Harden's survey result
Summary
“Correct Gallic fare where comfort rather than wow is the name of the game” sums up this “good-value French bistro” group, which has a flagship in Battersea and branches in Putney, Wandsworth Common, the City and at the Institut Français in South Kensington. Sceptics judge it “rather run-of-the-mill”, but more commonly it’s seen as a useful standby and continues to garner a voluminous amount of feedback. In particular, fans say, it’s a “favourite place for steak & chips because they do it the French way”.
Summary
This popular small bistro group is “so very French”, especially when eating at the original “buzzy” Battersea branch, which opened in 2007 “at an attractive location near the river”. The other branches – in Putney, Wandsworth Common and the City (plus one inside the Institut Français in South Kensington) – are also applauded as “good value” options, but results can also seem a little “unadventurous”.
Summary
This “buzzy” and “well-priced” modern Gallic quartet (Clapham, Putney and Wandsworth plus the City) keeps regulars happy with “interesting twists on the starters” and “some great weekly offers, eg ‘Lobster Night’”. One or two critics feel their performance is “half-hearted and disappointing”, but on most accounts they are an “extremely likeable attempt to recreate a French bistro”.
Summary
“So VERY French in every way” – this southwest London trio (Clapham, Wandsworth and Putney, plus a Holborn branch) “has worked so hard to keep going with style and panache” over the years, and is recommended unreservedly by many reporters. For quite a few sceptics, though, it’s “a great concept”, but the execution “needs sharpening up”. Top Tip: “the best steak tartare in town”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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