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— WELCOME TO PROVENDER WANSTEAD —
Provender Wanstead was opened in 2012 by Robin Tarver and Max Renzland, with a simple but enduring philosophy: to serve the finest quality contemporary French cooking. Over the years, the restaurant has evolved, but that commitment to excellence has never changed,
In 2012, we were awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand recognising our commitment to exceptional food at fair prices. We’re incredibly proud to have retained this accolade ever since.
At Provender, our food is all about flavour, seasonality, and tradition, with every dish showcasing carefully sourced produce cooked with classic French techniques. Our menu is complemented by a thoughtfully curated selection of French wines, each personally tasted by our team to ensure only the very best make it onto our list.
To us the Service is just as important as the food, our front-of-house team, led by Daniele, our Maître D’, shares the same passion for great hospitality, making sure every visit—whether it’s a cosy dinner, a special celebration, or a relaxed Sunday lunch—is warm, welcoming and memorable.
As an independent restaurant, owners, Robin and Daniele alongside their dedicated and diverse team have poured their hearts into creating a friendly neighbourhood spot where locals can enjoy proper French dining without the fuss.
We aim to make every meal something special, whether you’re a regular or visiting for the first time, we look forward to welcoming you to Provender.
Bon Appetit
The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors' Dishes of the Month
Steak Frites with Roquefort Sauce – Provender
“As time goes on and the restaurant industry evolves and reinvents itself, it’s sometimes easy to forget how delicious a simple, classic dish can be. A restaurant that feels like a pure slice of France in the British capital, Provender seemed the perfect place to have a traditional steak frites. The rump of beef was cooked to the medium I requested, proving to be juicy and full of flavour. Crisp, piping-hot chips and a simple yet tasty salad were joined by the stand-out creamy roquefort sauce.”
MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View A welcoming and busy neighbourhood bistro, ‘A little piece of France in Wanstead’ is the tagline at this busy and welcoming neighbourhood bistro – and they certainly deliver it…..
Provender sits on an important East London ley line. To the south lie Wanstead Flats, where the footballing stars of tomorrow forge their skills in the tempering fire of Sunday kickabouts; to the north, Snaresbrook Magistrates’ Court, where many a career has crumbled to ash after a domestic dust-up or nightclub fracas...
The Guinea Pig review, I was surprised to learn that Wanstead was home to a Michelin recommended restaurant. Provender Cafe and Bistro is a quaint little informal eatery, serving beautiful French cuisine all day long.
“Typical French cuisine perfectly cooked” has won a solid reputation for this “great Wanstead local” – a traditional-ish Gallic bistro, with terrace. Veteran restaurateur Max Renzland, who founded it in 2011, stepped down in 2021, with no evident change in its performance.
Best French restaurants in London, from L’Escargot to Hélène Darroze at The Connaught From three-Michelin-starred temples of haute cuisine to neighbourhood bistros, Ben McCormack goes à la française This hard-working café bar-cum bistro stays open from lunch until late, offering Wanstead locals prix-fixe lunches (three courses £17.95).
I tried London's cheapest Michelin restaurant where you can get lunch for £15 and it was life changing' Provender gave me the best dining experience of my life, writes Lea Dzifa Seeberg….
Time Out says (1 to 100 best restaurant in London) A contemporary French bistro in leafy Wanstead. Doubling up as a neighbourhood café-bar and bourgeois bistro, Provender is an agreeably informal asset in leafy Wanstead, serving up petit dejeuner, prix-fixe lunch deals, plats du jour and Sunday roasts as well as a rolling roster of continental treats.
