Camille, on the edge of Borough Market in London, is one of a flurry of restaurants with great pedigrees to have recently opened close to this hallowed ground for foodies. Here, I’m using the term “foodie” to denote anyone who gets terrifically jolly at the mere thought of heirloom carrots, Swedish coastal honey and robatayaki skewered whelks for brunch. Not to mention the 500 people making social media content by throwing a peace sign next to the chocolate-coated strawberry stall and the other 10,000 or so, influenced by that content, now meeting seven friends outside Padella at noon on a Saturday.
If you think that sounds like utterly unenjoyable chaos, you could very well be right. My advice for visiting Camille, which is on the periphery of this bunfight, is to plan your route in advance, write the address on your arm in case the 5G drops out the moment you leave London Bridge station, and walk swiftly and purposefully to Camille and order a stiff drink immediately. Also, rest assured that, once you’re safely through the door, the place is a little slice of calm with not one influencer draped over their Humble Crumble creme brulee. Rather, it’s a gratifyingly traditional, classy dining room that could be from the 1950s, with a tiny bar, counter seating and a little service hatch at the back sending out a short, meaningful menu influenced by provincial French dining.
