Tucked away in the heart of Marylebone, the second outpost of Josephine announces its presence on Blandford Street in a flurry of creams and reds. After the success of the first Josephine in Chelsea, which has just celebrated its first anniversary, founders Claude and Lucy Bosi have branched into the heart of London with their second restaurant, its interior doused in effortless French chic.
The mood: bistro chic
Much like the original outpost, which was named after Claude’s grandmother, Josephine Marylebone offers colloquial French dining in a setting that draws on a traditional Lyonnais aesthetic. The interiors, as for the first outpost, were designed by Fabled Studio.
Expect burgundy red leather seats, tiled flooring, antique mirrors and dark wood panelling, while warm ambient lighting adds a friendly and intimate glow.
The London-based design studio evoked the romance of Parisian bistros, but the attention to detail is captivating; artwork is scattered throughout, and even extends to hand-painted ceilings.
The thoughtfully selected works are inspired by Impressionist artists such as Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
The Bosis themselves, a husband-and-wife duo, also add to the inviting atmosphere. When we visited, they were in the midst of applying finishing touches before the restaurant's official opening, but remained calm throughout the last-minute busy-ness.
Claude, standing relaxed and confident amidst the final preparations, told us, ‘Creating a menu can be a challenging task, we want to offer guests some of the dishes they love from Josephine Chelsea but still allow Marylebone to have its own identity. It’s challenging opening a restaurant, finding the right team and fitting into a new area; there are so many great restaurants in [Marylebone] and we hope we will fit alongside them nicely.’
The food: Lyonnais leanings
The menu offers an array of French classics with a nod to Bosi’s Lyonnais heritage including soufflé au camembert and escargots à l'ail to start. Main dishes include an array of seafood, from freshly shucked oysters, homard mayonnaise, langoustines, and crevettes roses. Pâté en croûte and steak tartare are also on offer, alongside mains of filet de bœuf and poulet aux morille.
Asked for his own favourite dish, Claude said, ‘It’s hard to choose when you create a menu, you would hope to love it all – it’s a bit like choosing one of your favourite children; I have a favourite but I can’t tell you!’
We are drawn to the carefully crafted Pommes de Terre menu, which celebrates the versatility of the humble potato, from a pomme purée, to frites and a dauphinois.
Claude's ambition for this new Josephine? ‘The best feeling is when you see diners at the front desk booking a return visit on their way out; if we can do that, I’ll be very happy.’
Josephine Marylebone is now open, 6-8 Blandford St, London W1U 4AU, josephinebistro.com
-
Five of the finest compact cameras available todayPocketable cameras are having a moment. We’ve assembled a set of cutting-edge compacts that’ll free you from the ubiquity of smartphone photography and help focus your image making
-
London label Wed Studio is embracing ‘oddness’ when it comes to bridal dressingThe in-the-know choice for fashion-discerning brides, Wed Studio’s latest collection explores the idea that garments can hold emotions – a reflection of designers Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips’ increasingly experimental approach
-
Arts institution Pivô breathes new life into neglected Lina Bo Bardi building in BahiaNon-profit cultural institution Pivô is reactivating a Lina Bo Bardi landmark in Salvador da Bahia in a bid to foster artistic dialogue and community engagement
-
Nela is London's new stage for open-fire gastronomyA beloved Amsterdam import brings live-fire elegance to The Whiteley’s grand revival
-
New London restaurant Lagana drizzles Shoreditch with extra olive oilPachamama Group’s latest spot turns the namesake Greek bread into a philosophy, pairing childlike creativity with generous, unfussy cooking
-
Tobi Masa lands at The Chancery RosewoodChef Masa Takayama’s debut London restaurant transforms modernist geometry into a space of ritual calm and culinary purity
-
London’s smash burger obsession goes haute with Supernova MayfairNew York designer Sarita Posada taps into 1970s nostalgia and cinematic restraint for the group’s third outpost in the British capital
-
Peek inside Uchronia’s celadon green suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde ParkThe Paris-based studio teamed up with Pantone to transform a suite at the storied hotel into an aquatic dreamscape. Here’s how to check in
-
The Chancery Rosewood: A new chapter for London’s modernist iconAfter years behind closed doors, London’s most anticipated hotel opening finally arrives, proving that some things are worth waiting for
-
The Hart Marylebone marks the next chapter in London’s design-led pubsThe trio behind The Pelican and The Hero turn to Marylebone, fusing Victoriana, intimacy and culinary honesty in their most ambitious project yet
-
This 100-year-old private members’ club in London feels young at heartThe Sloane Club unveils a stylish new rebrand and redesign courtesy of Russell Sage Studio
