Andrew M.
Yelp
Hmm...I wonder what you get here? As you would expect, C+F does in fact sell both bubbles and cheese but not the mass-marketed stuff you would typically recognise. Each bottle of bubbly and creamy bit of curd is specially selected by the powerhouse duo (Maud + Stephano) who drive this place forward and make it special.
The little shop/café is quite small with a handful of tables and seating for perhaps 15 people at best. The interior is mainly rustic woods mismatched chairs that can't help but make you feel as if you've been transported to a little village in the south of France. The shiny bottles dominate one side of the entrance and the other is home to quite an extensive array of cheeses. The menu covers the back wall with each dish written in brightly coloured chalk that immediately catches the eye.
Despite the close proximity, the noise level is minimal with people sedately sipping on a glass of champagne while whiling away the evening. It is a perfect place for a date or to catch up with a friend. Before you worry that the bubbles will go straight to your head (well they will, but why worry about it?), C+F does offer a considerable amount of food the form of cheese and charcuterie plates, tartines (flat slices of sourdough covered in cheese and a wide selection of toppings), a range of salads, and seasonal selections such as escargot and quiche.
My eating buddy, Sharon S, placed our food orders while I perused the range of champagnes offered by the glass. The one I really wanted was a tad high at £10/glass (especially when you can buy the bottle in the store for £29) so decided that I might as well try something new and opted for a Pertois-Moriset Vintage 2004 at £14 a glass. Yes I know I said £10 seemed high but this was VINTAGE and discounted from £16 so really I was saving money.
The Pertois-Moriset is a 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru which translates (into non-sommelier speak) as a wine made from only Chardonnay variety grapes and damn good ones at that. The wine was lightly carbonated and had a deep potent character similar to lightly fortified wines that finished with a honeyed delicateness that belied its initial boldness. Sharon went for the Michel Furdyna Brut Rosé which was in a more bubbly mood with a fizziness on the tongue and a dry refreshing taste. I confess to thinking her choice went better with food whereas mine was probably best enjoyed alone or with the barest bit of cheese.
Food-wise, Sharon had selected a Poitevine tartine and cheese board ranging from a strong Blue de Chévre (blue goats cheese), a Brillat-Savarin affine (triple cream buttery brie), and a middle of the road cheese whose name I can't remember for the life of me. The brie is always my favourite with a rich creaminess that melted on your tongue. It's one of those things you know you shouldn't have but can't help but indulging in just a little bit more. The blue was sharp but mellowed out just enough when eaten with the provided jelly (I want to say quince but I'm sure it was a more French version). The unnamed middle cheese was good but nothing special and acted as an excellent stomach filler.
The tartine was pure heaven and I could have happily consumed the whole thing and asked for seconds. It's a form of an open faced sandwich and built on a thin lightly toasted slice of sourdough spread with black cherry jam and slices of goat's cheese. This is then baked just enough to melt the cheese before being topped with copious amounts of coppa (a slightly sweeter version of parma ham). The end result is a delicious marriage of salty and sweet flavours with the robust flavours of the jam providing an excellent counterpoint to the rich saltiness of the coppa. The goat's cheese acts as a bridge between the two extremes and a soft creamy texture to complement the crunchy bread and chewy coppa.
Since no meal would be complete without dessert, we had to try to the chocolate fondant which naturally had a cheese element. At first glance, a chocolate fondant with blue cheese seems doomed to fail but I'll give it to C+F - they've definitely got something there. The dark bitter chocolate works perfectly with the melted blue cheese with the strong bite of the cheese cutting through the richness of the chocolate. I imagine that you need a 70%+ cacao dark chocolate as anything else would up the creaminess to overwhelming. I'd highly recommend this one, though, and it's rising up the ranks to one of the best fondants I've ever had.
Overall, an excellent meal and perfect for dates, pre/post theatre snacks, and general catching up. Be warned, it's quite a small shop so reserve ahead or be prepared to wait.
C+F also does delivery for orders above £50 (which is less than 2 bottles of bubbly) so it will be something I keep in mind for those summer picnics next year!