Marco Pierre White’s love child, adopted by Bruce Poole and Nigel Platts-Martin a perfect restaurant lineage.

The Venue
Not the obvious location for a Michelin-starred restaurant, Wandsworth does, in fact, tick all the boxes: understated and exclusive, yet accessible. Inside the mirrored walls and tables tightly packed together are slightly too close for comfort. The upstairs dining room serves up a more secluded dinner.

The Atmosphere
Full to capacity is the unwritten byline at Chez Bruce, with a preceding reputation that pulls a constant crowd. The bar already set, staff have to jump high. Yet they run like a well oiled machine, perhaps slightly too robotic at times, verging on impersonal. There’s a danger that this could undo the home from home that has been so carefully created… until the food arrives.

The Food
This is classically crafted French cuisine with hearty British flavour. A daily changing menu reflects home cookery - assuming you're lucky enough to actually live at Chez Bruce. The simple ingredients are well presented, each standard dish twisted to appeal to every taste. A starter of roast partridge salad and miniscule pate on toast is Lilliputian in size, just the right amount of richness. Melt in the mouth is a justified cliche - from seared yellow fin tuna to robust salmon and bean cassoulet. The prime example of this is pot au feu of lamb’s neck, tongue and sweetbreads, a softer, more intense lamb flavour with each mouthful of top quality, slow roasted meat.

A selective set menu (£40 for three courses) doesn’t limit your choice, with eight options for each course covering almost every food group. And whilst the dishes vary according to the season, it is always the time of year for steak and hand cut chips here. Not that a failsafe is needed when perfection is practically guaranteed. Accomplished through to dessert - the sweet-salted pecan ice cream, with shortbread, brandy snap, and to an uneducated eye a Pringle (actually almond wafer) should tempt those willing to stray from more traditional pudding options. Equally hard to resist are chocolate sundae, creme brulee, pear and almond tart or grilled figs; difficult decisions for minds already in clouds of food heaven. The portion size steps up a level too. For an extra four pounds per person, the cheeseboard finale is a spectacular in itself - filling the space between tables.

The Drink
The seamless service is enhanced by resident sommelier Terry Threlfall, and the meals are enhanced by his wine expertise. An exquisite range, escalating from affordable to a more extravagant expense, depending on the occasion. With a list that’s nearly 40 pages long, there’s options for everyone, including a full page of wines by the glass from a very reasonable £4.50.

The Last Word
Consistently award winning, Chez Bruce comes at a price worth paying and possibly even re-locating for.

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