Scene setting at Josephine Marylebone
So this is a second Josephine for the chef Claude Bosi?
It is. The first, which he and his wife Lucy opened in Chelsea last year, was a huge hit. Bosi described it bringing "as a little piece of Lyons to Fulham" - so think French bistro by way of Lyonnaise bouchon. We loved it, but the journey there from North London was an absolute pain. So when we heard that the pair were bringing it to central London, we couldn't be more delighted.
Where is this new one exactly?
You'll find it on Blandford Street, just off Marylebone High Street. It used to be a Daylesford, but the transformation to a French bistro has been so successful that you'll think it's been here for years. It's maybe midway between Bond and Baker Street tube stations.
Where's a good place to meet for a drink first?
Clarette nearby is always a useful spot for a good glass of wine. But the good news is that this Josephine is big enough to have its own bar (although it's being referred to as an oyster bar). There are just four stools at it, but it would be a very handy place to wait.
The bar at Josephine
And where exactly should we sit?
There's no obvious answer to this as the size of the new Josephine means you've a plethora of spots to choose from. There's a main dining room, where we nabbed a rather nice booth for two. The bar section also has plenty of tables in it. At the rear, there's a more private space (similar to Josephine's back room in Fulham) and there's a large terrace which was doing great business on a sunny mid-week evening.
The main dining room
Is the food the same as at the other Josephine's?
It's subtly different and Bosi himself says that this one leans in more to Parisian brasserie culture with more of a seafood focus, whether that's going for a towering fruits de mer platter or just grabbing half a dozen oysters. One of us went the a la carte route, the other opted for the very well-priced Menu Duval which comes in at two courses for £24.50 and three for £29.50. If you're heading here for a weekday lunch, there's also a plat du jour which changes every day and is £16.50.
In general, it's a much more extensive menu than at the Chelsea restaurant. There's a whole section of terrines and rillettes from charcutier George Jephson (who also supplies Cadet), along with a fruits de mer offering that encompasses Scottish langoustines, Dorset crab and Cornish whelks.
Here's what we tried (we'll note the courses that came as part of that Menu Duval).
Soufflé au Camembert (£10.50) - in Chelsea the souffle is Saint-Félicien version. Here's it's made with Camembert and as light as a feature as well as pleasingly, honkingly cheesy.
Terrine du jour (The Menu Duval starter) - we lucked out on our visit with this being pate en croute. It would normally have cost £20 if ordered separately. Having had a lot of these in Paris just this week, George's version is the best we've had recently.
Poitrine de Cochon, Sauce Charcutière (£22) - main courses start at £14 for cheese ravioli and jump up to £44 for sole meunière so this was at the lower end of the price scale. We particularly loved the giant porky quaver perched on top of the pork belly.
Boudin Blanc, Sauce Blanquette (The Menu Duval main course) -essentially a creamy French sausage and mash and pretty big considering it's part of the set menu.
Room for dessert?
It would be an absolutely crime not to leave some room, seeing as options also included a vanilla and hazelnut millefeuille, a sharing pot of chocolate mousse and a Fraisier Crème Diplomate that we had serious FOMO after seeing it being carried past to another table. You can also opt for the baba au rhum, which is sliced at the table for you before being doused in rum (a signature dish from the Chelsea Josephine).
Creme Caramel (Menu Duval) - a pitch-perfect iteration of a classic French dessert.
Banana Split (£9) - a very seventies take on the banana split, complete with paper umbrella. Pretty much all it was missing was a sparkler.
What about the wine list?
Here is where you can easily come a cropper if you're trying to dine out on a budget. It's a fully French wine list with a special section of vintage Champagnes. This is Marylebone and there was plenty that tipped over into three and four figures.
But you could also, as we did, opt for the vins de la maison which are, as they were at the original Josephine, charged a la metre. That means the sommelier comes over with a ruler at the end to see how much of your bottle you've drunk. At just £7 for a glass and £28 for a bottle, our French rose was an absolute bargain by any London standards.
Overall thoughts
We came in very early to Josephine - just a few days after opening - but this already felt like a restaurant that had been in place for years. It was full to the brim of Marylebone residents who can count themselves lucky to have this landing on their Zone 1 doorsteps. Whether you're opting for a budget or blowout meal, there's plenty to enjoy, making this the very restaurant equivalent of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. It should do very well indeed.
More about Josephine
Where is it? 6-8 Blandford St, London W1U 4AU
How to book? book online here.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @josephinebouchon.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Josephine. Prices correct at time of publication.
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