Part of the Island Creek restaurant group, Les Sablons located in Harvard Square welcomes its diners into the historic Conductor’s Building. The 17 feet wide restaurant has space on two floors both designed with purpose. The first floor, The Wine Bar has a more casual and fun feel and offers two menus, its wine bar and the full dinner menu. I had to look at both to decide if it’s worth going back to try out their evening menus… it seems I must return!
The Wine Bar at Les Sablons
The upstairs, which is where we were escorted to last Sunday is open, simple, modern elegance and offers the brunch and the dinner menu in the evening. The narrow, long restaurant leads you on a journey from dining tables with midnight blue, fabric covered chairs, to a long bar surrounded by high-top, greenback chairs – I was a little obsessed with these chairs as I have been looking for green chairs for my kitchen island.
The restaurant continues into a more private dining area with subway tiles and from a distance looks like it has a large colorful piece of wall artwork of sunny yellow and orange tiles. Get up close and personal to the walls and you will find a little fun in that the artwork is pots of play-doh, quite the contrast from the elegance of the space.
Play-Doh Wall
We were seated along the window side on this quiet Sunday with just a few tables filled. It was exactly the type of Sunday I was looking for. No hustle and bustle of the busy brunch crowd.
While perusing their short menu of about 6 or 7 main items we were offered drinks from our friendly and polite waiter. Coffee was ordered while we struggled with our decisions. The only slightly negative comment I will make is that the coffee was not strong. I need coffee to kick my butt a little on a Sunday morning.
I wouldn’t normally go for a pastry basket but Erika really wanted to try it and I am a very good friend, so of course I obliged. Filled with warm butter and chocolate croissants, muffins and scones with a side of butter, jam and clotted creams. I was a goner as I tucked into flaky, insanely good fresh croissants.
Pastry Basket
We sat for a while after eating almost everything in the pastry basket (so naughty) and just caught up on the week past and the week ahead. I ordered a glass of white burgundy and could feel myself fully relaxing into quiet vibe of Sunday at Les Sablons. No-one pushed or indeed rushed us to move on.
An hour after ordering the pastries we looked at the menu again for more food. Choices of truffle scrambled eggs, lobster hash and full English breakfast beckoned us. I am an eggs benedict loyalist for brunch, but was determined to try something different so Erika picked the eggs benedict, which she praised with Sunday glee. Not overly smothered in hollandaise the soft poached eggs rests on house-made English muffins.
Eggs Benedict
I was worried about food envy but needed not concern myself as I tasted the the melty leek and gruyere quiche with a side of frisee salad with salty lardons, which proved to be more than a worthy advocate to eggs bennie!
Leek and Gruyere Quicke
Two hours later and we were still sat in our seats enjoying our afternoon talking to one of the waiters about the restaurant and their upcoming holiday lunch special. To quote the waiter… “indulgent hours of lunch dining including caviar and champagne.” There will be no going back to work after this.
Main Dining Room at Les Sablons
I am also really looking forward to going back to Les Sablons to try out the evening menus including their list of cocktails.
Les Sablons is a much try if you want to indulge in the more elegant side of Sunday brunching.
What a lovely space and brunch! Can’t wait to try this spot!
It was so good. Really looking forward to checking out their wine and dinner menu.