Le Bouchon Bordelais - Restaurant Review

Cuisine:  French

Cost:  

Rating:

Where?:  5 – 9, Battersea Rise, London. SW11 1HG.

Closest station(s): Clapham Junction, Clapham South, Clapham Common.  

Telephone: 0207 738 0307

Website: www.lebouchon.co.uk

Sitting on the veranda of this French restaurant near Clapham Junction in the sun enjoying a glass of crisp white wine whilst waiting for my dining partner I had extremely high hopes for Le Bouchon. Alas, soon it started to rain so myself and my tardy guest decided to move inside to avoid the British weather.

The décor is simple, in itself this is not a bad thing however I found it rather lacking in charm. The seating was decidedly uncomfortable, ending up perched on bar stools around a small table in order to remain away from the absurdly loud television in the adjoining part of the restaurant.

The menu offers a fine selection of French cuisine, however it seemed to be an age before the rather rude waitress came and took our order. Our starters of terrine de foie gras and moules finally arrived and were decidedly average.

 Nevermind, it was onto the Chateaubriand which I was hoping to make amends and leave me satisfied in the way only a huge piece of bloody cow can. It was shown at the table in advance of carving and both myself and my dining partner gasped at the beauty of the this charred piece of meat. Unfortunately being shown the meat was the highlight of my experience of Le Bouchon. It was hugely disappointing to find that my first mouthful lasted considerably longer than I had expected. Chew chew chew chew chew .. hmm , still there .. chew chew chew .. wash down with wine … swallow. I have never had Chateaubriand that was so chewy and consequently not enjoyable. To add insult to injury the chips were also undercooked.

I did not enjoy my meal at Le Bouchon; the food was below par, the service was slow, poor and rude and the bill managed to come to considerably more than I was expecting. There are often offers on the food – however even with a reduction in the bill I believe that you could find better food in more pleasant surroundings for the same money. 

Entrée Restaurant & Bar - Restaurant Review

Cuisine:  Modern European

Cost:

Rating:

Where?:  2, Battersea Rise, London. SW11 1ED.

Closest station(s): Clapham Junction, Clapham South, Clapham North.      

Telephone: 0207 223 5147

Website: www.entreebattersea.co.uk      

At the top of Battersea Rise moments from the Western end of Clapham Common there has been a rash of restaurants popping up; one of these is Entrée.  The dark exterior gives way to a dark wooden interior; despite the dark polished wood the dining space has a surprisingly warm feel to it.

Ther welcome was warm and we were taken to a table on in the raised dining area, this is opposed to the cocktail bar downstairs which certainly looked well worth a visit on another occasion. The dishes are a selection of European classics however often with an interesting touch such as free-range Old Spot pork belly, vegetables á la Grecque, green papaya & grapefruit salsa. At around £7 for starters and £18 for mains the prices are pretty reasonable. All of the dishes that we tried were well executed, of great quality and satisfying. Though good nothing could be said to have been stunning.

The décor, service and food combined to make this an extremely enjoyable dining experience. For a mid-week dinner with friends this would be a good choice of restaurant. Deals are also often on offer, including £20 for two courses for Sunday lunch.