I am going to categorize this place under the group "I would never pay full price here". But even after THAT I still wouldn't come back here. I had a Groupon for their Sunday buffet, and it sounded like a great deal, but it's NOT WORTH IT!! The service were dicks, they only wanted you order drinks, and the buffet was LAME. It was nice, but there weren't a lot of options, and it wasn't so much a buffet as it was a few tables with food laid out on them. THEN they had the BALLS to charge us a service fee and an entry fee!! Our "good deal" ended up being a TOTAL bust. Do NOT go there. Also, who goes to a chain place like this and orders a £1000 bottle of champagne??? WHY IS THAT EVEN ON THE MENU! Stop trying to pretend you are a classy french restaurant. You aren't. read more

I went here on a living social deal with my friend and im going to some this up rather quickly; The steak I ordered was fatty and rare - it was meant to be medium cooked The service was pathetic... We were literally trying to get the waiters attention from the moment we got there... actually make that before we even walked in the door. They didn't even ask how the meal was = this isn't a macca's and for the prices the service has a lot more to ask for... With extras included this didn't turn out to be a very good deal at all, especially considering half of my steak was left on my plate and I had to eat 1/4 of my friends instead. They never received our service fee which was sneakily included into the bill and i was not ashamed to walk away without paying it. I would NEVER pay full prices there - it was overpriced - give me GAUCHOS anyday... read more

French place reviewed by a French guy: Le Bouchon Breton has good features such as a very satisfying beef fillet or a wide variety of quality imported cheeses. The venue is quite cosy and could welcome a couple as much as a large group. The food itself is generally on the good side, not great though. Unfortunately it tries too hard to feel typical and ends up being a caricature. The menu seems to include about anything that sounds or feels French regardless of coherence. The costumed waiters are performing their French routine, climaxing with the waiter's attempt to teach us a cheese lesson. Mixed feeling. Finally the bill comes and it hurts. The place is way overpriced. I had a good time in this place, mostly because of my friends and my coupon for a free main course. I rated it unbiased as if I had paid full price. read more

They (whoever they are) have always said the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. And when you are plying me with steaks the size of my head cooked to perfection, well I'd marry you if I wasn't half passed out in a food coma rubbing my meat baby. As a disclaimer, I bought a voucher through LivingSocial for a steak dinner for two at Le Bouchon Breton for £29. After I bought the voucher, I read the reviews on Yelp (not my usual order but it worked out) and was a bit dismayed at the dismal reviews on service although everyone did agree the steaks were good. We got there on time and were seated instantly. The hostess took our voucher and explained the limits (there are always limits) with a smile and everything was going along just peachy. Then our waitress came along and with a French accent (yay!) and a sneer (yay...they really are French!) asked us if we wanted the Chateaubriand or the Cote de Boeuf. Now as the hostess has mentioned those two items were ones we couldn't have, we were a bit confused. The waitress insisted that that was what our deal entailed and finally left in a huff. Thankfully the manager came shortly after and sorted it all out but still a bit annoying. Order in and wine on the table, we were given some delicious crusty baguette with salted and slightly garlicky butter to ease the pain of waiting. Finally, the steaks arrived. Now I was expecting the usual somewhat miserly portions you get at wannabe fine dining restaurants in London and to that end I had ordered the larger ribeye while my friend ordered the fillet mignon. Her steak was massive and easily a 12-16oz as opposed to the standard 8oz while mine must have been approaching the 20 oz mark (all weights estimated based on a brief 2 second look before I started carving away). Needless to say there was plenty of meat to be had. A side note, when ordering your steak it apparently doesn't matter what you say as they will cook it as they see fit. My friend's medium fillet had some nice portions which I would consider bleu (and to my liking) while my rare ribeye had some definite medium to medium well bits (granted these were at the side and it was a thick slab of meat). The fries that came with the meat were thin, crispy, and exactly what I was craving and the breaded Provencal tomato was a great acidic counterpart to the rich meatiness. The house red wine was surprisingly good and had some deep fruit notes with a slightly sweet finish. I really should have asked what wine that was. Oops. Despite the massive portions for our meal, we opted to share a dessert I had my eye on. Now for £7.50, you typically get a decent dessert for one, but here this was a ice cream cup made to rival the 7 wonders of the world (old or new, you pick). There must have been 2 scoops each of white chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate ice cream, and vanilla ice cream, plenty of actual cream, and then covered in chocolate fudge syrup, nuts, and bits of chocolate pieces. All served in a massive Bordeaux style wine glass (one of those you could pour an entire bottle into). How this was a dessert for one I will never know, they really should put something about portions big enough for a family of 10 on there. Needless to say, I was glad to be taking the tube home instead of my usual bike ride as I could barely walk let alone cycle. Overall, I was happy with the service although it did take ages to get the bill but that might have been our fault for just chatting away. It's a bit pricey at full menu prices I think but for a deal it was one of the best value meals I've had in ages. read more

We ended up here with another Groupon meal: a three course meal for two. As it was the night of my birthday, we did splurge a bit on the wine. First, the restaurant was fairly empty. Not the best sign for a Saturday night, but it had also been raining all day, and it was quite cold, so I can imagine people not really wanting to travel out for dinner. We both had the duck rillette, the steak and chips, and then I had the lemon tart and the other half had the creme brule. So, the rillette was fantastic. I'm not going to lie. Great flavor with an amazing relish. The steak was cooked perfectly served with both a peppercorn sauce and a blue cheese sauce. (The blue cheese sauce was better, and very tasty on the chips). Chips were cooked well, and it was served with a side of green veg that were definitely not overdone. Dessert was great, but the creme brule was the winner. It was just magnificent and lush. We then decided to order some cheese. The cheese trolley watches you when you come in the door. There's an amazing selection of cheeses tantalizing you, begging you to get them. So we did. We split a selection if seven (with a bonus eighth given to us by the server). The cheeses are pretty much to die for, which I already knew as we had done another Groupon deal for the cheese and wine masterclass last year. Anyway, I can recommend it. The service wasn't the fastest, but it wasn't terrible. The food was really well done. If you go, make sure to get cheese. The cheese is really one of the stars of the place. If you don't want a whole meal, the wine and cheese masterclass is quite enjoyable as well. read more

This is a lovely Parisian style brasserie that is on the new building at the Old Spitalfields market on the first floor. When you enter the restaurant you get this old school charm atmosphere in the decor: black and white tiles on the floor making a checkered effect, tables are simple, but arranged in pristine perfection. Its always refreshing entering a restaurant that uses white linens on the tables. The food is very good to, try the plate of fruit de mer to share, or maybe the beef with bernese sauce and fries, delicious. read more

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#1. Their food is actually quite good (entrecote, steak tartare and oysters are my recommendations) #2. Their service staff are either completely rude/unhelpful (literally had a waiter tell me he didn't know the difference between different priced oysters on the menu which didn't have any description and then proceeded instead of going to ask someone who might have a clue, to tell us that if we like oysters we should know) or completely obnoxious (waiter can't help but come by our table every 5 minutes to tell us about himself). #3. Beware of the bait and switch. We came here on a voucher that clearly stated something was included in this deal that they then said was not. They said "it has never been" but the deal had just started that evening and it clearly said it did. Then they charged us at the end of the meal the commission they should be paying for us booking to eat their in the first place. This I'm pretty sure is a BIG no no. On the food, I'd say I'd come back here but with the way we were so mishandled from the get go (with us remaining nice and polite) and the feeling of being urged to order expensive choices simply because they are more expensive AND there being so many french restaurants in this town, not going back here any time soon. au revoir breton! read more

Five stars doesn't really do justice to how much I enjoyed eating at Le Bouchon Breton plus the name rolls easily off the toungue with a comedy French accent. The food was great, for starter I had the snails and for the main course the steak however the best was the vodka sorbet dessert. Already stuffed from the starter (together with the unwanted frogs legs from other plates) and the steak, I was assured that the sorbet would be light and the vodka not really noticeable. When the dessert came I was presented with a dish of lemon sorbet and a double shot of vodka which was then poured in. The net result was a great dessert and a hazy couple of hours at the office. read more

I think like most of the reviews here, my husband and I came on some kind of coupon deal. And that's what these coupon deals are for, to try out new places you wouldn't have otherwise. We came here in the hopes it would turn into one of our "special occasion" restaurants... we left very underwhelmed. Firstly, the service was horrible. Given that it was easy to spot people who were there on this coupon deal, the staff weren't even trying to impress anyone -- deal or no deal. Trying to get a staff member's attention left us flailing our arms in the air. Not a very attractive look for us. You would think if they wanted people to come back, they'd try a little harder. We had a very huge seafood platter, which would've cost us £38 each, but was discounted with the voucher. Though we were quite overwhelmed with the variety, selection, and quantity of the seafood... it was all kind of bland tasting. And all they gave you was a mayo and vinegar sauce. For that much I was expecting a little more "oomph." Nice try Le Bouchon Breton, but we won't be back. read more

Came here in a small group Saturday night and had a great time. The service was decent and the venue was spacious and nice. Since we ordered everything from appetizer, bottle of wine, cheese cart, etc it ended up being very pricey. The fillet de beouf was £25, bottle of wine I'm sure varies but ours was £38, and our 7 cheese selection was £15 or so. The steak was great, no complaints there. The fries (chips) and salad that came with it was definitely below average though. Fries were not fresh and almost cold, probably sitting in the kitchen for a while and the salad looked wilted and unappetizing. The cheese cart that gets rolled around had a variety of 25+ cheeses and you can pick anywhere from 3, 5, and 7 selections. Overall, enjoyable experience but definitely at a cost ! read more

Purchased a special coupon for 60% food. Food was bland and expensive without the discount. Had the typical French fares (escargots, bouillabaise, steak frites, etc). My bouillabaise was so bland I think I could cook better. A friend ordered fish which was ok. Another friend ordered scallops (3 for £15?). Dessert was tarte-tartin which was not like any other tarte tartin I've tried. Not good, not bad just not tarte tartin. It was very loud and I was expecting a quieter more intimate French-type bistro. Lots of people ordered seafood platter which looked pretty good - maybe if you go there, try that or the steak which none of us ordered. read more

I booked a table for four at Le Bouchon Breton with a 50% off Toptable deal. When my group arrived, the restaurant had no record of our booking (Toptable's fault I think) but the head waiter was kind enough to honour our booking anyway and said we could still have 50% off our food. The restaurant seemed busy, however the service still appeared disproportionately slow - there were lots of people sat outside so us poor people sat inside were left somewhat ignored most of the time. Due to the discount, we were given a special menu with about 6 choices for main on it, rather than the a la carte, which peeved me somewhat - especially as there were no vegetarian options on it. The food, when it finally came about an hour and a half after we had arrived, was nice, but it didn't seem worth the full price. I had ordered fish and it arrived as a whole fish which I hate - who wants to spend their evening prodding their food for bones and wondering whether they are going to choke with every mouthful? Despite the slow service and the average main course, we were having a lovely time. We were delighted when we ordered a cheese board and were presented with a selection of about 25 different French cheeses to choose from! A specialist cheese waitress told us about the variety on offer and helped us make a selection - it all tasted divine. However, the celebratory mood was promptly extinguished when a MOUSE ran over my foot! I know that anywhere in London you are supposedly not more than a metre away from a rat, however I did not want to be reminded of this vemin-related fact when polishing off my dinner - especially when the bread that I had just been eating had come from a side board that was uncovered and thus free scurrying and nibbling ground for mice. So it is thanks to the amazing cheese that I rate this venue as two stars - without it, there remains only the slow service, average food and four-legged friends to rate! I'm just glad we only had to pay half price. read more

Easily one of the worst restaurants in London. The fact that Le Bouchon Breton offers a group-purchasing deal every month or so tends to suggest that recurring custom is thin on the ground, but I thought I'd be give it the benefit of the doubt. So, along I went, expecting a delicious Sunday lunch and particularly looking forward to the rare beef joints featured in the promotional material. I should have trusted my instincts. Rather than fine French cuisine, I was faced with an uninspiring and quite frankly unpleasant buffet that would not have looked out of place in a 2* eastern-European hotel. The selection was, in summary, rice with peas, tomato soup, tomato pasta, chicken drumsticks with chopped tomato, and unidentifiable vegetables in (you'll never guess) tomato sauce. The only thing remotely 'French' about Le Bouchon Breton was the sliced baguette, which, as it happens, was the only item of food approaching edible. Even that, I should point out, plainly came from a supermarket. With such bad food one might expect, at least, reasonable prices and friendly service to offset one's disappointment. Not so at Le Bouchon Breton. The staff were surly and, as I recall, one of my waiter's first comments was to the effect that I should vacate the table in 45 minutes. In light of the truly appalling food, a customer staying beyond even 30 minutes must be practically unheard of at Le Bouchon Breton, so this is a rather pointless discourtesy. On to the prices, the word 'extortionate' springs to mind. A small can of Sprite will set you back an earth-shattering £4, and I didn't even bother looking at the wine menu. When the bill comes, to add insult to injury, Le Bouchon Breton has the audacity to add a 'cover charge', presumable for the pleasure of sitting down, and a 12.5% service charge, despite the fact that it's a self-service buffet. And for anyone who thinks they're getting a bargain with a group-purchase offer, think again, because the service will hit an almighty 25%. All-in-all, £40.00 for a shockingly bad buffet-lunch for two with a soft-drink each. If you're in Spitalfields, take my advice: forget Le Bouchon Breton. Go around the corner to Brick Lane and treat yourself to three-courses with wine - you'll still have cash to spare! read more

Had a hard time finding the place as it wasn't quite clear on the map I printed out from Google, so we called them up and they are actually inside Old Spitalfields market. Since its been renovated, there are 2 restaurants upstairs- Le Bouchon Breton being one of them. The staff were all genuinely French and the decor reminded me of a typical French Bistro just shinier and cleaner!! The food was great- very tasty and recommended, however I don't think that the portion size for the main meal was quite large enough for my date and he was still a little hungry after we left. I would recommend ordering a side dish with a main. read more

Le Bouchon Breton is one of the newer additions to Spitalfields Market and sadly like all of the others it has obtained a generic, commercial and cold feel despite its efforts to disguise it with french touches like chequered black and white tiled floors. However on a nice sunny day in London, like the few have have been fortunate to have recently, a table on the terrace complete with umbrellas, overlooking the market is a fairly enjoyable albeit noisy option. The wine list is extensive with an array of gorgeous wines to choose from but it is equally expensive obviously aimed at the local city workers rather than the weekend visitors. We started the with a crisp Prosecco as the waiter carried out what could only be described as a theatrical display to prepare the table next to us for their dramatically presented seafood platter. After all the fuss I had to order the same as any dish that warrants such showmanship deserves a try. It wasn't long until our table was the center of attention as our Plateau Imperial arrived. The platter of Oysters, Welks , Clams, Mussels, Prawns, Crayfish , Whole Cornish Crab and 1/2 Lobster all served cold on a bed of ice with mayonnaise and shallot vinegar was a bit hit and miss. Firstly it being served cold was not stipulated on the menu, while the oysters and crab was beautiful and fresh I can't say the same for the lobster or prawns and the Welks were overcooked and inedible. We were not offered side orders nor did we order them however we felt the platter certainly needed anaccompaniment of either bread, salad or fries. The service however was remarkable and almost disguises what the restaurant lacks in atmosphere and quality of food. With the choice of wine being restricted by price and the food only so so I am not sure I will be a regular at Le Bouchon any time soon. read more

Went here recently on a Groupon deal, surf and turf with a group of 4. Ambience is pretty nice, like an old school French restaurant, matre'd and all. We were seated and made our orders. Starters were good, but overpriced for what they were (8.95 for a wafer thin slither of salmon fillet?) The steak and lobster was good, steaks came out as requested (rare and medium rare) and the lobster was cooked well. No complaints there. The service was pretty poor, as others have said, those ordering with vouchers stuck out like a sore thumb (I'm wearing t-shirt and jeans, table next to us was wearing a 3 piece suit) and their was an air of "You want a discount meal, you get discount service". Food took quite a while for what it was also and it took a long time for our orders to be taken. So at this point I wouldv'e given it a 2, maybe a 3 on a good day, not really worth it without a voucher kind of place. But at the end of the meal, we saw mice running around the restaurant. We told the waiter, and he gave a kind of nonchalant shrug. Basically, I wouldn't recommend this place. Its a combination of the blandness of a chain with the price of a posh restaurant, where the food is delivered slow and eaten in a room with mice... read more

The brunch here was tasty and the ambience has a charming French-ish flair, don't expect spot on authenticity. Do stop by to refuel on your shopping visit to Spitalfields Market. read more

Nice brasserie, nicer in the inside, outside a strange layout of tables. Amazing food - excellent choice of seafood, two dedicated main dishes for vegetarians, delicious desserts. Good wine list. The service is very slow, you are served by several people who don't care. Value for money? We had a voucher for 50% off the food - otherwise it is quite pricey, considering the venue and the service. At the bar, you can have cocktails. The kitchen closes at 10pm (weekdays). read more

I've updated my opinion to three stars after an evening visit. Without the Buffet crowds to worry about, the staff were now very, very friendly and decidedly interested in making us feel welcome. In fact, our waitress was incredibly sweet. Throughout the meal we had a bit of banter about the cuisines of France and England, the perfect way to cook a steak (rare, we all agreed) and the importance of savoring a good meal. She also came back to check on us regularly. The food was spot on. We started with potted brown shrimp and frog's legs, both of which were very nice. The star of the dinner were the steaks, which were cooked to perfection and came with lovely thin cut fries. Without the Buffet crowd, the atmosphere was also a lot nicer, more relaxed yet more formal at the same time. I guess the lesson here is that you get what you pay for. (A propos pay, the ridiculous cover charge seems to have disappeared.) I'll leave my buffet review in place below, as it was also part of my experience with Bouchon Breton. But it is no longer the dominating memory. And I would definitely come back for a regular meal if I'm in the area. My old review: I also came with a Groupon for their Sunday buffet and was thoroughly disappointed. The first problem was finding the place, which is shown in the wrong place on the map on their website. We tried to phone, but no one answered. When we did finally get there, the manager merely told us that he was too busy to worry about the phone. This set the tone for the service. The staff were largely inattentive and bordering on grumpy, the buffet was opened late and not restocked at the rate one might expect. And the food was not labeled, so if you wanted to know what you were eating, you had to ask a very rude lady who would mumble unhelpful answers like "fish" back at you. The food was less of a disappointment, but far from great. While none of it was bad, it was thoroughly dull and the selection is barely worthy of the word buffet. In fact, I had the distinct impression that they were trying to keep it as cheap as possible: 3 "salads", none of which contained fresh vegetables (couscous salad, rice with tinned tuna and beetroot with onions), sliced ham and lunch meat, vegetable soup, a very watery stew, fish in creamy sauce, overcooked pasta with tomato sauce, rice and peas and potatoes. And for desert? A bowl of strawberry yoghurt. We too were hit with a cover charge, which we were told was for salt and pepper. Need I say more? read more

Oh my gosh, talk about bad food! My girlfriend and I went to this restaurant on a top table 50% deal. The menu sounds great offering a diverse option of seafood and French delicacies like snails and frog legs. All fails, and fails badly on execution as the food was honestly barley edible. The fish soup starter smelled like a fish head that had been left in a damp cellar for days. It was watery with no substance and unfortunately tasted like it smelt. The mushroom risotto was made with what looked like plain grain rice, and was so stodgy. Worst of all the seasoning was unforgivable, I think the 'chef' used more pepper than I have at home to season this one plate right before it left the kitchen. No sane human would have tasted that and sent it out. You might expect this type of mistake at home, not a restaurant that charges £20 for a main! And it was not a one off, another girl had the risotto at our table and seasoning was equally off the mark ( like so far off it was in a different postcode HE 1L) I ordered the rack of lamb, rare, and it came to me baa'ing. I didn't know they were offering a 'kill it yourself experience'. More seriously, the fat was completely uncooked and inedible which I felt was a waste of good meat. The best waiter there could only be described as eccentric, and watch out 'the plates are HOUT!!! HOUT!!!', make sure to thank him for shouting, but at least he was very good hearted. The only saving factor was that all the staff there are French, which made it feel very authentic. The place and decor were pleasant, unfortunately we couldn't eat the chairs, I mean it should be a place of food before beauty. And at the full price expected (£45+ p/p) you must get both. What an overpriced waste of time and money. read more

I used to be a big fan of this restaurant but unfortunately this restaurant has recently gone way downhill: quality of food, value, and service. 1. Menu: Current menu is cut down from their regular menu, and is not the same as the one posted on their website (although the website version is dated 24 Feb and I am writing this on 19 May). Endgame: less choice. To me, a limited menu means a high or higher focus on freshness and quality. Not so here. 2. Value: White baguette and butter is now £2, used to be free. Minimal I realise, and the price of food has been rising, but for the money you pay here, one would expect a bit of free bread. I ordered the Bream with asparagus, parsnips and carrots which was around £16 or £17. The parsnips consisted of a few toasted parsnip shavings, along with 2 or 3 anaemic carrots, and 2 asparagus tips halved. I don't mind paying good money for quality over quantity, but neither was present here. My husband's Bone-in-filet steak for £33 was a vast disappointment, according to him it was ok but not worth it. The cost was for the steak only, it did not include side orders of vegetables. 3. Service: Mediocre at best. Inefficient, running back and forth and somehow the waitress seemed more concerned about cleaning empty tables than serving people properly. To top off this visit, the toilet was distressingly messy and simply not clean: main ladies door propped open, toilet paper strewn on the floor (which, as the door was open, someone should have seen), and near the sink. I don't like to leave negative reviews but am saddened by the recent decline of this venue. I used to enjoy going here and recommended it highly to friends, but not any more. I hope the management sees these reviews and makes an effort to return this restaurant to it's former status. read more

Led a party of 5 to Le Bouchon Breton for relaxed celebratory work dinner which turned into a comical parade of negative french stereotypes. 1 starter and 2 mains missing, waiter never checked on our table, after asking and reordering other mains, finally brought out a "medium" steak well done and lamb instead of Bouillabaisse- when told we ordered the soup, they said no, we don't have that, you ordered lamb. Ended up having dessert at italian chain next door. Would rather have eaten Cafe Rouge. read more

Worst food ever I have ever had. Bland & nothing special. The menu is sooo over priced. They charge you cover charge & service charge, when both the waiters & atmosphere were appalling. We refused to pay for anything but the drinks and left very disappointed. Would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

While I thought the food was quite good, the service left a great deal to be desired. We had reservations at noon. The staff was still eating their lunch when I arrived. One would think in an upper scale restaurant that if you know you have a noon reservation that at least one person who be at the front prepared for the arriving guests. That was not the case. Then there was a very distinct delegation of authority. The suits vs. the shirt sleeves. The suits seemed to know what they were doing, but the shirt sleeves seemed profoundly lost, except one a woman. Unfortunately she rarely helped our table. Although we obviously had menu's, the shirt brought us more. Although, we told the shirt we did not want water, he still brought us water. When I asked what the fresh native oyster was of the day (at a touted fresh seafood restaurant), the shirt who was taking our order didn't have a clue and had to go ask. It continued like this through the entire meal. When something needed to be clarified, it was always by or through a suit. Isn't it a shame, when all they have to do is properly train the shirts that they might have a much better restaurant that is up to the standards of the food. The oysters were excellent and the rib-eye (main-stays of the restaurant were excellent). My business associate had the warm goat cheese salad and the the seafood stew and was quite pleased with both. The wine list was quite extensive and price reasonably. Fix the service, get rid of the paper napkins and you might have a much better restaurant on your hands. read more

Modern brasserie style restaurant with traditional Breton/French fare with daily lunch specials. Set in the heart of Spittalfield newly revamped market, the restaurant sits on a mezzanine gallery with tables overlooking the market stalls under cover of the market roof. Service a bit hit and miss when we went but apologies were given by the manager by way of a bottle of wine! read more

Great Lunch at a fair prize.

Terrible French restaurant. We paid fairly high prices for mediocre food and service. The Lamb shank was pre-cooked as it was very dry and just horrible. The Camembert starter was just two small pieces and no the 'fish cake' size you would expect. Although food was pre-ordered for a Christmas dinner, they kept getting orders mixed up and not attentive at all. Avoid. read more