Here on Bell Street in Reigate, you'll find La Barbe, a 'truly French restaurant' as stated proudly…read moreon their website The Gallic flair extends from chef Romain Havard's food leaving the kitchen through to the friendly and knowledgeable service from the front of house team through to my lovely waitress Caroline conversing avec moi en francais I had received enthusiastic comments of approval from local friends when I mentioned that I was dining at La Barbe. Certainly, a lot of their business seems to be repeat customers, always a good sign and the staff all work hard to make everyone seem special. From the bits of conversation I heard around me, the staff had fantastic memory about when guests were last in the restaurant, who they were with, what they ate and what they said, which is nice to see that they have a genuine rapport with their customers They were very kind to seat me at a prime table near the window. I had a good view of the entrance and no arriving guests had to wait more than 30 seconds before a member of staff would come over to welcome them and show them to their table. It's these little touches that make your dining experiences memorable La Barbe's menu is in a set menu format. You pay a set amount for 2 or 3 courses and there is a choice of 8 regular items in each of the starter, main course and dessert sections. There is also a daily special in each section and you can add extra vegetables to your main course Chef Havard's is classically French, reflecting his upbringing and training in Normandy and Brittany. Although there are old classics like snails in garlic butter on the menu, I think it would be doing the food a dis-service to call it bistro cooking. There is a modernity to the menu and some inventive twists to pique the foodie's interest though you can definitely recognise the French background and technique underpinning the menu I started with foie gras creme brulee with pear chutney and brioche toast. It's the sort of dish that makes sense the moment you see the words on the menu and you wonder why no one else has thought of it. The foie gras was of the lightest and smoothest parfait consistency and yet had that satisfying depth of foie flavour. The richness needs a sweet foil to offset it and the brulee topping is a partner made in heaven. Top thinking by Chef Havard. The pear chutney also lent a lovely sweet and sour element to complement the foie. The best thing about dining in this little corner of France in Reigate was that it wasn't bad table manners to use my bread to mop up every last smear of foie gras from my ramekin! Talking of bread, I've heard on a TV food program that the main difference between bread in the UK and on the continent lies in the crust. The bread here had the prefect crunchy crust, leaving the fluffy inside for foie gras mopping up! My main course was the pan fried fillet of venison served with Madeira sauce and sweet potato mash. Nice to hear the staff asking diners how they would like their meat cooked and my venison came out medium rare as requested. The dish may sound simple but its simplicity is what makes it difficult to execute perfectly - with only 3 elements on the plate, every single one has to be perfect and I really enjoyed my main course I found myself with space for dessert and after a short period of indecision, I opted for chocolate soup, moëlleux chocolate cake and marshmallow. The cake was moist, gooey and chocolatey, slightly little less dense than a brownie. The chocolate soup was a dipping sauce made with good quality dark chocolate and there were 2 homemade marshmallows and some fruit to dip. A chocoholic's idea of heaven on a plate Allied to the fantastic food, the service also sets La Barbe apart. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for guests. Caroline, my waitress was happy to explain the dishes in more details. The maitre d' Gorvan really indulged the foodie in me once he found out that I was a food enthusiast - amongst other subjects, we discussed our favourite restaurants, his mum's secret twist on Coquilles St Jacques which I hope to see on the menu one day and his experience with entering MasterChef This is a special restaurant and I look forward to a return visit. My next mission is to find out why it's called La Barbe (the beard in French)

Been many times and it's always good…read more I've known the staff to be rude on occasion but well worth a visit, as it's not easy to find French food this good as a rule.

I was not expecting too much when my father told me he was treating me to a breakfast in a new…read morechain restaurant that had opened up in Reigate. I was wrong....! It's beautiful inside - really modern, fresh and airy. There are two distinct spaces, the first, which is more of a cosy brasserie, which opens up into a larger restaurant behind. We sat in the cosy first space and had a look at the menus. There's a very decent selection for breakfast and I decided to go for the full English, as I was still nursing the end of a hangover. (it is nearly Christmas after all!) When we ordered, the waitress pointed out a special deal that would save us a couple of quid and was really really helpful when I wanted to know all sorts of annoying details about the breakfast. (How are the sausages cooked, did they have skimmed milk etc etc). She was friendly (as everyone in there was), and took every request seriously and thoughtfully. It didn't feel like anything was too much trouble. When the food came, it was a generous portion and absolutely exquisite. Probably one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. Everything about it was lovely - from the very nice bread, the fantastic sausages, eggs done exactly right and really tasty bacon and tomatoes. To top it off, they give you real heinz ketchup and HP sauce in proper bottles and the coffee was extremely good. (With skimmed milk!!!!) I will definitely return and would like to try it out for supper - apparently it gets very busy in the evening, so booking is essential.

I stopped here for a meal out with my mum and grandma- three generations out to lunch!…read more We had no trouble getting a table although the front section of the restaurant was quite full- I think they reserve the back section for functions or if the front section is completely full, a clever trick so that the place always looks busy but resulted in a bit of a noisy, clattery atmosphere. The service was good, not outstanding as we were left waiting around at the front of the restaurant while staff bustled about but didn't acknowledge us until we were about to leave, but after that we had no problems and the food came out quickly. We all got the lunch deal of 2 courses for 9.95 which I thought was fantastic value. 3 courses for 11.95 was also an option but I knew I wouldn't be able to fit it all in as I always have eyes bigger than my tummy! Mum and I had the steak frites with chips for our mains. The steak was really lovely- a nice minute steak with garlic butter and pepper. Being the glutton that I am I also got a side of peppercorn sauce which made it even yummier but wasn't really needed in the end as the garlic butter gave loads of flavor. I thought the frites, which were American-style thin fries, could have been a little crispier but they were tasty and perfectly salted. My grandma had the cod with ratatouille which she enjoyed as well. I had a lovely medium glass of Merlot with the meal for around 4 pounds if I remember correctly Next up was dessert- I got the chocolate pot with crème fraiche which was totally divine! I ended up mixing the two together for a creamy tangy chocolate bonanza. Really rich, really good. My mum had the peach crumble (for the second time this week- she got the same thing at her last visit apparently!) which was sweet, buttery and came with a nice dollop of vanilla ice cream. Grandma had the crème caramel- light but full of flavor. Overall we really enjoyed the experience and it's fantastic value. Id definitely come here again!

I always try to stop here when I have a long layover or overnight stay at the Sofitel, it is a…read moregreat airport restaurant but more importantly actually a good restaurant I like to go to. Well executed French cuisine with flair. I started with the smoked trout, which was great (tasted like smoked salmon) and beautifully presented. For the main, I had the fillet with braised ox cheeks. The highlight was the ox cheeks, wish I had more. Also really enjoyed the beetroot mash. The fillet itself was okay but not exceptional. I also had a side of heirloom tomatoes, great variety of tomatoes though some were not perfectly ripe. Again, a nice and interesting meal, something you don't expect this close to an airport.

Have dined here a few times with my wife and we have never been disappointed. Henri has been…read moreccooking his own style for many years in Worthing, (about 30!!), and is worth a visit. Mainly French cuisine but there are alternatives. They do an excellent 'shoppers' lunch and the evening selection is joyespecially the Magret of Duckling!!! Parking not too bad in the evening.

La Difference is a restaurant which is highly unassuming and the prices amazingly good value. It…read morereminds me a lot the type of French bistro in most small towns in France. There's no real atmosphere to talk of, the decor has not been updated for a while, but its part of its charm because the restaurant is not pretentious and it's about simplicity. Intimate and always busy on Saturday and Sunday evenings, I advise you will need to book or go in early to get a meal. Excellently priced lunch deals, the Normandy buckwheat crepe with mushroom filling and glass of cider was wonderful.

Chez Tonton is outstanding, I've been passing for years meaning to go in and finally did last night…read morethanks to a taste card 2 for 1 offer and I have to say it was excellent, I really am kicking myself it's taken me this long to try it. The food prices are reasonable and the wine is excellent value, £31 for a bottle of Chateauneuf du pape. Tasty food, great wine and a very welcoming and gracious owner really make Chez Tonton a gem of a local restaurant. If you're nearby, or even if you're not it's worth the trip to this great little bistro, it gives Barnét an accent.

Possibly the best french bistro this side of the channel…read more Creme Brulee is the best I have tasted anywhere in the world, although recently I tried the assiette du chef dessert (a little piece of many things) which was equally fantastic, so now i'm torn whenever I go. A meal at Chez Tonton is always an occasion- Eric brings over delicious Kir Royale, and melt in the mouth cubes of garlic bread whilst you select your order. The french onion soup is lovely, as are the rillettes. Lunch is a steal, with 2 and 3 course deals on offer each day. Dinner is somewhat pricier, but worth every penny.

First of all, 5 stars. The meal, the staff and ambience. Attention to detail on taste and…read morepresentation of food is incredible. It was really of the staff for preparing my man a written happy birthday card. He really enjoyed it. We went for the 5 course meal and regretted not doing the 7 course. If we do go back, we'll definitely try it with wine pairing. It's worth it. Highly recommended! The venue is lovely, there is a nice garden outside with a tiny waterfall if you'd like to a stroll too.

What's better than having a top class meal at a famous Michelin starred restaurant? It's…read morediscovering an exciting fantastic new restaurant which you can then share with your fellow Yelpers! Though not exactly completely unknown, I don't think the Latymer restaurant is on most foodies' radars. Chef Michael Wignall was recruited from the Devonshire Arms Hotel in North Yorkshire where he won a Michelin star to head up the fine dining restaurant at Pennyhill Park, which is famous for hosting the England rugby team's training camps The Latymer won its first Michelin star this year and speaking to the staff, they're hungry for success and aiming even higher. I think they are well on their way with top class ingredients, innovative cooking methods and combinations, pretty presentation and most importantly, great flavour I took my sister and a friend here on Saturday for my sister's birthday. The 50 cover restaurant is housed in a lovely snug part of the country house hotel The service was very friendly and not overbearing. The staff were all well trained with all the servers able to answer questions about the dishes. There was also no hard sell on the alcohol, which can be annoying in some fine dining places We enjoyed some nice canapes with aperitifs - G&Ts for the ladies and a non alcoholic cocktail for me. It was nice to see a choice of gin offered and eventually, Bombay Sapphire and slow gin were chosen while the barman concocted me a drink with cranberry juice, strawberry and raspberry puree. It's nice for us teetotalers/drivers to feel as valued as the alcohol drinkers The canapes included tiny cigars filled with foie gras & truffle, mini prawn toasts, deep fried risotto balls, prawn sashimi and a variety of breadsticks with 2 dips. All moreish and we had to control ourselves with these and the variety of fresh baked bread Although there were some yummy looking dishes on the a la carte, we went with the 10 course tasting menu 1. Truffle ballotine of marinated foie gras, seared foie gras, carpaccio of duck, beetroot caviar, pickled pear puree with pear crisp, butternut squash sorbet Some of my favourite ingredients on the plate and it was fun to try and mix the different elements on the plate in different mouthfuls 2. Cannelloni of tuna, lime & soy sauce, octopus presse, ginger marshmallow, Oscietra caviar The tuna was divine and matched perfectly with the lime and soy film it was wrapped in 3. Loin & spicy boudin of Lakeland hare, Hereford snails, marjoram cabbage, blck eye peas, bitter chocolate scented jus Cooked sous-vide, the hare was tender and had a gamey flavour. I also loved the marjoram cabbage. My dining companions were surprised how much they enjoyed the boudin noir 4. Seared hand dived scallops, poached quail egg, apple, cider & walnuts, apple emulsion The quail egg yolk oozed out onto the sweet scallop. Yum 5. Warm sardine, Scottish langoustine, anchovy on toast, roast pepper, Bagna Cauda jus The oily sardine was offset perfectly by the sweet pepper 6. Poached & roast croise duck with Agen prunes, coriander gnocchi, shallots, parsley root puree, jasmine jus My favourite dish of the evening - perfectly cooked duck with some innovative and interesting companions. Yes, it did taste of lavender! 7. Fourme d'Ambert, Beaufort, poached quince, smoked paprika crisp, Pedro Ximenez jelly 8. Pear & almond tart, liquorice sabayon, pear sorbet Lovely light tart full of pear flavour 9. Pineapple baba, confit pineapple, coconut cream, coconut sorbet A nice fruity take on the rum baba but once again, very light 10. Warm chocolate moelleux, honey comb, lavender ice cream, honey jelly A rich chocolate dessert with liquid centre. The obligatory popping space dust made an appearance A top class menu. Michael Wignall demonstrated immaculate sourcing of top class ingredients, great knowledge and technique of classic and modern cooking techniques, introduced wow factor into his food and left us with a smile on our faces Only slight disappointment for me was that my dining companions vetoed my wish to ask for a kitchen visit to thank the chef personally. I've been very privileged to have eaten at some terrific 2 and 3 Michelin star etablishments this year - Fat Duck in Bray, Marcus Wareing in London, Aqua in SF and Momofuku Ko in New York. The Latymer is definitely up there with them. They should retain their Michelin star easily next year and be pushing for the next level

Amazing entrecôte! Mario was my server tonight and he was exceptional! Friendly, efficient, and…read morefast. The food was delish and came fast. Efficient chef and staff I was in and out with a full belly and a smile. They were so kind and patient. They allowed other guests to hang out and enjoy their wine. And they even had a bunch of regulars come in and everyone was treated exactly the same. With kindness and efficiency. If you are nearby staying at the hotel or if you are enjoying the British Musuem, check them out! I had a glass of Malbec (attached) with my dinner and it was well balanced and fruity!

Very good experience for French and Mediterranean cuisine. Good quality of food. Fresh and tasty…read more Service is remarkable comes from hart. Very fast. The atmosphere is very good. I like it.

Hard to believe an authentic little French restaurant has existed in Penge but it is in keeping…read morewith the rise of the rest of the community. On Maple road is a small establishment- family owned and run - that needs our support to stay afloat. It is worth checking them out and supporting a local gem. We had Cidre Breton, Cassoulet (with duck), Crème Brûlée, gorgeous escargot, Soupe à l'oignon, steak tartare, tartiflet, duck confit, café liégeois, rilletes de porc, crepe Suzette and steak. We make sure to visit every time we are in town and my in-laws are particular about French food and it is a favorite of theirs. My mother-in-law lived in France and learned to cook there and can't believe how luck she is to have this in her neighborhood.

Another amazing meal at Chez Yves last night with 5 family members. I had a dozen snails with…read morelightly toasted sourdough bread, then confit duck leg with potatoes roasted in duck fat. Dessert was café Liegeois. Everything was top quality, perfectly cooked and served, and delicious. Between 6 of us we tried loads of things on the menu, swapping bits so we could taste everything. Every single dish was delicious. I love this little restaurant, hope that it survives the current economic problems.

An absolute gem- a family-run, modern European restaurant with high standards, and yet not…read moreoutrageously priced. Choose to sit downstairs in the restaurant or upstairs for a more "private dining room" experience. A five course tasting menu is slightly south of £60. This changes monthly; notable high points included a beautiful cooked oyster and a heavenly plate of duck breast and leg with celeriac. Service is friendly -if not always very formal- and there are nice personal touches ( like a personalised menu if it's your birthday) .A model for other restaurants to emulate.

The best restaurant in the area. For many years the management has been able to hold the standard…read moreat the highest level.

A longstanding restaurant in Molesey, Le Petit Nantais has been visited by every local at some…read morepoint. It is a shame that it is often quiet during the week, but on Friday and Saturday, this place kicks off. As you walk in, your eyes meet an elderly French lady playing the accordion (she is only here at the weekend, but it is almost worth visiting just for her). Occasionally a Jazz band pitches up and plays live. Then whole tables get up and start dancing. I would like to add that there is actually no dance floor so watch out for someone whizzing past you. If I am here with a big group of friends we order a large Fruit De La Mer; a huge platter of fresh seafood on ice. If you fancied a smaller meal I would recommend a pot of the mussels, which has that deliciously sea-salty flavour and comes in either a starter or main course portion. Get a side order of big fat chips to soak up the herb sauce, and treat yourself to a bottle of white wine, the muscadet is particularly good here. There are also plenty of meat dishes, one of the most popular being the steak, which comes with different sauces - the garlic and peppercorn is the tastiest. At dessert, look out for the dark chocolate mousse, which is the richest, thickest mousse I have ever eaten. The meals seem to add up a bit here, but for an occasional taste of France it is well worth visiting.

I looked on several web sites for places to eat around the area, and this was one that seemed mixed…read morein other reviews, so I gave it a go. Run by and ex French Rugby player and his wife. Romantic lighting, bistro style and a good but pricey menu. J P the owner offered me several specials including langoustine, mussels and crab. I chose prawns and scallops, but when I asked for a salad, his true french nature came out. Salad? he said, looking down his nose I don't think so! I will put some salad garnish on the plate, but you can hava salad when you go home! Oh. Still, it was very tasty, with a very nice red wine and the larger of the 2 cheese plates for dessert (£9.50 for one) with a choice so pungent, I could smell it when he opened the kitchen door! I won't say what it reminded me of :-S The whole thing came to a whopping £55 just for little old me! Still, every so often it's good to treat yourself, and I'm not one for handbags and shoes :-)