Le Bouchon Breton

A very decent effort was shown by the Breton team. There is one strange thing: the food here seems to outperfom both the setting and the service. However it is so good that I am return customer. I agree with some of the comments about the service being poor, however I would like to add that this is not the waiter's fault, but the managers, three waiters couldn't possibly service a restaurant this size! Also, being nestled on the brick lane end of the City it is a good bet for a business lunch. While in summer the terrace unstairs in the market is wonderful, the interior is slightly generic faux-french brasserie.

We went there and ordered a seafood platter. The seafood were alright, half of them were fresh… The service was terrible though. It was so slow! It took long time to ask for everything. I asked for some water as soon as we sat down. It did not come till we are about to leave in the end. Side dishes came when we almost finished the main course! The desert was bad and over priced!

What can I say..this restaurant could be great but unfortunately it is truly terrible.
We sat down and had to what ages for a drink order to be taken. Wine was warm on arrival. Second bottle took 1/2hour to get to the table. We asked if there was anything missing off the menu, no all was apparently fine. So it came as a surprise that two out of three main courses where unavailable, it was only 7.30pm and they had run out of the duck and fish platter. My lamb shank certainly do not fall of the bone, mash was cold. The sea bass was a soggy mess. The steak passed as nice. The best bit was the yummy soup and delicious bread.
The staff had no idea who was having what and it even seemed as if that they could not recognise what was on the plate to bring over to the table from the waiters station. We then sat waiting for our table to be cleared with staff stopping and looking and walking away, 20 odd minutes passed before we stood up and went to the till.
The service was removed without any hassle which was a relief. While paying, a lady came up from another table to complain, she was left standing there looking completely dump founded as the staff member just walked away.
Restaurant was not full but it was busy. Potential to be great but in todays market the cliental will be very unforgiving, I am afraid I will never be back, shame as it had a nice atmosphere.

Sharon

Le Bouchon Breton certainly looks the part of traditional French bistro. Heavy clarets dominate inside, while the large open terrace speaks of long, lost lunches. Warm staff seem to have both accent and ability to match the setting.

The menu heaves with French favourites from both sea and land, with steaks and shellfish equally prized here. Add more classics like French Onion soup, Confit of Duck and Rack of Lamb and there is something to appeal to even the most novice gastronome.

In the spirit, we tried frog’s legs; choicely cooked and doused with garlic and butter, these gave our evening something of a kick-start then, though too much of the flavour seemed to get lost on the plate and not enough left on the legs themselves.

Unfortunately, having something missing was a theme that seemed to carry on throughout the meal. One main of mussels was faultless (though having no pot for shells was a careless error and soon left the table looking like Brighton beach). Another main of calves liver and bacon with mash was again a skilled dish but missing a slick of sweet onion that might have made the dish much more than its fine constituents.

If anything, desserts delivered the most, with a gorgeous Clafouti and a huge ice-cream coupe full of crunchy, creamy, wholly complementary flavours.

For all its qualities, Le Bouchon seemed to be missing a touch of inspiration, both from the kitchen and service which, though always friendly and attentive, often felt a little nervous.

In a prime location in Spitalfields market and often offering online diners deals, this place would be a good bet for a partial slice of French cuisine at a partial price, but at full whack Le Bouchon Breton tends closer to Cava than Champagne.

We stumbled upon Le Bouchon one Sunday evening, with a hunger for some premium steak this restaurant satisfied in every way. The service was fantastic, atttentive without being intrusive and suggestive without applying pressure. The Chateaubriand was unmistakably the best I have had since moving back to London. Tenderly cooked, exactly medium rare and beyond words delicious! The chef had sealed in the juices of this steak The dauphinoise potatoes were creamy and surprisingly light while the beranaise sauce subtly worked its magic. The grilled asparagus sadly got cold quickly but it didn't make me want to rush eating. Being a wine afficionado I was keen to choose the wine however took the sommoliers recommendation and sincerely thanked him for it later. Another one to add to my list of wine favourites.

We ended our evening with three of the cheeses that we blind chose to taste the unknown, they were perfect on the palette after a rich meal and worked well with the dessert wine. Overall a evening of the finest quality food with that feeling of complete content, well worth the money. Do not haste when eating here the atmosphere is all part of the experience.

great meal at le bouchon breton on saturday lunch. got groupon voucher for a cooked breakfast and a cocktail . the full english breakfast that came my way had sausage, bacon, ashbrown, baked beans, tomato, mushroom, toast and scrambled egg . picked a bloody mary to go with this . nice and spicy . the restaurant was quite full , would have been nice if they had the papers but for £8.60 for the lot I can't fault them .

I just got back from Le Bouchon Breton. I would have to say the best way to describe my experience is that it has made me VERY angry. I have seen, not on this site, but elsewhere some pretty good reviews. This has caused me confusion. I can only surmise that they are operating a two tier system one for the normal customer and one for the poor people (like me and others on this page) who have foolishly opted for the ‘Sunday Buffet’.
I got a voucher from Groupon as I thought it would be a good way to try the food. They offer an ‘all you can eat’ Sunday buffet which they say is usually £12 (if I had paid this, I would have been VERY angry – well, I would have refused to pay it!) but you get it for the bargain price of around £4 –( well it isn’t really, I will explain later) I think (which is way too much anyway). This does seem very cheap, but for those who don’t know groupon, these deals are normally quite good. I have visited many restaurants using these vouchers and had a great experience, for example at fakhreldine and Albannach which were both wonderful. This however was not.
Basically what happens at the ‘Sunday Buffet’ is that you join a large queue of other poor unsuspecting people who have gone there in good faith. You sit down and nobody comes to ask you if you want drinks. Eventually you go and get the food from the buffet and decide to try again later. I cannot emphasise enough how utterly cheap and DISGUSTING the food is. There was some bland couscous some coleslaw beetroot, cubes and cheap looking ham (I don’t know what that tasted like as I didn’t venture to try it)…oh also some watery vegetable soup. Following this there was some very cheap, cold and basically inedible meat dishes. Some pasta with barely any sauce, some lumpy rice and peas, very oily potatoes and baked beans…yes BAKED BEANS! For dessert a bowl of strawberry yogurt with a ladle in it to dollop onto a plate. I tried it out of morbid fascination and it tasted like a poor imitation of Muller Light. It was so very awful I felt really embarrassed to have taken my husband and my sister there.
This is the best bit. Once you have decided you have had ‘all you can eat’ which happens pretty quickly, you ask for the bill, which doesn’t arrive (as with the drinks) so you go up and pay. You are then charged for service (I was laughing by this point) and a £1 cover charge per person. A cover charge?? WHY?? – I basically said I want the service taken off as we did not have any and no I am not paying a cover charge. Then I was told it was compulsory. I said, OK then but no I’m not paying it. Eventually as there was still a queue of people who were next to me at this point, and who the restaurant very much wanted to remain uninformed about the truly terrible experience and general theft they were about to experience, they decided to accept the fact I was not going to pay these changes. They were wise, I was about to have, in my opinion, a justified and fairly epic tantrum. They are literally banking on people being too embarrassed to challenge them.
As I said previously, I have seen some good reviews and thought – What the HELL are they playing at???! Basically they are using their reasonable reputation and Groupon’s service to con people. I really hope this does their reputation irreparable damage as it rightly should. I am utterly disgusted by this place and so should Groupon be as they are making a fool of them and their customers. I am generally a fairly generous reviewer, but I really cannot find anything good to say about this place. It really feels like they are laughing at their customers and I have very little respect for that. No, I will not be back and I strongly advise you to steer well clear as there are some lovely restaurants around that area.

I have read all the previous reviews…Shocked is my first thought… So many good reviews..but then looking at the clientele I now understand . It was a Friday night…we had booked but needn't have.. 20.30 we arrived…We were greeted and the asked to sit at the bar whilst they prepared a table…couldn't understand why as many were vacant…but no problem… Bar staff seemed friendly enough and after 10 mins wait we were shown to our table. As I read in one of the earlier comments…we tried to catch the waiters attention but to no avail… After 30 mins …no service…I then personally walked to the bar and asked them if I could order bottle of wine as no one had seen us. The guy obliged but didn't even think to ask why we were sat with our menu's still on the table and no one had asked us for drinks .!.. Anyway..we had wine. 21.30 we had a basket of bread and a slither of butter plonked on the table …we still had not been asked if we were ready to order…( may I add 2 other tables near us were in exactly the same boat ) 21 45 the waiter asked if we were ready…I said that I had been waiting so long I had forgotten what I wanted …he replied…''what do you want me to do about it'' …That's when it all went pear shaped and the rest is history. . I spoke to the manager…voiced me disappointment rather firmly and asked if we could just eat something now and we would leave. He may have been tired after a long week…but that is no excuse..anymore laid back and he would have been horizontal !…and may i say his attitude was som bad I was thinking about helping him lay flat at this point ! After all ,.you pay to go somewhere to drink nice wine .. be fed and waited on… and that is what i expected here…foolishly !! My commotion seemed to ignite the other nearby tables and they too began complaining… So I asked if we could just skip the starter and eat now !!…After another 20 -25 mins we got our meals …and.we ate ( it had now gone 22.15 ) …My meal was average…my partners sea bass was actually good .. but the moment had gone …now PERHAPS in light of previous reviews we may have caught them on a bad night…but in tough financial times and with competition as it is…you never know who you may have seated at ones tables…and Le Bouchon screwed up big time here !

Le Bouchon Breton is consistently excellent.
The Cheese selection is probably one of the best in London and the “Frommelier” is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and doesn't scrimp on the servings.
It's a restaurant that deserves a better setting and does feel like it's shoehorned into the market somewhat, but this doesn't detract from the service.

I can't understand why more people don't rate this wonderful gem of a French Brasserie, located in Old Spitalfields Market. Every visit I have ever made has always confirmed my belief that it's one of the best spots for Brasserie style French food. A lovely menu which is generous in content, featuring fabulous seafood, monstrously delicious Cote du Boeuf served almost ceremoniously with loud cries of “Cote du Boeuf! Cote du Boeuf!”, it is also one of the best places in London to get an authentic steak tartare, made in front of you, the correct way using diced piece of fillet steak. A fantastically whiffy cheese trolley just brimming with creamy delights to suit all cheese lovers is wheeled over to tease you and desserts are suitably delicious with classic Creme Brulee and an incredibly rich Chocolate Mousse. Wine selection is also excellent with one of the few top British Sommeliers, Donald Edwards working there, it's a great place for wine lovers. They also do lots of fab little wine/cheese/speciality food tasting dinners. Value is always reasonable and service is as you would expect in any French restaurant, good, efficient and although a little slow sometimes, they are very good with remembering your face and making you feel valued. A great little find.

This place was really pleasant. I'm french and I really taught that I was in Paris. The food was very good, we went for a hot seafood platter with 3 different kind of fishes, gambas, calamaries, a whole lobster, welks and mussels, and when it arrived to the table the Maitre D did flamber the all platter. it was just so good!
The sommelier was really nice to talk with and the staff was very attentive. I'll go back because I want to try the cold seafood platter!

business lunch ! ordered the chateaubriant medium rare , it came perfectly cooked.
the meat was of superior quality, I must say. I do not recall eating meat that good in a very long time and I was rather taken back.
the place is located on the first floor mezzanine and I had to walk around for 15 minutes looking for it , so beware …make sure you have their telephone number handy . if I was to compare this with anything, I would say … it is like a Chez Gerard when Chez Gerard used to be Chez Gerard. if you are familiar with both places you will understand. I am Hooked.

this restaurant is a real gem, i go back time and time again and have yet to be disappointed, the fine wine is extremely good value and the foie gras specials they have at the moment are just amazing . i had the tagliatelle with foie gras this time but i have my eye on the Foie gras stuffed brioche for next time. Jean claude and the team are absolutely wonderful and always make me feel completely at home…

I visited this place recently and returned my bleeding steak having asked for it to be cooked medium, I was put off so ordered the half chicken which was so just that with a bit of gravy and fries… the service was slow having to catch the attention of passing staff even though there were only two other table occupied in the place… but we did get the attention of the mouse, or it certainly got our attention and with that we decided enough was enough and refused to finish our meal and left. Awful place, no atmosphere, grossly over priced and rather than diners you get mice, we were informed by one member of staff it was a “problem in the market” but Tower Hamlets Environmental Health do not appear to think that is an excuse and are visiting them tomorrow.

I went on Saturday evening booking for two. No need to book though – the place was, regrettfully deserted. It was nice being outside on the terrace overlooking Spitalfields market on a warm summer evening. The waiter was French and entertaining. There was an economically priced special dinner menu although we didn't go with that. The steak and rack of lamb were both excellent. The expresso after the meal was good too. The restaurant interior looked attractive and French but was totally empty. The trouble is you go to restaurants for the buzz as well as the food. Tony Swanson

It's difficult to give a full review of the place when you have not eaten anything. We were shown to our table and given a menu, we were not told what we could eat as part of the square meal menu and then waited at our seats for 15 minutes without anybody as much as looking at us.

Consequently we left, told the manager we were not impressed and he shrugged his shoulders and walked inside without as much as an apology. We went off to Catch on Bishopsgate and had a lovely meal and wine where the service was as good as the food.

I won't be trying this one out again unless there are drastic changes.

This is a new French restaurant on the upper floor of Spitalfields Market. Although the outside doesn't give the impression of rustic French bistro, all glass and shiny things, once you're in, it is surprisingly Gallic! It's a large restaurant, all wooden tables and baskets of bread. There's enough space between tables to have a private conversation, but they're close enought to spy on what your fellow diners are eating. It was a good safe French menu, split into salads and sandwiches, seafood and fish, meat and sides. The seafood platters seemed very popular amongst my fellow diners and seemed to be very much enjoyed. I opted for the dish of the day which was a slow braised beef in red wine with mash and seasonal veg. It took a while for the food to arrive, but we were offered an apology as there was a problem in the kitchen, but it was well worth the wait. This was good quality, rich, comford food at its best. The meat was meltingly tender a nd enveloped in a rich red wine gravy that was complimented by a smooth creamy mash and perfectly cooked carrots and beans. Every mouthful was a pleasure. They had quite an extensive wine list and we asked our waiter for a recommendation and he didn't disappoint. We had a lovely red that I'd never heard of before (and unfortunately can't remember the name of now) but was the perfect match to my food. The daily set menus are very good value, but it can get a little pricey if you go a la carte. A good place for a lovely long lunch – the atmosphere lessens somewhat in the evenings.