Permanently Closed - Bistro Vadouvan
The concept was born as the allure of traditional French cuisine - using cream, butter and fats is on the wane - despite the flavours still being hugely popular and much loved.
Introducing two clay ovens, a bespoke BBQ section and subtle elements of Middle Eastern and Asian spices to classical French dishes gives a lighter, contemporary touch to the food, that brings out the best in the cuisine while being more in keeping with today’s tastes.
Menu
Friends visiting from the US
Wonderful experience. Excellent taste and great service.
Delicious freshly prepared food which crosses over french and Indian flavours. Competitively priced with an interesting wine list.
Great food but empty! Sort your marketing out!
Hands down the best restaurant in Putney. I almost don’t want others to know ...
Exceptionally good flavors and food, first time there, I'll definitely return!
The food here was something special and the service was to match!
The food here is simply excellent. The flavours are divine!! The ambience is a bit rubbish but ignore that and have yourself a very special meal
Fabulous food. We had just spent a week in France and this was better than anything we ate in France.
Food was very good
Service very bad. No one to welcome you when entering the restaurant, slow service and lack of experience (was a young guy, no one helping him). I am not fussy sonhad a great time but since leaving a review this is how I felt
Place is nice , could improve ambience with lower lights. Crowd is a bit on the old side. Food very good quality
Delicious food and great service but sadly a bit empty. They deserve more and I would definitely recommend a visit.
I booked this restaurant for my husband’s birthday and I am delighted I did. Everything we had was very nicely presented and very tasty. My 12 year old who can be difficult with food loved the sea bass with curried cauliflower. The service was very attentive and the dishes served at a nice pace making for a relaxing dinner. I am surprised we had not tried this restaurant before. It is now one of our favourite in Putney and we will be back for sure. Some reviewers have commented on price.... this is quality food with an attentive service.
We came here on a quiet Sunday evening. There were only two other tables dining at the same time.
The food was amazing. Really well considered and beautifully presented. Definitely the best restaurant we've been to in Putney, and would definitely travel from other parts of London to come here.
It seemed a shame that the restaurant was so quiet when other restaurants along the high street were much busier that evening. I expect they don't get much footfall, but this is definitely worth a 2 minute detour off the high street.
Highly recommend and will be back!
This was a return visit. We brought friends who were very impressed and plan to return.
Excellent lamb, fish and sides. No room for dessert.
Well done once again.
Amazing cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere with a nicely decorated cozy restaurant.
The eclectic mixture of gastronomic Michelin French cuisine with a middle eastern twist is perfectly balanced. Great products perfectly cooked and finally something different!
Excellent and original food. Warm welcome. We will come back !
Visited several times and enjoy a different approach to familiar ingredients. Consistently good food and service makes for an enjoyable evening with friends.
Very much enjoyed our visit - Nice outside dining area, great food and pleasant and attentive service.
Best Bistro in town! I love the environment and the service. The food is extraordinarily wonderful.
My family went to celebrate my birthday on Bank Holiday Monday and we all had a lovely time. Food as usual was outstanding and service excellent. Would definitely recommend a visit.
Excellent food and service. Our favourite restaurant. The lamb shoulder is wonderful.
We will continue to keep coming back to Bistro Vadouvan. Every meal we have had here has been outstanding - it is clear the chef has a passion for fusing unique flavours and items in a way that has yet to disappoint, and the staff is always friendly and engaging. Can not recommend the restaurant enough.
Had dinner here on Sunday evening 7 April, after the London Boatrace. Had expected a full house, but it was very quiet indeed. Food was amazing, so tasty and using lots of amazing flavors. Service was friendly and personal. Highly recommended.
Creative cuisine using fresh ingredients and original flavour combinations. Delicious crab salad and grilled fish
Nice place, we went before 6:30 so the place was empty which suited us. It got busier as the night went on.
Staff were attentive, food very tasty and they even did something special for my partners birthday.
Service is always good, food is fantastic. Get the lamb! Our favorite place to go.
Nice service and just right for a quick lunch, with enough choice on the set menu
Excellent and imaginative set lunch with welcoming service.
Very good food - would go back again. The lamb was so well cooked!
Great food
Bistro Vadouvan was wonderful all around. The food was all excellent and unique, and good value. My husband and I ate here for our anniversary dinner, and really enjoyed our experience. The labneh starter was delicious, and the ceviche was super fresh and flavorful. I had the fish with lobster ravioli in an asian-style coconut broth which was wonderful, and my husband raved about his lamb dish. We ended the evening with the passionfruit cheesecake, which was also great. I was sad to see that the restaurant was not very full on a Saturday night, because I really don't want them to go out of business! I will definitely be returning.
Our first visit with local friends - also first timers. Friendly welcome, good atmosphere and an interesting menu, not too long, featuring unusual matching of ingredients with Middle Eastern and Asian spices. We enjoyed very good Seabream Ceviche, Poached Brill and Prawn Ravioli, and Braised Lamb & Merguez. Nice position by the River, with outside seating for warmer weather.
Interesting fusion but definitely more Indian than French. Very tasty food with good suggestions from capable staff. Sadly lacking atmosphere as so few customers at prime time Thursday evening slot. Would return on a busier night.
Many thanks again for a wonderful evening with friends in a comfy surrounding with attentive waiters and absolute amazing food - a fest for your palettes. We love it :)
We had the set lunch, of which the starter was delicious, but the main course of stuffed chicken was worryingly pink. Won't return. Putney still poor for restaurants, with none for fine dining.
Sorry to say our evening was disappointing after reading some good reviews of the place. It was a Friday night but not at all busy, hence atmosphere was almost nil. The service was very slow considering it wasn't busy, and there was nothing to nibble on. We asked for some bread when the starters came, which took a few minutes, and was one very small hot pitta when it arrived, not much between two people and it was added to the bill. Waitress got in a muddle and suggested we look at the dessert menu after our starter, before our mains had come. When my dessert came, it was straight out of the fridge. The food was very nice, but for all the reasons above I'm afraid I won't be going again.
The staff were very helpful and really understanding that my date had allergies to certain foods. He checked with the chef what she could have and explained that they could swap and change things to her liking.
The food itself was amazing, the lamb fell apart in my mouth and the flavour was so good. Definitely a very romantic setting and would recommend Bistro Vadouvan to anyone wanting a relaxing atmosphere with amazing food and equally as amazing staff 👌😊
Superb french based food with african /middle eastern influence, so a little spicy but excellent for our taste
with the various food combinations working very well .
plenty of fish and vegetarian options but we had slow cooked lamb which was very sift and tasty and pheasant which again was excellent.
very attentive service, nice friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
probably the best restaurant in Putney.
Amazing food! Every mouthful was a burst of delicious flavours all completing each other to perfection. Presentation was beautiful too, portions perfect, ingredients fresh and light. This is West End quality food tucked away in a little corner of Putney. Service a little slow and erratic but very willing and kind, and atmosphere a little bland, but the food more than made up for both. Don’t hesitate!
This is the best restaurant in Putney. Food is innovative with its mix of spices and French traditions. It is not over spiced. It is all very fresh. It is friendly and fairly priced. We have eaten here 4 times this year.
