Le Palais Du Jardin

This review was first published in December 1999

Covent Garden is a difficult place to grab something to eat. The huge numbers of people crammed in even on weekdays means that, for most places, booking is a necessity. If you are willing to go around the corner from the congested Tube station, then you might find an alternative in Le Palais du Jardin. You will still have to book in the evenings, but it is easier to get a late reservation than right in the heart of Covent Garden.

Le Palais du Jardin is a Tardis-like restaurant. Once you're past the bar area, the restaurant suddenly opens up into a substantially larger dining-room than you might have expected from the outside. The drawback appears to be that, particularly for lunch, this take on brasserie cooking is a bit heavy-going.

Prices are mid-to-expensive, the food French and often richer than I would have liked. A look down the starters list bears this out: foie gras with apple galette, prawn guacamole, carpaccio of beef and so on. I felt full up just looking at it, and the warm tomato tart with goat's cheese did not deviate from my expectations.

The main courses are heavy on grilled meat and there is a standard selection of fish. Of these, I thought the pan-fried scallops were the most successful. Although the accompanying 'balsamic glaze' stuck to the overall impression of strong, rather than subtle, flavours, the dish overcame the feeling of heaviness and richness that put me off so many of the starters. The scallops themselves were juicy and perfectly cooked.

This is not the place to plan an expensive meal out - if you are going to spend money on a special occasion then there are more exciting or ostentatious places nearby - but if you need steady cooking at the last minute, then this is ideal.

Le Palais du Jardin
136 Long Acre, WC2 9AD