Stunning Location And Menus
With the current hot weather we have been experiencing how wonderful to find a restaurant with a genuine outdoor eating area. Located in the countryard of a Grade 11 listed building in Wandsworth SW18, Le Gothique is the only al fresco dining area that is a full time garden and not somewhere tacked onto a fume filled pavement or somewhere they keep the dustbins in cooler months. Dine among flowing hanging baskets and neatly manicured lawns. The fact that the food is also good is a bonus. The waiter informs me that the reataurant has been going for 20 years. And yet I only discovered it this summer. There is an indoor area located on a mezzanine floor above a High Gothic bar area. Wine prices look average for the area but what I paricularly liked was the Ballards Best real ale from a micro brewery in Hampshire. I have visited three times since my original visit and can report both food and service is consistent. Infact, the restaurant has that rare thing for London, permanent staff. I believe on quieter nights it is possible to visit the gothic cellars . All in all a fun and highly unusual place.    [31 Aug 2003 15:05:21]

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Recommended Dishes: Red Snapper And Prawn Brochette

     ­Jill Boond, NHS Nurse   

Poor experience that left a sour taste in the mouth
Things started badly when we were shouted at for entering through the wrong door. Can believe it has been going for 20 years as that would seem the last time it was decorated or the menu was changed. Decidedly average and dated bistro fare with veg steamed to mush. Dined there with friends on a local half price food offer. Bill arrived at full price despite having checked the proption before we dined. Spoke to manager, was called a "Bas***d". Intimidated and shouted at some more. In the end had to leave as felt in danger. Did get food at half price (and to be fair that was all it was worth) but had to pay a £25 top table booking fee on top. I have never had an experience quite like it, nor wish to again. For the £155 we paid for 2 courses each plus a bottle of wine and 4 gin and tonics we could have eaten just about anywhere else in Wandsworth and had a much better experience.    [19 Nov 2004 06:40:28]

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     ­David   dairylee033 at hotmail dot com

I was very disappointed to find that the restaurant was not quite what I was expecting, being both smaller and frankly less grand that I had been led to believe. Compared to other restaurants in the area, I would have to say the food was really only average, especially considering the relatively high prices. Still I thought it was worth it since we had booked on a special deal, which meant the food was half price - as the waitress told us when she gave us the menus before we ordered.

We were therefore surprised when the bill showed the full charge for the food. When we queried it we were suddenly told that because the booking had been made on-line and not over the phone, there was a commission charge of £25 to pay, and that we could not possibly expect to get both the half price food and not pay the commission. Considering there was no mention of this commission fee on the web site used, and we had been told before ordering our food would be half price, the sudden aggressive attitude of the owner and his staff was both surprising and very disappointing. We tried to explain the situation, but were never allowed to finish. Eventually, just wanting to get out as quickly as possible, we agreed to pay the additional £25 booking charge, although we now bitterly regret that, especially as the bill also included service, which up to that point had been OK.

Unfortunately this experience has left such a bitter taste in our mouths we will not    [19 Nov 2004 09:23:26]

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     ­Bush   main at yandex dot com

Aggressive owner, rude staff, dirty restaurant, poor food. Seems like a Soho tourist clip joint. God help people who have their weddings there.    [27 Nov 2006 13:50:20]

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     ­Anonymous   

Poor Quality, Rude Staff.
Poor quality food served very quickly by rude staff. Why has nobody bought this place and converted it? I could not locate the High Gothic bar area that the previous correspondent mentioned, all I could find was a poky bar with rather tacky decor. One of the staff told me that this was, indeed, the High Gothic bar. We should have gone at that point, but decided to stay in the way one finds it hard not to watch a car crash. The food was incredibly boring and tiresome, alas, I can find no redeeming features.    [29 Mar 2007 08:37:37]

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     ­Mark