Open Mon–Thu midday–midnight; Fri–Sat midday–1am; Sun midday–10.30pm
It cannot be denied that Bluebird has secured its position as an iconic London restaurant, but whether the restaurant deserves such acclaim is up for debate.
Once a converted petrol station, Bluebird is no longer a mere pit-stop. On the contrary, it is now better described as an emporium. The cafe and sun-drenched courtyard play stage to west Londoners whiling away the hours over chilled bottles of rosé. The shop is home to hoards of beautiful pieces from the likes of Alexandra Wang and the epicerie sells gastro goodies, and if it all gets too much there is always the spa. In summer it is easy to forget that the Bluebird empire has an indoor restaurant at all with everyone flocking to the courtyard.
Admittedly, the terrace draws me on balmy days and the restaurant doesn’t even cross my mind. However, on my first return visit in years I was surprised to find it full with the sound of clinking glasses and scraping plates. The steel girders dividing the lengthy room maintain the imposing building’s industrial feel, softened by the rich velvet furnishings and soothing rays streaming through the delicate windows.
I arrived early for my table and grabbed myself a stool at the island bar as I observed the eclectic crowd wearing everything from dinner jackets and Manolos to Converse and shorts.
Once my friend arrived, we were led over to a great table in the window, perfect for observing the buzz of King’s Road. Opting for the set menu (two courses for £20 or three for £35) we both rushed to order the chicken liver and foie gras parfait which came with toasted brioche and onion marmalade. I lost the race and selected the less exciting spring vegetable salad. The foie gras was definitely the prized starter; the rich, creamy mixture was lifted by a sweet, fruity marmalade. My spring vegetable salad looked the part; fresh and bright with crunchy broad beans and juicy peas but the feta lacked tang and the advertised pine nuts were nowhere to be seen. I craved the meaty foie gras and was soon regretting ordering vegetarian nettle risotto for my main. I needn’t have. It was superb.
The generous portion of juicy, lush green risotto arrived at the table followed by a seductive citrusy trail of steaming garlic. The texture was less dense than expected, cooked all’onda, meaning wavy. This style of risotto is looser and lighter than that you often find in London, and has an abundance of flavourful stock. The dish was brought to life by the delicious gremolata; an Italian accompaniment of fresh parsley, garlic and lemon rind. My plate was scraped clean in minutes.
My friend’s chicken on the other hand looked a little sorry for itself. The small portion of slightly overcooked chicken came with only half a baked red pepper and a slice of tomato. It would have really benefitted from a side dish and a sauce. It certainly could do with livening up by mydelicious risotto so I begrudgingly offered over my dish… ‘Oh steady, not that much!’
As our attentive waiter cleared our plates he tempted us to try a dessert. Craving something light and fruity I went for the passion fruit pavlova which was sublime. The perfectly cooked meringue had a moist, chewy centre and was topped with a beautifully sweet Chantilly cream and fresh passion fruit. My friend struck lucky too with a rich textured nougat glace boasting chunky pistachios and hazelnuts and a fruity raspberry coulis. ‘God you must tell people to go for three courses – so much of the value is in the pudding,’ he said.
It seems that Bluebird does deserve its acclaim, at least on most of its dishes and there is no denying that the set menu is exceedingly good value and of a very high standard if you can navigate it with luck on your side (and don’t forget to ask for your Chelsea Fizz cocktail, complimentary with every set menu).
Set menu: two courses £20, three courses £25 including a free Chelsea Fizz cocktail.
