Nearly two years ago, the wife and I celebrated our marriage. Again. My friends have been having a whale of a time ribbing me about the fact that we had "three weddings" ever since. Whilst this isn't strictly speaking true, it is a strange thing that we did so much to celebrate an event that people usually only celebrate once. To put it in context, we'd had a tiny ceremony in January 2012, topped off with a meal at Le Vacherin, a place about which I have vowed not to write more about. This meant we could only celebrate with a small selection of family and very close friends.
Later that year we'd gone to Taiwan to allow us to celebrate and officially declare our union with the wife's family and friends. A "small" 350 guest affair (not my idea of a small do, mind) was a quite sensational banquet, with lifelong memories for all guests who made it out to the event, particularly from the UK. However, this meant that there were still several very close friends with whom we had not yet had the chance to celebrate, and we still hadn't 'put on' a do of our own. One year on from the wedding in Taiwan, we booked out the restaurant at The Zetter Hotel and invited all to enjoy food, drinks and dancing on us.
We'd been to The Zetter not long after our actual wedding, where we had been wowed by some classic French cooking with modern twists at Bistrot Bruno Loubet. Fine, filling, boisterous food, it was a meal to remember. So much so that, within a few months, I was suggesting we organise our final matrimonial hurrah there. It turned out to be the right choice. The staff were helpful, efficient and sensitive to what we wanted. We did some menu tastings and enjoyed a great day complete with funny stories, mild drama, great pictures, excellent weather and (most importantly) great food.
Several people remarked that the meal was a highlight, with many saying they expected the food to be great, such is the wife and I's proclivity toward eating out. The menu was a hearty three-courser made up of Guinea fowl boudin blanc, beef daube bourguignon with mashed potato, and a creme brulee with passion fruit and pineapple salad. Of course, in light of the day, there was no time to take photos and document this with the sort of precision I try to, but the meal was great. Afterwards, they provided a delicious cake with different layers, snacks later on in the evening, plus additional cakes and refreshments. It was a brilliant, unforgettable day.
Now, there is a point to me writing this, aside from the self-congratulatory validation of celebrating a wedding three times over. Namely, The Zetter is a great place to eat, stay and enjoy oneself. Whist The Grain Store might be the place taking up most of Bruno Loubet's time these days, the original in the Clerkenwell hotel is still a fun and refreshing place to be. Whether for a weekend lunch, a formal meal or some casual drinks and snacks, it's seriously worth a visit. It remains a quirky, original and pleasant restaurant to dine in, one of the best hotel eateries I have sampled.
Weddings can be painfully formal, formulaic things. I'm happy to say that, when the wife and I did it, we did it how we wanted to. Three times over might be excessive, but we know how to eat. And The Zetter knows how to put on a party. From here on, I'll only write about anniversary meals, no more weddings.
Bistrot Bruno Loubet at The Zetter Hotel
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