British

2 Bellevue Road, London, SW17 7EG

London, England

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Overall Rating (out of 10): 8.00

Stand Out Dish: Cavatelli with Braised Oxtail, Fried Garlic Crumbs, Lyonnaise Onions and Pancetta

Meal Time: 3.50hrs

Ave Cost Per Head (excl. drinks): £55

Summary: solid cooking and service, guaranteed consistency

Would I Go Back? Yes

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Chez Bruce is an old favourite and it was great to return for a Sunday lunch after a long pandemic induced hiatus. We were seated in a small room upstairs that had recently been refurbished along with the bathrooms. The room was intimate with a nice view of Wandsworth common providing light and the feeling of space.

We brought two bottles from our own cellar: (i) Follin Arbelet, Corton Grand Cru, 2012, and (ii) Willi Optiz 1992 straw wine as well as ordering off the list. The wine list is extensive and priced reasonably by London standards.

We kicked off proceedings with a glass champagne to accompany the amuse-bouche of cheese biscuits as well as bread. The cheese biscuits achieved the right balance of burnt biscuity exterior whilst still being both crumbly and cheesy.

The bread was a choice of homemade focaccia or sourdough. Both were solid.

A standout dish up there with the best I have eaten in 2021. Both the slow cooked oxtail and thick jus had an incredible flavour intensity with the Cavatelli and fried garlic crumb augmenting the dish from a texture perspective. 10/10

This dish was bursting with fresh fruit flavours which worked well with tuna and jalapeño. In trying to find fault the only thing that stood out was whether the spring roll brought anything to the party as opposed to replacing it with seared tuna or a tartare.

The dish paired excellently with a glass of 2018 Italian 100% Arneis white wine which had strong tropical notes on the nose.

A well presented dish the chicken was cooked perfectly and real cooking skill was shown in the other ingredients, particularly the mushroom lasagne. However, we both thought it was over salted to the point that it was the dominant flavour which ruined what would have been a solid dish.

Being a greedy FOMO obsessed couple we have a standing rule that all dishes on a meal out are swapped half way through. A testament to this roast dinner style dish was my partner handing over the plate and saying “it took all my will power not the eat all the crackling.” This was a very well executed dish even if it lacked a standout feature. Strong cooking was exhibited in achieving a soft caramelised apple without burning the exterior.

In the absence of the cheese trolly normally present downstairs this was a beatifically presented and generous selection of cheese that almost tipped us over into a food coma. A particularly strong showing was made by the Old Groendal and Lincolnshire Poacher.

Our waiter, who had been excellent throughout, recommended this dessert given the sweet wine we had brought with us. We really enjoyed the simplicity of the dish and how the figs balanced well with the intensity of the straw wine.

Verdict
In our opinion Chez Bruce sits right at the top of the one Michelin star category. Consistently excellent cooking in a relaxed atmosphere at very competitive prices versus its peers. Long may it last.