61-63 Shaftesbury Avenue,
Soho,
London,
W1D 6LG
(020) 7534 3095
The ViewLondon Review
Century Members’ Club opens up its Brasserie to the hoi polloi, serving pretty good food from somewhere that still feels a little bit exclusive. Just don’t even think about trying to work your way upstairs.
The Venue
Housed behind a tiny little grey door on Shaftesbury Avenue, you know the Century Brasserie still has some affiliation with the members’ club proper, as you have to press a little button and wait for the door to be unlocked. It’s debatable whether you’re being given the once over, but it’s still quite reassuring when you’re allowed in and beckoned up a long flight of stairs to the reception.
One can only wonder what delights lay in wait even further upstairs, but this floor plays host to the very pleasant Brasserie; an informal room that suits its moniker. There’s plenty of exposed brickwork and contrasting woods, a few bits of art dotted around and enough light teeming through the slats (to hide Shaftesbury Avenue, presumably) to make it feel light and airy. It’s certainly comfortable too, with your choice of booth, table or bar stool.
The Atmosphere
Expect your fellow diners to be a mix of those upstairs wandering down for a bite to eat, and those who know they’re now allowed to pop in from the street. There doesn’t seem to be much friction though, as the service (which isn’t exactly impeccable but will certainly do) comes from staff who seem keen to make sure everyone’s well looked after. It’s perfectly relaxed and pleasant, and although it can be a little quiet at lunchtimes, it livens up when darkness falls.
The Food
It’s not the cheapest of menus, but the quality of the ingredients, the central location and the fact that there’s a cracking pre-theatre menu (£13.50 for two courses, £15.50 for three) means that you shouldn’t feel short changed.
If you do stick to the normal menu, then the caramelised onion and goat’s cheese tart (£7.50) is worth a try, with very light puff pastry housing good quality, tart cheese with plenty of sweet onions. There’s a pretty good selection of mains, with the rib-eye Scottish beef and French fries (£19.50) and the tagine of lamb with pomegranate and coriander cous cous (£15.50) certainly good bets, but if you want to keep things light then go for one of the salads. The smoked salmon (£11.50) is particularly good, with generous amounts of quality fish served with watercress, mixed beetroots, beautiful little quail eggs, a light citrus dressing and some expert seasoning.
Desserts (£6.25 each) cover all the usual bases, so expect well-made pear tarte tartins, a great vanilla cream pot with ginger shortbread and an excellent cheese board featuring La Fromagerie’s finest (an extra pound). However, anyone with a sweet tooth should go for the delightfully decadent Valrohna chocolate mousse with honeycomb ice cream - very nice it is too.
The Drinks
Rising steadily from the admirably affordable through to pricier options that don’t break any banks (though no doubt you can ask them to nip upstairs for something a little more extravagant), the wine list is well thought out and accessible. Plenty of options are available by the glass and by the carafe, with perfectly good white Riojas and Malbecs coming in at around £16 for a 500ml carafe. If you do want to pay a little more you’ll be rewarded, with excellent Mersualts and Chateauneuf du Papes touching £80. Beers are well-priced, with Asahi (£3.50), Leffe (£3.70 and Hoegaarden (£3.90) all available, but if you fancy a coffee, they’re pretty good too, with a decent filter coming in at £2.20.
The Last Word
The food alone is worth heading down for, but so is pressing that little buzzer and looking quite the part to passers by. Put them together, and this place looks like a winner.
Century Brasserie has been reviewed by 2 users