Chez Bruce
Modern European restaurant · Balham ·
Modern French dining, extensive cheese board, simply decorated
Modern French dining, extensive cheese board, simply decorated
"For a romantic date I’d suggest Chez Bruce; I often think of it as a lovely nearby choice and I particularly enjoy their desserts." - Andrew Young
"When you think of a perfect date night restaurant, do you think of white tablecloths? Are there impeccably suited staff? Does a plate with ‘Happy Anniversary’ in chocolate calligraphy feature? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then Chez Bruce is the haute French restaurant of your dreams. The Balham institution is a go-to for so many. Look past the generous lobster raviolo, beyond the glistening chateaubriand, and you’ll see a low-lit dining room full of intense eye contact and gleaming rocks on fingers." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley
"“[Chez Bruce is] my ultimate London restaurant. The food is sublime and there seems to be an endless supply of really interesting [things] at a good price, like mature Raveneau Chablis, which is hard to find. They would have done that classic old-school restaurateur thing of buying it 10 years ago and squirreling it away to age, then getting it out of storage and putting it on their list. That's something that old restaurants like La Tour d'Argent in Paris would do. That's why the Chez Bruce cellar is so good, because they have bought many wines on release and they stored them, and they've got impeccable provenance. There are also many good-value, interesting choices and up-and-coming producers. They keep their ear to the ground.”" - brennan carley
"This old-school French classic in Balham is the type of place you might go to for a fidgety third date before finding yourself back there on your 50th anniversary. Chez Bruce is a certified mainstay, all white tablecloths and servers you want to adopt, plus the bread on arrival is some of the best you’ll find in London. If you’re able to keep your eyes off each other, the food—comforting and rich hare cavatelli, or a breathalyser-adverse rum baba—is reliably delicious, too." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna
"Going to Chez Bruce is a little like going back in time via Balham. Suited staff serve you warm bread. Couples hold hands across the crisp white tablecloths. There are baked alaskas served all over the humming dining room. You get the feeling that everyone could be discussing what to make of that hot young thing Julia Roberts. The menu is based on the foundation of classic French technique—note the lobster raviolo the size of a tennis ball on the menu. But also has some sometimes good, sometimes odd alternative flourishes: miso glaze, gremolata, and the like." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, daisy meager, sinead cranna