I have to admit to a little trepidation when I checked out the menu for Bistro Vadouvan. I love classic French food but in the wrong hands, the idea of adding spice to a pâté de campagne or harissa to a bouillabaisse could be disastrous. But, I was reassured when I arrived to be greeted by none other than Uttam Tripathy, the owner of Potli, one of my favourite Indian restaurants.
Amazing food and amazing service. Will definitely be going back here soon. All the dishes have such unique flavours. The wine recommendation was perfect also. It complimented our food well. We were a group and had a great evening.
Really pleasant surprise. The ambience is really nice. Service was polite, professional and they knew the menu well, spot on recommendations. Food was really good; fresh ingredients and amazing flavours. The set menu is a very good option, good value for money. I'll be back.
What can I say. The food at this establishment is absolutely out of this world! Seeing the location, I had prepared to be disappointed but the meal I had (Iberico Pork Chop) was quite possibly one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. My companion had the lamb which was equally as good.
Service was a little strained and surly, hence the 4 stars rather than 5 but highly recommended for the food.
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Well well well, isn’t Putney Wharf rather lovely! It was my first time visiting this lovely area to dine at French Asian-fusion restaurant, Bistro Vadouvan . With the sun out, it is a real bonus that you can dine al fresco in the spacious outside area overlooking the river. The contemporary interior with plush blue chairs and gorgeous lighting offers a relaxed atmosphere in this restaurant in Putney.
The menu has been executed and delivered by Durga Misra, who has a wealth of experience in India and the UK. He has worked alongside Eric Chavot at the 2 Michelin star Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge. Most he was recently Head Chef at Brasserie Chavot in Mayfair.
The idea of “French & Spice” is to mix traditional French cuisine with Middle Eastern and Asian influences with lighter but seasoned flavours. The name Bistro Vadouvan comes from the blend of spices originating from French colonial influence in the Pondicherry region of India.
We had the Chorizo Flat Bread with ricotta and rocket from the chef’s specials menu to share. The flavours worked exceptionally well together, making for a light flatbread with a hint of spice from the chorizo. We hope that this makes it on to the permanent menu!
We also sampled the Burrata, asparagus, romesco, pine nuts and olive salsa from the specials menu. Occasionally Burrata can be a little bland but the salsa really brightened this dish and I loved the addition of asparagus.
To accompany our meal we had a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc, Domaine La Croix Gratiot, Languedoc, France. The wine had vibrant citrus, pear and spice notes with pure stone fruit flavours. A light but tasty wine at a reasonable £28.
We both opted for the popular Lamb & Merguez winter warmer: Slow cooked shoulder of Lamb, tahini yoghurt, Yemeni zough. Not sure what to expect, I was surprised at how spectacular this dish was. The lamb literally melted in your mouth, the addition of the spicy sausage was amazing and the sauce was tangy. A really wonderful dish by Durga Mistra.
Again from the special menu we had the Strawberry and lemon verbena cornetto, pistachio crème brulee. An innovative dish presented beautifully with the cornetto in a small glass pot – the creme brulee was creamy and delicious but not too heavy. The verbena in the cornetto was not to my taste sadly but that is just personal preference. We also had the Floating Island a blend of meringue and custard like a creme caramel.
The concept of French & Spice works for Bistro Vadouvan. The dishes are inventive and flavoursome without being too rich. With lovely surroundings by the river and friendly service, a trip to Bistro Vadouvan restaurant in Putney is recommended.
Tip: Visit between Wednesday – Friday from midday to 2.45pm on the lunch deal. You can get two courses for £15 and three courses for £18, which is an absolute bargain.
Highly recommended if you favour french fusion food. I've never been disappointed with the fare here. They plate very well but in the end the flavour is what jumps out at you - their underlined French + spice certainly comes through.
It was simply delicious. Service was great too.
They have very good ingredients which is very noticeable in every dish.
Flavours are delicate and fresh!
I will definitely come back
My gin & tonic came with cucumber, presumably Hendricks, and although I don't object to Hendricks, I do object to cucumber. For more than a century staff will ask if you wish ice and lemon in your G&T, but now in the "Hendricks era", it is too often assumed we all want cucumber.
The Cornish seabass, greens, cuscus, followed by the Treacle sponge, were all pretty good, and the staff, although a little shy and inexperienced, are polite enough.
Nice cozy atmosphere and friendly staff. The food is delicious with exotic flavours however some of the mains may be small in portion if you are hungry.
Beautiful french cuisine you get the french feeling as soon as you walk in. Small menu but what they produced was really nice. We had an issue with our drinks taking a long time to come but the manager corrected this asap and granted us two free drinks which was very professional and what ud expect definitely will return
Absolutely breathtaking dishes. Exquisite service and a good selection of wines. A pure gem.
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