This weekend saw Craig and I celebrating 3 years together. Yes, that really is just 3 years. Our relationship has definitely been a whirlwind with 2 children and 3 house moves (sadly, no engagement though) crammed into such a short space of time. Because the Babes are so little, it’s hard bribing people to babysit for us. This makes ‘couple time’ tricky. We did however manage it this weekend - even if Craig’s mum had a terrible time of it (she had to call 999… but let’s not dwell on that). This happened to coincide nicely with a review I’d been invited to write by Goodman’s. They’re currently compiling a list of places to eat, drink, dance and relax for their upcoming Guide to Reading. Our review of the much loved London St Brasserie is to appear in this guide which will shortly be available to view or download on the Goodman’s Arlington Business Park’s homepage.

So armed with £60 worth of vouchers - we waved goodbye to our puzzled tots and got on one of those bus thingys with the prospect of good food and a few cheeky cocktails on our minds.

London St Brasserie is (funnily enough) located on London St in Reading. It’s the second award winning restaurant by owner Paul Clerehugh (the first being another favourite of ours, The Crooked Billet at Stoke Row - also very much worth a visit). Its riverside location on the edge of Reading’s premier shopping destination (The Oracle) has led to it being a firm favourite for summertime splurgers. A previous recipient of a Restaurant of the Year title, and a few Michelin stars to boot, might to go the heads of some restaurant owners - but not so for Clerehugh. The waitresses are sociable, the atmosphere is relaxed and there’s not a hint of pretension. With prices between £7 and £15 for starters, and mains between £16 and £29 (set menus also available before 7pm), diners aren’t forced to remortgage their houses to finance their three courses either.

Okay, there are a few little details here and there that I’d like to tweak - I’m not a huge fan of tea-lights on tables and I’m desperate to rip the artwork from their horrid frames and pop them into something more befitting - but mostly the staging, lighting and zoning look the part. Outside is pretty with steel tables, stone pots filled with healthy-looking pansies & hydrangeas, and plenty of cushions and throws. Inside, lounge dining is comfortably rustic (think distressed leather, wooden crates and wicker baskets), whilst upstairs has more of a formal air offering an almost panoramic view of The Oracle, the river Kennet and the surrounding area.

The menu is bountiful with plenty of fish dishes (monk fish. halibut and sea bass) and locally sourced meat dishes (venison, chicken, beef, lamb and pork). There isn’t tons to choose from if you’re a vegetarian but happily we’re not. The wine list is also pretty appetizing for the semi-pro drinker with lots of award-winners to get excited about.

Craig opted for the Cured Lochinvar salmon, Evesham asparagus and poached bantam egg to start. The asparagus bundle was steamed to perfection; nice thick stems, deliciously green with a slight crunch. The salmon was top-billing, and the faultless poached egg added a creamy texture to the dish. Craig was off to good solid start with what is essentially an easy dish to get right.

I plumped for the crispy fried ham hock & black pudding, chutney, orange & parsley salad, and wasn’t disappointed either. The orange was really refreshing against the heavy (but delicious) mix of pork. Covered in a crumbly layer of breadcrumbs, the black pudding was rich and flavoursome against a layer of lightly smoked ham hock. Add in a touch of fresh parsley to your fork and this is comfort food at its finest.

For mains, Craig went for the rump of lamb, crispy Mediterranean potato & tomato, courgettes; shallot & red pepper stew. Visually, it looked great - a bevvy of rich green and reds which lent itself perfectly to its Mediterranean namesake. The lamb was also nice and tender nestled in among its bed of potato and courgette. For me, the lamb was given an almost fruity makeover, and worked well against the subtlety of the lightly char-grilled courgette.. I also LOVED the sundried cherry tomatoes which were sliced so delicately you felt cruel popping them in your mouth. For Craig (the bigger foodie out of the two of us) however there were a few minor criticisms. Unsurprisingly, my greedy fella wanted more meat. We shared a serving of yummy potatoes dauphinoise between us but not even this gave him a sufficient boost of carbs to counteract the lack of protein. He also felt the mediterranean potatoes were a little bland and needed further seasoning (hark at him!).

I opted for the English rose veal, sage & Parma ham, warm Jersey Royal & green bean salad, parsley, chicory & warm herb dressing I was a little disappointed as the veal was slightly overcooked but I couldn’t argue with the portion size which was really generous. The green beans were served with just the right level of crunch although a knob of butter wouldn’t have gone amiss. I also felt my dish would have benefited from a sauce of some kind - maybe a red wine sauce or a fruit jelly (I won’t ever win points for my creativity) but I’m certainly no expert and was probably a little tipsy by then.

Given we’d been tipped off that Craig’s mum had arm ache from rocking Heidi and had had to consult a toxicologist over Dexter’s choice of tipple that evening (it was Olbas Oil if anyone is remotely interested), we skipped dessert and coffees and made our way home. A bit of nosing at other tables did reveal that the sticky toffee pudding and rhubarb bakewell were not to be missed though.

All in all we had a really lovely experience at the London St Brasserie. The food was fresh, homemade and (mostly) delicious - definitely consistent with previous visits and of exactly the high standard you’d expect from one of the best tipped restaurants in the county. Our waitress was attentive and incredibly sweet, and the atmosphere continues to surpass expectation. It was the perfect way to mark the occasion and thankfully both Babes and Granny survived the experience! We’re keeping an eye on that ever-changing set menu for the next visit.

This London St Brasserie review is destined to be shown on Goodman’s Guide to Reading which will be available to view online, and to download as a brochure. A voucher was provided to cover the cost of our meal in return for our review.