Roasting chicken on a rotating spit has a long history; depictions of the cooking method can be seen in medieval artwork across Europe, and Napoleon Bonaparte was apparently a big fan of rotisserie chicken.
The Napoleonic Wars are long gone, but the love for a good, crisp-skinned, golden brown, succulent roast bird remains unchanged. One of our favourite spots in London for this meal is Cocotte restaurant. Rotisserie chicken has been a signature dish there since a young Frenchman, Romain Bourrillon, opened his first place in London in 2016.
Sizzling success
Over the last eight years, they have opened multiple sites across London in Parson’s Green, Queen’s Park, Shoreditch and South Kensington. This mini-chain has high quality golden birds that come directly off their spits, available in quarters, halves, or whole.
Their latest addition is Richmond. Following the same winning concept of “sharing comforting, homemade meals in a warm and genuine ambiance”, the menu here is concise, considered and easy so you don’t need to spent half an hour studying multiple options.
Cocotte Richmond has a perfectly welcoming family feel, balancing communal dining and comfortable simplicity. Locals spill in and out for post-work indulgence or as an alternative to the traditional Sunday roast.
Winner winner chicken dinner
You can tell each dish is made with warmth, love, and expertise: chickens are marinated in a secret blend of herbs for 24 hours, resulting in a unique and rich flavour. The aroma hits you first: a blend of crisped-up fat and caramelised rosemary. Take a bite and taste a perfectly cooked bird, meaty but moist, nutty and nonchalant.
Alongside these, you have a wide selection of homemade sauces, so make sure you order at least two or three – one of them being Chicken Jus which compliments perfectly, but don’t forget about their secret sauces, Nduja or Herb.
An array of delicious sides accompanies the main dish, including luxurious creamy mash and crunchy tenderstem broccoli. Among them, the Truffle Mac & Cheese was the highlight, almost eclipsing the main. Oozing with cheese and truffley goodness.
The offering also includes chicken soup, their popular chicken & truffle croquettes, traditional French remoulade, and a wide range of different healthy salads. Additionally, there are some sizzling set menus. For lunchtime, the “Cheeky Box” includes a quarter chicken, two sides, and two sauces for £16, while the set dinner menu for £19 includes a starter, a quarter chicken, two sides, and two sauces.
It’s not all about chicken
We arrived at the restaurant expecting chicken to be the main focus, but the variety was surprising, especially for beef lovers. Cocotte Richmond is the first restaurant in the chain to introduce beef on the menu. Customers can order aged beef in the form of different cuts of steaks, including dry-aged sirloin and ribeye. Burgers are also available from their new sub-brand, Supra Burger, which launched a few months ago at their Queen’s Park site.
For dessert, it’s a choice between classics: chocolate mousse, crème brûlée, baba au rhum, or profiteroles. The only problem is deciding. The Mont Blanc dessert, made of chestnut cream, vanilla ice cream, almonds, and chantilly cream, and the Apple & Caramel Tart bring the meal to a refreshing close. The food is so delicious you’ll need to walk off some of those calories afterwards.
Cocotte Richmond is located at 30 Hill St, Richmond TW9 1TW.
More information can be found here.
Image credits: © Cocotte
