I'd heard good things about Chez Lahlou before I went there, but I ended up hugely disappointed.
First of all the place is just too damned crowded - small restaurants are great, but milking the maximum out of them by squeezing tables up alongside one, not leaving enough elbow room to swing a steak-knife, is not so great. Even the entrance was tiny - a person-sized space between two doors which doesn't leave room for the two doors to open, making entering the restaurant a complex operation.
Once we managed to get it and seated, We were promptly given two menus, but not offered aperetifs. Unfortunately the menus did not come with a wine list, this only turned up about 10 minutes later after we'd ordered. The wine itself arrived a lifetime or two later, after we'd finished our starters. Even then, the waitress opened it and left it standing on the counter for about 10 minutes before bringing it to our table and pouring our glasses.
The bread served before the meail was supermarket-bought faux-baguette. The starters, when they finally arrived, were not too bad, although my wife's fish was terribly overcooked: dry and chewy. They were huge though: easily enough for a main course. I suppose to some people this is a good thing, but personally I like to be served just enough food, I hate waste and I also hate rolling out of a restaurant feeling absolutely bloated.
My main course, lemon sole with bearnaise sauce, was probably the best part of the meal, although still not great - the fish was encased in batter and the sauce had a rather ageing glazed look, but the fish inside was at least cooked right. My wife had duck - when the waitress
asked how she wanted it she said just a little bit bloody, to which the waitress enquired medium? - of course, when it arrived it was overcooked: there were tiny flecks of pink in the centre, but most of it was brown and dry. Again the courses were huge - each dish would have served the two of use - and as if the food on our plates wasn't enough, the waitress turned up again as we were halfway through our main course, bearing a huge bowl of vegetables: new potatoes, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, red cabbage, green cabbage, courgettes, carrots, and probably a couple of others I've forgotten.
I'm tempted to write Chez Lahlou off entirely, but there were a few redeeming qualities. Although the food was pretty terrible, it wasn't the worst I've had, and it's cheaper than most French restaurants (you get what you pay for!) and, of course, the portions are monumental. The staff, despite their treacle-slow dizziness, are as friendly as hell. But I won't be going back.
Chez Lahlou is testament to the fact that, in Sheffield, many people prefer quantity to quality. Me, I'd rather eat good food. read more