Chez Lindsay
11 Hill Rise, Richmond
Surrey TW10 6UQ
020 8948 7473

Reviewed on Sunday 10 May 2009

Chez Lindsay

Chez Lindsay is a French restaurant with specialities from Brittany like galettes, pancakes and seafood. It is very well located on Hill Rise in Richmond between the river side and Richmond Park. The design inside is nice, with a kind of yellow pastel colour on the bricks and a well used wooden floor. All the staff are French but not all of them are from Brittany. We chatted a little about the 2009 Coupe de France final between two clubs from Brittany (En Avant Guingamp won)
We took Le Sunday Lunch (2 courses £18.50 or 3 courses £21.50). For the first course we had the choice between the Soupe du Jour (soup of the day) or Coquille de Fruits de Mer (coquille of fish and seafood, mushrooms and cream sauce) or Parfait de Foie de Volaille (chicken liver parfait with toast and salad).
For the main course we had the choice between a Filet de Bar aux Ecrevisse (filet of seabass with crayfish sauce, rice and green vegetables) or Rôti de Poulet (roast chicken with tarragon gravy and “Sunday vegetables”) or Galette à la Ratatouille ((buckwheat pancake filled with cheese, topped with ratatouille).
As dessert the choice was Assiette de Fromages (selection of cheeses) or Crêpe au Citron ou Chocolat (sweet pancake with lemon juice and sugar or chocolate sauce) or Dessert du Jour (dessert of the day) which was Lemon tart with vanilla ice cream.
We both had the chicken liver parfait, then chose the galette à la ratatouille and the fillet of seabass, ended the lunch with the lemon tart and a crêpe au citron followed by two coffees. As wine we had a very nice bottle of red wine 2007 Brouilly Domaine Crêt des Garanches (£27). It was smooth, round and rich with a nice after taste.

The paté to start was a very nice and smooth mousse. One of the best I’ve had in London, though I couldn’t help but feel while eating it that it would benefit from just a touch of garlic or armagnac (or some other alcohol). It is a small complaint though – overall, the mousse was very good and I’d just about return for that alone. It came with some exceptionally light, thin slices of toasted baguette that were the perfect accompaniment.

The galette was very nicely done. I need to be in the right mood for that sort of cuisine (which I was, otherwise would have chosen from the extensive menu of alternative options). It was made with wholemeal flour, giving it a touch of substance that would not otherwise have been present. The cheese interior matched nicely with the ratatouille, though the latter could have been more spicy to suit my taste.
The fillet of seabass was excellent, perfectly cooked (crispy outside) with a great crayfish sauce. My only complaint would be about the portion: I wanted more!

The desserts were both excellent. Not loaded with so much sugar as to overpower the real taste (and drive you toward diabetes) as is so often the case in London restaurants, but just lightly and nicely sweet. The crèpe was nicely cooked and arrived piping hot, lightly dusted with sugar and with lemon to apply to your taste. The lemon tart was also excellent – made with real lemon and cream – no sign of the bright yellow gooey and sickly sweet abomination I’ve encountered elsewhere.  It was certainly on the tart side, but for the true lemon-lover, that’s exactly how it should be.

If there is something to complain about here, it is the coffee. Rather than the espresso expected, we received two cups of brown water – the sort that would be called ‘Americano’ in France, and appeared on our bill as ‘filter coffee’.  A sad end to an otherwise excellent meal. My advice to potential patrons is to ask specifically for espresso, or to take an after dinner coffee elsewhere. We’ll be back of course, as the food and service were great – but will probably avoid the coffee in the future.

Parfait de Foie de Volaille

Filet de Bar aux Ecrevisses

Details of the filet of seabass

Galette à la Ratatouille

Great bottle of Brouilly!

Crêpe au citron

Tarte au citron

Coffee

Cost and conclusion: the total cost was £84.09 (including a “discretionary” service charge of 12.5%) for two three course menus, a bottle of Brouilly and two coffees. The staff were friendly and efficient, the food great so we will be naturally back!

Restaurant Bellevue Rendez-vous
218 Trinity Road, Wandsworth Common
SW17 7HP London

Reviewed on Friday 8 May 2009 evening 

Restaurant Belle vue Rendez-vous

In daylight

It is the 8th time or 9th time we have been to Mini-Mundus – now Bellevue Rendez-vous – since we discovered this lovely restaurant about two years ago. I think it is good they changed their name because now it sounds more French, and gives a better indication of what is inside. I walked in front of it for years without noticing it and I believe it was because of the somewhat anonymous “Mini-Mundus” name. One day in the late afternoon, after walking at Wandsworth Common, we passed by and were looking at the menu posted outside when some fellow passers-by told us it was a restaurant to try and that the food was excellent. The restaurant was closed at the time because the previous day they had a party night but the door was open so we went in. Pablo (the chef) was cleaning the place, yet he was extremely nice to us and we were happy to discover a real French restaurant in this area. I had not previously been confident that it was really French. When I asked if he had foie gras in his menu, he even offered us some to take home so we could taste it! That was our first encounter with Mini-Mundus. It could not have been better!

The design of the restaurant has changed, for the third time I think, since I’ve known it and it keeps improving the place even if I liked the way it was before. We have been happy with Mini-Mundus every time we went there so they are very reliable.

Today we had as first courses a blue cheese salad with apple and walnuts (£5.50) and a rabbit and pork terrine (£6.50). As main courses we ordered a confit of duck (£14) and a rack of lamb (£17). The wine was a 2005 Bergerac Château Ponchapt (£15). As dessert we had a chocolate fondant (£6.50) and a gâteau de Pablo (£5). 

The terrine was very good – nice and rustic/chunky.  Happily, it was not overloaded with salt – as is often the case with commercial patés and terrines – though salt and pepper was provided for those who like to garnish their food. It was served with excellent fresh-baked sliced baguette and cornichons on the side, which provided a nice contrast to the terrine. The blue cheese salad was great, with the apples and walnuts contrasting nicely from the cheese.

Stéphanie and her excellent staff were as friendly and attentive as always, and our meals arrived piping hot as they should.  The confit, sadly, was overcooked and a bit tough. It isn’t an easy dish to mess, so that was a bit of a disappointment.  I have had the confit at this restaurant several times previously, and it was good every other time – so I won’t hold it against them.  The green beans and sautées potatoes were good as always (though perhaps a little less plentiful than in the past – I hope its not a trend!).  The lamb was excellent! It was perfectly cooked, a little burnt and crispy outside but tender in the middle (see photos below) and the mash and endive fitted in well. 

Pork and rabbit terrine

Blue cheese salad with apples and walnuts

Confit of duck

Rack of lamb

Detailled picture of the excellent racks of lamb

2005 Bergerac red wine

Fondant au chocolat

Gâteau de Pablo

The two desserts

Cost and conclusion: the bill was £69.50 and there is no “discretionary” service charge included in the bill as many restaurants rudely do so a big bravo to them to keep it that way! By the way, they say at the bottom of the menu a 12.5% service charge is added to rude people so be friendly and you will be safe 😉  I think Bellevue Rendez-vous/Mini-Mundus offers a very good value for money considering what you are getting. The food is excellent, the location next to the park is great, the service is friendly and efficient. What else to ask? Well, I would like fry panned foie gras for example but I am being difficult! We will be back for sure!