Les Trois Garçons
1 Club Row
E1 6JX
Date of Last Visit: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
The Victims: Bevin, Jimmy, Linda
The Damage: About £50 each
The Background: It's a Tuesday night and it's gorgeous out so we try to get over to The Boundary Rooftop. There's a 45 minute wait to get up to the top. So then we consider eating at The Albion, but I can't get excited about the menu. So I suggest Les Trois Garçons, a place I've wanted to try out for quite some time now, for the decor alone.
And maybe there's the rub. If you want to go to a restaurant mainly for the decor, maybe you'd be better off at the Rainforest Cafe.
The Entrance: It's really bright out, which is an odd look for Les Trois Garçons. It's the type of place that I think would do best at dusk or on a dark night in December. With candlelight. There are a lot of things, sparkly things, hanging from the ceiling. In the bright light of day–and particularly a day that's close to the longest day of the year–entering Les Trois Garçons feels like stumbling into a funhouse with the lights on. Not so fun.
The clientele is also pretty dressed up. We're a little, shall we say, casual. This doesn't seem to bother the restaurant at all, but I felt like I made the wrong restaurant choice on the wrong night. This is confirmed when we're handed the menu…£42.50 for TWO COURSES. Ouch.
The Food: Foie gras for me to start and it's smooth and buttery. I'm still smarting over the £21.25 price tag on it, but in for a penny, in for a pound, huh? (Probably more like a 1/3 – 2/3 split on the price, I know.) The only let down here are the toasts. Although they look gorgeous from a distance, they're sandy and crumbly. And although maybe that's meant to be a good foil to the foie gras, I just end up making a mess. (And yes, another night where I've left my real camera at home. Sorry.)
Jimmy and I both opt for the lamb as our main and it is pretty good. I like the soft cushions of gnocchi. The lamb could have been a little bit pinker, but overall, it's respectable. My only problem (besides for the price) is the size of the dish. I am not one to leave food behind, but I had to hand Jimmy my plate half way through as there was no way I could eat more than four slices of the lamb. Odd that I'm complaining about the price and then giving half my food away, I know.
The Loo: There's only one. And it was a bit of a mess when I visited.
The Service: They pulled the bottled water trick. We asked for still water. They brought us TWO bottles, and poured very generous servings. I didn't check the bill, but what do you think? £8 worth of water?
The Verdict: Not for me. The only way I'd go back is on a TopTable discount. Just too OTT (and a bit dated, at that) and too pricey.
5 comments
Shame – I had a fantastic meal here, it was around the shortest day of the year though, Valentines Day actually, both those things certainly contributed to my enjoyment, it is expensive agreed.
Wow. I get the idea they’re trying to convey, but yes, it does look a little dated and not quite right.
Spot on.
Oo, oo, oo, that’s a shame. I’ve had a couple of fantastic meals here (was the tasting menu still in place?), but I totally agree about it being a ‘winter’ place. I think it’s quite fun to dive in here out of the wind and rain and be transported by the crazy decor and formal staff – a bit through the looking glass-esque!
What a pity, I’ve eaten here before and had memorable meals – last time when I was in my last week of pregnancy and enjoyed my first foie gras, champagne and blue cheese in 9 months! It’s definitely a night time place, and I think an autumn/winter kind of place preferably after a cocktail round the corner at Loungelover. But it’s an early adopter in the area, perhaps it’s being usurped by the newcomers?
the problem with LTG is that it has always been a place with style over substance. For the prices they are charging, you could have eaten very well at other (Cheaper) places. At least they gave you decent sized portions (look at the foie!) and their produce are generally well sourced (from Borough market)
That bottled water trick is cheap although thankfully most restaurants haven’t tried to pull it off on me as of late (must be my death stare).
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