Gazette Putney in Wandsworth

Misleading Offers, Minuscule Portions – and a Truly Ludicrous Response from the Owner ( Walter) Avoid this place if you value transparency, professionalism, or even BASIC courtesy. We visited Gazette on Upper Richmond Road, enticed by an online offer for Chateaubriand at £18 per person – an offer that is still publicly visible on trusted platforms linked to their name. What we received bore no resemblance to that promise. We were served a so-called “Chateaubriand” that was laughably small – allegedly 200g in total (yes, for two people), and quite possibly inclusive of the chips and sauce, judging by what was actually on the plate. To add insult to injury, the steak was overcooked and dry – far from the medium we ordered. We were even charged for a side of spinach that never arrived. They did remove it after we pointed it out, but by that stage, the damage was done. When we raised our concerns, we were met not with an apology, explanation or any semblance of customer care – but with condescension. After a brief, evasive back-and-forth, the owner, Walter Lecocq, sent us a response so dismissive it bordered on insulting. He called our entirely justified complaint “ridiculous” and sarcastically stated that he hoped we weren’t being serious. Rather than acknowledge any of the facts, he chose to dig in and be combative. It’s hard to imagine a more unprofessional way to deal with feedback – especially from someone claiming to run an established restaurant. If a business advertises something publicly, they are accountable for it. That’s not just common sense – it’s basic trading standards. And if they’ve changed their pricing or portion sizes, then they need to update all listings and ensure staff are properly briefed. This entire experience was a masterclass in how not to treat customers. Save your money and your evening – there are plenty of places in London that serve great food and actually respect their patrons. This isn’t one of them.... (though the waiters were decent - Shane about the rude owner !) Update ( post review ) 11/4/25 At no stage were you ever “bullied” to ask for any kind of freebies. Any reader of your response will see how degrading your attitude is. How unprofessional !! ... I have copies of all the emails and I’m more than happy to share these with anyone

Amazing Food and Service! We were staying in a nearby hotel and this restaurant was recommended. What a find. I had Tomato Tartine - absolutely delicious. For dessert my husband and I had Coffee Ice cream. Fantastic. The Maitre D' is amazing and makes every customer feel special.

Good portion size and interesting interiors. Shame about the unfriendly and slow service.

Delicious food, friendly staff, I will recommend this bistro for a delightful moment

My husband took me to Gazette for lunch and it was a pleasant experience. I ate the mussels, which were very tasty and the mariniere sauce was perfectly seasoned. The side mixed salad was a generous size and enough for two. The chips were tasty and also a generous sized portion. My husband chose the venison with mash and thought the mash was good, but the venison didn’t have much taste. The service was attentive and it was good value for money.

Never met with a smile from the restaurant staff from the second we set foot in till we left! Took long time to serve our main. When question the staff who delivered the drink, he couldn’t understand my simple question. When I repeated the question. He accused me of shouting, when I simplify repeated in a slowly and more clearly tone. Never again! Their staff hate their jobs clearly or maybe we are east Asians !

I had high expectations for this restaurant based on several local recommendations, but unfortunately, it fell far short. We ordered the chateaubriand for two, expecting a beautifully cooked, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Instead, it was left to rest on a skillet over tealight candles, which continued cooking the meat well past medium-rare. Any chef who takes pride in their craft should insist that the waitstaff avoid this kind of treatment—it completely ruins the texture. What should have been tender and buttery was instead tough and chewy. Not worth the price paid. The service was equally underwhelming. The staff seemed disinterested, lacking both enthusiasm and warmth, making the entire dining experience feel unwelcoming. While I appreciate the attempt at French authenticity with the menu and signage (including “Toilet” written as “Toiletten”), the overall atmosphere and execution couldn’t have felt further from a true French dining experience. Disappointing from start to finish.

Really disappointing !! Starters were a mix of very average to poor ..The pate I had as a starter was tasteless!! Then we waited 45 mins for mains. Once arrived , we had various sides and sauces missing and had to then ask 3 times for them to be sent to our table ..by that time our food was cold and we were all just very p*ssed off ! Overall we spent 2 hours there mostly waiting on food which was supposed to be an easy quick lunch …avoid it ! so many better places around to spend your money on !

I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. When we walked in, we were told there were no available tables. However, just a few minutes later, a British family also walked in without a reservation, and they were given a table right away. This felt extremely unfair, and it made me wonder if we were treated differently because we are Asian. I hope this was just a misunderstanding, but the lack of explanation from the staff made the situation even more frustrating. I believe that all customers should be treated equally and with respect. I would appreciate it if the restaurant could clarify their seating policy to ensure that similar incidents do not happen in the future.

I went to Gazette Putney as I thought that would be a nice place to celebrate a personal event because I had been to Gazette in Wandsworth a few times and had always been very satisfied of everything. However the service was appalling. The waiting for the food was in particular especially long and they didn’t even recognize this. I had booked a table at 1pm and food was served at 2pm and dessert was served at 3pm ! The children had ordered a burger and a steak. In both cases, the steak was so well done that it was really hard to cut into. The waiter hadn’t asked for how the children wanted their steak to be. After complaining, they did replace my child’s burger which meant more waiting. The waiter didn’t come to check if the jug of water needed refilling. The waiter never checked at anytime if we needed anything. My child spilled some water on the table and even if the waiter came to wipe it up after we asked for help, he never had the idea to give a new napkin to any of us so I didn’t ask. After 1 hour of waiting for the dishes to arrive, we mentioned the fact we found it was not acceptable and that we would like this bad service reflected on the bill. After the head of waiters did not apologise and seemed difficult, he said there would be a rebate on the bill which never appeared on the bill in the end ! I didn’t say anything and just wanted to leave and strike this restaurant off from the places I would ever go back to. Poor service and the restaurant was nearly empty (only 3 or 4 tables occupied). It seems Gazette has exported the good food but they should have left the bad French service in France and try to copy the usual excellent English service. If a customer is not happy about something, be polite and do a commercial gesture. I never write reviews but my experience was so bad yesterday that I could not not write a review !

Nice food, great atmosphere and we enjoyed the kind hospitality of the staff. For sure, it’s the best onion soup in Putney.

I've only been here twice for breakfast and had the champignon - it was that good and you can see (taste) they use high quality ingredients. The staff is always lovely and everything on the menu looks delicious. Looking forward to come back and try some of their mains.

Food definitely good again: the set lunch menu is exceptionally good value.

Loved the food and the waiting staff !

Having not visited in some time I was hoping it would be more memorable experience as a friend had booked saying how much they liked it. Sadly it was a really quite underwhelming meal on a cold and draughty table. For the prices I’d expected better quality food and service. For some it obviously feels upmarket but it didn’t really hit the spot for us.

A pesar de las buenas experiencias anteriores, todos los platos de ternera (2 x chateaubriand y 2 x bistecs de bavette) estaban demasiado cocinados. 2 de los platos tuvieron que ser devueltos, mientras que los otros 2 fueron tolerados, y ciertamente no eran del estándar habitual de cocción. El restaurante apenas estaba lleno (un puñado de mesas ocupadas como máximo) y por lo que fue una desviación decepcionante del estándar habitual de cocina. Lo pensará dos veces antes de volver allí de nuevo. . .

Bit disappointed in this restaurant as the first time we came a server misplaced our order and then proceeded to argue with us that it was our fault though in compensation we were given a bottle of wine on the house and the food was very very slow. The next time we came our food took an hour to come. I ordered the steak and I was really sad as it was well cooked but tasted burnt. The cooking is extremely slow and the steak is super lacklustre. Don’t waste your time here go to McDonald’s instead.

Service was incredibly slow, waiters were often quite clumsy dropping things , steak was burnt to a crisp when asked for medium rare but mussels were very nice, some quite dry so not very fresh

Disappointing return to GAZETTE we had oysters which were in Sid didn’t really have any taste then Bette must not taste very good either tiny portions zero beer which was so sweet we could not drink it and the crème brûlée, which was micro thin sorry GAZETTE, but we’re not coming back

Good quality food with a menu that is updated monthly. Friendly staff too. Been coming here for years.

The Gazette has consistently fabulous food and the hostess could not have been more attentive.

I had the black pudding. I was very disappointed and only ate to to be polite to my host. Very mushy and it was served on something that may have been some kind of cheesy potato hashbrown, which oozed cooking oil when I pressed it with my knife and fork to cut it.

The taste of the food was excellent, service was variable, especially the madeleines. One waiter walked back and forth without actually looking at customers, but one waitress seemed to be much more attentive. About 2 hours after the meal, I had Diarrhoea and Vomiting, from the squid risotto. Today I called to report it and was given an email. After 2 hours, no response, and when I called up to speak about it, I was told by the manager that he had not sat down to read the emails, but seemed to know what it was about, even thought I didn't say in the second call. I told him I would go ahead with the review and he didn't seem to care. Edit, after filling int their food poisoning complaint form, They have asked me to remove this review, as a condition of visiting their establishment again, with a vague "gesture of our apologies". They've not offered any other possible explanation for my symptoms on the evening of the 25th, simply stating the qualifications of their staff and the food hygiene rating of the restaurant. This is the first time I have even been sick from food in a restaurant, and I'm 46 years old and I am bitterly disappointed in the rude, arrogant and dismissive way this incident has been handled. Please look at the other reviews of this restaurant, I am not the only person who has issues with their seafood.

Visited for the first time and loved it.

Bery friendly and attentive service, informative about wines and cheeses. Restaurant attractively presented as ever. A perfect place to catch up with former colleague over a classic French style lunch right in the centre of Putney.

Very french feel to the place. Brings romance back.

This is my new favourite restaurant in Putney. The food is some of the best I’ve had in London. The beef tartare is assembled at the table and is generous with both flavour and quantity. The escargots are tender and covered in copious amounts of garlic butter and parsley, and are presented beautifully. The service is pleasant and attentive, and we left full and satisfied. I can’t wait to come back and try the onion soup and chateaubriand.

Amazing food, friendliest service! It’s not easy to find a good onion soup and tartare, but Gazette nails it!

Nuestra visita de regreso a este encantador café con sus excelentes platos de temporada y pasteles fabulosos no decepcionó! Precioso edificio y gran ambiente. Excelente servicio incluso cuando está super ocupado. ¡Regresaremos!

This is such a good french restaurant! The food, the wine and the atmosphere it’s really nice. I love that is dog friendly and every time I need to make a booking I call them and they’re always able to accomodate us. This is one of my favs places in Putney!

I love this place which is why I wanted to go there for my birthday. That night was really disappointing. The oysters for oyster Tuesday was the highlight the rest wasn’t good. My main was too oily (black pudding, caramelised apple and potato croquette) but having some concerning miscommunication earlier about the bread, i didn’t want to complain about my main. The team doesn’t not understand allergy/intolerance and although very polite, did not listen to my concerns. They found it acceptable to bring to the table a different type of bread that contained yeast without informing us, despite ordering from the menu sourdough (yeast free bread) and simply didn’t understand the risk and repercussions of this. Confusing gluten allergy with yeast etc.. I abandoned trying to make them understand the problem continued with the meal. They kindly brought my dessert with a candle which i really appreciated, but felt even more disappointed that my ice cream sunday was melted soup and would have needed a straw to enjoy it rather than a spoon. Overall, genuinely disappointed even if the staff was kind, their lack of knowledge on dietary requirements is really worrying. They ended up removing two desserts of the bill as I’m guessing a gesture of goodwill but they was no communication about it.

Vino a almorzar durante la semana. Los dos comimos el bistec Bavette y las fritas con salsa de pimienta. No se puede equivocar, se cocinó a la perfección. El personal era muy amable y atento, y el restaurante era encantador y limpio.

Service, food, price and atmosphere were all excellent! This restaurant went to my list of the top restaurants in London! The onion soup is delicious and the risotto with courgette and cheese is spectacular!

The artichoke starter was supposed to come with a herb vinaigrette. It came with a cup of mustard, which was inedible. My seared tuna main also got served with an awful mustard sauce which spoilt half the plate. I’ve never encountered tuna in a mustard sauce and for good reason. If someone had asked how the meat was I’d have mentioned it but no one asked.

Had been planning to come visit Gazette Putney for ages! Finally today we made it! We should ve been much earlier! Wonderful French cuisine would definitely recommend And will probably be back very soon 🤩🌈❤️🙏

Charming local bistro with excellent French cuisine. Charming efficient service and very pleasant ambience.

Buena comida y servicio con un par de pequeños consejos para mejorar: Paté bajo - sazonado Pulpo demasiado cocido Camarero tenía auriculares en todo el servicio Si se abordaran estos temas, esta revisión sería de 5 *. Lunes a miércoles ofertas muy buena relación calidad-precio para un restaurante local

Lovely as usual!, we've been going there for years and we don't even need to look at the menu, we appreciate their consistency in their recipes, it's just great and hasn't changed at all over the years, bravo!! Try the Tartare Maison and mules et frites, it won't disappoint!!

Primera visita. Mientras nos sentábamos notamos un olor desagradable que yo habría descrito como “perro mojado” hasta que mi compañero señaló que era más como un trapeador sucio y maloliente que se había utilizado para limpiar el piso. Realmente fue bastante malo poner pero aramos. La comida (ostras, chateaubriand, pan en particular) y las porciones eran todos muy buenos, de hecho, con la única excepción de las patatas fritas que estaban pre-congeladas y fritas, seco y nada agradable. El servicio fue amable y muy eficiente. Razonablemente ocupado para un jueves por la noche con un buen zumbido pero no demasiado fuerte. No tuvimos postre porque estábamos muy llenos, pero todas las opciones se veían muy bien. En resumen: Merece la pena probarlo, pero con tantas opciones en la zona, no estoy seguro de volver una segunda vez.

Had a great lunch here. Steak and frites was delicious. Went full beef with an equally lovely tartare. Definitely want to go back for the oyster special.

Had been recommended by neighbours and happy we finally visited ! kids friendly (but not “chaotic”!), very welcoming and lovely staff, cozy atmosphere (feels much nicer than it looks from the street), and of course: great drinks and tasty food!

Relaxed atmosphere with attentive staff and good food.

French restaurant with good food and service. What more do you want! A little noisy when full

Amazing food and service! Great weekly rituals to explore menu!

Brilliant light set lunch, excellent service. Second time here and god value, at £20 for the set lunch menu. More importantly, it was delicious and the service exemplary.

Just had a wonderful time at Gazette with my family. Great food and some of the best service ever with great detail with a couple of our party with very complex allergy issues. Death with great enthusiasm by both our servers Cairo and Simon. We will definitely be visiting again Fabulous evening on many fronts 👍

Excellent place for brunch! We visited on Sunday morning for breakfast and booked a table. We were surprised when we arrived as there was no one else there! This place is a hidden gem in Putney offering high class food and service. They should advertise their breakfast/ brunch options as they all seemed quite tasty but I initially didn’t book as I didn’t realise they offered breakfast and brunch. I’d definitely recommend the tasty food and wonderful attentive service. We will be back!

Delicious food and friendly staff. Really cosy vibes. Feels like you’re in France!

The food is very good and the price is reasonable. The waiter is also very enthusiastic. I like this restaurant very much。

Short version: Avoid. The place needs new management and fresher seafood. Longer version: This restaurant should, by any accounts be fabulous but it's let down by poor management and questionable seafood quality. Starters: the plain bagette bread and butter was very nice. The prawns were so crumbly that they were anything but fresh, the onion soup lacked any croutons or substance, and the pate was passable at best. Mains : here we had a bit more luck, in that the steaks (both the filet streaks and the Skirt steak were decent enough) and the steak tartare was well received and properly prepped at the table. The duck margret, on the other hand, was far too tough. Sides are hit and miss: the bone marrow and spinach were good but the French fries and gratin dauphenois left much to be desired. Deserts were generally good. Management was just generally poor and the waiting staff seemed harrased and understaffed. Was not impressed on that count at all. For the management alone, I wouldn't recommend or return to this restaurant.

It is impossible to rate an experience which did not happen. We were greeted by a closed notice on the door. Disappointed that the restaurant did not feel it appropriate to contact pre booked diners

A friendly smile never goes awry. Vegetarian fare very limited. Good house Malbec wine but at £19 for half a bottle - yikes, it should be. I haven't lived in London for 18 years so I find prices a tad eye-watering.

We arrive at 21:40 google says close at 10:30 we drove from clapahm we are regular and at the door we been told kitchen already closed !! I asked why time it’s closing time and the reply was kitchen it’s closed!! Sorry but you lost a customer!!

Nice small interesting well priced menu. Wish the staff would smile!!

A fair price for extremely good food and very attentive staff, comfy atmosphere and generally a great experience

Had some lovely Oysters followed by an amazing steak tartare, with Rahad (Our server) with his amazing service and presentation skills.

I met a friend there for dinner, the staff are very friendly and I like the general atmosphere of this restaurant. Good choice of wine and the foods good too! 😋

Lovely relaxed impromptu meal. Decent authentic food, cosy environment especially at the back of the restaurant. Good service with friendly attentive staff, without being annoying and overbearing. Averagely priced but would definitely recommend.

I love dining here! The chateaubriand is amazing and always perfectly cooked. Great desserts too, the madaleines and crepes are fantastic. I also love that they serve wine in carafes. Our service tonight (29/02) was, as always, fabulous! The guys (I wish I'd got their names now) were so friendly, accommodating and on the ball. I'd recommend this gorgeous place to anyone.

Had a fantastic time at the Gazette! 💙🤍❤️

Dined here for the first time with my partner, the dish we ordered was cooked to perfection the food was lovely and fast. The service was outstanding from the moment we walked in the door. A special shout out to Cario, he was very tentative and amazing at his job! Will definitely be back. Thank you!!!

Steak melted in the mouth, wine delicious. (Breizh pud average, nothing wrong with it though, but the Chocolat Liege, or whatever, delicious)

Great food. Nice place to gather and have fun.

Special valentines dinner, delicious food and great service.

A lovely little place. The oysters and the steak were really delicious. The bread is a delight.

The restaurant was full and that impacted service as was maybe understaffed. The food was good, but ambience and service was not of the standard of their Battersea one.

Great food and service by rahat

Rahat our server was incredible

Food was bit overpriced and taste was ok. Service was as expected. Not somewhere I’d go back to.

Wonderful place for breakfast with very friendly staff. Would recommend!

Had the pleasure to visit this brasserie and have a quick lunch with my friend last friday. The chef was very kind to create a special dish for me with my favourite roasted winter vegetables and add on top roasted cod. The portion was very small but the flavour was outstanding! My friend had the pork stuffed cabbage with apricots. There were so many dishes on the menu that I want to try, I’ll definitely return. The service is very good too, friendly and accommodating.

Excellent French food with a nice ambiance. Good for a family meal.

Wonderful place, good atmosphere and nice service.

Delicious food, relaxed and cosy atmosphere. Exceptional service from the wonderful waiter - Cairo!

Service and chateaubriand was perfection.

This is one of our usual haunts before a football match and you can't go wrong with a meal at Gazette. Good solid French cooking and we always come away feeling satisfied. One gripe, they used to do the steak tartar as starter and was a favourite of ours, but it's been taken off the menu and you can only get it as a main now. That aside, if you're looking for good French food in Putney you can stop looking. This is the best French restaurant in the area.

This is a great find! Top notch food and service. I definitely recommend this as a casual venue, but perfect as a place for celebrations too.

Cairo was very friendly and made it a 10/10 experience

Great food enjoyed by everyone in our group of 5.

Delicious! We will definitely come back

Lovely food - very full of flavour. Service was helpful. Venue was dog friendly too - thank you Gazette Putney for allowing us to sit inside your restaurant with our little four-legged boy!

The perfect local restaurant I often visit when I miss French food. The cuisine is always great, the menu is diverse and the staff very helpful, and prices are very reasonable. Madeleine and soufflé are to try, tartare is prepared in front of you, the express lunch is typical of a French brasserie, quick, efficient and good. Dinner setting to meet friends or simply to enjoy being out.

It was brilliant and I’d go again in a second. Michael our waiter was outstanding and made me the best steak tartare! Thank you

Delicious breakfast. I had the champignon and a Nutella crepe, absolutely delightful. And certainly not a ‘petit’ dejeuner for the Champignon! Great portion size! Wonderful place, do check it out! (Great soundtrack of French music as well)

Delicious meal with fun and attentive staff. Will be going back

What an amazing meal with wonderful staff! 10/10 will definitely return.

We keep coming back here, very good food, comfortable and conveniently located. Just one star less in overall because nothing specifically memorable other than the friends I have been together with.

Food was awful won't be returning...duck was tastless and the presentation left a lot to be desired...and expensive as well...waste of good money .

Literally the best mushroom risotto I've ever had in my life. They even let me take home what I couldn't finish in a little box 🥹 and even next day it was phenomenal.

Excellent. ! In every way catered for my disabled aunt.

EDIT Aug.2023 : Being back this time, and the standard has downgraded. Manager tried to help but won't return. Seafood is not fresh. Very expensive and the Chef has definitely changed for worse. Great! We went to this restaurant as its always busy so we also wanted to try 😊 great wine, fresh food, delicious deserts🙏the staff was lovely, we booked before hand. Definitely to repeat! Thank you to all the team! Photos below👇

The duck was disappointingly tough and underseasoned but the rest of the meal was delicious. The escargot and créme brulee were the best I've had outside of Paris. Nice little bistro with an impressive bar selection, tucked away on the south bank.

Being french i was not impressed by the tartare full of ketchup and oil. Came twice, service is consistently poor (starter was forgotten during second visit, waitress new better than me on french food during first visit). Fries are very palm-oil-dry and everybody seems to use coupons so if you pay full price you’re a fool. On the positive side, bavette was good (have it blue!) and fairly good cheese plate to finish your wine

Good food no complaints but nothing exceptional. Would recommend the tarte tatin(apple tart)

Large party so service wasn't especially quick but the food was good

Here you are in for a treat if you like oyster, mussels and beef tartar! Service is good and Simon is a great host.

Had brunch here. Great portion sizes and tasty food - very good value for money.

We went in early July. This was about the third or fourth time we have been in the course of 18 months or so. The first time was so good, I came back. I’m afraid to say that the quality of food has declined at each visit. A friend and myself ate about three musses before stopping as they weren’t fresh. They certainly were not off, but the taste was very unpleasant and we could not eat anymore. The frites weren’t great either, they just tasted like bog standard frozen chips. The goats cheese salad starter was fine, nothing exciting. However, the one I had a year ago was far better. The wines were good. The service was slow but they were very busy. The best thing I ate that evening was the spinach with garlic and butter- a vegetable side dish. The manager could see that we had left our mains practically uneaten and immediately offered to take them off the bill. I was appreciative of that. Despite the gesture, I will not be returning and won’t be choosing to spend my hard earned cash on a special evening meal there. However, the lunch rapide menu seems to have received better reviews, so I may try that in the future.

Food was perfectly nice, but sadly it was overshadowed by the atmosphere. It was a special celebration and we were put in the back surrounded by lots of kids. We asked to change table, which was perfectly reasonable in a half empty restaurant on a Friday night, but the waiter didn’t allow us to.

Good food good atmosphere and good quick service