Brasserie of Light, Selfridges.

My friend C and I recently enjoyed a delicious dinner at the newly opened Brasserie of Light in Selfridges, beneath the huge crystal Pegasus, which is London’s largest-scale artwork by Damien Hirst. We’ve both dined at most of the other restaurants in the Caprice Holdings group (the group is well-known for The Ivy, The Ivy Market Grill, The Ivy Cafe, Le Caprice, Harry’s Dolce Vita, and Daphne’s), so already knew the interiors would be flawless, but we were really intrigued about the menu at Brasserie of Light Selfridges, and whether they would keep some of the more famous and typical ‘Ivy’ dishes, or ditch them in favour of a completely new style.

Located on the second floor of Selfridges amongst the menswear department, Brasserie of Light can be accessed via the store or a separate outside entrance on Duke Street. Beautiful Art Deco cut-crystal style mirrors adorn the walls, and a glamorous bar space for pre-dinner drinks.

Gone are the classic Caprice Holdings white table cloths, and in their place are mirrored tables reflecting the light around the spacious double-height dining room, with Pegasus soaring above (although ol’ Peg is much more grey in real life, which disappointed us greatly).

Whilst perusing the menu at Brasserie of Light Selfridges, we began with bubbles and cocktails, with my delightfully fruity concoction being the Passion Fruit Cosmopolitan (no judgement please).

Unfortunately the meal got off to a disappointing start with the Burrata, and Truffled rice balls (aka, Arancini). Whilst the Burrata just didn’t taste quite right, the miniature Arancini balls were disappointing, with too much exterior and not enough interior making them very dry.

Thankfully after the initial bad start, the rest of the meal at Brasserie of Light Selfridges was superb and each dish really stood out. Our third starter was the Tuna Carpaccio, which was beautifully fresh and zingy bathed in a Citrus ponzo dressing, and I wish we had skipped the Burrata and ordered a Tuna Carpaccio each so we didn’t have to share it. It’s far too good to share.

Not too long after our starters were cleared our mains of Pan-fried sea-bass fillet and Blackened cod arrived, accompanied with the mouthwatering truffled mash potato and a tomato and basil salad (which contained zero basil). Both pieces of fish were cooked to perfection, the delicate sea-bass melting in my mouth with each bite.

The desserts have to be the most fascinating aspect of the menu at Barsserie of Light Selfridges. Each dessert looks incredible. It’s as if the chefs know their audience and know that in this day and age, to stand out you have to create something that looks beautiful and photogenic for the all-important social media photos that will undoubtedly appear on the likes of Instagram.

The table next to us were feasting on ‘Orbit’ a beautiful and very impressive plate covered in spheres and decoration resembling the planets and space. Alas, we chose the most un-photogenic of desserts; the Pegasus Pie (complete with Pegasus wings in biscuit form) and Golden Apple.

But despite choosing the least instagrammable desserts, we were absolutely loved our choices! The Pegasus Pie tastes akin to a Caribbean holiday, with its combination of Yuzu coconut cloud and charred pineapple, whilst the Golden Apple is the Caprice Holdings’ staple apple torte that I have to have every time I visit a Caprice Holdings restaurant. It is one of my favourite desserts in London, and when I last visited The Ivy and they had run out, I actually sobbed (I was hormonal okay).

Despite the rocky start we were impressed with Brasserie of Light Selfridges and would definitely make a return visit. The restaurant makes a wonderful addition to the St Christopher’s Place foodie offering, and during the day the view from Brasserie of Light is magnetic and a hive of activity – perfect for people watching over a long lazy lunch! And let’s face it, where else can you sit beneath a piece of Damien Hirst artwork…