Tue–Wed 5.30pm–midnight; Thu–Fri midday–midnight; Sat 5.30pm–midnight; Sun 11am–midnight
Brasa, meaning ‘live coal’, is a new grill-inspired restaurant with head chef Danny MacGechan, who originally trained under Marco Pierre White. You hardly need to dirty your feet on the pavement to arrive at Brasa, the restaurant being a hop and a skip away from Fulham Broadway tube.
It’s a smart joint, with comfortable stiff-backed chocolate velvet chairs, lots of dark wood and lovely old fashioned oil lamps hanging from the ceiling. If it wasn’t a shrine to the art of cooking over live coals, you might just as easily mistake it for a cigar-smoking speakeasy. On a December night the twinkling candles and low lighting, together with all those chocolate colours, made it feel both intimate and cosy. A funky house soundtrack was the only bum note. It might work with a full house on a Saturday night, but it jarred with the laid back early evening atmosphere.
We warmed up with cocktails that were fresh twists on tradition. A Black and Blue (£8.50) was a couple of berries away from a kir; my Burntdown Tennessee (£7.50) an upper class JD and lemonade, the difference being some marmalade and Fentimans. Though the house recommended sharing the orders, we took the small plates as starters. The white meat of the potted rabbit (£7.95) was unexpectedly lifted by the sourdough toast – it was like the best fried bread you’ve ever eaten, the culinary equivalent of the ugly sister being funnier and sexier. Baby squid with almonds (£7) was tender and smoky but by then my head was already thinking of the meat.
Her venison shank (£14.50) was a big beast of a thing, as long as your forearm with flesh the colour of liver, the juices and jus delightfully filling up the grooves of the board it arrived on. The skill of the braising was evident, the meat tumbling off the bone at the merest agitation. My T-bone (£22) had a very unusual taste, almost like charcuterie, but soft and melting in the mouth. Rosemary mash potato (£3.50) was silky, comforting and excellent. Although we didn’t need more carbs, we had to try the triple-cooked chips (£3.50) which were good, but by then the mash had already stolen the show. Incidentally, just because we chose like cavemen, there are also a lot of good-looking veggies on the menu.
Lastly, the most imaginative, innovative dessert; cardamom-poached pumpkin with smoked chestnuts, chocolate ice-cream and candied clementines (£5). The sweet pumpkin looked like a rose, the rest of the board scattered with the supporting acts. A fantastic surprise, a lovely mix of complementary tastes and refreshing to see something new offered. The chocoholic gave the chocolate tart (£5) top marks too.
One other thing that I liked – the wine list offers carafes. This meant we could taste a lovely light Pinot Noir from New Zealand and a punchy Barossa Shiraz without getting blotto or overdrawn.
Service trod that lovely line between relaxed and attentive and we left feeling like we’d been seduced.
Meal for two with drinks and service £125.
