Chez Bruce

food too salty,
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anna
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

I was there on Sunday as a table of 4 for the 3rd time in 8 months and it was excellent in all departments. This level of consistency is really hard to maintain, however it remains a great place to eat and one of London’s very best restaurants.
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Angus
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, March 05, 2008

I am not in the habit of writing restaurant reviews on websites, but this is without doubt the No.1 restaurant in London.

I have been to Chez Bruce twice and both times have had faultless food and service, combined with a fantastic relaxed atmosphere. Would eat here every week if I could, simply cannot rave about this place enough!
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Bridget
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Thursday, February 14, 2008

Never fails to deliver - the food was just fantastic, service was perfect and such good value too

If only it was easier to get a table!!
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Friday, February 01, 2008

Chez Bruce continues to excel.....The staff are just brilliant and the sommelier is really relaxed even though I wasn't going to spend a fortune on a good Burgundy. The atmosphere is that fabulous blend of formal but relaxed..think seriously posh Bistro !

I have eaten there twice recently and they are the tow of the three best meals I have ever eaten.
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Mick Bell
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, January 18, 2008

Could not fault this place. The food was amazing, the service flawless, the atmosphere perfect & very reasonably priced. Will definitely be going back!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Simpy wonderful.

Exquisite food perfectly executed, wonderful staff, beautiful atmosphere and well deserved of its flawless reputation.

All the better for being out of the center of london and away from all the nobs who just go to pose and don't know the difference between a knife and fork.

Perfect.
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JCW
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, January 03, 2008

Went for my birthday treat. Disappointed. As we walked in we were greeted with 'Name?'. Not so much as a good evening.

Formulaic feel about the food, dull room with not much ambience.

When we left we wanted to say goodnight but were ignored by all. Not memorable - staff should make you feel special, not just bums on seats.

Will not be returning.
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Battersea Caffs
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I've been wanting to try here for ages having eaten many times at La Trompette and the Glasshouse and also the Ledbury. It wasn't really quite as enjoyable as I was expecting especially in comparison to La Trompette. For one thing the set lunch menu increased by £4 a head for all of December - it's not alot of money but it's a litle bit annoying since there didn't seem to be any logical reason for it. On the plus side the food was excellent. The service was nice. The dissapointing thing though was the venue itself. The room is pretty bland and soulless and lacks atmosphere even though full at lunchtime. When we first arrived we were stuck down the back behind a mirror and couldnt see anything but our reflection. We asked to be moved which they did but on the whole it just seemed a bit boring and didnt have the buzz of other great restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, Petrus or Gavroche at the top end or some of the excellent mid priced Nick Jones run places like Cecconi's or High Road Brasserie. I think if they spent a bit more time on the restaurant it could be as great as it's sister La Trompette.
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Terry Coyne
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

We ate here on Saturday night, after eagerly anticipating it for many weeks, not least because of the endless rave reviews the place has received. We were, it must be said, a little disappointed.

Chez Bruce seemed to me to have something of a personality crisis. On the one hand it wants to be a local, neighbourhood restaurant, serving great food to its locals, and on the other it has become a victim of its own success which has to pander to the endless influx of tourists (like ourselves, admittedly) and the (wo)man from Michelin.

The highs: the lady sommelier was outstanding. She really knew her stuff, and recommended some great wines that we wouldn't have otherwise tried. Of the different courses, the foie gras starter was superb as were cheese and creme brulée.

However, to be honest, the rest of the food was pedestrian at best. The scallop and bok choi starter consisted of great scallops, but, essentially, was nothing I couldn't do at home. The pigeon main was, it must be said, underdone and quite chewy (although the sliver of foie gras that accompanied it was great) and the sweetbreads/calf's kidneys were okay (although the kidneys were very tough), with a nice mustardy gravy. Although, again, nothing I couldn't do at home. The other dessert - an orange panna cotta - was incredibly bitter and topped with a nest which looked like chocolate but was actually burnt biscuit, and redolent of the burnt garlic/blowtorched everything flavour that seems to permeate so much Michelin-starred cooking.

And, service-wise, we were treated to a very grumpy young French lad who kept topping our wine up (too much) but not really making any eye contact or being particularly friendly.

Plus, Chez Bruce isn't as cheap as it makes out. £47.50 for four courses sounds okay, but break that down... £9 starter, £22 main, £6.50 dessert, £10 cheese PLUS 12.5% service... In our case it came to £182. Now I'm sorry, but as much as the restaurant can claim to be just a neighbourhood place serving hearty food, at those prices, I'm expecting to be wowed. At least a little.

Finally, the whole two-sittings thing is out of order. We sat down at 7.15 and had to give up the table at 9.30. Fine, we accepted it but certainly won't go anywhere with two sittings again. But when a restaurant has a menu with four courses on it, and you want to try them (and maybe a nice selection of different wine) it just isn't long enough. It just smacks of greed on the part of the restaurant.

We zipped through the cheese course (seconds after dessert) and didn't have time for coffee. An unsatisfying end to what should have been a relaxed and fun evening.

When paying £200 for a meal, you really should have the right to stay all night, take your time, and not feel that you're being mechanically rushed through to squeeze more and more punters in.

This clearly permeated through to everyone in there too. Very few people seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Rather lots of hushed whispering, stiff, awkward looking couples racing through dinner in their alloted time. Not the convivial laid-back atmosphere the place is renowned for.

On the plus side, there's a cracking boozer next door. So we popped in there for a hot toddy to finish of the evening, which was great.
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Matt
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Monday, December 10, 2007