La Buvette

The food here was terrible. So shocked as such a lovely location. Told the staff and they didn’t seem to care.

Old school French restaurant in central Richmond. Nice enough service but the food and the place are quite tired. I think it is time for a menu and space refresh. Fairly senior crowd and the food was mediocre. I respect a well cooked piece of chicken and it was prepared quite well but again, it was dull.

This cute little French restaurant is just 2 min walk off George st (the main road in Richmond connecting the main train station with the riverside), hidden in one of the courts. Follow the signs and you’ll find it easily.
The atmosphere in this place is intimate and calm, which is nice for either a romantic date or family get together. No music is played in the background. It actually feels like a cosy dining room somewhere in the countryside, not typical for busy London.
The menu offers a variety of dishes to choose from plus the daily specials written on the board. Mussels were on special this day, and seemed to be worth a try. I didn’t go for mussels but had a feeling it would have been a good French traditional experience, as I saw a lady sitting at the table nearby being served a steaming pot full of mussels which looks quite exciting and smelled delicious.
They also offer a fixed price menu for £17.50 containing a 3 course meal and possibility to choose between three options for each course.
For a starter I took a cream of broccoli soup with flaked almonds which was delicious. I went for a braised pork belly and cheek with macaroni à l’ancienne as a main. The pork is not normally my meat of preference, but i quite enjoyed this dish as the pork was really nice and tender. I was not so sure about the macaroni though.
We shared two dessers with my sputnik: bay leaf ice cream and a mandarin sorbet. I was not sure what to expect from bay leaf ice cream and was pleasantly surprised by the taste which was not too sweet.
I was pleased with the service, the staff is caring and happy to give advice on the dishes. Before leaving I got a little present from the restaurant in a form of a few biscuits nicely wrapped. It was a cute unexpected gest.

This place is just gorgeous. It feels a bit like you’re in the parlor of someone’s home with really good table service!
I had the steak which was melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious. The fries that came with it weren’t what I expected from a French restaurant (usually steak frites = nice thin matchstick type fries), but were very good. The crème brûlée was rich and decadent and made a great finish to a lovely meal.
La Buvette is definitely on the list of a place to head back to. Yum!

What a brilliant little place. We arrived really hungry having walked pretty much all day in the sun. Initially we were looking for good pub food, but seeing good reviews for this place, coupled with an inviting exterior, we gave it a go instead!
Very quiet, intimate little French restaurant, but bright and spacious, just not many tables. Attentive service from very friendly waiting staff added to the feel that we were in a cosy and warm place. Great value too; the prices were reasonable, with 2 and 3-​course deals available, or the regular menu.
Given the previous hunger for a pub-​style meal, I opted for the steak frites. I had plenty chips, a tonne of salad (with a tangy, tasty dressing) and a delicious herb butter with my steak. The only complaint about the entire visit was that I wanted more steak! But that says so much more about how delicious it was, and how hungry I was, than anything about the chef being somehow mean!
I rounded off my meal with one of the best desserts I’ve had in a long time — a chocolate pot with dream and boooooozy cherries. Everything mixed so well together, and there was so much more rich chocolate than first appeared from the little pot. Heavenly!
My favourite part of the night aside from satisfying my steak-​craving however, was doodling on the table cloth. Each table has a couple of pencils and a note of encouragement; draw a picture on your place setting and submit it to their various social media outlets! I happily took part, loving the feeling of being a little bit quirky and childish in such a polite and intimate location. A (booooooozy) cherry on top of a delightful evening. Recommended!

Very bad and overpriced restaurant.
Service was acceptable but the food of very low quality and very expensive. The house wines (I tried both) were awful.
To be avoided…

I had dinner with a friend here tonight and it was a great experience. Tucked away in Richmond, it’s well decorated and cozy while feeling a little elegant and special. The staff seem mostly French and are very nice and provide excellent service. This is authentic French food and ambience.
Be warned that the menu is quite small so if you’re very picky, this may not be the best place for you (or just ask to see it beforehand!). I love that aspect because I can quickly make a choice and get back to enjoying the company with whom I’m dining!
I had the cheese soufflé and it was excellent! Soft, fluffy, cheesy yet light. When I first saw it, I thought it was quite small but it turned out to be perfect with perfectly cooked zucchini/​courgette underneath. My friend said her sea bass en papillote was also very good. We shared a crème brûlée for dessert which was also very good.
We used the Gourmet Society discount (2 for 1 on mains) which was honored no problem except that apparently when I called the night before to make the reservation, they didn’t make a note of this. No problem though, it was honored right away and no fuss.
All in all, I think this is a good choice for a date night, cozy friendly dinner, but also a group outing. They have an outdoor area that looks nice but it was too cold tonight.
I would happily go back again and would love to try the fondue!
Oh and upon leaving, we were handed a lovely package of 2 mini palmiers each — a great bonus!

Lovely quiet oasis for a set menu smart French lunch or romantic supper. Currently sitting outside in the march sunshine wishing I had a bottle of red in front of me. Bön apetit

Incorrect location on Qype — this restaurant is in Richmond, not Brentford.

This restaurant is tucked away in an alley in Rchmond but sitting outside in the courtyard you would not know you were in the centre of town. The menu is french and very nice .I had crab with avocado purée and gazpacho dressing which looked as delicious as it tasted, my girlfriend had rustic fish soup which also tasted great. Main courses of onglet steak with garlic butter or roast salmon with caponata did the job and the obvious choice of crème brûlée was well done. Service was friendly and professional. The wine list as with the menu was good value .La Buvette is a good local restaurant worth a visit if you are in the area.

I went at lunchtime and stuck to the £14 3 course menu, excellent value.
We sat outside, very pleasant courtyard, good service.
Some of the meals on the full a la carte looked great, inside looked cosy

Excellent little French restaurant tucked away off a pedestrian-​only street.
The restaurant has the feel of someone’s (large) converted living room, with a log fire in the corner, and a large bay window looking out over a church courtyard.
The food is excellent. My starter of scallops was cooked to perfection, as was my main course of an onglet steak, served with perfectly crisp chips. Such was the excellence of the food of the first two courses that I unusually plumped for a dessert of nougat glacé. That, too, did not disappoint. I’m told that the truffles that came with the coffee were also great, although mine were stolen (by other people in my party) so I didn’t get a chance to try them myself.
Service was friendly and professional, and completely efficient. Prices, particularly the prix fixe menu, are totally reasonable for the quality of food on offer.
All in all, a perfect experience.