La Grande Bouffe

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

I have eaten at LGB regularly ever since it opened and it is always a great pleasure, whether for breakfast lunch or dinner. My partner and I chose it for our mother's day breakfast (and took along bub), we've had get togethers with family and friends, and amongst friends it's always suggested. The food is never disappointing, the service is definitely friendly and you'll pay much more for something very average just up the road and indeed at many other places in the inner west

I was actually shocked at the negative reviews I've seen here and just can't believe what's been written given the number of times I have been to LGB and had a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience. But the popularity of the place speaks volumes above these one off gripe. It is always busy but they do their best to get you in, and cope well with the bustling morning crowds. At night it's much more refined and relaxed. I think that the food is well deserving of a hat in the SMH food guide and I was quite surprsied, it didn't get a hat this year. It is far better than the dingy place it replaced ( I only went in once, it was dark and cluttered), while LGB is a breath of fresh air to the food in the area. In fact the inner west really needs more places like LGB!

Jun 06, 2006 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

I took a friend here from the UK. She works for Elle magazine and regularly dines out with clients at some of London's top restaurants. She said the food at LGB was better than Gordon Ramseys new place! I have to say that Ashley reeds food was some of the best food I have had in sydney for a long time. The pork rack was cooked to perfection, and melted in my mouth, as was the lamb. The chocolate fondant tased as good as it looked, oozing from the inside. My lemon tart was amazing. Our french waiter Daniel oozed as much charm as the fondant! A wonderful evening, keep it up.

Apr 03, 2006 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

I've been to this restaurant three times and every time it was an excellent experience. The food was excellent. I actually dreamt about the chocolate fondant the very next night! The service was excellent and the only criticism I would have is that it was a bit loud at times.

Mar 21, 2006 

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

This is one of those typical French restaurant which you immediately like to add to your "regular favorites list". The food is good, old fashioned French cuisine (Escargot a l'ail, Tournedos Rosini, Moeilleux au Chocolat). This combined with a good, yet not extravagant choice of French wines and French waiters and owner, and you could feel in France. It is not the most exquisite French food we have had so far (Marque would definitely be on top then), but it is a place where you go on a Friday or Saturday night to enjoy a nice three course French meal without too much fringes. And that's what is so good about this place.

Mar 20, 2006 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  9     

Excellent French food, Parisian waiter on the night with a genuine "Bon Soir"...and it only got better from there - simply the best French food I've had in Australia. Portions were appropriate, flavours balanced and the menu gave me more choices than I had appetite. I'll be checking it out for brunch, next. I only wish the road was a little further away from the tables.

Mar 08, 2006 

7 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  6     

Went for a mate's birthday. We were slightly disappointed with the food and the proportions. What was lacked in food I guess was made up for in service, as the service was brilliant.

Mar 07, 2006 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Booked late for the Valentine's Day set menu. Although smallish portions, the food was excellent, well prepared and presented. A request was met with no fuss. Good wines by the glass. Nice to still get an authentic French experience.

Feb 17, 2006 

3.8 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  3     

We headed off to La Grand Buffe for a romantic meal in a little French bistro. Overall the look of the place was gorgeous. Pity about the rest. We each ordered the steak, my boyfriend with a herb sauce and mine with an average bernaise sauce. The steak looked like a cut of steak resembling chuck steak. It was not cooked to request. The vegetables were cooked grape tomatoes and celery, left overs from the fridge or cutting board. Their only saving grace was their french fries. Garlic bread came halfway through dinner after we cancelled it, so we told them we weren't paying for it. We didn't want dessert and we fled after paying a hefty bill for a bad meal and very unsatisfactory service.

Feb 10, 2006 

5.8 Average

Food  5      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  3     

I was disappointed with La Grande Bouffe. I work in the area and walk past it most days. The space it's in is lovely - a great room, nicely decorated.

We had a staff lunch there the other day. I ordered the baby snapper fillet. The snapper itself was lovely (small - although they did say "baby"), but the accompaniment left a lot to be desired. The snapper was meant to be on a bed of walnuts, blue cheese, apple and cauliflower. There was a reasonable amount of cauliflower, but literally about two or three walnuts broken into pieces, and half an index finger's worth of cheese. I managed to put together a couple of mouthfuls where I got enough of everything to taste it and it was really very good. But the majority of the meal was fairly bland as I tried to distribute the accompaniment enough to make them last as long as the fish.

Others at my table had the wagyu beef, which was meant to be medium rare. It came our very seriously bloody - barely rare, I would describe it. It was a shame - two or three more walnuts and cheese I could actually have tasted and I'd have raved about the quality of the food, but instead I have to give a general thumbs down. This did not feel like value to me.

Feb 03, 2006 

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  1     

Our Sunday brunch experience here was atrocious and I can safely say we will not return. The waiting staff managed to get our order wrong, charged us $8 for 4 small pieces of black pudding and then tried to double-charge us for two of the meals. Portion sizes are very small by local standards and the food quality mediocre at best. We were very disappointed by the whole experience.

Jan 19, 2006