The National Café, East Wing the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC 2 – A Restaurant Review By Clifford Mould

I was on my way to the Coliseum and having a little time to kill, I thought I’d pop in to the National cafe which has its own entrance in St Martin’s Place. I had been very impressed last year with the National Dining Rooms, the Gallery’s full-blown restaurant. The cafe is an imposing room with a high ceiling and tall Georgian windows; it immediately strikes one as a place that means business – there was a sort of the Viennese air about it with waiting staff buzzing about purposefully.

It’s really more of a brasserie than a café, for although it serves breakfast from 8 a.m. until noon and of course lunch, there’s also an extensive evening menu selling everything from high-class snacks to Chateaubriand or a whole roast Poulet Noir for two to share.

I was intrigued to see substantial looking bread boards going to various tables and discovered that they were bearing selections of terrines and charcuterie, so I plumped for a mixed selection at £12 50. It was generous to say the least and would easily have fed two of us. Whatever you do don’t miss out on the chicken liver parfait, it really is the best.

Had I been staying for dinner proper, I would have chosen the warm goat’s cheese, tomato and red onion tart (£8.50), followed by roast monkfish, tomato and fennel vinaigrette, (£ 16.50). I like a nice light red wine that can see off both the tart and a firm fleshed fish, so I would choose a serious domaine bottled Moulin a Vent from Beaujolais at £31.00. The wine list is sophisticated and begins at £14 50 a bottle with a good selection of wines by the glass.

The desserts sound very tempting, with a welcome selection of Sundaes such as Knickerbocker Glory and including the famous “National Catastrophe”, made from freshly churned vanilla ice, marshmallow, hazelnuts, caramel, meringue, cookie crumb, fresh raspberry sauce, whipped cream and chocolate sauce! I think my choice would probably have been treacle tart with clotted cream (£5.50).

As you’ve probably guessed, it won’t be long before I return to see if these dishes live up to their promise. But seeing as the chef is Darren Lock, whose pedigree includes the Wolseley and the Gavroche, I’d be hugely disappointed if it wasn’t even better than I expected.

Clifford Mould , November 2007

Tel: 020 7747 2525

Web: http://www.thenationalcafe.com/index.asp