| Could Croydon Be The New Chiswick? | |||||
| Malcolm John convinces locals to swap takeaways for 'proper' French fare
It seems that Malcolm John has created quite a stir in south Croydon after the opening of Le Vacherin’s sister restaurant Le Cassoulet. Although not quite the cuisine that south Croydon is used to, Malcolm John’s second venture has been bestowed with glowing reviews and hailed as “the sort of restaurant that makes you want to move to Croydon (well, almost).” “Or if you already live in Croydon, it should make you feel very smug indeed - because it knocks most new high-profile, central London restaurants into a cocked hat.” writes Time Out “It's got real joie de vivre, the prices are fair, and - above all else - it's a proper French restaurant with proper cooking.” The Independent’s food critic describes Le Cassoulet a “nicely old-fashioned, "proper" French restaurant in an area that needs a bit of a leg-up. It has the potential to be the perfect neighbourhood restaurant; just as Croydon has the potential to be the perfect neighbourhood.” There are those that would ponder the wisdom of opening a grown-up French restaurant on the Selsdon Road but if initial reviews are anything to go by, Malcolm John’s one man culinary revolution of Croydon is off to a flying start. “It is a long way from Chiswick” writes Terry Durak “but Croydon could well be the new Chiswick.”
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