Walluc Bistrot

It is not french anymore and so the quality is now very very poor. Fondue with no taste and burnt, on a scale from 0 to 5 I will give a negative score!
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Christophe Normantowicz
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, March 30, 2013

Having read the reviews and been here three or four times, I have to say I strongly disagree with those who said it was a nightmare. If you're looking for a spick and span, well-scrubbed, immaculate restaurant with robotic waiters, then this isn't the place for you. But if you're looking for a place with a bit of character and a homely, friendly feel, then you'll really enjoy Walluc Bistrot.

Their prices aren't as high as other fondue restaurants in London (of which there are few), and you get a select but filling selection of things to dip if you're having the fondue. Despite using tealights to heat the cheese, it stays warm (and is tasty enough for it not to last very long, so it doesn't matter!)

Give Walluc Bistrot a chance if you fancy a change. I keep returning because the food is good and the atmosphere is unique.
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Shiraz E
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I made the mistake of going to the bathroom before the meal. It smelt so bad and the toilets were filthy.

I decided to give it the benefit of the dout and order anyway. The napkins were stuck to the sticky tables and the glasses grubby.

The fondue stand where you rest the pan was caked in dried old fondue cheese. There was a frosty atmosphere.

Both mine and my boyfriends seat were broken and uncomfortable

The menu offered Pints of beer but they only had luke warm bottled beer.

We ordered a fondue stated for 2 people. The meal consisted of 6 slices of patheticly over boiled carrots, 1 gherkin, a few boiled potatoes, stale bread and 2 handfuls of lettuce.

When the bill arrived I was shocked that we had to pay £10.50 each even though we shared. It is a sharing platter but we have to pay per person and was really unclear. Felt ripped off. Don't bother going there!
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, April 28, 2012

I never write reviews but i just had to on this one.

Wanting to go somewhere with my group of friends for a cosy xmas meal i thought this place looked really sweet- every time i went by it looked nice and cosy and i'd seen big tables in there but with regular smaller tables of people around them. I was under no illusion that the food would be amazing but i thought it would be novelty value and nice and cosy with an xmas/alps feel.

I booked a month in advance and a week before the meal i had a text from the owner telling me that we would be in the 'marina room' - confused i went along to hear that as he'd had a another large booking that we would be in this room- the seaside themed back room, no windows. I said no this was a special meal for me and my friends and the people who booked last could have the back room. he agreed to this.

So when i turned up and found that he'd crammed both large tables in the main room and none of the nice character of the place was kept as all furniture had had to be moved out i was very disappointed- he also cleverly was no where to be seen. We got on with it though- it was cold and drafty and we could barely squeeze in to sit down as there just wasn't enough room for 2 big tables like this. After our complimentary wine it took some time to get hold of the waitress (only 1 waitress!) to get more and then had to ask several times to hurry along with the food. The bruschetta was a little slice of toasted baguette with some halves of tomatoes on top- hopeless- we weren't even given a plate to eat it off of. The fondue was ok but the veg that came with was in dribs and drabs and a bit measley. and finally after we'd all done pathetic looking bowls of salad turned up. Through all this the owner/manager skulked quickly through the restaurant trying to avoid me and anyone else going out on 'errands' to get a bottle of wine or loaf of bread- surely they had enough as he'd known for so long about how many people would be there. I think he knew that he would have got an earful, he should have just tried helping out the poor waitress a bit. What a shame he had to be greedy and except 2 large tables.

I told him i wasn't happy at the end but didn't want to make a scene and spoil the evening for the other table in there.. though ours had already been spoilt-

I was really upset that i had let my friends down by booking this place, never again.

My advice- don't go here.
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, December 14, 2011

after a few days in London we decided to eat some reminding-home food. despite all the reviews we were in that area -Redchurch Street and choose to enter anyway. worst choice ever.

the Walluc bistrot is a total fake and is expensive!. its not the cozy place you see from the outside: candles hide a poorly maintained and scruffy room. staff is lost running after power strips and -again- candles to warm fondue pots...the whole meal seems just coming out of the supermarket . wine bar? we took our third option,barely 9pm not busy - they ashamed said to have sold almost all wines, no beer at all...

the only advice, apart go somewhere else: better asking first for what they have of the food and drinks menu and do not go to the toilet if you don't want risk your life.
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jl benadit
2 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Friday, November 25, 2011

we ve been staying in london for one week, walluc was one of the places we discovered on the second night,the restaurant is in a nice street , it looks like a village, food was very nice, not expensive, we felt like home, owner was greeting us, for a fondue and a very good wine 15 pounds per head, and ve ve tried a very special digestif at the end of dinner, good experience, place was very crowdy but its a small place so you dont wait too long. I have to say a very good and original athmosphere and food is really lovely, if you are for a date thats the perfect place with all the music and the candles...
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vincent OM
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, November 15, 2011

we went at walluc yesterday, fondue is nice as well the boards of charcouterie, frankly speaking we come from france and after we read the reviews we felt a bit confused, we have booked weeks in advance so we went. Being french the 4 of us we have to say that we spent godd time and we think that prices are cheaper then in France. We spoke to the owner and he has been living in France also, good selection of wines at very reasonable prices, we tried the Cote du Rhone, a good red. Unfortunately he didnt have the Tiramisu , at the end we had a shot of italian amaro from the alps , was a courtesy of the house.

a bientot walluc. we will back.
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franc benouna
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, November 01, 2011

A generally disappointing meal here last night. I love fondue but the quality of the ingredients didn't seem that fresh and the portions were so meagre! The high prices they charged didn't give good value at all. There are better fondue restaurants in London. I would steer clear of Walluc. It is poor value for money.
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3 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Friday, September 30, 2011

I must have had a totally different experience to everyone else reviewing.... we ordered the Gruyere, Emmental and garlic fondue and it was heaven. I understand the comments about things to dip (maybe a wider selection of vegetables) but along with the bread, we were totally full up! The atmosphere was amazing and would be perfect for a date! The thing I would agree on is perhaps the service, but with the food, atmosphere and good company, it was barely an issue. Definitely returning soon!
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7 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Monday, September 26, 2011

Enjoying lasciviously a light bodied Italian wine from the traditional “verre ballon” on a crisp Wednesday evening and anxiety gradually vanishes. Outside the Walluc and it looks like an antique shop nudged in a different time-set. Until the “authentic-thus-original” perception field collapses.

The illusion is startling but no authenticity there. Attracted by the £13 carafe of house wine and the complementary cheeseboard, it seems a fair exchange yet the trap suddenly unveils when the “cheeseboard”: a wooden chopping board on which two meagre slices of raclette cheese and a few croutons of stale baguette, appears on our claremont-style table. Make it last.

Once inside, L’assiette de charcuterie - £8.50 and advertised as shareable - comes with three wafer thin factory cuts of ham, proscuitto - not sure there - Italian salami, more rubbery raclette cheese and off cuts of cured sausage. No salad nor pickles but one, dry, halved gherkin. Lengthway. The food is obviously fresh; as fresh from the packet as you can get. No wrinkles, no glossy fat, everything is packaged and served fridge temp, losing taste and thus charm.

I reckon effort was put on the rustic bread and it perfectly soaked the light Côtes du Rhones which succesfully washed down the sour feeling of being ripped off.

What felt picturesque at first is in fact a bad copy, a subterfuge. Italian? French? and Swiss? The whole place is makeshift and reeks of neglect.

Ps: Apologies to the waitress after leaving a 20p tip. This comes for the gratitude to choosing what we were going to eat without confirming. You did add 12.5% service charge, though. Why am I a greedy pig? Ask your boss. I'm sure he knows.
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Victor Lamort
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Friday, September 23, 2011