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CigalonPascal Aussignac

One Rosette

One of chef-patron Pascal Aussignac’s London-based French restaurants, Cigalon effortlessly charms the senses and the

stomach by evoking the sounds, smells and flavours of Provence.

The high ceilings, greenhouse glass roof, reed fences and hanging foliage evoke

the light, airy restaurants and verandas of the south of France, whilst the

lavender-hued honeycomb fretwork and cream décor is easy on the eye. Plush

booths and striped banquettes are suited to both business powwows and

romantic tête-à-têtes, and the open kitchen imbues the 68 cover restaurant

with bustle and life. In a typically humorous touch from the chef-patron, the

chirping song of cicadas – a sound synonymous with Provence summers – plays

as diners enter.

This is not a restaurant defined by gimmicks, though, but by its charm. Whilst

the restaurant’s interior is designed to conjure up memories of the

Mediterranean Sea there are no magic tricks turned with the cuisine, which is

earthy, fresh and unembellished. The grill is an integral part of the kitchen, on a

menu where fish features strongly alongside game, inexpensive cuts of meat

(onglet, lamb neck) and pasta – this staple being no stranger to a region that

borders Italy.

There is an abundance of herbs, citrus and olive oil in traditional Provençal

cooking and the region’s sun-kissed produce and sea catches have long resulted

in flavourful, well-seasoned dishes. Many feature on Cigalon’s menu in some

capacity: tapenade, aioli, soup au pistou, salad Niçoise, barigoule, ratatouille

and tarte aux figues appear in dishes alongside less familiar specialities such as

poutargue – a small salted fish roe sausage similar to bottarga, that is

sometimes referred to as caviar Provençal. Whilst remaining true to Provence,

Cigalon also flies the flag for Corsican cuisine – goat’s cheese and charcuterie

are both regulars on what is a fine menu of French classics.

As well as a varied à la carte menu fit for all appetites, Cigalon offers a lunch set

menu of good value, given the quality of ingredients. Expect the likes of

Linguine, green olives and mint pistou, and Grilled seabass fillet, broccoli, pastis

and fennel sauce. Cigalon’s puddings: Bitter almond cake, strawberries and

Mauresque; and Rosemary cream pot and morello cherry coulis to name two,

are well-considered.

Cigalon won an AA rosette; the wine list and cocktails (including the all-too-

rarely-seen Sazerac) won it Best Newcomer 2011 at the Harpers Drinking Out

Excellence Awards; it featured in the Waitrose Good Food Guide 2013 as a

wine champion; and is written about in the 2014 edition, where the food is

described as “a roll call of gastro-nostalgia”.

Address ( VIEW ON MAP )

115 Chancery Lane

London

WC2A 1PP

United Kingdom

Contact Details

Phone: (020) 7242 8373

Email restaurant

Visit website

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Three things you should know

Pascal Aussignac, the chef behind Cigalon, certainly knows how to pick

a venue. His flagship restaurant, Club Gascon, is in a former Lyons tea

house, while Cigalon resides in a handsome building in what was once

an auction house on Chancery Lance, at the heart of London’s legal

centre.

The restaurant is named after the 1935 Marcel Pagnol film of the

same name. A comedy about an arrogant chef who basks in his past

achievements to the detriment of his diners, it was inspired by a chef

Pagnol came across.

Translated from regional French, "cigalon" or "cigale" means cicada

and the restaurant’s logo bears an image of the insect. Similar to

crickets, cicadas are indelibly linked with Provence, and are loved and

loathed in equal measure for the sometimes-deafening noise they

produce. Restaurants called La Cigale or Le Cigalon can be found in

the Provençal region.

Map data ©2015 Google Terms of Use

The ChefPascal AussignacPascal Aussignac is a chef who – by his own admission – doesn’t do concepts. “I

don’t like the word,” he says simply. And he doesn’t “do” ego: “We are just about

happiness.” Instead, he is a man of innate pragmatism and tactility who takes the

rich, bold and flavourful specialities of Gascony – foie gras, blood sausage, prunes,

Armagnac – and reimagines unadorned country cooking into dishes that are

interesting and exquisite.

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Cigalon

115 Chancery Lane , London, WC2A 1PP

Telephone(020) 7242 8373

Visit website

Email restaurant

Cigalon

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