Terroirs

This is definitely a wine bar first and restaurant second. Taken that way round, it almost works - bar the fact that it is laid out like a very tightly packed French bistro! The tables are really there to be eaten from. So, taken that way round, the food was very disappointing. Service was, apart form the maitre d', very amateurish - young kids who knew next to nothing about the food. The food itself? We had some charcuterie, which was okay, nothing startling. We've had much better (the Bull and Last's, as one example), and the clams we had again were okay (many were closed), but we've had better (Barrafina). The green salad's dressing I had was not properly mixed, leaving dollops of mustard over it. And the "smoked cod's roe" was essentially roe-flavoured mayonnaise - very oily and not very nice to eat. The next table's jamon looked extremely cheap and nasty medium pink colour. The gentlemen next to us had had some bad service issues, and were promised a free meal at a later date! And our table, well, I was on the wall side, and when the loaded up the tables next to us, I literally couldn't get out - maybe part of a charming bistro experience in Paris, but not here! We just wanted to get out, frankly. Oh, and it wasn't cheap either. Finally, yes, we had a bottle of wine, which was very nice, but it might have been nice had they keep it cold for us, and not just plonked it down on the table.
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Alan Flett
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Monday, July 19, 2010

I had the panacotta here and it was so good it made me want to weep.

Primarily I come here for the wines....great list and some of the staff are very informative. makes a change to order wine with people who know their job...which doesn't normally happen in less expensive places.

There is one young man in particular who is extremely wine savvy, you almost get the feeling he grew up breathing wine into his veins...he is a great asset to the team.

Food is generally good, there are some dishes like the clams which I wouldn't order again only because frankly I can knock one up myself in the time it takes to pop a champagne cork. oger-salting is sometimes an issue. The charcuterie is wonderful, particularly the pistachio and pork terrine.

I suggest you sit yourself down at the bar order a round of shimmering oysters, fin de claire variety here and always sublime. then have some charcuterie...all accompanied by a recommended wine...you can languish over this or adjourn to a main such as juicy bavette steak.

i've had starters only, desserts only, wine only or the full works here... and its all welcomed. you dont need to feel you have to order a main meal...it's all very relaxed in that way the french do so well.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, June 17, 2010

Took my wife and a couple of friends on a Saturday evening. We ate at a table in the bar upstairs - downstairs was booked out.

Absolutely outstanding. What a gem. Loved everything about this place.

It's done out in a very simple, unpretentious way and the atmosphere was very informal and relaxed.

The wine list is superb: so much interest, variety and sheer off the wall craziness. Extremely fairly priced too. If you're not feeling too creative or adventurous let the staff take the reins. All recommendations hit the spot and exceeded expectations. We had a couple of bottles of the excellent house champagne (Philipponnat Royale Reserve) which was spot on at a reasonable £45. There was a very nice Provence rose, then an incredibly smokey Loire white (more like single malt whisky in bouquet than anything vinious I've previously drunk - but lovely and refreshing in the mouth). Finally an excellent Burgundy pinot noir, which was everything it should have been (and far more than we expected it to be for thirty odd quid). I know we drank an awful lot, but it was kiddy in a sweet shop time... Be brave and you'll be rewarded.

The menu upstairs is very short, but none the worse for that. Of the mains the woodcock (or was it quail? I didn't order it - but did manage to pinch a leg) was excellent, much tastier than so small a foul has any right to be. The charcuterie was first class (especially the duck rillettes).

Of the small plates the smoked eel was a real star - so fresh tasting. And the girls were crazy for the (huge, spanking fresh, luminous) king prawns. (The chacuterie plus three small plates was ample for two chaps with big appetities - thanks to the staff we didn't over order)

The only dish I wouldn't repeat was the snails. Lacked a bit of tautness somehow.

The food was very good value for the quality.

And the staff. They're the only element iIve seen seriously criticised in other reviews. On Saturday they were charm and verve personified. The pixie-ish red-headed French manageress with her surprised, intrigued eyes, set the tone. Capable, relaxed, knowlegable, helpful, skilled and professional. The Australian waitress (and this is a first for me) was brilliant, gently steering us in the right direction with the wines. The pace of service was perfect.

Don't go if you like flashy, formal, or "fine dining" restaurants. Go if you appreciate effortless excellence done with relaxed elegance.
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Kwev
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, May 25, 2010

They really espouse the slow food ethos in the kitchen and cellar of this centrally located gem. Well worth tracking down as it's a great place to enjoy a glass of wine and a couple of light plates after work.
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www.grumblinggourmet.com - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Saturday, April 24, 2010

I went to this restaurant as soon as they opened and had dinner at the counter bar, having a great night, with a very nice bottle of wine and some charcuterie and cheese to enjoy, it was very good.

Not too long ago, I returned to the restaurant, opened downstairs, with a slightly different menu from upstairs...IT WAS GREAT!

Friendly staff, great wine and the Roast Landaise Chicken was supreme!

Wonderful place to enjoy a glass of wine by the bar counter or a full delicious dinner downstairs.
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Martin R. - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, March 19, 2010

I met up with my lovely wife in town last week and as we were around Charing Cross we decided to give Terroirs a go. We usually go to "Gordons" when we are around there but that is more of drinking dive and probably not the most comfortable for a heavily pregnant lady. We walked and were greeted and initially shown to a rustic rickety table upstairs, the waitress then saw my wife would need more room and we were shown to a much more comfortable booth table. The room itself is quite small with tables clustered around the open kitchen/bar and an upstairs mezzanine dining area. There are lots of nice old french posters around the walls which inject a bit of much needed charm into a fairly sterile basement. They have a more formal dining room downstairs but as it was lunchtime a quick casual lunch was the order of the day.

The food menu is quite limited as the emphasis is on small light dishes to accompagny your wine. Having said that they looked interesting and the fact you can see them being cooked adds to the charm. I would describe it as french tapas. They had a huge wine menu which would have been a lot of fun to go through but instead I opted for a solitary glass of red that came with day's special of a chickpea and chorizo stew. It looked small but delivered big on flavour and was very substancial. The waitress had recommended we order some bread which was handy for soaking up the lovely juices. Very tasty indeed. My wife was a little stuck with the menu as a lot of the pates and cheese she couldn't indulge in. She settled on the tartiflette which is a wonderful concotion of cheese and potatoes served in a earthenware dish. Really tasty and very filling.

We decided to give the desserts a miss though they did look very nice. All in all a very good meal and certainly interesting enough to get me to visit again particularly to try the wine. It's not the greatest restaurant space in London but when it fills up and the food and drink are flowing it has a very nice buzz. The service was friendly if a little slow. I felt the staff were a little casual at times, it took ages to pay which is always a minor annoyance. The bill was very reasonable for the standard of food we had had. It was certainly better value than some of the tapas bars in the area. Well worth a detour to try.
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david ginsberg - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I was really disappointed with Terroirs. We went there last night and despite having booked a table for 2030, were not fed until nearly 2200. Our group of 5 generally enjoyed the starters (the eggs en meurette could have been hotter but were otherwise very tasty), although the scallops were variable: some were overcooked and disgustingly stringy, whilst others were closer to sushi!

DO NOT under any circumstances go for the roast chicken for 2: ours was badly cooked. I definitely will not return, particularly as this is by no means a cheap place: such a shame as the restaurant has a lovely ambience and, from what I've read of the reviews, great potential.
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Harriet
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 1
Thursday, February 04, 2010

This place has raised the bar for informal, good food with a stellar wine list.

The focus is of course on the wine, but where they have struck gold is the fact that the food is such a wonderful accompaniment and reasonably priced too.

I won't list the amazing wine i've tried, my advice is to choose your food and then ask one of the well informed staff to make the wine suggestion. tell them what you like in a wine eg, dry, sweet and let them guide you. TIP: be adventureous and try new flavours! Natural wines have big personalities and are vivacious without tunrning your head into a pulsating mss the next day.

Food highlights on recent visits have been: fantastic charcuterie selection...great for a quick drink at the bar...(there are many superb bar snacks to try)

or for dinner: Bavette with bone marrow: a sumptuous slab of steak cooked to perfection, topped with creamy bone marrow, with a refreshing dressing of parsley. It was sublime.

seafood lovers will be happy with sparklingly fresh fin de claires oysters...and the great thing is you can order them singly. also available are grilled langoustines and scallops...again you can order singly for a great selection.

Deserts are also tantalising, i've tried the salted caramel crepes and the bitter chocolate pot. Both wonderful.

Lastly, ignore the reviews which describe the staff as rude. i have found them all charming, informative and engaging.
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Maria Christofi
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, December 11, 2009

Such a terrific place! I've been there several times and still very very far to be tired of (if I ever will).

The concept is just simple and perfect: authentic (and generous) food combined by real wine. The buzzy atmosphere is a plus to consider.

London catering industry has moved a big step forward after this opening.

I heartily recommend it..
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, December 03, 2009

I am a regular at Terroirs, having been there at least 10 times.

Even if the place is always very busy the staff are really friendly and you enjoy your time there even when you need to spend some time at the bar waiting for your table. The atmosphere is very nice, and the quality of food as well as the wines are always a fantastic treat,
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Dario Poddana
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Thursday, December 03, 2009