Le Vacherin

I had one of the most relaxing and tasty lunch of the past few years.If anyone can combine skilled service with perfectly served food, this is Le Vacherin. A rare gem in Chiswick.
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David
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, August 15, 2011

Agree with previous comment. Food was very average (fish very oily), service average (waiter did not know how the fish would be served) and there was no ambience (place empty at 10). The wine list is good but the food and atmosphere at the pub next door is much better. Shame really. Not sure if the head chef or mngt has changed. Not a disaster but not good enough to get me back again. My visit last year was much more impressive. Hope the comment helps.
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4 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Saturday, August 13, 2011

Really bad experience. A set menu with only one expensive (£35) option a three course menu. Choices were mediocre and not in line with the price being charged. For instance fried duck egg, endive salad or pate for starters; pappardelle and plaice for main (although you could get the chateaubriand for 2 for an extra £15). Dessert was pannacotta and choc fondant. Low end common food at upper-mid-range prices.

The quality of ingredients and presentation was questionable (not sure it really was duck egg, tartare sauce tasted like it came from a pot and fondant was fridge-cold in the middle).

Cooking was no good either: egg plate was dry and uninteresting, fish not properly cooked, fries very greasy. Fish was not deboned and impossible to eat.

Drinks were very expensive with dinner for 2 costing £145.

Happy to pay that if the food is worth it but based on what I ate, it was real poor value for the money. Could get much better experience somewhere else for that price.

Finally, I am French and this restaurant is a total sham. It does not reflect in any way a French experience. Even the decoration is lame and fake and cringing (especially when edith piaf kicks off in the background). The quality of the service is off. It tries to impress a sense of French formality but totally misses it. Nothing geniune here.
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Chris - View all reviews by this user
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Saturday, July 23, 2011

We went to this restaurant on Sunday and were offered the Sunday fixed price menu. The food was poor and the portions were tiny (even for a French restaurant). I was served with fatty lamb covered with three carrots and a few new potatoes. It is such a shame as this used to be a great place and the food used to be fantastic. No longer I am afraid !!! To top it all, the waiters were barely awake. One of them actually dripped red wine over the table and plates while attempting to pour it into our glasses. If you think this is worth the money - you will be disappointed. All four of us were hungry again within hours (after this three course expensive lunch).
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Sheila Ohri
1 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, July 11, 2011

There is something about this place that brings you back in time, but the quality of the food is very contemporary like the slickness of the service. For these things we, of course, all have to pay the right price. The managers and waiters, all dressed in black with ties, come from every part of europe but they all breath and ooze French. Classy and romantic.
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Claude piperin
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, June 13, 2011

Bad, bad service! food average. Our local pub next door to the restaurant serves better food.
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Katherine
4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Monday, March 07, 2011

Had dinner here on Saturday 19th February. The food was fine but service diabolical - had to wait for an hour and half for main course to arrive. Some of us ordered steaks but none of us appeared to have the right one and we ended up swapping them around.

Need to think about customers and take on more staff.
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4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Sunday, February 20, 2011

We choose Vacherin for our anniversary based on previous dining experiences.

At the start of the evening waiting staff were very attentive, which is what we are used to. However, this turned out to be the last positive aspect of our dining "experience" totally ruined by slow, ignorant and arrogant waiter. Firstly, he announced that Gruyere souffle was of the menu (strange that, as it was start of the evening) and that we could order Vacherin from a La carte but with a supplement of £8. We agreed to this and were made to wait for nearly 40mins. before they got around to serving it. Secondly, the main course took as long, and by the time we wanted to order our desserts (Prix Fixe menu) it had already been two hours since we entered the restaurant. I asked the waiter to just charge the a La carte menu instead of Prix Fixe since we were tired of waiting to order our desserts to which he agreed. Five minutes later he turned up with a bill showing 2 x Prix Fixe menus!

As a last ditch effort to reason with him i explained that the bill was not correct but the answer was "you must've understood". As far as the poor dining experiences go i would say this is pretty bad.
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4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Thursday, September 16, 2010