Proving that the suburbs aren’t just for uninspiring chains, Chapter One serves up Michelin-starred fare in Kent.

The Venue
A large, pretty building that looks like a Tudor-style cottage, Chapter One is located in Locksbottom, a leafy London suburb in the borough of Bromley. A lack of close public transportation means it’s more a destination restaurant rather than somewhere you’d stumble upon – unless you live locally, of course – and a big parking lot means there’s ample space for all the diners.

Chapter One is split into two distinct areas. A dark, sophisticated bar area on the right of the venue provides a glamorous spot to have a drink whilst waiting for your table. The restaurant space towards the left is clean, bright and open, with white walls and tasteful artwork. Lamps with deep red shades cast a romantic glow and soften the space.

The Atmosphere
Thanks to reasonable prices, Chapter One won’t make those who’re not used to the London price range keel over in shock. It’s ideal for treating people or celebrating a special occasion, whether you’re a local who doesn’t want to travel into Central London or a Central Londoner looking for something different. Even early on, the restaurant is packed, and despite both an early and a late seating time, service isn’t rushed.

The Food
Chapter One recently regained a Michelin star for 2008, after losing out the year before. Prices for dinner are £29.50 for three courses, except for Sundays when three courses are priced at £24.95. This is more than reasonably priced, but for even cheaper options, the lunch menu costs £4.50 for starters and desserts and £14 for mains, and the menu du jour served Monday through Saturday offers three courses for £18.50.

From the a la carte menu, a warm salad of roast Scottish langoustine with spring peas and roast gnocchi (a £3.50 supplement) is served inventively, with two meaty and well cooked langoustines on wooden skewers accompanied by a large glass of light, fluffy gnocchi and peas in a velvety sauce. A raviolo of smoked Loch Duart salmon with dill cream sauce is an enormous, nearly cricket ball-sized pieced of pasta with crimped edges, packed with pale pink, lightly salted, smoky salmon. The sauce is appropriately creamy but not too heavy – a good match to the pasta and salmon – and liberally sprinkled with dill. A dish of melt-in-your-mouth pasta topped with silky, earthy truffle shavings is a welcome surprise.

The main vegetarian dish on the menu is a white onion tart, which consists of half an onion buried deep in a light, flaky pastry. The onion itself is a glossy red colour, sweet but not overpowering, and held onto the plate with a dollop of creamy mash. Poached and roasted quail comes wrapped in bacon – almost like posh pigs in blankets – and is well cooked, slightly salty but filling, with a variety of different textures. A scoop of sharp and sweet braised red cabbage sitting on a bacon rectangle, a piece of glossy, sweet foie gras and a swish of mash completes the plate.

The assiette of desserts, served on a large, square glass plate (a £2.50 supplement) is ideal for sharing, or if you just can’t make your mind up. Choices include a tiny, round, bittersweet chocolate fondant, a flaky apple tart, a decadently rich Valrhona chocolate pave with a drop of honeycomb, a sharp, tangy lemon tart with a caramelised top and a pear sable with soft pieces of pear layered between pastries and cream. The standout, though, is the peanut butter and jam sandwich, a little tower of peanut butter ice cream with jam mixed through on a biscuit base.

The Drink
There are plenty of affordable and international wine options on offer here as well, with eleven choices of wine by the glass from £4, half bottles from £9.50 and full bottles from £15.50. A half bottle of Chilean Echeverria (£9.50) is a soft and clean sauvignon blanc, with a pure, citrus-y finish. More expensive options are on offer from their private cellar collection, the most expensive being an intimidating £500 bottle of Californian red wine.

The Last Word
Michelin-starred dining without the fuss or fanfare. If you live near to Chapter One, count yourself lucky, but if not, it’s worth a trip.

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