Lamberts
our comments
Balham has grown up a lot in the last few years as more and more ‘young professionals’, have discovered the delights of the ‘gateway to the south’ as Peter Sellers ironically dubbed it. Lambert’s was here long before the gentrification started and now finds itself in the enviable position of being just about the only decent restaurant in the immediate area.
The décor hasn’t changed much, still walking a fine line between upmarket trattoria and fine dining. No tablecloths and our small table, at least, was a bit wobbly. It’s a teeny bit cramped too, with just a few too many tables at the back so that when the waiter was taking orders at the next table her rear intruded over ours, which was a bit of a conversation stopper.
Squid cornet stuffed with black pudding, accompanied by a tangle of frisee and topped with the deep fried tentacles was a smart little dish; the contrasts between the slippery squid, the melted black pudding and the crispy tentacles a good one. Clearly decent boudin noir and not English black pudding had been used. Red Poll Beef and Guinness pie in a proper suet case and with a rather salty oyster had a lot going for it taste wise but was rather filling, as you might expect. It could usefully have been made a bit smaller to leave room for the next course.
Fillet of sea bass disappointed a tad because it hadn’t been seared properly so that the skin was limp. This was a shame as so much of the flavour depends on seared skin and this was otherwise a good quality fillet. A hotter pan, and a few seconds more sat on it, would have made all the difference. Two types of tomatoes came alongside; raw baby toms and oven roasted baby toms on the vine. The former didn’t do much for me, raw tomatoes rarely do, but the roasted ones had got loads of flavour popping out. This all went well with the herby Bulgur wheat. Like all the dishes it was cleanly presented on a shaped plate which always helps to impress.
Special of the day was a lemon sole pan-fried in butter. This had an attractive golden colour, although some of the butter could have been usefully left behind in the pan, and was a vibrantly fresh fish. Not everyone likes bones, but with this sort of dish you have to get in there. The flesh fell away nicely to the fork's prod. Tarragon 'salsa' was a bit acidic although it helped cut the buttery juices well. Other tables were tucking into what looked like very decent steaks with those Land of The Giants chips that are still fashionable. Personally I don’t think you can beat classic thin French fries to sop up the meat juices from a rare steak. Pigeon was on the menu too, a brave choice as properly cooked pigeon is a pretty bloody sight, while over cooked pigeon is something you'll still be chewing the next day. Some birds are very hard to please.
Desserts were particularly good with Blueberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake looking great and tasting even better while Montezuma’s Hot Chocolate Pudding with Milk Ice Cream didn't have the molten chocolate centre its name implied but was still a decadent dish that went down well. All in all Lambert's is still doing well; my one reservation would be that some dishes have been on the menu a long time, which may dissuade locals from repeat dining.
N.H. - August 2007
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
We had an excellant meal in this restaurant and will definitely be returning. The food is very well thought out and each flavour tastes amazing. A special mention to our waitress Kim too who was also very good.
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Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Agree with previous positive reviews. Excellent service - very patient with big group taking ages to order! High quality ingredients, interesting seasonal menu. Mid-week menu particularly good value. Mains were rated highly by everyone in the group. Puddings slightly less successful but still good. My only quibble was the square plates - I'm allergic!
The reviewer quoted on the restaurant web site compares Lamberts to Chez Bruce and while its not really in the same league, Lamberts is a good less expensive alternative.
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Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Thursday, May 01, 2008
This restaurant is brilliant. The food is always superb. Really good quality ingredients (I think!) and put together in interesting ways that seem to really work. Staff are great and happy to explain all that's on the menu. I think it's great value and has a nice atmosphere. I was there last night with a friend. We had a couple of bottles of white at £15 each - they were lovely. Depending on when you go they sometimes have a set menu on - it's excellent value.
Great place to go for a lovely dinner with friends, on a date or with family. A winner. I really recommend it.
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Liz
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Have been here once before in the evening and had a superb meal with delicious well-sourced food and reasonably priced wines. Decided to give at a go for lunch on my birthday en famille with with our 2 small kids (3 and 6 yrs) and another family with kids of the same age.
It was a Sunday and they have a set lunch - 3 courses for £20. We all plumped for the roast as a main which was really delicious and the most tender piece of beef I have had in a long time. Pudding was equally delish with sticky toffee puddings and the like.
For the children they have a good organic menu plus on a Sunday a kids roast for £4.50 with puds (jelly & ice-cream) for about £2, and chocolate milkshakes which always go down well!
I was worried that it might be a bit smart for the kids but they catered for them well by giving crayons and a tablemat to colour in, plus a box of toddler age toys in the corner.
Staff are attentive and friendly which made for a very memorable and relaxing lunch! Fantastic!
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Rachel, Balham - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Eat there last night and was pleasantly surprised. Great food- small seasonal but interesting menu and friendly front of house- a gem!
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Charlotte Crittenden
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Lamberts is a great little restaurant, perfect for a special occasion, a Sunday lunch or a weeknight treat and I simply don't understand the few negative reviews on here...Lamberts is a fail-safe option and one of the best places to eat south of the river.
The menu always hosts a number of wonderful seasonal dishes and produce is consistently the best quality, sourced as ethically and locally as possible.
Every time we have eaten there I would have happily chosen anything from the menu, every dish sounds delicious and appealing, especially if you have a more adventurous palate - so if you aren't sure what to order, the waiting staff will always be willing to tell you all about the food.
They are all very passionate about the food and have always tasted every dish before it's put on the menu so they can give you an honest opinion if you're struggling to choose.
There are some classics that appear on the menu week in week out - silky white bean soup, fabulous juicy steak and a totally over the top sticky toffee pudding - consistently great. There is always a choice of several fish dishes - the fish is as fresh as it comes, flown up from Cornwall same day and cooked simply.
Take the staff recommendation on wine, they know their stuff, especially when it comes to dessert wine. Save room for the wonderful cheese board full of classic and more unusual British cheeses and a glass of port if you can. Good selection of single malts too.
The atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious, you never feel hurried to leave and time left between courses is spot on.
They recently ran a special Italian night with wonderful food and wines. Tables sold out within a day and it was 100% a fabulous night - great value for money and we felt really spoilt. Amazing food and wine we'd have happily paid double the price for. If they do this again, get in quick!
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Crazy Cat Lady - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Friday, November 09, 2007
I am surprised by the continual glowing reports that Lambert's receives. I went again last week after a couple of failed attempts to find out what all the fuss was about and, am afraid to say, came away equally clueless as last time. There is something depressing about a place that has ostensibly so much potential and a huge target audience desparate for it to succeed but that fails inexorably to live up to expectations. Having been lured in by the "early week special" of two courses for £15, we were disappointed to find that neither of the [paltry] two options per course on offer were even mildly tempting. Dismayed, we opted for the a la carte to enable us to order something we wanted to eat, deeply suspicious of what now seemed like a cunning ploy to get unsuspecting diners to spend more than they originally intended. Had the food lived up to the elevated prices, this would not have stung so. But once again, Lamberts is all mouth, no trousers. Elaborate and tempting sounding dishes failed to excite. Stringy, tasteless lamb with a generic tasting jus, huntsman's terrine that was tough and salty. Overseasoned, overcooked and overblown, each dish was a perfect demonstraiton of a kitchen that either tries to hard or doesn't give a toss. Either way, the clumsily handled cooking was only highlighted by a one dimensional and overpriced wine list. Lack of variety and imagination could be forgiven if the wines were not so bland - but we tasted four before settling on one we hadn't tasted which, you guessed it, was just as uninspiring as the previous contenders. The one highlight was my partner's steak which was gloriously tender and beautifully cooked (although overseasoned with a bland sauce). The service is heartfelt and sincere if a little unsure of itself. In fact the whole lamberts experience could be summed up by the high school reporting terminology. B+ for effort but D minus for ability. What a crying shame.
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Shelley
Overall rating 
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
As someone who has lived in Balham for over 10 years now, and moreover has seen the coming and going of many restaurants in that time, I know how important it is to hang onto the little gem that is Lambert's.
It is my restaurant of choice bar none. Perfect for all different occasions, from romantic meals, to taking the folks on a Sunday when they visit, or going on a birthday with friends.
The services is top notch, attentive, without being intrusive, and always on hand to offer excellent recommendations on food and wine with making the patrons feel patronized. Unlike many restaurants, where the waiters might have the answer to every question up their sleaves, but where their delivery is beyond robotic, at Lambert's every member of staff brings their own unique personality to the table, quite literally.
Whether it be the exceptionally tall owner, who does a fine line in polite sarcasm, the South African Manager who gets around the restaurant as fast as a whippet without ever seeming flustered, or the surly Greek Bartender who makes the finest Martini this side of Manhattan, each and everyone of them have their ambundance of charm. When you're served well, you realise what the 12.5% is for.
And that's before you even start on the food! Well, you can all read the superlatives reviews below, and believe me, ignore the ones where the wannbee chefs talk about putting the fish back in the pan for a second or two longer! Every dish offers something special, just go and see for yourself!
My only complaint would be that there arn't enough wines by the glass, but that said the wine list is spot on with something for everyone and mostly all at a reasonable price.
All I can say is, keep trying this little gem so that we in Balham can keep the restaurant we rightly deserve! Keep up the good work Lamberts.
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JCL
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Over rated
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ben
Overall rating 
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
I took my fiancee to Lamberts on Friday evening for a pre brithday meal. I've read the reviews on a number of occasions and always wanted to try it. Well it was one of the best meals we've eaten in a long time and one of the best dining experiences too. The food was absolutely delicious, (the signature dish of the different 'sheep' was exquisite) the service excellent and the general atmosphere of the restaurant perfect for couples or a bigger party. We will definitely be going back, and taking others with us. Just wish I'd discovered it sooner!
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MH
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
