Waterloo Brasserie

When you set your menu on fire in a restaurant there’s usually only one thought that makes its way past the rushing flames, and that’s ‘dear God, I hope I don’t burn this place down!’ Luckily, the outstanding factor of Waterloo Brasserie is the efficiency and approachable nature of the staff, who, upon seeing smoking embers rushed over and grabbed the burning menu with their bare hands. If that’s not dedication then I don’t know what is. Embarrassing yes, but in a way, it’s a true test of competence which fortunately they passed without hesitation – although I can’t say I’ll be trying that again.

Set on Waterloo Road, surrounded by hoards of rushing commuters and passing traffic, it’s easy to assume that The Waterloo Brasserie is simply an after work pit-stop or just for those who heading to The Old Vic Theatre later on. However, this is not so. The clever decoration and layout of the bar/restaurant areas pull The Waterloo Brasserie from South London obscurity and turns it into a place that even those dwelling north of the river would happily commute to. The atmosphere is buzzing on the weekend and as the night progresses the restaurant fills from wall to wall. The menu is made up of typical French/European fare, with a good selection of fish – including, for starters, pan-fried scallops wrapped in pancetta and fresh salmon on brioche served with a poached egg. The mains also offered a variety of fish dishes, including snapper, cod, haddock and sea bass, although the more meat inclined were safe with lamb, chicken and the choice of two delicious steaks. The bavette steak was served with shallot sauce and dauphinois potatoes while the Sirloin was served with a red wine sauce. The bavette especially, was extremely tender and even it’s massive size seemed manageable due to the softness of the meat. Out of the fish dishes, the snapper and cod were served together with a passionfruit sauce and artichoke purée. Although both fish were pleasing they were most certainly out-shadowed by the intriguing flavour of the passionfruit and the creamy artichoke purée. The side acts stole the show so to speak.

As for dessert, the crème brûlée actually managed to change my opinion on the dish in general. Not being a fan of the creamy dessert I would usually always order something else, however, this one was light and extremely moreish. Definitely worth checking out. The chocolate pudding was the smaller option of the two and was served with vanilla icecream. A wise choice if you managed to finish one of the steaks.

After the meal you’ll definitely want to take a walk over the bridge and savour the food for a while – after all, the place might not be there for much longer if the staff aren’t at hand to put out the flames!

The Waterloo Brasserie

119 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8UL
020 7960 0202