This is exactly where we want to be once it gets cold. Patron is a small French bistro on Fortess Road in Tufnell Park: dark, candlelit, dinner only, with duck confit and a carafe of red on the table. Start a few doors down at Tabac for an aperitif. Trust me on this.
Tabac is the cosiest hidden bars you’ll find in the area. You can stay in the front, or head through to the back, where it gets darker and quieter, with candles on every table and chess boards set up for anyone who wants a game. Our favourite cocktail of the season was the Smokers Delight: Laphroaig, Mozart chocolate liqueur and Aztec chocolate bitters, smoky and dark and made for a cold evening. True to its name, it arrives with a cigarette on the side. It’s a little theatrical, and I loved it.
Then over to Patron. It’s a dark, candlelit room, open for dinner only, with coupes of Champagne on the tables. The table next to us ordered a bottle, poured beautifully at the table, and I’ll admit I watched the whole thing. Patron also imports some of its own wines, so we tried a few different carafes over the evening. That’s one of my favourite ways to drink at a French bistro.
The menu is short, and that’s the point. There isn’t much on it, so everything gets cooked properly. We started with the St Marcellin, soft and rich under truffle honey, with crusty bread for dipping, and the smoked fig with whipped labneh and candied walnuts.
The duck confit stole the show. It was cooked perfectly, the skin crisp and the meat falling apart, served with fig and a red wine reduction that suits October exactly. Alongside it we had two potato dishes, and I’d order both again. The gratin dauphinois comes finished with meule des Alpes. The confit potatoes are thin layers pressed together and fried until crisp, served with sriracha. I would go back for these alone.
We finished with the chocolate mousse, a huge scoop served from the bowl, dark, thick and not too sweet.
Here’s what we’ll do next time: sit at the bar, order a martini or a coupe of Champagne, and get the confit potatoes. They’re the best bar snack I’ve had in a long time, and that’s all you need for a perfect weeknight drink.
Patron has recently opened a sister restaurant, French Society in West Hampstead, and we’re going soon. More on that shortly.
Note: Patron provided support for the reporting of this story.