Brand new L’Ami Malo in Artillery Passge is bringing the Breton staple to a new level
If you think crepes are a bit crap, good only for lemon and sugar once a year, then L’Ami Malo may well have you changing your mind
With ideas such as smoked salmon filled’maki’ rolls to confit duck galettes and soufflé crêpes, these crepes are crying out to be tasted,
French owners, Emilien Lesourd and Vincent Couvreur, say they have taken inspiration from the coastal town of St Malo in Brittany – famous for its galettes – and their childhood memories of visits to local crêperies, to create a modern version of a classic crêperie.
The crepes use buckwheat, reputed for its healthy, gluten-free properties, in dishes such as Buckwheat Goat’s Cheese Croquettes (roasted heritage beetroot, kasha seeds and honey & thyme dressing) and Bayonne Ham, Apple and Celeriac Remoulade.
Galettes include Smoked Salmon (capers, shallot, dill, keta caviar and crème fraîche) and Ham Hock (gherkin, watercress and piccalilli.
Larger, gluten-free galettes make up mains, there’s a Confit Duck Leg with braised red cabbage, caramelised pear and red wine jus; Morteau Sausage, leek fondue, new baby potatoes and grain mustard; and Cider-Braised Pork Cheek with hispi cabbage, glazed carrot and apple.
Heartier dishes such as Slow Cooked Ox Cheek in Red Wine, confit baby onion, buckwheat polenta and crispy kale and Cod Wrapped in Buckwheat, braised fennel, baby potatoes, glazed carrot and chorizo sauce also feature.
Sweet crêpes Four Apple Compote, vanilla butter sauce and salted caramel ice cream and Soufflé Lemon and Blueberries and Banana and Peanut with caramel sauce. Other desserts include Vanilla Cheesecake with baked Dutch rhubarb with a crispy crêpe, as well as Dark Chocolate Delice with buckwheat nougatine, griottine cherries and pistachio ice cream.
At the back of the restaurant is Le Moulin, a French-inspired speakeasy bar with its own entrance on Parliament Court. Offering a unique combination of cocktails, French spirits and liqueurs, buckwheat beers, artisan cidre, and small producer wines, this intimate bar is an ideal spot for pre- and post-dinner drinks, date nights and catch-up cocktails or can be hired exclusively for events and parties.
Craft ciders are a perfect match with crêpes and galettes. from the traditional award-winning Cidrerie Nicol to the purity of Maison Sassy
Exquisite cocktails are inspired by speakeasy sensations, from the subtle, but fruity Pommeau Spritz (Pommeau de Normandie, calvados, apple and cidre), to the beautifulBelle (Botanist gin, Lillet Rose, St. Germain and grapefruit bitters) and the citric Francois Sour (calvados blanche, red wine, lemon and egg white).
The wine list is exclusively French with a selection of blanc, rouge and rosé bins sitting alongside champagnes.
L’Ami Malo
14 Artillery Passage, London E1 7LJ