London Street Brasserie is an oasis of pizzazz and style

LONDON ST BRASSERIE is an oasis of quality, pizzazz and style — right in the heart of urban Reading.

The restaurant enjoys a riverside location on Duke Street Bridge, next to the Oracle, and the building is one of Reading’s oldest — it was originally the toll house.

Chef patron is Paul Clerehugh, although you will usually find him shaking pots and pans at his other restaurant, the Crooked Billet in Stoke Row.

Sam May is London St Brasserie’s chef in command, having served a gruelling seven-year apprenticeship at the Wolseley in London’s Piccadilly, under Chris Corbin and Jeremy King.

London Street Brasserie is celebrating 10 years of Michelin acclaim, and boasts delicious cooking and an enormous choice, including seared diver scallops, lobster Caesar, pigeon breasts, sweetcorn pancakes, pan-fried sea bass, and caramelised fennel.

They serve great steaks, and a prize-winning lemon tart. All ice creams, sorbets and breads are made from scratch. Crucially, no less attention is paid to the wines. There are 70 different bins, 20 of them available by the glass, from Pouilly Fumé to Wildflower.

The whole experience reaches beyond food and drink. The service is polished and friendly, and the serving staff are smart in every sense of the word.

Managers James Alcock and Emma Clark have worked with Clerehugh for more than a decade.

Real art adorns the walls, including originals by Sir Peter Blake — the “godfather” of British pop art — as well as paintings by local artists John Simpson and Ian Humphreys.

You can sip champagne in the cool lounge, listen to jazz music and enjoy the candelit atmosphere. It’s no wonder it won Restaurant of the Year. Even the ladies’ loo is beautifully finished.

Every aspect of London St Brasserie conspires to make it a real sanctuary — and their two-course lunch at only £15.95 is truly fabulous.