La Bouchee

i went to this place on monday 9th february for a dinner with my friend. Good welcoming, and good atmosphere. The service was very nice. Quick and friendly. Really good advice for the wine, and the food was so delicious.

I don t unterstand the other reviews.

With the excellent evening we had, The bill wasn t too expensive.

Just i tell you, you need to go and try it;
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francois
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I go to this place every time I am in London. Usually for Sunday lunch so there is rarely a rush on. Each time I come home I write a review. I am always amazed to see the negative reviews but there must be off nights in all restaurants.

I went Sunday 14th December for lunch and enjoyed every morsel. The only problem I see is that when I receive the bill its always a little more than I expected to pay. I regularly eat at a Michelin starred restaurant and the prices compare quite favourably. I always say “I'm in London” but the price still surprises me.

Still, good food, good wine and I like the authenticity of the place. Sometimes I have to speak to the staff in French as their English is not always great. Nice to feel superior for once ;0)

I suggest you go.
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Kevin McG
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 5
Friday, December 19, 2008

We stumbled upon La Bouchee this weekend and were attracted to the look of the place and being full was a good enough sign!

As we turned up on spec there were no tables but we were asked to call back in 20 minutes, we got a drink in the pub on the corner while we waited. When we returned we were seated straight away. They were a little slow with the menu and drinks order, but once orders were taken everything was very well timed.

Our food was the best meal we'd had for a long time, the roasted cod and the sea bass were perfectly cooked, fresh and beautifull!!! Even the chips were delish!! Wine was very good, coffee was just how i liked it and the creme brulee to die for!!

Having read the other reviews I can only think that they must have changed the staff - everyone that served us was polite, friendly and very on the ball.

We were a little crammed in with the tables next to us, but it wasnt too much of a problem - that's just the charector of the place and we saw that before we asked for a table.

We were very impressed with everything about the restaurant and would definately go back. The couple to either side of us were equally impressed with thier meals and i didnt see anything of the sort of complaints that have come from the other reviews.
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Samantha
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 03, 2008

I hadn't read the poor reviews of La Bouchee, and I'm rather glad I hadn't.

We turned up on Friday pm with no reservation but were seated - no time limit was imposed on us like other diners have reported.

All five dishes we ordered were excellent - including a very good rouget with fennel and crab sauce and a perfect lemon tart.

A bottle of one of the cheaper bordeaux's - a 2005 - was delicious.

The room was buzzy, dark and lit with candles.

Service was okay, could be a little cheerier and knowledgable.

Bill was £100ish including 2 aperitifs, 1 coffee and 2 eau de vie. Very good for the quality. Would give it another try if in the area.
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Nick
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Where do I start? I cannot believe there are any positive reviews about La Bouchee. Our experience was positively inexcuseable and a night I will not forget for all the wrong reasons! Unfortunately we can't rate the food as we never ate any!! Read on...

Last Friday it was our 38th wedding anniversary, and our daughter joined us. We came upon La Bouchee and stepped inside because it looked so inviting. It was 7.30pm and we were greeted by a not so friendly lady who said the table had to be back by 9pm. We had no problem with that and were seated. Drinks were ordered. But when they arrived she only then informed me that they didn't have what I ordered which was 'Ricard', ( no pastis in a French restaurant!!!??). There wasn't a sorry and she shoved the menu back in my hands and said would you like a drink? So I decided to order a bottle of Saint Emilion Chateau Negrit- I hope you have this, I said jokingly. Well you've guessed it, she walked back minutes later to say they didn't have it... but the way I was told is laughable!- I'm afraid Sir you are being very unlucky tonight!! No smile, apology just indifference and shirtiness! So I plumped for the house Red..they had that.

Time for ordering starters and main courses, even though we had not been informed about the specials, unlike table behind. For starters- 2 jambon and asparagus and 1 potato soup. Ordered 7.45pm. But come 8.15pm I realised that the 2 couples who had entered after us were both eating and we still hadn't recieved our very quick to make starters. So my daughter gently approached the waitress who took our food order, who swiftly passed me onto the lady who I suppose looked like the manager (greeted by and drinks lady!) who replied rather rapidly with-oh well it really depends on what you ordered, blanking my daughter, she started tapping away on screen and to see our table orders. LOW AND BEHOLD!!!! yes that is right the order hadn't even been put into the computer! She totally ignored my daughter, stumbled and stuttered, grabbed the waitress who had obviously forgotten and started mumbling in French to her. My daughter was livid. No customer service whatsoever. So she told the manager that we were leaving, and not paying for our drinks. No apology or anything just total incompetence. Never have I walked out from anywhere before...

This is a restaurant that may have pot luck some nights but really is a total disgrace to the restaurant industry! Bella Italia did very well that night as apparently we weren't the only walk outs from La Bouchee!
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Michael
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Friday, August 29, 2008

I was fascinated to read no less than 13 reviews on this website over the last year complaining about the poor service of the staff at this restaurant and in particular the rudeness of the manager. I went there last night with three friends and the experience was truly bizarre.

I booked a table by phone for 7.30pm and, as the manager seated me, the first thing he said was "I'll need the table back at 9pm". I was rather surprised and said that no-one had told me that when I booked the table. The manager just said "We're a very busy place" and left.

My friends arrived and, despite the time-limit on the table, we were left for 15 minutes before the manager came back to ask if we wanted an aperitif. One of my friends ordered a martini and the manager just nodded and then asked me what I wanted. I told my friend that if she didn't specify how she wanted her martini, she would probably just get Cinzano. This invoked the wrath of the manager. "I am a Master Sommelier and I know how to make a martini". When he went to the bar, he turned and pointed directly at me and said quite rudely "You. What sort of gin do you want?" When he brought my martini, it was in a whiskey glass! I asked for it to be put in a martini glass like the others and he said he didn't have one. He then launched in to a long irate speech saying "You were not happy before you arrived and I don't think I can do anything tonight to make you happy". I said I was quite happy until I was told that the table was only until 9pm and that I should have been told that on the phone. "I did tell you" he snapped. (I hadn't even spoken to him on the phone - a waitress had taken my booking - but denying the truth seems to be a factor in the other reviews complaining of this man's rudeness.) As the tirade continued ("I am a Master Sommelier. I have 13 years experience..."), I asked my friends if they would like to go somewhere else. It was a relief to leave.

I think this man's problem is that he thinks he is a "character" who can dominate the whole restaurant as he dominates his young, inexperienced staff. If the customers don't play along with his image of himself, he starts abusing them. The truth is that he is completely unprofessional and not very good at his job.

There are half-a-dozen other restaurants within 50 yards so we just went to one of those. When we walked past at 9.45pm, I could see our table which had to be handed back at 9pm. It was empty.

If there are 13 other reviews on this website complaining of rudeness at this restaurant, how many other people have had similar unpleasant experiences? They say that only 1 in 20 people ever write to make a complaint.....
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Seamus Rea
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, August 13, 2008

It's difficult to understand the previous reviews because for us, the dinner was perfect !!

The staff was really friendly, the courses were served really quickly and it was really good (the meat was the best I had since I arrived in England).

My friends and myself are French and we all find this restaurant excellent. Maybe the staff has changed? I would recommend to anybody!!
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Ben
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Haven eaten here a couple of times before, we were looking forward to Sunday lunch here. Although the service was slow from the start, the food started well with snails in garlic. Disaster struck, however, when we got to the main course.

I had ordered the sea bream, which was fine but my boyfriend was not so fortunate with his main course, the roast cod. Not only was it a very small portion, but it smelt strongly of ammonia.

We pointed this out to our waitress who took it away. Minutes later a male waiter arrived to tell us we were wrong, they would never sell fish that was off, how dare we insult him, he is a master of wine...in short, he had a hysterical shouting fit at our table. Even if we had been wrong (which we weren't), this is no way to treat customers.

Needless to say, we left and will not be going back.

Avoid!
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Nicola
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Myself and my partner travel to London occasionally to see a show. We live in Durham and booked a table at La Bouchee as it was just around the corner from our hotel. We found the food O.K. - but the bill seemed extortionate when compared to the quality and service we received. In fact we both agree that London restaurants can learn a lot from eateries that are further north. And they are nowhere near as expensive. And most importantly the food is a whole lot better!
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L. Bowman
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Sunday, June 01, 2008

We had a terrible lunch here on Valentine's day. Sea Bass for my husband and Roast Cod for me appeared after 50 minutes' wait and a couple of gentle reminders ,which produced panic and recriminations from the staff. The fish was lukewarm, bland and undercooked, but nobody seemed to care. No time for pudding, but lukewarm coffee took another 15 minutes, with no apology after mild complaints. Too many staff were chatting with each other and not attending to tables and they did not care - least of all the manager. One course each, a bottle of wine, tap water and coffee - over £71 - an expensive and disappointing mistake. Perhaps we were unlucky, but the two ladies next to also us left most of their plat du jour , and the staff did not even comment.
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Mary Williams
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Friday, February 15, 2008