Josephine Bistro Marylebone

Achingly French and flirty, Josephine Marylebone is destined to woo - Review - London - The Infatuation

"Josephine is one art nouveau lampshade away from being Bouillon Chartier and when it comes to the service, this achingly French bistro has seemingly gone method. It’s borderline farcical and the likelihood of seeing a glass of wine before your mains arrive is minimal. But if you’re willing to romanticise the chaotic Chartier-esque nature of the service—and wave down a waistcoat-clad waiter with the confidence of hailing a cab in the midst of a torrential downpour—then you’re set for a truly fabulous evening. photo credit: Sam Harris video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley photo credit: Sam Harris photo credit: Sam Harris Pause Unmute Much like its older Chelsea sœur, Josephine Bouchon, this gorgeous outpost in Marylebone’s monied, Aesop-scented village is a setting primed for light, fluffy chat and extensive wooing. Triple-digit dates unfold over buttery classics and the only thing more distracting than the perfect symmetry of the majority of the diners’ faces is the towering plateau de fruits de mer. Add a bottle of Loire rouge and four types of bread into the mix and it’s an inherently horny charmer that will do all the flirting for you. Lean into its stylish soirée atmosphere with a post-watershed booking, so that the room is already in full swing when you make your entrance. Food Rundown Complimentary Bread Basket Free bread is one of life’s greatest carbohydrate gifts, and one of our favoured clauses for declaring a big, blowout meal to be “financially sound”. Here we have some quintessential spongy baguette slices that aren’t trying to be anything else and will waft away the memory of the other complimentary starter, an excessively salty, mildly gritty taramasalata. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Steak Tartare This is luxury for people who can’t stand bubble baths so get their kicks in more carnivorous ways—namely meat so pink you feel like you’re at an exclusive meet-and-greet with a sassy cow in a mink coat. The capers add a little tangy pizzazz and the accompanying toast is smothered in melted garlic butter that is luxury for people who, well, love melted garlic butter. photo credit: Sam Harris Poulet Des Landes Aux Morilles Perfect for: consuming cream and giving your arteries the middle finger because you’re having a very chic time, thank you very much. This is some mighty tender chicken and although the velouté sauce is a little one-note, that note is definitely one that sings with richness. photo credit: Sam Harris Frites We’ll save you the finer points of our frites police monologue, but these fries are too thick and baked to really call themselves frites. Our detective instincts say “more salt, less baked chip texture, please”. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Fraisier Crème Diplomate This creamy looker is so fabulous we almost asked if it wanted to quit life as a dessert and share a martini. Set custard, cream, and sliced, sweet strawberries is a simple, vintage combination but this is a timeless way to end a meal at Josephine. photo credit: Sam Harris" - Heidi Lauth Beasley