Brasserie of Light recently opened in Selfridges with a fair amount of fanfare and excitement, mostly due to the huge crystal Pegasus, which is London’s largest-scale artwork by Damien Hirst. As I’ve dined at most of the other restaurants in the Caprice Holdings group (the group is well-known for The Ivy, Le Caprice, Sexyfish, Daphne’s, and Scott’s), I already knew the interiors would be flawless, so I was mostly intrigued about the menu and whether it would keep some of the more famous and typical ‘Ivy’ dishes, or ditch them in favour of a completely new style.
Located on the second floor of Selfridges amongst the menswear department, Brasserie of Light can be accessed via the store or a separate outside entrance on Duke Street. Enter via Duke Street and you will ascend a white dream-like staircase towards an Art Deco heaven. Beautiful Art Deco cut-crystal style mirrors adorn the walls, and a glamorous bar space for pre-dinner drinks. Gone are the classic Caprice Holdings white table cloths, and in their place are mirrored tables reflecting the light around the spacious double-height dining room, with Pegasus soaring above (although ol’ Peg is much more grey in real life).
Brasserie of Light – The New Selfridges Restaurant
The menu feels a lot slimmer than other restaurants in the group, but I feel it covers all bases quite well with a good amount of variety. There are some lighter ‘Ivy’ classics on there, while the heavier dishes such as the famous Shepherd’s Pie has been left out. This is a restaurant for the more health-conscious, rather than those looking for upscale comfort food (although you can still get a burger and croque monsieur if you really need comfort food). Whilst perusing the menu we began with bubbles and cocktails, with my delightfully fruity concoction being the Passion Fruit Cosmopolitan (no judgement please).
Unfortunately the meal got off to a disappointing start with the Burrata and Truffled rice balls (aka, Arancini). Whilst the Burrata just didn’t taste quite right, the miniature Arancini balls were disappointing, with too much exterior and not enough interior making them very dry. Thankfully after the initial bad start, the rest of the meal was superb and each dish really stood out. Our third starter was the Tuna Carpaccio, which was beautifully fresh and zingy bathed in a Citrus ponzo dressing, and I wish we had skipped the Burrata and ordered a Tuna Carpaccio each so we didn’t have to share it. It’s far too good to share.
Not too long after our starters were cleared our mains of Pan-fried sea-bass fillet and Blackened cod arrived, accompanied with the mouthwatering truffled mash potato and a tomato and basil salad (which contained zero basil). Both pieces of fish were cooked to perfection, the delicate sea-bass melting in my mouth with each bite.
The desserts have to be the most fascinating aspect of the well-rounded menu. Each dessert sounds delectable and looks incredible. It’s as if the chefs know their audience and know that in this day and age, to stand out you have to create something that looks beautiful and photogenic for the all-important social media photos that will undoubtedly appear on the likes of Instagram. The table next to us were feasting on ‘Orbit’ a beautiful and very impressive plate covered in spheres and decoration resembling the planets and space. Alas, we chose the most un-photogenic of desserts; the Pegasus Pie (complete with Pegasus wings in biscuit form) and Golden Apple.
But despite choosing the least instagrammable desserts, we were suitably satisfied. The Pegasus Pie tastes akin to a Caribbean holiday, with its combination of Yuzu coconut cloud and charred pineapple, whilst the Golden Apple is the Caprice Holdings’ staple apple torte that I have to have every time I visit a Caprice Holdings restaurant. It is one of my favourite desserts in London, and when I last visited The Ivy and they had run out, tears pricked my eyes.
Butterfly Flutterby Dessert
Despite the rocky start we were impressed with Brasserie of Light and would definitely make a return visit. The restaurant makes a wonderful addition to the St Christopher’s Place foodie offering, and during the day the view from Brasserie of Light is magnetic and a hive of activity – perfect for people watching over a long lazy lunch.
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Catherine Lux is a food and travel contributor at AGLAIA, and a luxury lifestyle blogger documenting her life on her blog, Lux Life London. With Lux Life London having a large focus on travel and food, she loves nothing more than long-haul flights, excellent restaurants, and relaxing with friends in the coolest places in town.
