Hard to believe an authentic little French restaurant has existed in Penge but it is in keeping…read morewith the rise of the rest of the community. On Maple road is a small establishment- family owned and run - that needs our support to stay afloat. It is worth checking them out and supporting a local gem. We had Cidre Breton, Cassoulet (with duck), Crème Brûlée, gorgeous escargot, Soupe à l'oignon, steak tartare, tartiflet, duck confit, café liégeois, rilletes de porc, crepe Suzette and steak. We make sure to visit every time we are in town and my in-laws are particular about French food and it is a favorite of theirs. My mother-in-law lived in France and learned to cook there and can't believe how luck she is to have this in her neighborhood.

Another amazing meal at Chez Yves last night with 5 family members. I had a dozen snails with…read morelightly toasted sourdough bread, then confit duck leg with potatoes roasted in duck fat. Dessert was café Liegeois. Everything was top quality, perfectly cooked and served, and delicious. Between 6 of us we tried loads of things on the menu, swapping bits so we could taste everything. Every single dish was delicious. I love this little restaurant, hope that it survives the current economic problems.

So I'm not a fan of how long it takes to commute to and from work, but I'm enjoying living in…read moreBeckenham. It just seems to have something for everyone. Every time I have been around the High Street, I've seen Kelsey House and kept thinking that I should check it out... and we did! We had time to kill before seeing a movie, so we walked down to Kelsey House. It's easy to find because it is on the corner. I would suggest walking, if you can because the parking on the street is usually occupied, but the nearest car park is about a 5 minute walk up the High Street. They do have outdoor seating and while it is facing a busy High Street, it is better now because the pavement has been extended, putting a bit more space between the tables and traffic. We chose to sit inside because it was quite a warm day. Inside is very hipster... from the decor to the staff, but it is proving very popular! Based on the number of families inside, I would say that this is a child-friendly place. The menu seems to be focused on 'street food'... and brunch. There are a few salads on the menu, but think small plates, burgers, and sandwiches. If you are a fan of gin, they have a nice list of gins, along with a number of craft beers. Because I didn't want to end up asleep during the film, I went with one of their non-alcoholic cocktails... the Virgin French Martini. It was delicious and I didn't miss the alcohol at all! I just wish it came in a bigger glass ;) I struggled because I wanted to try out some of the small plates, but really had my eye on one of the sandwiches. I ended up ordering the Volcano Sandwich while Mr. Snarky went with the Full House Burger. The sandwiches/burgers looked really good, but they were definitely messy. The buns were lovely and managed to stay together despite all the meat juices they were soaking in. I was worried my sandwich would be a bit too spicy, but I found the spice just right... and the meat was so tender! I was surprised that the slaw was actually on the side rather than in the sandwich... which is where I thought it would be. Mr. Snarky said he also enjoyed his burger... except for the burger. To be fair, I am never really sure why Pulled Pork and/or Brisket has to be ruined by using it as a condiment to put on top of a beef burger. And I think that was the issue, the burger didn't really need to be there and it kind of took away from the rest of the sandwich. We really enjoyed the fries... they said skinny fries and I was worried they would be like shoestrings, but they were a decent size and it was like they twice/triple cooked them because they were quite crispy on the outside. We agreed that they were really good! By the end of it, we didn't have room for dessert. Service is friendly, but a bit on the slow side. The prices... I find a bit mixed. On some items I think they are reasonable, but on other items I think they are a bit pricey... like a hot dog for £10.50. I love a good hot dog, but £10.50... and that's the basic hot dog. It is a lovely place and I'm sure we'll be back again.

Fantastic atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, and quality cocktails. Perfect for a lunchtime…read morework meeting, or an evening out with friends! Now, if only they had a Happy Hour, they'd deserve the fifth star (those cocktails are pricey!!)

I am new in the area and was glad to discover that place thanks to the previous review on Qype!…read moreI bought some old time favorites: BN biscuits, apple compote Andros, saucisson artisanal aux noisettes, St Nectaire and tomme de Savoie cheese + some pains au chocolat, pains aux raisins, tartes au citron and baguette. All tastes like home except for the baguette which is definitely not homemade (and the reason why I only give 4 stars) French people will be happy to know that they can also find cassoulet, choucroute, raclette, rillette, petits écoliers etc at reasonable prices. Miam miam!!!

OMG.... have you seen the new refurb...?…read more This deli has now been cleaned up by the new owners... it looks amazing. Still a french deli.. stocking all things french... food, pastries, cakes, beers & wines. The new owners are lovely & friendly.... & have done a wonderful job with bringing this delicatessen up to date. Also, they've introduced some wonderful cake pops that all us locals are going crazy for!

L'Auberge is the perfect place for you if you like Belgian-French food…read more I go there for their mussels with fries or their delicious soups. This restaurant is situated on the top floor in the whitgift shopping centre in Croydon.

We booked a table for 4 at 11am, then changed the time to 11.30am and then turned up with 5…read morepeople... but the delightful people here were so accommodating and even found us a great table in the conservatory. We were here for the breakfast and three of us ordered off the menu, and two of us just had to be fussy and order various items individually. They catered to every wish! The coffee was fantastic and they even had skimmed milk (YEY!) I had the English breakfast with poached eggs, and apart from some hollandaise sauce that appeared on my eggs (I don't like hollandaise sauce!) it was all very yummy. The mushrooms were cooked with rosemary and the cumberland sausage was delicious. I was not keen on the bacon, but that's probably because it was smoked and I'm not a fan of food tasting like sweet smoke. My fellow breakfastarians between them tried the Eggs Special Royal (to celebrate our new princess!) which was apparently delicious, but came with cold avocado under the egg, which made the temperature of the whole dish a little odd. There were no other complaints though and we all agreed to go back very soon. Lovely place!

I arrived at The Gantry on the hunt for a chilled-out space with good WiFi connection, delicious…read morefood and mean cocktails and man, I was absolutely not disappointed! It was very busy when I arrived and I was unsure as to whether I should sit straight down or order at the bar - but after asking a friendly member of staff, I made myself comfortable with a menu. I opted for the Full English and a white Americano off of the Brunch menu. My food turned up before my coffee but I wasn't too fussed - I could sympathise with the busy staff having worked in hospitality for many years myself. Both the breakfast and coffee were lovely and good value for money. Afterwards, I ordered a Bloody Mary to take the edge off and oh my Gosh, it was hands-down the best Bloody Mary I have ever tasted. The waiter asked me what spice I'd like and as a bit of a wimp, I opted for a 3 out of 10 and it was absolutely perfect - garnished with green olives, celery, a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of pepper. Divine! I stayed at The Gantry for the majority of my day working and therefore spoke with the staff a few times. I enquired as to a nearby plug and the waiter found me one behind an armchair and plugged my charger in for me as well - very kind! Overall, I'd highly recommend it but would opt to come when it's a bit less hectic next time. I will definitely be returning!

I decided to book this restaurant after years of almost's buts and maybes for a Thursday night…read moreheading into a long bank holiday weekend. The staff were super friendly and helpful with the menu and took time to explain the specials to us. The decor feels classic American, and the food exceptional for the price point. We spent roughly £100 between two people for starters, mains and a bottle of wine. We ordered a broccoli and goats cheese dish for starter - it was sensational, also a wood pigeon dish which was cooked and seasoned very well. For mains we had a mackerel rillette and a steak with fries. The steak had perfectly rendered fat which was properly flamed, this gave it a nice crispy texture. Most places don't get this right. I'd most definitely return to this venue and am disappointed in myself for taking so long to visit - shame on me!

I had the opportunity to dine here earlier this year and I'm still salivating over the meal. Simple…read moreyet delicious! I had perfectly cooked fish, sea bass paired with an excellent selection of cocktails. The staff was accommodating and unpretentious. I can't wait to return.

Looking to try something new, we walked in here, tempted by the sign outside promising breakfast…read morefrom 9.30am on a weekend. The place looks fantastic - it used to be a butchers, so has tiled walls and a very cool tiled alcove at the end with the till and the wine stored in it. We walked in and waited in the doorway like good customers. Nothing. So we walked in a little further and coughed. Nothing. I walked over to the kitchen and cleared my throat. Nothing. So I yelled "hello!" at the nearest guy. Still nothing! He was not 3 feet away from me and didn't respond! Eventually after entering the kitchen, stripping and doing a tap dance (ok, that was exaggerating just a leetle bit) I finally got the attention of a chap and asked if they were open. "Yes." was the response. "Great, could we have a table please?" I asked. "Sure" was the reply. So, I went off, found some menus and sat down at a table in the front with my brother. A French woman came out about 15 minutes later and seemed a little surprised that we were there. She was rather frosty. Very very cold and in fact 'icy' wouldn't be a bad way to describe the welcome she gave us. When I asked for a cappuccino with skimmed milk, she just stared at me and said "Non". "Semi Skimmed?" I asked hopefully. "Non." came the reply. "Thees ees a French restaurant. We use la creme, not la skimmed milk". Ok, just a black coffee then! We ordered breakfasts - full English, my brother's without eggs, but perhaps a extra sausage or rasher of bacon instead? "Non." Ok then! My brother then dashed across to the co-op over the road and bought me a pint of skimmed milk. (He's the best brother in the world!) While he was gone, Madame Snowball came back in and asked how he would like his eggs. "Er, not at all actually". The light of realisation dawned. "Ah, Per'aps eee would like an extra sausage or bacon?" I smiled. "That would be lovely, thank you!". When it arrived, the breakfast was absolutely superb. They remembered that I asked for cold beans (I know, I'm a weirdo), they substituted a sausage for the eggs and the whole thing was lovely. The only thing that would make it better would have been two rounds of toast instead of one, to mop up the vast quantity of beans they give you. They even refilled my coffee completely free of charge and knocked off 25p from my brother's breakfast, as apparently one sausage is 25p cheaper than two eggs! I left them the rest of the skimmed milk, in case another customer was also wanting something a little lighter, but I saw frosty the snow-madame hold it up and look at it with wonder. Ah, those English, with the cold baked beans and the fat-free milk. Pah!

Went there for the snack menu as a sort of late Sunday brunch…read more What a disaster. Waited 20 minutes for our orders to be taken. And 40 minutes more for a croque monsieur and a crepe to be served. And we had to push them to get it. Worst service ever. And the food was simply disgusting. Unbelievably disgusting for a French place. They should be shameful to cook such crap food with nothing but gross bechamel sauce and layers of cheese, and horrible processed ham - in both the croque and the crepe. I could not even finish my plate. Simply don't go there for the snack menu. food is terrible and the staff is lousy. A shit place.

We've been meaning to pop by and eat here every time we visit Bromley as we've heard good things…read moreand it always looks busy. Yeah..... now we know why it looks busy. The service was soooooo slow. I booked a table and it took a few moment to be acknowledged. Staff were just pottering about and not even dealing with customers. Once acknowledged we were eventually led to our table. Took ages to get an allergen menu (their Ipad) then it took ages for someone to even take a drink order. Once we decided what to have (Not much choice for gluten free!) Order was taken and we waited.... Food wasn't too bad when it arrived but I'm glad I ordered a side as my main was a little on the small side! Milkshakes were tasting watery and tea was tasteless...... even if they did use a Yorkshire Tea teabag! For a lunchtime they had enough servers a few empty tables but lots of gaps in dealing with customers. Not the greatest of experiences, pricey for the food (quality wasn't great!) and service slow. We won't be back in a hurry!

One of the better Shopping Centre dining experiences…read more Joe's Kitchen, the runty little sister of Frank & Benny and Garfunkel's restaurants is a refreshingly modern, clean and creative twist on the standard. The layout and menu remind me somewhat of Bill's restaurants. Big wooden tables and not too fussy. The Menu is transparent and has your staples: fish and chips, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and your all day breakfast. It's a little fresher and more contemporary than it's more famous counterparts. As with any restaurant in a shopping mall, it's quite overpriced for what it is. My fish finger sandwich, although pleasant and filled my hungover hole was average bread, cheap fish fingers and a bit of iceberg. For £6 without any garnish at all, I would say that's a tad steep. Still, what did surprise me were the chips. This may sound strange, but they really tasted like potato! Normally you get the standard, frozen chips with a real starchy texture, but these 'skin on fat chips' tasted fresh and lovely. Overall, it's an amazing improvement to your average shopping break meal. It completely beats the competition in the area and was a very pleasant experience. PS. lovely coffee and the coke floats looked amazing.

While it looks very cute from the outside this is definitely the worst restaurant in Balham. I have…read morebeen to the French Cafe twice. My first experience was for a Sunday brunch with a friend. The service was extremely slow (but they were also very busy). However the food was alright the first time so I decided to return. My second visit was downright horrible. Our waiter forgot to place our order. Instead of letting us know he'd forgotten he just kept us waiting and starving. After waiting almost an hour I asked a girl behind the bar to check the order and I took my seat. I had to get up again to ask her where our food was because she had forgotten to come over and tell us what was going on. She finally let me know that our order wasn't put in, she'd put a rush on the food but it would be at least another 5 minutes. I asked for some complimentary bread since we were absolutely starving at which she replied she could give us complimentary drinks but she would have to check with her manager about the bread. We waited another 5 minutes and our food still didn't arrive so we left. Upon leaving I told the manager why we were leaving and he responded with a polite, "ok". Mistakes obviously happen and generally when they do you cop to them and apologize. But not the French Cafe, not even one, "so sorry we fucked up here's a free slice of bread". There are so many other great spots in Balham - I won't be wasting my time or money at this one again.

Great food and really nice atmosphere especially during the summer, however I've been around four…read moreof five times now and the service is always lacking. On the last occasion one of our meals was left off the order, the time before we were seated outside they forget us altogether. Prior to this we waited nearly an hour after ordering for food to arrive. Despite the terrible service it's still worth a visit.