Gazette Battersea

Gazette was recommended to us by a friend. It is a little secluded on a side turning from the Thames path and away from the main roads so not a restuarant that you are likely to stumble upon. However, it is well worth the effort. The restaurant manages to convey a real sense of French atmosphere and feels cozy and inviting. The staff have always been very friendly and welcoming. I particularly like the decor, which makes use of random bits of old equipment such as brick ovens – it may sound odd but the effect works and is charming. The blackboard tables (with chalk provided) are a particularly nice touch which my 9 year old son loves. Food comprises solid french classics with a few little twists. Portions are generally hearty and delicious. Particular favourites are the terrine platters, the dauphinois potatoes and the praline souffle. Wine list has a lot of variety, mostly french of course, and also offers wine by the carafe. The restaurant also runs themes (such as Bastille week, asparagus season, chocolate) which change regularly and offers a specials menu matching the theme.

This place could be all things to all people: a great place for casual lunch, a perfect intimate dinner a deux, a group gathering, a drink alone at the bar (be it a coffee or a cocktail). I've been here twice in the last 48 hours, which is probably recommendation in itself enough. My first visit was Saturday lunchtime and I came in with The Dog on my riverside walk. The squashy sofas in the corner are the perfect place to relax with a glass of pinot and the papers which are strewn around. I felt entirely welcome despite being alone and a friendly waiter improvised, unasked for, a tupperware of water for the mutt. We battled through the rain for the second visit, a coupley dinner (sans canine companion), on Sunday night. We pigged out on a plate of four-way-cooked piglet which was the plat du jour and got slightly tipsy on a delicious after dinner drink called the Toblerone. The Entente Cordiale is alive and well here and you get the impression everyone is welcome, babies and dogs and probably even mothers-in-law. It's all traditional French fare here, with coq au vin and croques monsieurs the order of the day. The wine list is comprehensive with something to please everyone (provided you like French wine!) with wine up to £150ish but lots in the £20-40 range. It's not the cheapest place (my lunch was £25, our dinner £50 a head) but you feel you've eaten well. For those who complain about it's location: approach it from the river, you'll get a beautiful view and work off some of the calories you are about to consume!

Disappointing. I went to Gazette with my (9 months pregnant) wife last Friday night. I'm a member of the Gourmet Society, and according to their website, you can get 2 meals for the price of one. There were conditions, to use the card on Fridays you need to book on the day, and mention that you'll be using the card. I did all of these things, and the man I booked with said it was fine. All good. However, when we went to Gazette and ordered our meal the waiter looked a bit blank at us, and went to find the Manager. When I showed the Gourmet Card to the Manager, it was met with a Gallic shrug and a 'we don't do that'. He then turned on his heels and walked off, and we never saw him again. We were made to pay full price for our meal. I am very disappointed with the way we were treated in Gazette. It's a shame, as we've recently moved to a house about 10 minutes walk from Gazette, and we would definitely have gone again, and would have recommended it to our friends as the food was really good.

We have been coming to this restaurant for nearly 5 years now and as a neighbourhood restaurant it suits every occasion. From a lazy Sunday lunch with the Grand Prix in the background, a romantic meal for 2 or a high energy family get together. My most recent visit was to sample the “foie gras week”. These guys already offer a couple of great foie gras dishes so I was excited to see what was on offer. We were not disappointed, my girlfriend had foie gras terrine and ginger bread to start. She kindly offered me a small mouthful and the subtle ginger from the bread tingles your mouth and then the foie gras melts. These two flavours work so well together. I went for foie gras in my main course, which was pan fried, served with cherries and green beans. The combination of flavours was great, the dish was perfectly rich and the foie gras was excellently cooked. As usual we experienced the most friendly service and a beaming smile from every employee, not just those serving our table. We will keep coming back her because it offers the complete package. The menu offers our favourites and there is always something new to keep things fresh. The staff are clearly into their food as they always provide such good recommendations and talk confidently about every dish. There are other restaurants in SW11 which try to offer a neighbourhood feel combined with good food; I have tried most of them and none offer the consistency of Gazette. I am yet to have a negative experience here, and I will be sorry to ever move away from the area.

My favourite French restaurant in Battersea – too easy to come, impossible to leave. The atmosphere is very relaxed and informal, location is secluded enough to guarantee peace and quiet and the food is wonderful in its quality and simplicity. We pop down there on weekends to share a pichet of hose red (very commendable and excellent value for money) with a cheese platter (comes with a bread basket and salted butter – yum) and a side serving of duck rilettes while chatting or musing over the weekend papers in the more informal front of the restaurant. The sofas are comfort personified and I struggle to lift my derriere from them when we leave. The area upstairs has a more formal air and is perfect for a romantic dinner for two – we go there on date nights to indulge in best dishes the chef offers. Forget calorie counting, dinner there is a pure and unadulterated pleasure. Try steak tartar – the chef will leave the kitchen to deliver the finishing touches in front of you. The menu is printed fresh every day to reflect the seasonal grub and rotate the wine list. We find that asking the waiters for a recommendation is very helpful – never been disappointed.

Firstly the location, don't come here unless you like parking at the back of a dodgy industrial estate and hunting for the restaurant amongst blocks of flats. We arrived for our meal and were told there was no record of our booking despite booking by phone at lunchtime that day. It turned out that someone at the restaurant had booked us in for the wrong time on the wrong day. Thankfully it was a Wednesday and not too busy so there was room for us. In the course of sitting down and being offered drinks we were spoken to by three different waiters and rushed in to ordering wine. Having ordered the steak we were kept waiting 45 minutes as all waiters that night (under-staffed) were serving two large groups. There is no excuse for this as a large group would have booked in advance so the restaurant should have laid on more staff. When our meals turned up I was thoroughly disappointed – sitting next to some limp salad with a vinegar dressing was a piece of over-cooked tough steak. Having asked for it to be cooked ‘rare’ this was not acceptable. Neither was the fact that the waiter ommitted to provide us with steak knives. Accompanying this was a horrid old saucepan with a burnt handle containing some over-cooked, over-salted and greasy chips. We just wanted to leave but found it impossible to get any waiters attention due to their focus on the two large groups. Eventually I asked a waitress for the bill and she never brought it – 10 minutes later I asked again and it came. Upon payment the card machine could not get any signal and had to try another time. When I asked for a receipt to say the previous transaction had been cancelled I got a short response from the waiter saying that it would not be possible but that if he had wanted to steal money from me he wouldn't do it in such an obvious way. I can honestly say that this was the worst dining experience I have ever had in London – the atmosphere was non-existent and the play on ‘French rustic’ decor is poor. Avoid at all costs!

This is one of my favourite restaurants. Unfortunately they short staff front of house and service is attrocious when they're busy. Food is generally excellent although on my last visit my risotto was swimming in butter. Worth noting is that the service charge does not go to the waiter! Otherwise a charming restaurant and great value for money.