Augustine Kitchen – Battersea restaurant launches Champagne bar
This October, Augustine Kitchen will launch a dedicated Champagne bar at the front of the neighbourhood restaurant.
Used as a deli space during lockdown, the team has now transformed the space into a bar serving Champagnes from the bottle or glass alongside a menu of decadent snacks, including foie gras, smoked salmon and caviar, charcuterie board and a selection of French cheeses. At a range of price points, the list includes Barbier Louvet 1er Cru, a family-owned vineyard that has been producing Champagne for seven generations; Gosset brut excellence, the oldest Champagne house in operation today dating back to 1584; and Monopole Heidsieck, a favourite of the famous and royal including Russian Tsar Nicholas II who used to have two whole trains filled with the Champagne delivered every year.
Recognised names of Louis Roederer, Bollinger, Laurent Perrier and Dom Pérignon will also appear on the menu. Owner and chef Franck Raymond will continue to run the restaurant at the back, serving his menu of truly authentic French dishes, with a particular focus on the Savoie region of France. Francophiles will recognise traditional dishes such as Onion soup; Escargots with garlic cream and parsley butter; a velvety Lobster bisque; and Rack of lamb with gratin Savoyard. Desserts include a Pistachio crème brûlée and Rum Baba. Franck carefully selects producers from the region where he was born to ensure the very best quality, including charcuterie from Monsieur Colliard and fish from Mouchet Anythy sur Leman, a fourth
generation fisherman.
The restaurant has recently been given a refurbishment of its main dining room, building a wine cellar to one side that showcases the unique bottles on the restaurant’s extensive list – especially those specifically from Savoie. More and more, Alpine wines are becoming increasingly recognised by prominent wine writers for their rare, indigenous grapes and the refreshing, fruity wines that are produced in the mountain air. With around 25 wines from the region available by the glass and bottle, Augustine Kitchen has perhaps the largest list in London dedicated to this particular area including Chignin-Bergeron, Frangy and Crépy. With its 45 covers, Augustine Kitchen has an intimate family feel with a focus on authentic food, lovingly prepared by Franck alongside unique wine from the region and beyond, just a short stroll from Battersea Park.
Franck Raymond
Formerly head chef at Covent Garden’s Mon Plaisir, Raymond worked in Geneva as Head Chef at Le Marignac for three years and gained two Michelin stars in the process, before setting up his own restaurant, Le Cheval Blanc in Evian. On moving to England, he worked for Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Titanic as Executive Sous Chef and as Head Pastry Chef at Kensington Place.
The Champagne Bar will open 1st October during dinner service. Augustine Kitchen is currently open for
lunch (12-2pm) and dinner (6:30-9pm) service from Tuesday-Saturday.
63 Battersea Bridge Road, London SW11 3AU | 020 7978 7085 | http://www.augustine-kitchen.co.uk
Keep up to date with Augustine Kitchen on instagram at @augustinesw11.