2 Bellevue Rd, London, SW17 7EG
Harden's survey result
Summary
“A superb destination full of generosity and honesty” – Bruce Poole & Nigel Platts-Martin’s “faultless”, “neighbourhood” restaurant, just across from Wandsworth Common, is voted London’s No. 1 favourite in our annual diners’ poll for an amazing 20th year. How do they do it? First off, consistency – a typical report will often start: “we’ve been eating here twice a year for about 20 years and it’s never been other than a brilliant go-to for a special meal”. Secondly, nothing about the enterprise is pretentious or showy: it’s “quietly refined but never pompous”. Chef Matt Christmas’s modern British cuisine is “unfailingly excellent” but impressively straightforward – “there’s nowhere for the chef to hide and he doesn’t need to”; impeccable ingredients are “cooked to perfection”, “every single thing on the plate has a taste, and nothing is just there for colour or decoration”. Thirdly, the service. Bruce is a “sympathic owner and he’s in the the room”, along with his staff who are “friendly but not overbearing and extremely well informed (if you’re a wine buff – there’s an extensive list – they’ll happily advise and discuss. But equally they won’t be snooty if you just want the ‘house red’”). Fourthly, the “plain (in a good way)” dining room, which is perfectly in keeping with the un-forced style of the proceedings. Its “lively buzz (as it’s practically always full)” can occasionally seem “noisy”, and for the odd thrill- seeker it “lacks excitement”. But if your taste veers towards “‘mature dinner party’ rather than ‘wild night out’” it feels for all the world like a “proper grown-up restaurant”. Fifth and finally, the final bill – prices are not give-away, but taken as a whole – with the generous little extras like parmesan biscuits to start, excellent breads and butter, a little truffle at the end – it’s “still astonishing value for money”.
Summary
“Just a fantastic highlight for South London” – for the 19th year running, Bruce Poole & Nigel Platts-Martin’s “outstanding neighbourhood restaurant” (in “a lovely location by Wandsworth Common”) is voted London’s No. 1 favourite destination in our annual diners’ poll, drawing adulation from across the capital as well as adoration from the immediately adjacent postcodes. It’s “a high-class restaurant but an unfussy one”: chef Matt Christmas’s modern British cooking is “imaginative” – “with lovely touches throughout” – but “not with silly complications”; and there’s “no tasting menu or small plates, thank goodness!”. When it comes to wine, “they really know what they are doing” and offer “one of the most varied and high-quality wine lists around, with lots of classics, and plenty of new options to try”. “The regular presence of Bruce himself (more common since lockdown) is welcome” and it’s a “very slick operation”: “friendly, not too pretentious” and “seemingly effortlessly convivial”. The room itself is slightly “cramped” to some tastes, but is buoyed along by the “seductive buzz of contented diners”. “It’s still the one to beat – the standards never drop… if anything, it gets better!”
Summary
“Long live Chez Bruce!”. It has “a neighbourhood feel”, but Bruce Poole’s “jewel in south west London’s crown” by Wandsworth Common is one of the capital’s most revered restaurants and – for the 18th year running – is voted Londoner’s No. 1 favourite in our annual diners’ poll. Key to its appeal is the delivery of “top quality, but without the pretensions of some places”. Chef Matt Christmas has worked with Bruce for over 10 years, and the kitchen produces modern British dishes that are “very memorable”, but “without being fussy or fad-ish, nor horrendously overpriced”. “Doing simple food this well is the ultimate in difficulty, there is just nowhere to hide!” “Professional and friendly service continues to excel”, “seemingly effortlessly delivering a superb feeling of conviviality” and enlivening a space that’s “classy and understated”, but not intrinsically that special. “Bruce himself frequently still wanders around the dining room greeting and chatting informally to diners” and the whole operation practically “never puts a foot wrong”. That all this can be enjoyed “without breaking the bank” seals the “absolute pleasure of eating there”.
Summary
“The very definition of a neighbourhood star” – Bruce Poole’s “unpretentious, yet ever-reliable” south London icon, on Wandsworth Common, is – for the 17th year running – Londoners’ No. 1 favourite in our annual diners’ poll. For its legions of fans it’s “the lodestar as to ‘how to do it well’ without making people feel ripped off” – “a proper grown-up restaurant, yet without being staid or stuffy”. Matt Christmas’s “unfussy” but “cleverly crafted” cuisine is “consistently superb” (“imaginative and expertly executed, with nothing just for show/colour, and with all constituents perfectly balanced”). “Engaging staff are knowledgeable without being intimidating” and if you’re a wine connoisseur you’ll be delighted by the “comprehensive and well-selected wine list” (although, “if you just want the house white then they won’t be at all sniffy”). “The modest dining room is bright, with no background muzak, and always pleasantly buzzy and busy”. A few reports do note the odd “Covid blip” or staffing issues, but (practically) all accounts say it’s now “back to its best”. “Year after year, this is one of the places I feel a sense of homecoming, gradually developing rituals around different reasons to justify a trip. Wonderfully comforting, satisfying and delightful all round!” (“If I were on Desert Island Discs, this would be my luxury item!”) Top Tip – “the £57.50 3-course lunch menu is some of the best value in town”.
For 34 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).
Have you eaten at Chez Bruce?
Owner's description
“My business partner Nigel Platts-Martin and I opened Chez Bruce in 1995.
From the outset, it was our intention to serve the very best food and drink but within a relaxed, informal yet thoroughly professionally orchestrated environment. Over the years we have been lucky enough to collect many prestigious awards and industry gongs, but it has never been our inclination to rest on our laurels.
Restaurants are not about celebrity chefs, managers, owners or design; they are about customers. In kitchen, wine and dining room departments, we therefore only strive to improve. If one’s passion is truly rooted in the business, there is no other option.”
Bruce Poole
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
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| Lunch | £47.50 |  |
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| Dinner | £95.00 | |
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Traditional European menu
| Pudding |
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| £0.00 |
| Drinks |
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| Wine per bottle | £38.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
| Extras |
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| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Restaurant details
The chef
Matt Christmas
Head Chef
Chez Bruce Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Informally formal dining. Food that packs a punch, with rich sauces and bold flavours that add to the main event rather than overpowering it. Always helpful and friendly service. Always full, both the restaurant and me on leaving!"
"An old favourite as great as ever"
"We have been going to Chez Bruce for a number of years and wanted to leave a review for our last meal. We chose this as it's a special place in our hearts, the menu is always difficult to choose from, the wines always a hit, if room the cheese a must have. They must of overheard us talking about our final time here after years and we received a special treat. A superb restaurant full of generosity and honesty. Will miss it dearly!"
"Finely prepared cuisine elegantly served though ambience a touch clamorous for our taste"
"Still one of our favourites. Bruce Poole's Wandsworth local delivers year in year out. The food remains beautifully executed, the wine list is interesting and comprehensive and the service is attentive without being intrusive. The atmosphere is "grown up dinner party" rather than "wild night out", and I still mourn the demise of the performance cheeseboard, but the core of what makes this restaurant great year on year endures."
2 Bellevue Rd, London, SW17 7EG
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Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9 pm |
