Chez Manny

Went to Chez Manny with my girlfriend on a Saturday night. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, filled with a eclectic crowd of locals and young couples. Manny was very friendly and took time to explain the menu and specials. I had an excellent lamb shank slow cooked in wine and honey and my girlfriend had pan fried scallops that were amazing. Manny suggested a nice (and cheap) pinot noir that wrapped it all together perfectly.

For desert, we shared a unique rosemary tarte tatin, ( a sort of reversed apple tart) with a glass or Armagnac. Splendid.

What we liked Chez Manny was the fact that we had the felt that this restaurant really cares about food and its customers. The chef Guillaume (Manny's brother) took time to walk around the tables and have a little chat with most of the customers, explaining how he cooks the dishes...

Overall we had a great evening, and GREAT value for money, we payed around 40£ a head.

We will surely be coming back!!!
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Nicolas
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, April 08, 2008

I agree with the rather exotic wording of roast rack of pork - my hubby had a pork chop. I had a steak - good but not great. Some french beans and two roast potatoes - would have liked some more vegetables. Loved the escargots. Very friendly service and quite busy for a Monday night in Battersea. When given the bill we were told there was a 25% discount throughout December. Creme brulee topping - there was something not right with it but could not pinpoint it. Not bad as a local but not worth a detour if you live elsewhere - lacking in ambience.
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Battersea Caffs
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

We visited Chez Manny for my friend's 40th Birthday. It was billed as a nice French restaurant with good food. I have to say the staff were lovely, very friendly and attentive, but the food was a disaster. Many of us chose the French Onion Soup from the specials board. French restaurant you'd think would live or die by it's onion soup (espescially if it is a 'special'). The watery flavourless horror that arrived was embarrasingly bad. It was the colour of pasta water and the onions were crunchy. It seemed to have been made in about 15 minutes with a stock cube. My main course was billed rather enticingly on the menu as a 'Roasted Rack of Pork' was in fact a pork chop, however it was nicely prepared in a delicious sauce. The veg were also good, creamy dauphinoise and crisp french beans, not rocket science perhaps but well prepared. The desserts were a tad uninspiring with a rather cloying crème brulee and miniature brownie with a miserable puddle of crème anglaise. Altogether £40/head.

I'd say nice people, some nice food, but you can eat much better for the money.
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Ian
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 3
Saturday, December 01, 2007

We ate here for my wife's birthday party. I organised a group of 10 to surprise her.

Manny was superb and contacted me in advance so find out my wife's name in order to write it onto her cake.

The food is highly reccommended, not 3 michelin stars maybe but definitely better that the average french restaurant in the area and incredibly good value.

Ambience is a bit lacking maybe but made up for by service which was great, Manny chose very good inexpensive wines ... he did not try and upsell at all ... just wanted to provide great value for money.

I rarely bother to write reviews but have in this case as they really deserve all the praise they get.
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Charles
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10
Thursday, November 01, 2007

I have eaten at Manny's several times and have always had a superb time. The food is fantastic and the wines brilliantly recommended by Manny himself. I have had dinner with small groups of 4 and lunches with up to 30 for my birthday in the past and the joy is that the value is superb. A cracking meal and loads of wine and it doesn't break the bank. I plan on having a family Christmas party there before we all head off to our in-laws' this year for the actual day.
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ERL
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, October 29, 2007

My favourite local restaurant!

Great food, very good value, perfect service and friendly ambiance thanks to Manny and the chef Guillaume.
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Danielle
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, September 14, 2007

Absolultely superb meal all round. Home-made foie gras and wine on the sofas with a summer breeze coming in. Then to our table to enjoy the perfectly cooked scallops with ginger jam, duo of guinea fowl & artichoke then duckling and cod dishes for main. Desserts were inspired, in particular the raspberry tarte tartin. There is also a divine summer special in the form of a "posh" Vienetta-style dessert - with fresh mint (definitely taste the difference to flavouring) in the ice-cream/granita - extremely refreshing.

Manny knows his well-priced wine list extremely well and will recommend fantastic wine to compliment his brother Guillame's cooking.

It had been a number of months since my last visit here, but I'm going to make sure it's not so long til the next time.
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Ruth Hillman
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, June 14, 2007

I came here for an intimate meal with my girlfriend to celebrate our joint birthdays. Getting to the restaurant didn't take long but seeing run-down Battersea High Street made us think that we'd made a HUGE mistake. Luckily this place is a real gem with really great food (yes the lamb shank is superb), fantastic service and a decent ambiance when the restaurant filled up as the evening wore on. We'll definately be going here again - fantastic!
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Ian
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, December 07, 2006

I recently tasked myself with arranging a surprise birthday dinner for my girlfriend, somewhere around Clapham.

With the guest list swelling, I chose Manny's because it is big enough to comfortably fit a large group without loosing a feeling of intimacy. Manny himself was also a great help as we worked out a shortened menu at a set price per head.

The food is tasty, uncomplicated and unpretentious yet prepared with a meticulous eye for detail. It was also delivered to the table fast and hot despite there being over 20 of us in the group.

Service was attentive yet discrete and the 4 1/2 hours that we spent over the meal passed all too quickly.

There are places with more contemporary design and more adventurous menus but what Manny's does it does very well and Manny himself would be an asset to any restaurant.
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Tom
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, November 16, 2006

I recently tasked myself with arranging a surprise birthday dinner for my girlfriend, somewhere around Clapham.

With the guest list swelling, I chose Manny's because it is big enough to comfortably fit a large group without loosing a feeling of intimacy. Manny himself was also a great help as we worked out a shortened menu at a set price per head.

The food is tasty, uncomplicated and unpretensious yet prepared with a meticulous eye for detail. It was also delivered to the table fast and hot despite there being over 20 of us in the group.

Service was attentive yet discrete and the 4 1/2 hours that we spent over the meal passed all too quikly.

There are places with more contemporary design and more adventurous menus but what Manny's does it does very well and Manny homself would be an asset to any restaurant.
Comment on this reader review

Tom
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, November 16, 2006