THE LOWDOWN

A Victorian butchers shop turned Anglo-French brasserie next to a sex shop in the heart of Soho – hello Randall & Aubin! The restaurant in Brewer Street, the brain child of Jamie Poulton and head chef Ed Baines, launched back in 1996, specialising in seafood and revelling in the melting pot of Soho that saw posh diners rubbing shoulders for their moules marinière with stalwarts of the gay scene and through-the-night party people.

Now as Soho slowly gentrifies (Poulton has been involved in the launch of Broadwick Soho over the last year), Randall & Aubin is also a good option for theatre goers – I ate here before strolling 10 minutes into Covent Garden to see The Book of Mormon.

THE VIBE

Well there’s an 18th century chandelier competing with a huge disco ball, which kind of sums it up. Somehow it feels both resassuringly upmarket and resolutely without pretension, with plenty of features remaining of the original butchers, once suppliers to The Savoy and The Ritz, including the white tiles and meat hooks. It’s a compact space, with a cleverly delivered mix of marble table and high bar-style seating to maximise covers. Music is loud (but not obnoxiously so), staff are friendly and professional, and the vibe to me more than anything is quiet confidence and fun. You feel you’re in the right place for a good time.

SCOFF & QUAFF

Seafood is what Randall & Aubin are rightly famous for, so if bouillabaise, fresh crab, pan-fried skate, Devon crab, caviar or (of course) fish and chips is your thing, come in and take a seat. The à la carte menu is, in fact, gratifyingly simple, with around seven poisson options plus the daily specials, plus a small number of crowd-pleaser meat dishes, including sirloin steak and burgers.

I chose pan-fried Atlantic scallops with asparagus, broad beans, peas, chervil with Parmentier potato and anchovy rosemary butter (£32, above) – because after a description that good, who wouldn’t? Absolute perfection, the scallops large and tender, and surprisingly filling. Dessert was a flambée crème brûlée, a piece of gastronomic theatre that’s always fun to watch and easy to demolish.

DOG FRIENDLY?

Leave your pooch at home, it’s too snug to accommodate dogs here.

DISABLED ACCESS

Again with the space issue, wheelchairs aren’t possible here.

AROUND & ABOUT

Lordy, where do you start? You’re in Soho! Meandering around the streets is the order of the day here, with highlights including Chinatown, the theatres of Shaftsbury Ave and iconic addresses like Carnaby St – super-commercialised now but fun for a tourist blast – and Old Compton Street. Stay at Broadwick Soho (my absolute favourite – read my review) or nearly as snazzy Hazlitts, Dean Street Townhouse, Kettner’s Townhouse or Ham Yard Hotel. You’re ten minutes from Covent Garden and Mayfair and five minutes from the mayhem of Oxford Street. Basically, you’re at the centre of the world.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Relaxed diners who enjoy excellent seafood. The menu offers something for everyone, fussy eaters and children included. If you like champagne (I do) you’re in luck with nine to choose from, and there’s the kind of replete cocktail list you’d expect from this side of town. Tourist drop ins, theatre goers, locals and Soho meanderers will all fit in just fine.

Not for: It’s a small space with no outside area, so if you have troublesome toddlers, I’d give it a wide berth. Prices aren’t cheap so girder your wallet.

The damage: The ‘basics’ of fish and chips and burgers start around £17, moving up to £21 for bouillabaisse and around £26 for most fish mains. Desserts come in around £8-10.50.

16 Brewer St, London W1F 0SQ. Tel: 020 7287 4447.

Review: Randall & Aubin restaurant, Soho

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