Truc Vert Restaurant Mayfair

I haven't visited a French restaurant for ages, so when an invitation popped in my inbox to visit one such restaurant in Mayfair Truc Vert, I was looking forward to seeing how it would measure up.

Tucked down a street off Mayfair on the corner of Lees Place and Audley Street sits the airy restaurant, which to be honest wouldn't be out of place on the French Riviera. The restaurant is actually named after an idyllic beach on the South West coast of France.

On the evening we visited it was warm and many customers were sitting outside in the last of the Summer sunshine, chatting away and sipping wine. 

The inside of the restaurant has a homely feel with huge vaulted ceilings and with a good selection of tables. 

The menu offers a number of starters that I would have happily tried but in a French restaurant nothing beats Escargots served in Bourguignon sauce and warm bread (£7.50).

The snails were incredibly garlicky to be honest I could have cleared the whole restaurant. 

Our next starter was blackened Scallops with fennel purée and lemon (£12).

Not sure why they were described as blackened scallops on the menu as they definitely had not been cooked on a skillet and there was no real caramelisation. That said the purée was a great accompaniment. 

For the mains we opt for the Duo of Duck (Braised Leg & Roasted Breast) served with buttered spinach, portobello mushroom, shallot, sweet potato purée & orange honey sauce (£18.95).

The flavour of the duck with the orange and honey sauce was lovely but the duck was overcooked (you don't say that often in a French restaurant). 

Next up was Grilled Lamb Cutlet served with baby carrots, beans, cauliflower mousses & rosemary jus (£24.50).

The lamb chops were chunky, perfectly cooked and the cauliflower mousse worked really well. 

I must admit that by this point I was really rather full, but reviewing the menu Truc Vert seemed to offer some yummy desserts. 

My dining companion opts for Chocolate Fondant served with vanilla ice cream (£6.95). 

What a disappointment the dessert was little more than a flattened shallow cake and at £6.50 was seriously overpriced. 

For me one of the treats of visiting France is their wonderful crepes. So my choice was very easy, Chocolate and Banana Crepe (£3.50).

Nutella just cannot be beaten, I seriously could eat a whole jar. The pancakes were delicious. 

Overall a rather mixed meal, not really traditionally French, but Truc Vert offers a simple dining experience in a relaxed and comfortable environment. 

If you are in and around Oxford Street shopping or visiting Mayfair it is worth popping in for a quiet meal. 

Do you like French cuisine? If you could have any meal what would it be?

www.trucvert.co.uk



*Thank you very much to Truc Vert restaurant for an enjoyable evening. Our meal was complimentary for the purposes of a review, but this is an honest and fair reflection of the restaurant and our meal.