The right restaurants in the wrong places

[Jonathan Day]

I’ve recently been to four restaurants in London that don’t seem to be getting custom that’s in line with the quality of the food they are putting out. I wonder whether this is because they are badly located, or whether it’s for some other reason. All three happen to be operated by French chef/owners and to serve French food. None of them are perfect, but all offer honest food, generally well prepared. The welcome is warm and the service good in all three. Yet all seem curiously less than busy. Given the complaints aired elsewhere on this forum about high prices, bad food and shoddy service, it’s puzzling that these have attracted so little attention.

One is called Mini Mundus – it’s on Trinity Road, just south of Wandsworth Common. This is an an area full of families (it’s been called “Nappy Valley”) and restaurants; the leading light in the area is Chez Bruce, a stone’s throw from Mini Mundus. MM started out with a series of menus from various regions of France. It has now reverted to a far more ordinary French menu. But the food is decent and not overpriced, and the service warm.

218 Trinity Rd, London, SW17 7HP - 020 8767 5810

Another is L’Auberge, in East Putney. It is family-operated and simple; again, the food is not 3-star quality, but it compares reasonably to smaller restaurants in France.

2 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 2RX - 020 8874 3593, www.ardillys.com

The third is The Food Room, on Queenstown Road, in the premises formerly occupied by Stepping Stone, the fancy Australian joint. The food here is a step above the others in this note, in ambition and in execution. I could fault the dishes just a bit for being a little fancier and more complicated than the kitchen is capable of handling, but only slightly so. Some of the dishes we had – e.g. a Tarbais bean soup, pork belly, scallops, pheasant – were first rate. It isn’t overpriced, either, and the service was excellent. The cheese tray was small but of good quality.

123 Queenstown Road, SW8 3RH - 020 7622 0555

And the fourth is Nathalie, which I’ve written about here. I’ve been back 6 or 7 times since that first report, and the food has remained good. Eric, the chef, has catered for large groups and small lunches and dinners. Yet time after time, we are the only customers in the place.

3 Milner Street, SW3 2QA - 020 7581 2848, www.nathalie-restaurant.co.uk

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It’s true that three of the four restaurants are south of the Thames and subject to the usual silly prejudices about that. But Nathalie is in the heart of Chelsea, though in a slightly quiet location – an advantage, from my perspective, but a problem if you’re looking for local ‘buzz’. It’s also true that none of the three are offering food aimed at Michelin stars or celebrity chef status, though The Food Room is clearly pushing upward in its ambitions. I’m also sure that, given lean staffs and economic pressures, all of these restaurants could stumble on a bad night or a very busy one.

At the moment, though, that doesn’t seem to be their problem. And I’m curious as to why this is so.

[Ian]

I’m also sure that, given lean staffs and economic pressures, all of these restaurants could stumble on a bad night or a very busy one. At the moment, though, that doesn’t seem to be their problem.  And I’m curious as to why this is so.

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Lee Fook, 76 The Broadway, Tolworth, Surrey, KT6 7HR (020 8399 2811) is in the same boat. Also South West London. It's no ordinary Chinese - last year it narrowly missed being named London's best Chinese restaurant, second only to Hakkasan, in the Time Out awards.

One of the biggest problems is lack of publicity - many of the guides or reviewers that could deliver business are only interested in Central London. Local newspapers aren't as widely read. Retention of good staff is also difficult (Central London work is considered more attractive) making consistency of service a real challenge.

--

Ian

[Dirk Wheelan]

I would have thought that the reason has something to do with very few Londoners being interested in good food. They seem to prefer celebrity puff, and a 'designed' eating space.

The fact that decently run French restaurants have a hard time surviving in London speaks volumes about the near total inability of London's dining classes to critically evaluate the food they eat beyond how fashionable it is.

[Anne Benson]

It isn't just London where people don't appreciate real quality food on their doorstep.

We have a fantastic restaurant Fraiche in Wirral but the locals just don't seem to understand what they have.

Wirral has suffered before not having fantastic restaurants and now that is changing I hope people begin to use it and stop complaining. Locals winge about the prices when you can get three courses for around £30 and the tasting menu is to die for.

Fraiche

11 Rosemount

Oxton Village

Wirral

CH43 5SG

Tel: 0151 652 2914

[Jonathan Day]

Londoners ... seem to prefer celebrity puff, and a 'designed' eating space.

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Some of them also seem to prefer noise.

I once talked with the head of interior design for the Conran restaurants. Why are they so noisy, I asked, thinking of places like Quaglino's where it was virtually impossible to hold a conversation on a busy night. He indicated that this noise was by design: they eliminated soft furnishings and put reflecting surfaces on the ceiling to create "buzz".

Some of these smaller places must suffer from a kind of catch-22: people won't go to them unless they see others flocking to get in, tables crammed to fill every available space, noise filling the room.

Perhaps the restaurateurs could hire actors -- surely there must be acting students who would "work" for a free meal -- to fill the place, chatter noisily, queue at the door, create a sensation of buzz. Then again, all four of the restaurants I've cited above are located in places where few people would notice the queue.

[Andy Lynes]

I would have thought that the reason has something to do with very few Londoners being interested in good food. They seem to prefer celebrity puff

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If they go to The Food Room they could have both - I spotted that Andrew Castle out of GMTV when I was there for Philip Britten's guest spot a couple of week ago. Andrew Castle! You can't get more "OK" than that can you?

[Andy Lynes]

It isn't just London where people don't appreciate real quality food on their doorstep.

We have a fantastic restaurant Fraiche in Wirral but the locals just don't seem to understand what they have

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Although some egulleters do

the tasting menu is to die for.

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Seems a high price to pay for a decent bit of grub, but it is the North I suppose and your options are limited.

[Anne Benson]

Andy - yes we do have a high price to pay for good food but we know it is worth it! Jaded southerners are so unlucky

[Andy Lynes]

Anne - there's plenty of other Northern based folk who agree with you on that! I'm hoping to Fraich-en up my jaded Southern palate sometime very soon.

[thom]

A little busy today so unable to pen a full-on review but just wanted to mention that I went to Fraiche last weekend and it was excellent.

Barely an hour from Derbyshire if you drive like a loon (though complying with the legal speed limit at all times Occifer...) and well worth the trip.

Cheers

Thom

[magnolia]

I had a discussion about this with the owner of Burnt Chair in Richmond - a restaurant with an amazing wine list - possibly the best selection of American wines in the UK. The food was fabulous, once, but is now just decent*. On a fine Friday night, there were only two occupied tables. The restaurant has been there for 13 years, and the owner says that the neighborhood has changed such that few people who live there would consider going to a restaurant such as his, just on the doorstep - rather, if they're going to go out, they get either go out right after work - in town - or get a babysitter and go to central London. This theory could probably extend to Putney and other 'family' friendly areas that don't necessarily support a premium-oriented restaurant, even one with relatively gentle prices compared with those in central London. As Ian points out, advertising and PR definitely have a role to play: Chez Bruce, Glasshouse and La Trompette are just as 'far afield' as L'Auberge and some of the others mentioned above, but have very media-savvy promoters (and have the benefit of being part of a group)...

*He is planning to move to Ludgate Circus next year and open a less formal place. I admire him for not giving up.

[Winot]

Of course, it takes so long to get anywhere in London, a group dining together might prefer to meet in the centre. The other factor is proximity to public transport (if you don't want to drive). I live in Brixton and went to Stepping Stone twice and have been to the Food Room once, but I cycle. Otherwise it would probably take longer to get to Queenstown Rd then to W1.

[erica graham]

, advertising and PR definitely have a role to play: Chez Bruce, Glasshouse and La Trompette are just as 'far afield' as L'Auberge and some of the others mentioned above, but have very media-savvy promoters (and have the benefit of being part of a group)...

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It would be great to have access to the PR vehicles these restaurants have. As a small independant restaurant, its quite simply not financialy possible!

Edited November 1, 2005 by erica graham (log)

[Andy Lynes]

Those three restaurants do very little PR stuff, if any, and as I understand it rely very heavily on local custom although Chez Bruce attracts more customers from further afield than the others.

[pedro]

. . . . .

Some of these smaller places must suffer from a kind of catch-22: people won't go to them unless they see others flocking to get in, tables crammed to fill every available space, noise filling the room.

Perhaps the restaurateurs could hire actors -- surely there must be acting students who would "work" for a free meal -- to fill the place, chatter noisily, queue at the door, create a sensation of buzz.  Then again, all four of the restaurants I've cited above are located in places where few people would notice the queue.

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Let me know if they want to add a touch of internationality.

Location is a very important variable, some would say the most important. Ambience is another variable that for some people is more important than food itself. The sensation that you're eating in the right place it's not always correlated with the food quality. I'm equally puzzled by how some restaurants get so few customers with good (in cases very good) food and service and how some other restaurants get the crowds they get with so little value in the plates.

[Anne Benson]

PR is not that expensive, what I don't understand is restaurants who spend hundreds advertising in local papers which are just not worth it.

[Scott]

PR is not that expensive,

Anne,

surely you meant to say, is not that effective?

[Andy Lynes]

It would be great to have access to the PR vehicles these restaurants have. As a small independant restaurant, its quite simply not financialy possible!

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With the likes of Rory Bremner bigging up your restaurant, maybe you won't need to resort to pr after all. (The comedian chose Allium as his favourite restaurant in the Independent on Sunday's Compact Traveller section today. "Its a combination of good British and Continential cooking with a friendly atmopshere - they just keep chucking interesting stuff at you," he is quoted as saying.)

[erica graham]

I'd loved to have seen it! Anyone got a copy I can have?

[Andy Lynes]

You can get back copies of the paper here : Indie backcopies.