“Just my place”: Papillon, Hope Street, reviewed

What: Papillon

Where: 31 Hope Street, L1 9BQ

Type of food/beverage: Brunch, lunch, cocktails, wine and dining

When: Mon–Fri: 11–23 // Sat and Sun: 9–23

Independent or chain: Sovereign

Going somewhere for lunch can be tricky. Time is tight, menus err on the side of reasonable, and once you’ve stepped in the door, it’s hard to turn back.

I was in Hope Street on a Monday afternoon, graduation day gowns blowing tight in a strong wind and I needed somewhere to get into. Papillon appeared. Actually, I was just after a sandwich, but soon it seemed that this place could have more than a good butty.

Decor

Papillon’s decor is just my thing; loose, relaxed and a bit freewheeling – complete with the obligatory hanging plants. They have dressed the room without any ghosts. It has shades of a 70s cafe that has hit the books at lunch.

It seems perfectly suited to satisfy your appetite at any time of the day: a brunch that slowly lifts you from the depths of a sore head; a casual place for long and winding lunches or a place for cocktails, ready to make the same mistakes again and again. If I lived in the neighborhood, this would be my place.

The main event

I was deep in late lunch territory, where the prospect of a bread feast or a bowl of pasta is a bit silly. Something to help you sail through the afternoon is needed. With this in mind, I opted for the beer-roasted fish finger sandwich with tartar sauce (€10). I know the words “beer battered” might make those sails flutter, but screw it. Monday to find out.

I was expecting a reasonably hearty but largely straight-forward fish finger sandwich, but what came was a lot more hearty that I would never sniff ten times.

The brioche bun arrived with a knife stuck in the middle, golden goujons spilling out from the edges and a generous layer of tartar sauce visible. Arthur’s proportions plump. Adjusting individual components like a sandwich makes all the difference. Adding the mushy peas wasn’t necessary for me, but I can see how it would be an extra tick for many. Add to that a pint of Camden Hells (£5.65) and I’d call it the ideal lunch.

Doomsday

Papillon hasn’t reinvented the wheel here, but kept it spinning at a very pleasant pace. If I had more time on my hands and some restaurant, I would have gone full Fleet Street Long Lunch and I tried the table of small plates – especially the duck and orange pasta – and at least a bottle of wine, which Papillon seems to know (whites; viognier, sauvignons, Rioja blanco, Riesling and South African. Reds; two Spanish numbers, a French Malbec and a very attractive Portuguese hue, among others) .

I didn’t expect what I found at Papillon; A fully formed neighborhood spot that looks fleet-footed enough to survive any time of day. I would like to return soon to a menu with a bit more daring and a sense of adventure, because next time I visit it will be more like a butty.

Papillon31 Hope St, L1 9BQ