Since it first opened Brasserie Blanc has retained its reputation of being  one of the shining jewels in the restaurant crown of Leeds.

Situated on  the fashionable  waterfront, as they now refer to the  banks of the once grimy River Aire originally home to dark ‘satanic’mills and bonded warehouses, Brasserie Blanc has risen from the ashes of the area’s regeneration and become a dining force to be reckoned with.

It was a warm and balmy evening when we arrived. The outside large flagged terrace was full of customers enjoying the summer evening atmosphere over a glass of vino or a cheeky cocktail.

As we were slightly early for our booking we decided to take advantage of the early evening sunshine. It wasn’t long before our server came and introduced herself and within minutes our ice cold bottle of sparkling water had arrived with extra ice and lime.

The staff at Brasseries Blanc are some of the most friendly and helpful on the city’s restaurant scene. They make you feel welcome, special and go that extra mile to make your evening extra special.

The restaurant is housed in an old Victorian Mill and so many of the original features remain and have been incorporated into the décor  to give it atmosphere  – the iron posts, pillars and rafters, the exposed brick walls, tiles and wooden flooring.

Although its design is Victorian the restaurant is very light and airy. Sparkling glasses and shining cutlery adorn the well choreographed tables, there are large windows and of course some exceptionally comfortable seating.

The menu is a classically French one devised by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc and designed to appeal to every taste.

There was lots of choice on the menu so making our choice was a difficult one. I opted for the Salade de Tomates Anciennes de L’Ile De Wight – an isle of white heritage tomato salad. I never knew there were so many different kinds of tomatoes all with their own colour, flavour and size. It came beautifully presented. The compressed melon, cucumber, small cubes of goats cheese and a sprinkling of mint turned this into a real tomato feast with a tasty tomato cru and a toasted piece of garlic baguette to soak up the tomato juice – French style.

My colleague opted for an equally wonderfully presented  Crabe Du Devon et Avocat. The dish was very large for an entrée and consisted of a centre piece of Devon crab  on top of avocado bound together with a very tasty brown crab mayonnaise. A delicious accompaniment came in the form of fresh tomato, coriander, pink grapefruit – which gave a zing to the salad and spiced corn making the salad crunchy  along with the toasted garlic croutons.  Each of the tastes in this dish complimented each other so well he remarked.

After reading the menu I had absolutely no doubt what my main course choice could be – its was the   Darne de Fletan Poelee.  Halibut  was a favourite of my grandma who introduced it to me at an early age and been a very picky eater I astounded everyone by loving it and finishing every last morsel when it appeared on my plate. Sadly this fish has now become a rarity on restaurant menus and hard to purchase even at the most discerning fishmongers.

This was Halibut personified and cooked to absolute perfection – a  large thick roasted steak on the bone served with wilted spinach and watercress and a sauce meuniere, which I asked to be served on the side ,as I wanted to savour the wonderful taste of my fish. It came with some buttered new potatoes which made the perfect accompaniment for the King of Fishes. In what was a very very rare moment for me with my restaurant reviewer/food writer hat on I just had to send a message via the server to the chef about what absolute perfection he had achieved with the roasting of my favourite fish.

My colleague chose the Supreme de Poulet Fermier Poele. This was a very tender piece of succulent chicken It was panfried chicken supreme served with a tarragon and mustard beurre blanc. The haricot jaune – yellow beans that it came with had a different taste to the usual green beans  – they were sweeter and an excellent vegetable to go with the chicken.  The sauce served really enhanced not just the chicken but the flavour of the beans. Every part of the dish, including the parslied new potatoes, had lots of flavour he remarked. We shared a very tasty side of Isle of Wight Heritage Tomato salad that was so tasty.

We sat outside for a while after our main course before returning inside and ordering our desserts – which was more than pleasant to say the least.

From the dessert menu I opted for the Souffle a la Pistache.  This was my heaven on a plate without a doubt.

It was so light and fluffy it could have been made in the Angels Kitchen. The interior was a pale pistachio green and was so moist and airy. You could really smell and taste the nuts and the wonder was the bitter cocoa edge lining of the pot. It was accompanied by Jude’s chocolate ice cream which was rich but not bitter. I just loved my dessert.

My colleague chose the Fraises en Variation. This was very light and refreshing. It consisted of strawberry nectar, macerated strawberries and raspberries, cantaloupe melon and strawberry ice cream. He described it as the perfect dessert for the perfect summer evening.

Its not very often that as a restaurant reviewer I get to experience some of my all time favourites, so well prepared, well cooked and beautifully presented but I did at Brasserie Blanc.

Brasserie Blanc has private dining facilities and runs many special offers and events so its worth checking on their website for these.

Open: Monday to Friday 12 noon to 11.0pm;  Saturday and Sunday 10.00am – 11.00pm. Check with the website for the last order times for food in the evenings which can vary.

Brassiere Blanc is situated at 4 Victoria Mill, The Embankment, Sovereign Street, Leeds 1. Tel: 0113 220 6060. Email: leeds@brasserieblanc.com

Web: https//brasserieblanc.com/brasseries/leeds