Bluebird

Frommer's Review

This enormous space resounds with clinking silverware and peals of laughter from a loyal clientele. Locals and staff alike refer to it as a restaurant de gare -- a railway-station restaurant. Downstairs are a cafe, upscale deli, and housewares store under separate management. But most of the business occurs upstairs at this restaurant, which can hold 220 diners at a time. You'll find a color scheme of red-and-blue canvas cutouts in the shape of birds in flight. Tables are close together, but the scale of the place makes dining private and intimate. The massive menu emphasizes savory, precisely cooked cuisine, some emerging from a wood-burning stove used to roast everything from lobster to game. An immense shellfish bar stocks every crustacean you can think of, and the liquor bar does a thriving business with the Sloane Square subculture. Starter temptations include Serrano ham with fresh tomato tostados or chopped steak tartare, perhaps wild mushrooms on brioche. We're fond of the venison shank in a bitter chocolate sauce (don't knock it until you've tried it). You might also try the lamb with lentils and cepe mushrooms. Dessert treats include an iced chestnut parfait with vanilla butterscotch or a Valrhona chocolate fondant with ice cream.

Oh, the name: Before it was a restaurant, the site was a garage that repaired the legendary Bluebird, an English sports car that is, alas, no longer produced.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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