Truc Vert
our review
Complaining about a restaurant in Mayfair being expensive is a bit like expressing surprise at the Pope’s religious choices or at a bear’s sanitary arrangements. And just because Truc Vert has a floor of distressed planks, tables without clothes and a section that dispenses fancy groceries, is no reason to assume you’re going to get away with paying less here than at a ‘proper’ restaurant. You can tell from the clientele; ladies who have discovered the miracle mineral that preserves a youthful appearance – money – and chaps who are wealthy enough to wear jeans, that this is a bit of a wallet buster.
So with that out the way, you might ask ‘what about the food’? The menu boasts dishes that promise more than you might expect from a ‘deli’, including today’s offering of starters of baked smoked Provola (it’s a small Provolone, in case you’re wondering) with artichoke and avocado and red pepper salsa and a smoked chicken and vegetable broth with basil oil. Smoking seems to be popular here as we had a very decent smoked haddock with sautéed spinach, red pepper, poached egg and a mustard hollandaise sauce. This was a dish that was almost a breakfast special, but could reasonably be filed under brunch. The haddock was properly undyed and the poached egg perfect. Sautéed squid had bacon with it, an odd choice, which might have worked, better had it been lardons and fried to a crispness, as it was it struck a rather odd note. The squid was well cooked though and balanced well for taste by a slightly oversweet mango and chilli salsa and for texture with meltingly soft butter beans and some little gem lettuce to mop up the juices.
Baked Kingfish (no I don’t know either, I think it may be rather like a tuna) came wrapped in pancetta and served with crispy green vegetables and a roast cherry tomato and chilli salsa. The toms had been roasted just right so that the skin sagged and dimpled but wasn’t split. The person eating it enjoyed it immensely. For me the roasted duck breast was a good choice, nicely pink with a crispy skin and served with butternut squash that had a good firm texture and juicy and earthy Portobello mushrooms and crunchy French beans. The tomato chutney I didn’t feel did much to help anything and was probably unnecessary. All the dishes were smartly presented and it wasn’t hard to see why the place was completely full on a Tuesday lunchtime with a nice buzz and more than a few American accents, no doubt as a result having the fortified castle they call an embassy just down the road.
For those not spending Uncle Sam’s money there are some nice cheaper lunch options of Truc Vert salads and quiches too, and in the evening candles make the place even more down to earth and cosy. Nice.
N.H. - April 2008
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
Ate here with a client on a busy Wednesday lunchtime. He had been there before and rated the food, but had had occasional bad experiences with the service. We both had scallops and lamb cutlets followed by cheese, washed down with a good bottle of Cotes du Rhone.
The atmosphere is relaxed (quite French) but the tables are (necessarily) a little on the small side.
The service was friendly and efficient (even to the point of bringing us printed info about the kingfish which was on the menu).
The food was unimpeachable: the scallops plump, sweet and perfectly cooked, served with avocado, pancetta, roasted pepper etc. all of which worked beautifully together; the lamb was among the most flavoursome I have ever had, in a rosemary jus with superb baby spring veg, and the cheese was great just to round off the meal, in immaculate condition.
The prices are relatively high but this is Mayfair; value for money is fantastic.
Congratulations and thanks to the chef(s).
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Tom Radcliffe
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
I eat here 4 or 5 times a year most recently on15 january 08. The food is very good -always. We had excellent leek and potato soup, sea bass and lamb. Our only complaint remains the tiny tables and chairs---like dollhouse furniture. Whereas we put up with this a bit for breakfast it is uncomfortable for a three course meal where one would like to relax and perhaps enjoy a bottle of wine. We are not oversized people but we would like to be more comfortable with higher tables and chairs so we can truly enjoy this restaurant's food. Unfortunately there do not seem to be real managers here to whom we would make serious comments.
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Andrew
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 7
Monday, January 21, 2008
I took a client for lunch at Truc Vert recently and would like to breifly mention that the food was excellent and the service very good, the staff were nicely relaxed and not hovering about.
The prices are fine with the Mayfair location, and our food was very good so if anything the prices seemed more than reasonable.
The place was very busy and we were lucky to get a table, so I would suggest you book.
Just for the record I had the seared sea bass, and my client the wild boar.
Thank you.
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lee - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Sunday, October 07, 2007
One of the worst restaurants I have ever been. £5 for a small plate of chips or a salad of five green leaves and two drops of olive oil!
View/Add comments (2)
Overall rating 
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Truc Vert was the Restaurant of Choice as selected by our friend, on the second night of my stay in London. THE REST OF THE TRIP I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER DINNER AT TRUC VERT. However, it was Easter Weekend and we learned it would be closed for the hoildays until after my return to the States. It will be the first place I head when I return to London. I had an appetizer consisting of avocado, goat cheese, some wonderful sauce/salsa, on bed of greens that I will remember forever! (I'm not exaggerating). Wish I could remember the name of the appetizer. The wine was great, the food was excellent, the ambience was quiet and satisfying, and the service was great, too. If you go, please have the appetizer for me.!
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Pat R
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Friday, April 13, 2007
Nice, quiet little cafe/bistro off the hussle and bussle of Oxford street. Excellent location for shoppers and tourist to take a break and enjoy breakfast or lunch. The menu is small but adequate for this type of restaurant. The roasted duck breast with spinach and roasted butternut squash tasted very home made and well seasoned (a bit on the salty side if anything). The chilled lemon souffle was more a lemon mousse which was very sweet and pleasant. All in all, an averagely nice dining experience, a bit pricey for whats on offer but then this is central London.
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Rittie - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Thursday, June 08, 2006
