Gazette (Battersea)

Went for the first time on the eve of Christmas Eve and was pleasantly surprised. Let's face it the location is somwehate odd, and so to enter a tastefully decorated, warm and cosy dining room was a pleasant and surprising juxtaposition.

Food wise, to start the quail/chorizo salad, french onion soup, whole artichoke were excellent. The duck confit (main) was world class. The weak point in my view was the ribeye steak - on its own not a bad dish (not that great either) but not up to the very high standard of the rest. The waiter advised afterwards that next time I should try the chateaubriand. I didn't have room for the impressive looking cheese trolley but my girlfriend enjoyed her lemon and butter crepe.

Service was good and attentive and will certainly return
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8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, December 24, 2011

Dishonest and disappointing.

I went to Gazette with my (9 months pregnant) wife last Friday night. I'm a member of the Gourmet Society, and according to their website, you can get 2 meals for the price of one. There were conditions, to use the card on Fridays you need to book on the day, and mention that you'll be using the card. I did all of these things, and the man I booked with said it was fine. All good. However, when we went to Gazette and ordered our meal the waiter looked a bit blank at us, and went to find the Manager. When I showed the Gourmet Card to the Manager, it was met with a Gallic shrug and a 'we don't do that'. He then turned on his heels and walked off, and we never saw him again. We were made to pay full price for our meal.

I am very disappointed with the way we were treated in Gazette. It is dishonest, pure and simple. It's a shame, as we've recently moved to a house about 10 minutes walk from Gazette, and we would definitely have gone again, and would have recommended it to our friends as the food was really good. However, all I will do now is tell everyone how rude, dishonest and money-grabbing they are at Gazette. Their loss.
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Mike Albert
4 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Monday, October 24, 2011

We had a superb dinner here with very friendly service great ambience and a perfectly balanced French food menu providing great dishes with wonderful flavours. Excellent all round.
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Charles
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Since moving to Battersea Reach and having a baby I have had had a few visits to Gazette.

The first visit was two days after my baby was born, my parents and husband were looking for somewhere to dine for lunch. We live quite close to the restaurant and had seen signs for it on the river path, so we decided to give it a try. It was a sunny day in May and we all sat outside on the little veranda, I was made to feel very welcome having my new baby in the pram, and it was beautiful. We all chose off the fixed price menu which was great value and the food was absolutely amazing, it was proper "French grub" and the quality was impeccable. I was not drinking alcohol but I was able to choose fruits to make my own smoothie, which was divine.

We have since been a number of times over the past few months, and the food has been of consistent quality. It is traditional French food and guests we have taken there have all been impressed. We have also been in for breakfast, as a group and on my own! You can choose to sit at the tables or relax on the sofas at breakfast time, and the food ranges from croissants to crepes - yum! There is a beautiful atmosphere, calm and relaxed yet it also maintains a sophisticated ambience.

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.

If you walk downstairs you can see into the kitchen (always a good sign) and watch the chef cooking.

The staff have always been friendly and all are French. If I had one criticism, it would be that the service, on a busier Saturday evening is a bit slower, but the rest if the time it has been very efficient.

I think we have tried most things on the set menu which range from traditional main French dishes to all day (useful for those of us with a baby and breakfast is usually required in the afternoon!) French breakfasts and baguettes.

My father, who hates eating out as my mother is a good cook, always asks to go here when he comes up to see his grandson.
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Naomi Mason
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, August 31, 2011

We are so fortunate to live close to Gazette but however far afield you live, a trip to Gazette is well worth the trouble. Situated close to the river in Battersea (near Wandsworth Bridge) this French restaurant always is welcoming and provides the most delicious French Cuisine from morning to night. Happily the breakfast goes on all day so a youngster with us yesterday was able to have his favourite Croque Monsier while we were treated to the most mouth watering Chateaubriande with Gazette's famous utterly delicious french fries.Other typicall French fare includes Steak Tatare, French Onion Soup and wonderful deserts (my favourite Crepe Suzette cooked just for me even though it was not on the menu). There is a cheese trolley to die for! And of course a great wine list. Nothing is too much trouble in Gazette and a new menu is printed every day. Bon Apetit!
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Susie Anker
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, May 30, 2011

I go here regularly and think it's great! OK, service isn't always as quick as you'd like but it's just as quick as anywhere in France I've been to! The food is very good for breakfast and lunch (haven't yet been for dinner). Would definitely recommend it if you're in the area.
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Fantana - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, May 26, 2011

I have read the reviews and have to say that they must be about a different restaurant? I was taken out to dinner at the Gazette in Battersea on Saturday night and had one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. The food was excellent and the service superb by which I mean that they really could not have done anymore to make it a very enjoyable night. I can’t say much more apart from I will be recommending this restaurant to everyone that I meet.

It may look unbelievable to rate everything with a 10 but that is what is was.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, April 04, 2011

Very bad service. Very Slow. And a very grumpy chef. But the food tasted okay.
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Ben
4 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

If it wasn't for the company I had it would have been a complete disaster! Very disappointing experience and won't ever go there again! Certainly not for my birthday again or dinner for that matter. Maybe brunch but only if the other restaurants within a radious of 4 miles are closed.

Not only were they understaffed the few peeps were actually rude. If not that the waitress was new (nothing wrong with that; just the basics will do though it was too much to ask!) but didn't understand a word of English. Ok, i get it.. French don't convert, only she wasn't French but it may have helped to make it easier for her.

We had to wait for our drinks, let alone the food, for what felt like hours. Food was questionable too. Beef tartare with ketchup.. Unheard of! In fact the whole experience took much longer than desired.. Surprisingly NOT the bill was quick to arrive. What tipped it off whas the waiter arguing about the missing OPTIONAL service charge. Seriously?!? Ridiculous.....
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Selina Garcia
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I was left furious as I can't stand bad service or bad food. The combination is just a killer. I ordered a goat cheese salad. How naive of me to actually expect goat cheese to be the main ingredient. It was priced at £9 so it's perfectly reasonable to expect it to be served as such.

In came a glass container, a bit like a plant pot, full of green sallad and a few cherry tomatoes and on top was ONE burnt toasted slice of bread with two tiny slices of grilled goat cheese. I took one look at my reaction was "is this for real"? I AM NOT JOKING when I say the slices were so thin they cannot have been more than a few millimeters, not even half a cm. One would expect perhaps one or two rounds of grilled goat cheese.

When I complained to the manager I was treated like an idiot and he started to explain to me that there is no problem in fact and that I didn't understand their "concept". I don't care about the concept,

a) I'm a customer who is not happy b) don't bloody charge £9 for a salad if your concept is to serve air in a bowl

I had to carry on saying I was not happy and try to justify to him why it was not my idea of a a goat cheese salad. Anyway, finally he said I could have some more goat cheese, but I was made to feel like a glutton.

Then it came in as a side plate and fresh, not grilled. Surely you would make the effort to offer it grilled and not "raw". Especially as this is how it should have been served.

Totally rude. So typical to suggest there is something wrong with the customer, rather trying to rectify the problem and make sure the customer is happy.

May I add the waitress was very polite and apologetic. She offered a coffee, shame the management are the once who don't know how to treat a customer.
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2 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, March 28, 2011