The Glasshouse

The glasshouse, chez Bruce and la tro…(can’t remember the exam name) are my favourite french restaurant in London. Menu changes daily. Just so french.

Exceptional menu, wine and champaign selection. The service is consistently top notch and overall the experience is very good value for the quality. The atmosphere is perfect for a relaxed meal with friends or colleagues, but La Trompette is better for an evening.

Surprise anniversary dinner scheduled by the boy! We got dressed up, and he resisted my persistent questions while we were on the Overground about where we were going.
Our waiter was very accommodating in answering questions I had about the menus, since I frequently had narrowed down to two choices and asked for recommendations. Service in general was outstanding.
Starters: mackerel (me), salmon (him). Both were very good, but I’m going to say the salmon was better. I was jealous.
Main: quinoa (me), lamb (him). Both were delicious. I was thinking about whether quinoa was too boring to order, but I hadn’t had it in ages, and it hit the spot.
I was not in love with their dessert options, so I picked the chocolate mousse… and then when it arrived, remembered that I don’t really like mousse. Oh well! The carrot cake was more to our taste. Nothing wrong with the quality, though.
Turns out they have a system for keeping track of which table has which belongings (i.e. when they take your coat before bringing you to the table). I only found this out because someone wrote the wrong thing somewhere, and I was offered a coat that wasn’t mine, while our umbrella was MIA. But we sorted it out with good humour after a bit.
Overall, it was very good food, and not expensive for this level. I think it’s solid and I’m glad we went, but I would go to explore other restaurants rather than return immediately.

An absolutely delicious lunch on a cold wet day — gorgeous leek and potato soup with masses of garlic, a crispy soft-​shelled crab with asian spices, a perfectly unctious daube of beef risotto with a superb selection of breads.

What do I do when I have a free night? Check out new restaurants with my brothers! We’re fans of Chez Bruce & wanted try La Trompette, however they were closed for refurbishment, but offered a booking at the Glasshouse & a free glass of champagne for our inconvenience… lucky us.
The restaurant itself is cosy & has a modern feel to it. The staff were very accommodating & always served you with a smile.
Food wise they have a set 3 course menu for about £40 for dinner, I had;
Rabbit Tortellini — good dish, but had a tiny bot of egg shell in the pasta!
Roasted Partridge — was slightly overcooked, partridge breast is meant to be slightly pink.
Passion fruit tart with coconut ice cream — not a dessert man but this was my highlight, smooth eggy filling & burnt sugar caramel topping, delicious.
Despite the egg shell & overcooked partridge the food was still a very high standard, service impeccable, we kept asking for more bread & they had no issue with it at all. The waitress was more than happy to recommend dishes & handled our cheeky boisterous behaviour without batting an eyelid!
The sommelier was very knowledgeable, great wine selection & they remembered out champagne, they also took the price of the main off our bill for the slight errors. Overall very enjoyable meal & will be back to this local gem.
Minus 1 star for the mistakes.

I visited The Glasshouse for my mum’s 50^th birthday. The food was out of this world, and I even had my first (and last) taste of fois gras. Despite my carnivorous nature, I’m not usually one for condoning the force-​feeding of innocent farmyard animals in order to knock up an overpriced starter but crikey, it was delicious. As was the rest of the meal, without exception. The quality was fantastic, the service was incredibly efficient, and the location is a lovely, leafy suburb of South-​West London, a stone’s throw from the beautiful botanical gardens at Kew.
Unfortunately, there seems to be this persistent belief that posh food equals serious circumstances. Why?! My lasting memory of The Glasshouse is sadly not the exquisite-​tasting offerings, but the lightly padded walls, heavy grey upholstered chairs, neutral carpet and silent waiters: classy, expensive, terrifyingly oppressive. I felt hugely self-​conscious the whole time I was there, and wasn’t able to enjoy my meal. You couldn’t possibly fault the attentiveness of the serving staff but their constant hovering felt like I was eating under a microscope; and nobody enjoys being watched like a hawk whilst they chew. Plus, more than that, the whole place was just so bloody silent! My family is made up of over-​exuberant big personalities but not one of us felt that we could raise our voices above a whisper. To be fair it was a mid-​week lunchtime but the other diners were miserable-​looking businessmen, which didn’t help in the slightest, and I can’t imagine that it would be exactly jumping, even on a Saturday night.
Perhaps I’m just too immature and lacking in taste to fully appreciate this subdued atmosphere but for me a brilliant dining experience isn’t just about the food. It’s the atmosphere, the company, the memories, the enjoyment, the build-​up, the happiness. I have no doubt that the silent reverence of The Glasshouse is many people’s ideal restaurant but for me, it’s quite the opposite. If my choice is delectable dishes in a silent restaurant or quite good food surrounded by laughter, I’d choose the latter every time. This place is undoubtedly amazing, but it simply isn’t for me.

This place is okay but nothing to write home about and not the quality you’d expect for this level. My foie gras was lovely with brioche a great addition, while my husband’s sea bass sashimi (supplement) was barely any sea bass and mostly fried shrimp (greasy, smell). The beef main we both had was a real let down, very chewy and lousy cut of meat with a few potatoes pieces that could be from a freezer and all so oversalted. That plus a severely overpriced wine list, next time it’s back to The French Table for me.

Having recently been to Chez Bruce for lunch, was lucky enough to get a ½ offer for lunch or dinner at their sister restaurant The Glasshouse. There are a few of the same items on the menu such as the foie gras parfait which is amazing. I started with the salmon ravioli and had the braised lamb for the main course which were both cooked and tasted delicious. Ended the meal with the lemon tart which is probably the best I’ve had.
Overall I think the restaurant is really good but the ambience and food isn’t as good as Chez Bruce (sorry!). Highly recommended.

I took my girlfriend here for her birthday and we loved it. OK it was expensive but for a special occasion what the hell!
The food was fantastic but it should be, my girlfriend was very impressed with the cheeseboard (think large variety of smelly feet).
What impressed me though was how friendly the staff were, for such a fancy restaurant. A special mention should go to the manager and the sommelier who were great fun and made us feel very welcome.
So if your looking for a place that impresses without being opressive then this is the place for you.

They should consider serving ‘death’ with coffee at The Glasshouse, because after you try their Sticky Toffee Pudding with vanilla ice cream, there really is no point in living any more. This meal was a pleasure from start to finish and fully justified the 75 minutes it took to get there.
Situated in the leafy neighbourhood just outside Kew Gardens train station, the dining room is simple and refined. The clientèle seemed as posh as the surroundings, for the scent of wet Barbour was far from subtle and it looked more like a Range Rover dealership outside than a quiet cul-​de-​sac. Nonetheless, us Proles felt at home immediately, assuaged by the fact that we were eating for half-​price, courtesy of a very generous loyalty scheme between The Glasshouse and her sister restaurant Chez Bruce.
To start, a terrine of Foie gras and chicken liver with lentils and green beans served on toasted walnut and raisin bread was deliciously smooth and flavoursome, although I did have slight food envy when the missus’ wood pigeon salad with a deep fried truffle egg arrived (the smell was divine).
I went out on a limb by ordering Calf’s tongue with a chicken and ham raviolo, celeriac mash, roasted carrot, capers and cornichons for a main dish. My gamble paid off as the tongue was just slightly crisp on the surface and very tender inside, accompanied by an excellent sauce that was rich in flavour.
I don’t think dessert needs any more explaining although I will say that the cheese board here looked excellent and only a £5.50 supplement is charged. The wine list is extensive but not intimidating and the sommelier chose the perfect Syrah/​Grenache blend for us from Côtes du Roussillon Villages.
Now, where is that poisoned macchiato I ordered?

Glass House serves truly wonderful food and I should know as I’ve enjoyed many a personal and business meal at this cozy little slice of culinary heaven.
My only regret is that I was not the first to review but all compliments to Yee Gan O.
Go. Enjoy. Bravo!

We came here a few weeks ago and loved it! it was our first experience with a Michelin star rated restaurant. The presentation, service and of course our food was thoughtful and delicious. So if you want to spend a special evening and dont have to look for a credit crunch munch, go here and impress your taste buds you wont be disappointed.
Ah important note: if you want to come here, even for lunch, you should really book in advance. they are well booked and you dont want to be disappointed.
And we will go back this weekend to impress some French friends

This review completes my trio of reviews on the 3 restaurants in this group. The other 2 restaurants are Chez Bruce in Wandsworth and La Trompette in Chiswick. They share similar standards of quiet efficient service, reliable good cooking and a level of refined dining.
So, it was to The Glasshouse’s immense credit that they didn’t bat an eyelid when my friend and I pitched up dressed very casually without a booking and enquired if they had a table free. We had spent the day at Kew Gardens and I had suddenly remembered that The Glasshouse was nearby and I had read a lot of good solid reviews about it. They offered a table immediately and treated us with the same respect and decorum as the more suitably attired diners. In fact, the waiting staff had a laugh with us and made enquiries about the ‘Lah’ on my t-​shirt (It’s a Malaysian trait to add lah to end of sentences — yes lah, no lah, cannot lah)
The underlying theme to the cooking is modern French brasserie but they claim also to have hints of Spanish and Italian thrown into the mix. The restaurant’s signature starter is a warm salad of wood pigeon with balsamic vinegar and a deep fried truffled egg — the richness of the gamey pigeon and egg was nicely offset by the balsamic dressing. An assiette of pork reflected the modern trend of serving different cuts of the beast — in this case, it was fillet, belly and cheeks served with and apple and choucroute tart. The sweet pork was well complemented by the apple. A classic sticky toffee pudding hit all the right notes.
So, a lovely dining experience and full marks for lack of snobbiness!

This is a fabulous restaurant which we (a party of 7) visited on a Wednesday evening in November. Although being well off the beaten path (in the suburbs next to Kew Gardens), it was conveniently located for us south Londoners. Went there expecting the restaurant to be booked out, however only 3 other tables were taken. Ours ended up being the only full table in the restaurant after 10pm which meant that we ended up getting better service. The décor was minimalist and almost 80’s in feel. The glassware and table linen was immaculate and one stage we had 30 glasses on the table for our party of 7. The food was delicious and flawlessly prepared. I had the haddock and morel mushroom soup as a starter which was smooth and silky. For my main course the salmon and wild rice was pleasant, however nothing too special. Our Italian New Yorker guest was bowled over by the rabbit and tagliatelle maincourse. For desert we ordered one of every dish on the menu and the most delicious turned out to be yoghurt and honeycomb desert. The sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable and the sous-​chef who had cooked our meal was incredibly young and a female at that (gasp!). One of our waiters looked like Daniel Craig. What more could you ask for in an evening out. A hidden gem.

The service was attentive and the atmosphere welcoming and warm. We were with some diners who had not eaten there before and they really enjoyed their experience.
I am pleased that the meal lived up to the reviews here on the website, and as its a local restaurant for me I’ll certainly go back.

The Glasshouse is, I think, owned by the clever folk who run Chiswick’s La Trompette and Wandsworth’s Chez Bruce. Illustrious company indeed.
I’ll get the negatives out of the way first. It’s out in darkest Kew, and if you want an apero beforehand, there’s precious little in the way of salubrious boozing establishments. You can try the feral pub next to the tube if you’re feeling brave, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Ok, that’s the nastiness done. The Glasshouse is a tiny glass-​encased restaurant with excellent and friendly service, a beautifully thought-​out menu and extremely well-​cooked food. I think modern European is a reasonable label to stick on it. Lots of French or English-​influenced options, including a memorable wood pigeon salad, a thoughtful wine list and a fearsomely good cheese board.
It tends to be quiet and intimate, and clearly has a dedicated following — I’ve been several times and recognised more than one repeat customer. Never had trouble booking, either. The sister restaurants may garner most of the headlines, but the Glasshouse is one for the cognoscenti.

Excellent small restaurant, with great value set lunch.
Parking nearby isn’t easy, so allow a little time for that. Booking not always needed, but best to play safe.
This is fine modern Euopean food.
Good service.
Clos to Kew garden if you want to walk it off or build up an appetite.