Chez Bruce, a smart French restaurant on the corner of Wandsworth Common in London, has great credentials. It is a staple every year on the top lists of restaurants where chefs go to eat. It is also one of the Top 100 London Restaurants for Wine Lovers, as voted recently by the drinksbusiness industry publication. It is also a long-time holder of a Michelin star.
If Chez Bruce were a jacket it would be a well-cut blazer – stylish, tasteful, classic and totally dependable. It opened in 1995, on a site with considerable London restaurant history. The Wandsworth Common spot was the iconic Harveys from 1987 to 1993, where Marco Pierre White made his reputation. It is a place where you can enjoy polished French-inspired food without the fawning service or killer prices of some other Michelin starred establishments. Expect wonderful seasonal flavours ranging from Confit duck with braised lentils, garlic purée, roast parsnips, endive and mustard to roast cod with olive-oil mash, Provençal vegetable relish, grilled leeks and monk’s beard. The cheeseboard is one of London’s great treasures and bread is made from scratch in the kitchen – sourdough and some soft, fluffy focaccia. The fixed price three course menu is £60 in the evening and £39-50 at lunch.
The Chez Bruce wine list (oh yes the wine list!) is a stonking 600 bottle leather bound book that knocks most of the competition out of the park. French red classics are there in plenty but the whites are very special. A number of these whites are available on the Winecroft list to members. A great example is the 2017 Franz Haas Pinot Grigio, a top-quality Pinot Grigio from the mountains of Alto Adige in northern Italy and another is the 2017 Mount Horrocks Watervale, an Australian Clare Valley Riesling of the highest quality. Enjoy these great bottles at Chez Bruce or at home at a fraction of the price.
