Le Comptoir Gascon

I have been eating at the Comptoir Gascon for many years now and used to go there up to 3 times a week.

It is for me the best value for money restaurant in London if you like a relaxed atmosphere and excellent French earthy food. Prices used to be lower and it was a real steal (used to have a 3 course meal with a bit of wine for 25£ but now more like £35) but it is still great value.

Food wise, the menu is changing regularly but it is always worth looking at the specials on the board which are excellent. I would mention a few items which are always there: the rillettes d'oie are amazing as starters and a pot is good enough for 2 as starter (ask for additional toast and gerkins). It is much better value than the fois gras which is excellent but overpriced in my opinion. For the mains I would recommend the cassoulet which is the best in England, the confit (I ask to have it without the garbure which I don't like I think it is a cabbage mash or sthg), or the pork belly or the pollock if you like fish. To be honest I can't remember one dish I did not like there (actually once a very mature rib of beef which had been aged for very long and tasted too strongly for me). Almost forgot the chips which have been voted best in London (twice deep fried in goose fat to get them amazingly crisp). I always order one to share for 2. Desserts if you are stll hungry, have a look at the patisserie counter which is cheaper than the dessert board and gives you great option if you are not very hungry (a financier with coffee is my dessert of choice). If you have space the board has usually some great stuff like Gascon Mess and so on

From a decor point of view I think it is very simple in a bistro kind of way which I like. You should always book and arrive early to get the best tables. Some of them are not great next to a door or the toilet. If it is fully booked which happens often ask to be seated at the bar (if you are 2) or to share the big table if possible. Both are great option and I usually always book the bar if we are only 2.

Service is good but not amazing. They usually recognise me and I am French so I get special treatment but staff turns around and some are quite young and inexperienced but never stuffy or disrespectful which happens in other popular place. Service can get slow if you come later in lunch so worth coming early if you want to be quick.

Only small downside is the wine list which is pure French South West (outside Bordeaux) so you need to like very tough tannic reds (Cahors, Fitou and so on) and their white selection is short if you have fish but good choice of sweet wine. Good to experience sthg new but could not be everybody's cup of tea.

For me very hard to beat at the price and I keep coming back. I also keep seeing the same faces some of them every single time I go there so it is a sign Comptoir is up to a good thing

I had high expectations when I visited Le Comptoir Gascon last night with 4 other friends. True, we were walk-ins but the lady who greeted us was snooty. When we were seated, she promptly told us that we only had 10 minutes to decide on our choices but in fact this was only about the specials. The other staff were friendly and must have seen her frosty behaviour towards us as the lady in question became a bit friendlier later on. I had the haddock, the fish itself was nice but the onion gravy had a very strong vinegar flavour which suggests that the onions had not been cooked long enough. My friends chose the burger (which was good), the cod (salty accompaniment) and the fries which were also on the salty side. I liked the decor and the ambiance but the food was slightly disappointing. I would be interested in trying the cassoulet though.

Simply the best cassoulet in UK!
Actually it did get the award last month from the International Academie du Cassoulet in France ! Great atmosphere . The same quality as The Club Gascon but more relax with good pricing .

Lunch for 2, starting with the piggy treats; a great selection of cuts, including a taster of delicious black pudding. A great way to start a lunch, accompanied with a basket of bread and a nice glass of red from the well stocked cellar.

Moved onto mains, I had the lamb, friend had the Cassoulet. Both well cooked, although Lamb was a little over chewy. Again, accompained by a nice glass of red wine.

Atmosphere was good, feels authentic, and the service was good, with the servers ready to answer questions on the food.

A nice relaxing lunch.

The only downside are the toilets, which are basically a door straight off the restaurant, and lack some privacy. Don't let this put you off, but just make sure you lock the door!

For my husband's birthday, this was his choice given that he's been there a couple of times and I never have. 5 of us in total, and we had a huge wooden table to share. It's not a big menu but we all managed to order completely different starters and only 2 had the same main course. The piggy plate is a winner, which I believe changes depending on what's available (so says hubby, who's had it several times). I'm not a fan of black pudding, but did try it and it was very good, the fromage blanc provencal was also a hit. It was huge so everyone got a taste at the table. Strange idea, sort of a mix between a cold fondue and soup, however it did work. One main was sent back for a bit more cooking as it came out rarer than expected for a medium steak, but that was the only issue. We were shown a dessert menu, but then nobody came back to ask if we wanted anything from it, probably a good thing considering the size of the dishes. Would have been nice to be asked though.

The only downside is the toilets. Or lack thereof. Only one (for both sexes) to share and I really wouldn't have wanted to be the couple sitting right outside it ! All in all, very respectable prices, and the house red and white were better than expected. If I was in the area, I'd definitely go back.