Retro Bistrot

This restaurant came highly recommended by a friend - I certainly was not disappointed. The staff are very welcoming and leave just enough time for you to be seated, catch up with your fellow diners and take a look at the well written menu.

The choice of either the set menu or a la carte provides for all tastes and budgets to be satisfied. It's nice to see that the menu reflects the season (the 'Turkey with all the trimmings' certainly changed my opinion of the usually dry and dull meat that luckily only comes before me once a year. If it tastes like that every time - Un peu plus, s'il vous plaît?

I had a lovely evening - the ambience, food, wine (which was regularly topped up by the very switched-on waiters) and service were all outstanding.

In the words or Arnie - I'll be back

Formidable!!
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Gemma Beckensale
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, December 18, 2008

Myself, my wife and daughter went for lunch today (a Sunday). At last - a really good restaurant in Teddington! For the quality, great value, charming service (enhanced even further if you join in a bit of franglais). The food was excellent, one of us had the set luch menu the other a la carte. House wine by the carafe was fine. Not a trace of pretension despite what one reviewer said. We will come again and again! Also the decor is lovely and a real buzz - good to see a restaurant full in the current economic climate!
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David - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, December 14, 2008

As it was my turn recently to select my lunch club's dining venue I decided to try Retro. We were not disappointed. Our group of 12 well seasoned and discerning diners and wine buffs had a thoroughly enjoyable time. The food, service and atmosphere was excellant. How nice to go into a restaurant at lunchtime on the London outskirts and find it vibrant and buzzing. Between us we had a wide selection of dishes from the excellant menu and without exception, everyone was impressed. We will definately be back both individually and as a club. For those who have published adverse reviews, I can only say that they must be unfamiliar with good French style and nouvelle cuisine as myself and my colleagues could not fault the place.
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Mike Kimber
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, December 04, 2008

What a gem of a restaurant.

Highlights:

Warm, friendly, enthusiastic service

Relaxed atmosphere

Loads of crackling on my pork belly :-)

Fantastic chocolate fondant pudding

Great value for money, top quality food without having your wallet plundered

Lowlights:

Crackling was soft on my wife's port belly, so I was forced to share mine :-(

Puy lentils with the pork could have been seasoned more

More wine choice in the £15-20 range would be good

A mixed selection of veg would be nice rather than individual servings
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Andy Wilkinson - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Monday, December 01, 2008

Have been to Retro numerous times since it opened. Having read some of the very negative and quite personal reviews, they look more like a smear campaign than credible reviewing.

I've always found the food and service to be of a very high standard. My favorite dishes are the mushroom brioche starter, the pheasant for main and the plum souffle for pudding. All that for £18 and yet people still report bad value for money!? You can't get 3 courses in Pizza Express for that!

The house wines are really quite good and reasonably priced, but what I love most is the selection available by the glass or carafe, no more arguing with my partner over whether to get a bottle of red or white.
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Caroline Jones
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, November 30, 2008

In a word? Poncy.

Poor lighting, lack of ambiance, tiny proportions, overpriced.

The service was average, the waiting long, the shrugging of shoulders too much and the only good point (well excellent actually) was the strawberry sorbet that my wife ordered. But as I got a positively mediocre 'best chocolate brownie you will ever taste' I will continue to offer null points.
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George
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, November 27, 2008

I went here for lunch on saturday. Fab decor and ambience. Love the wine glasses too. The set menu is great value at £10.95 for 2 courses or £13.95 for 3 courses, although I would concur that the portions are on the small side - we left not-hungry but also not-full and after 3 courses, I expect to be the latter.

Starter - Mushrooms on brioche with hollandaise and a soft poached egg oozing on top was lovely, though a couple more wild mushrooms in the mix would have been great.

Main -pheasant breast served on red cabbage with chesnuts and raisins. All was lovely if a little underseasoned (easily remedied and not an issue to me). The little breast looked like it was swimming on a sea of red cabbage. If I had been the waiter, i would have recommended a side order of daphinoise - I would certainly have welcomed it. Or a second pheasant breast. But it was nice if not amazing.

For dessert there was cheese - three types, not a massive portion but actually on this occasion 'just right' to me. A brief explanation of the cheeses would have been welcomed - there was a blue one, and i think two goats - one hard, one softer. But would have been good to be told.

In summary, there are lots of things that Retro could do better, but overall, looking at the value of the lunchtime menu, the friendly welcome, the atmosphere, the food and drinks, I'll absolutely be back and genuinely would like to see it to go from strength to strength.
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 24, 2008

We were sad to see La Retro leave Molesey as it was a real favourite of ours consistantly offerring a high standard of French cuisine and service which is second to none.

Many of our friends had tried the new restaurant and given rave reviews so we visited the Teddington restaurant this week .

Wow!! what a stunning job they have done the French style and interior design really elevates the restaurants ambience which was missing in Molesey, the food was excellent and the welcome was as warm and genuine as ever.

We wish them great success and look forward to revisiting very soon.
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LORRAINE CLEMENTS
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Retro Bistrot has grown up and moved from its kindergarten in East Molesey and graduated to Teddington. It has been full from the opening evening because both food and service are of the highest quality. Vincent Gerbeau and his team (Fabrice and Michael) have set the High Street alight! Le tout Teddington can be found in there - at lunchtime and in the evening. The food is exceptional - high quality, perfectly judged and uncluttered. The menu is not too long (always a give -away that not everything is cooked fresh...) but is varied enough to tempt all palates. We have been on several occasions, and even with children in tow, we have had a memorable and highly entertaining evening! With Vincent and Fabrice at the helm, it's not just a great dinner, but dinner and a show! Congratulations to all of you who have worked so hard to bring this off!
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Alf - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, November 10, 2008

We decided to give this new establishment in our area, a try.

The place was quite full last night, and it seemed it was mostly pre-booked guests there. So maybe they could have had an extra personel to help them out on the night.

We were having flashbacks of our last visit to that other, all nice decor but neither the food nor the service to match place called The Wharf.

Service was quite slow, (it took the waiter 20 minutes to bring us the drinks).

Food was ok, but after reading the reviews here, we were expecting something more refined. As far as french food goes, we'd rather spend our evening and money in Noel's.

With the bill nearing £120 for two, We would definitely book at some other restaurants next time around; But with half that amount we could dine at the other, more established and proven restaurants in our lovely area.

Will not be back in a haste.
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G.H
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Saturday, November 08, 2008