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The ViewLondon Review
It’s not all that long ago that all you could find to eat in the capital (if you were in a hurry) was a greasy spoon or a vendor of soggy sandwiches.
Happily that’s not the case any more. There’s a wealth of choice – but things could still be done better.
Enter Apostrophe, courtesy of Meir Abutbul. Influenced by the traditional Parisian boulangerie, Apostrophe presents itself as a boulangerie-patisserie. This, of course, means bakers-cake shop. As you’d expect there’s far more to it though.
For a start, Apostrophe will be offering a wide range of "breads and sandwiches as well as quiches, tartlets, croissants, savoury strudels, toasted brioche sandwiches and patisseries."
To back all this up the drinks front will include "excellent" coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and a range of organic juices including carrot, apple and pear.
This is a very good start. It becomes even more impressive when Apostrophe’s consultant chef, Simon Fenwick, explains a little more; the food is made using traditional French ingredients to produce a more authentic flavour.
Each sandwich has been developed so that it has it’s own distinctive flavour. The bread is then chosen specifically to compliment the filling.
This is a pleasant departure from the norm, where sandwiches often lose their flavour as a result of over-refrigeration (so they say). But what else can we expect of Apostrophe?
Well, Apostrophe’s architect has departed convincingly from the traditional clinical neon and steel production line feel so common in today’s fast food joints. Instead he has chosen a much more personal feel.
Merging dark wood, marble and state of the art equipment has led to this refreshing change. On top of this, innovative ideas aplenty have been employed.
Plasma screens show traditional baking methods, a glass wall allows customers to view the baking process and counters are lowered – all to provide a link between customer, vendor and product.
In addition, hostesses are employed to guide the customer through the purchase and pick-up of their chosen food.
All in all, the emphasis is on humanising the previously impersonal nature of the quick lunch (there are even tables to encourage diners to stay and eat). Apostrophe has done well, only time will tell us if it’s going to succeed.
User Comments
Excellent patisserie at (still) affordable prices. Good choice of healthy sandwiches and pastries. Service was very friendly and efficient.
Sent in by Mauro - Nov 2001
Nicely designed over staffed French look-a-like patisserie! Who the hell in the world would put pickles in a toasted cheese and ham panini? Apostrophe is a good idea, but the food should be more traditional.
Sent in by Zira - Nov 2001
Apostrophe has been reviewed by 3 users