Home to many a late noughties/early 00s shenanigan, Julie’s was a west London mainstay. Occupying the same space and now owned by Tara McBain, an ex-Julie’s regular, the restaurant has had a fresh but fitting update, which has seemingly given this pocket of west London its pulse back.
The Décor
It’s eclectic bistro with a hint of country manor; there’s dark wood, browns and creams, with patterned accents on the wallpaper, lampshades, coasters. There are also throws on the chairs on the terrace for chillier evenings.
The Menu
Perfect for a neighbourhood restaurant, you can really work through the entire menu here. Created by Owen Kenworth (ex Brawn and The Pelican), highlights include snacks like pea panisse with Cornish gouda; the raw fish counter with oysters and carabinero carpaccio; starters like eggs mollet with truffle, mâche and fine beans; and chalk stream trout pastrami with mustard and choucroute. Mains include lobster soufflé and moules au Roquefort with parsley and shoestring fries; they have salads like a lobster Caesar and a chopped salad; and classic desserts such as vanilla cheesecake and cherry and almond tart. We could go on…
Highlights
The vibe. Inside, it feels like a Friday lunch club for old friends, while outside feels like you could be at a beach club in Ibiza, with lunches spanning hours and tables mixing with one another. The Maître ‘d – a gem of a man that could have you coming back for him, is another highlight. And the menu. They call it modern French brasserie cooking with life-enhancing fare, and we don’t disagree. It’s elevated comfort food with enough light options to keep you coming back, and back, and back. The weekend brunch menu, with seafood towers, green tomato martinis, and salt beef hash with a fried duck egg and celery salt, looks perfect, too.
