For those of you who have been readers of #TMD from its humble beginning (I highly appreciate you!), you'll notice two things; one that my grammars poor (lol, no ones perfect) and two that, I am forever promoting the practice of catching up with your friends over food. Because it just makes sense and food is life!
So on Monday evening I did just that with my dearest girlfriend Cece (hey girl). We hadn't seen each other in yonks and I hadn't blogged in a while so I knew I wanted to meet her somewhere quiet enough to discuss all that life had thrown at us, without compromising on attentive service (major key).
After some good 'ole social media snooping, I came across the chains of Aubaine; 'A French brasserie serving, breakfast, brunch, lunch & dinner with our very own boulangerie baking fresh bread & pastries.' as their instagram bio describes and it wasn't at all short of expectations.
After work I took the fifteen minute walk down to the Heddon Street branch which lives just off of insanely busy Regent Street and managed to bump into Cece at the entrance minutes before our 6pm table booking. Yes, a whole me arrived on time! That's growth that is.
We were then seated in the cutest Veuve Cliquot branded sofa booth (hair flick) and had the menu explained to us by the loveliest waitress Paulina, who politely noted I had selected the "Complimentary Bottle Of Wine" offer which caught my eye when I booked through my OpenTable app. But also recommend checking the Aubaine website for a full list of their great offers.
We chose to go with their house white wine, which was nice and sweet. It kind of reminded me of perhaps a Chardonnay? Fear not, wine tasting trip pending because knowledge is power babes.
Aubaine's subtle lighting and sleek grey tones scream chic for interior design lovers as well as fellow bloggers. I'm quiet pleased with how my iPhone 7 photos came out.
Please note Paulina took our orders on an iPad (pictured), which impressed me despite my Black Mirror technology fear but that story's for another time.
I planned on ordering multiple cocktails but good conversation and the bottle of wine we already had, managed to be enough to last the evening (shocking I know). For starters we shared an order of; Harissa Prawns £9, Chicken Breast Croquettes £6.80, Mini Merguez Sausages £6.50 and the Serrano Ham dish £6.80. All of which satisfied our tummies along with the complimentary warm bread and butter.
Having demolished those, for our mains I went for the Lobster Spaghetti £29.50 with roasted cherry tomatoes and basil, while Cece opted for what would have been my second choice of a Lamb Rump dish £19.00 which was served mustard & thyme crust, niçoise green beans, cherry tomatoes, baby onions, black olives, pesto, new potatoes and a red wine sauce.
The lobster pieces were nice and juicy but the sauce was a little too rich for my liking and rather salty - but, that could have simply been a one off.
For dessert I went for the Apple Tart Tatin £7.00, whilst Cece went for the Nutella Profiteroles £9.00 - both we forced as we were beyond full, but I do love encouraging greed don't I?
In all I would and plan on revisiting Aubaine, especially as I hear such great things about their brunch deal and to take good advantage of the numerous photo opportunities (this time in the daytime).
Vibe - Very chilled and cosy cafe vibes. No fancy dress required yet you wouldn't feel too stupid attempting it.
Munch - I could have ordered almost every starter and sampled every main course. I feel every dish had well thought out accompaniments and minus my personal disliking to the lobster bisque and the flavours stewed on the apples in my tart, I did enjoy my meal.
Triple R - After briefly posting up some videos on Instagram, so many people have asked where I was and I will be continuously promoting Aubaine.
On this occasion my Total Rating Score - 4/5
For more information;
Instagram - @aubaineuk