La Fromagerie Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury, London
The younger cousin of Patricia Michelson’s brilliant cheese-focused emporium in Marylebone, La Fromagerie’s Bloomsbury outlet is special because it takes bookings throughout the week (although it’s currently Tuesday-Saturday only). At first glance, it seems tiny and pared-back, with a mini cheese room, close-packed café tables and various displays of comestibles – although there’s also a larger dining room downstairs. Fabulously ripe cheeses and artisan charcuterie are the mainstays, but there are also full menus for lunch and dinner, strong on seasonal flavours with most inspiration coming from France and Italy. A swift lunch could yield marinated mackerel with shaved fennel and citrus salad followed by saffron risotto with peas and courgettes. Otherwise, go the whole hog with a three-course ‘kitchen dinner’: perhaps tomato and watermelon gazpacho followed by fresh tagliatelle with Devon crab or Yorkshire lamb shoulder with lyonnaise potatoes and gremolata. To finish, fresh strawberries with Fior di Latte ice cream is suitably summery or you could opt for cherry and peach frangipane tart. Otherwise, drop by for a quick daytime nibble (think duck rillettes, socca chips, friggitelli fritters etc). To drink, seasonal aperitifs supplement a short all-European wine list with almost everything available by the glass.
Dining Information:
Counter seating, Dog friendly
52 Lamb's Conduit Street, Bloomsbury WC1N 3LL
020 7242 1044
