bone, which was met with disapproving looks off our lovely neighbours.

I love La Fromagerie, nothing has really changed, it has more grown and changed with the times. To me this is still one of the best places to brunch in London. Light and casual. It’s a shame that some not so friendly people staff their other branch in Islington.

But the best thing is being able to pop next door and buy a couple of Crottin de Chavignol for a salad the following day. Heaven I tell you, bloody heaven.