5 Pollen Street in City of London, Westminster

Truly shocking. Jason Atherton should be totally embarrassed. We have eaten in many of his restaurants across the globe, and always been very impressed. But not tonight. The food was so salty. My crab starter looked great - but even leaving the samphire to one side, was overly salty. The main course steak was smothered in salt, and covered in a very salty peppercorn sauce. We discused with the server, and sent it back. the replacement steak had the same sauce, but in a jug.......however the steak was seasoned with so much salt that it was inedible. The server tried a piece and agreed. It was sent back. The feedback from the chef was that the steak was well seasoned (after being told that the first steak was too salty), but 'the centre of the steak would be fine' !! The server (manager ?) tried her best by apologising profusely and by giving us free desserts, wine and liqueurs - all unasked for, but appreciated. However, whilst generous, it doesn't change the fact that we came here to eat good food but didn't get it. My wifes Coq au Vin was also very salty, but to be fair, our friends fish dishes were good. Felt like they were scraping the barrel with one or two of the servers as well. We will give Jason Atherton another chance, but the pedestal that I had him on is rocking close to it's limit. I fear the fall could be fatal.

Delicious food at very reasonable prices. Service was tip top, Sarah and Maria took care of all our needs very kindly and professionally! Even putting out a small candle fire 🤣 Recommend the fancy bangers and mash, and pavlova.

Visited on a Saturday evening for a family birthday meal. Lovely food and great service. Front of House Team were excellent, and we enjoyed our evening. Atmosphere was great too. Many thanks!

Very disappointed, would not recommend. The food was generally poor and the service was atrocious. Full explanation below. Service: This restaurant had the worst service of any restaurant I’ve been to in my adult life. Our waiter forgot our orders, spilled water and wine whenever serving, had to be waved at repeatedly to get their attention (despite the restaurant not being busy). Our mains took a while and were served separately so that the first dish arrived 5 minutes before the last. When we left we had to go into the cloakroom ourselves and go through the coat hangers to find our jackets because after we paid we were completely forgotten. Besides that, our waiter was generally quite brusque and impolite. Food: Our bread for the table was stale. I ordered a burger and the bun for that was stale while the patty was chewy and overcooked. NONE of the food appeared to have been seasoned at all so everything was very bland. Had some French onion soup and tomato soup both of which were good but again seemed completely unseasoned so we had to ask for salt and pepper. We ordered some vegetables as a side which were cold upon arrival and very bland as well. Overall the food ranged from mediocre to very poor. Atmosphere: very pleasant, although briefly interrupted by our waiter dropping and smashing a plate on the other end of the room!

Great food for a really decent price. Beautiful little restaurant tucked away in Mayfair. Super friendly service from our main waiter, fairly rude/cold service from another one. Nothing too taxing. Tartar was fabulous, tomato starter nice and fresh. Steak fantastically cooked and the peppercorn sauce to die for. Burger was good, surprisingly great chips. All in all great value for money in a nice atmosphere, can defintiely recommend it you‘re in the area looking for something in between casual and fancy.

Went to the restaurant for a pre theatre dinner. Limited but good menu staff were excellent a great start to the evening

Great little restaurant, nice atmosphere, mainly British Food and accomplished cooking

Best meal of my entire trip. Superlative service. Will definitely return. Thank you to the chef and staff!

One of the senior staff waiters was extremely rude. Place has no diversity. While the food was nice would not recommend if the service isn't good.

Wonderful journey for both food and service！

Little Social is indeed a little gem and everything is wonderful, attentive services as well.

Just what we needed after a chaotic morning of mishaps. Excellent service, food was beautiful, lots of little nice details like the bread arriving on a bed of pumpkin seeds, showing the thought that went into the atmosphere as well. We felt cared for and could take a breather here. Thank you.

Went there with wife and daughter. Great not too formal and relaxing vibe, and friendly service. Food was very good value for money on the pre-fix menu, but couldn’t say top notch (although I liked it a lot).

Matt was lovely! The food was lovely and the service was impeccable x

Excellent ambience and delicious food – just too many capers with the cod main which made it too salty.

Excellent 👌👌👌, really good but also relaxed and comforting. The Michelin Guide (not Michelin ⭐ as that one is across the road, with it's bigger sister restaurant) inclusion is well deserved.

The 3 course lunch menu was great~ 27.5£ Good good ~ Actually, I made a mistake with the reservation date on Pollen Street Social haha. I was very satisfied!!!

Really delicious food. Simple menu, small portions. Beautiful interior and really attentive staff.

Super little place with delicious food, excellent wine & fabulous service.

The best restaurant I have tried in London . We ordered the calf tongue ( supper good), the burrata and the aged rib eye which is the best I never tried , and the last is sea bass . Everything is perfect. Highly recommend. Also the staff so cool and helpful. Love all

A truly hidden gem of Regents. Michelin star quality food, warm atmosphere, great service. The food tasted truly amazing and enjoyable !!

The best Italian in London. Home cooking and fantastic service.

Great food, great service, great ambiance! Will surely come back whenever we’re in London

This was my second visit and I shall definitely be back again! Some of the best quality food and service in the city – warm, attentive, and with impeccable attention to detail. A cosy spot off the beaten track and very reasonably priced for its quality. I can't recommend it highly enough!

We visited last night for dinner. Sadly they didn’t have the vast majority of the menu. No fish, no oysters, stale bread and a bad attitude by our server. It was our fault it was a Monday apparently! Would not return.

My evening at Little Social restaurant was a remarkable dining experience. The dishes were delicious, the service attentive and the atmosphere warm. However, the online menu differed from that offered onsite, which created some confusion. Additionally, the lack of water options other than plain filtered water was disappointing. Despite these small disappointments, I highly recommend this place to all lovers of good food.

Bit disappointed with the food in truth. We had the fixed menu for pre-theatre and the pasta main lacked any really punch or taste. It was marginally better than pasta that I could cook so I felt a bit short changed. Starter and dessert were fine but also i wasn't blown away. That said, it's a nice restaurant in a good location and the staff were professional.

That’s a proper Eaton Mess! Five stars.

A great little bistro serving simple yet accomplished cooking. Wonderful staff and a lovely ambience. A London favourite

Near perfect night for our Anniversary, great value for money considering location. Had starters, entree, main and dessert and a great bottle of wine.

Early evening fixed price menu. Excellent food, substantial portions. Ideal before going to the theatre. Will be back.

Not been here for a very long time but we were not disappointed with this visit. The sommelier was really wonderful. Attentive, knowledgable and not in the slightest bit stuffy. We had escargot, steak tartare, buratta and steak frites. Great ingredients and expertly cooked. Accompanied by a fantastic Gewürztraminer. Wonderful evening. Lovely hosts. Thank you.

Was ok. Rather pricey for ordinary cooking

Superb quality and value in set menu 👌🤌

The worst food I’ve ever eaten in London. It was 7 of us and everyone ordered different things. The biggest dissatisfaction for all.

From the ambience of the place to the high level of service, Little Social provided us with a phenomenal dining experience! The food was incredible, and the wine pairing equally so! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good hidden gem in the heart of London.

A great find and I experienced the most attentive and supportive service I've ever experienced from the team at Little Social. The lead waiter was nothing but exceptional and a talent. Keep up the great work.

Food was very disappointing. The three pasta meals arrived cold and under cooked. My fish main was average….it too arrived luke warm. We decided to have desserts, both the same dessert. One was ok, the other dry and hard. One waiter forgot our drink order and I had to summon another waiter for our drinks. Over 30O euro for 4 people…such a disappointment….. I’ve had much better meals at my local.

Great meal - restaurant has cool vibe, good food and an excellent value set menu (which is taken from dishes on the a la carte). Will definitely visit again, although I hope there is a different as the one we had kept rubbing me on the back and shoulder…!

Fantastic service waiting staff 5 star superb food ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Unremarkable and boring food and wine list priced at a premium, accompanied by pretentious, awkward and incompetent service. One of the waiters literally proclaimed that “he’s very good at his job” (I didn’t ask..) and gave an unsolicited pat on the shoulder, promptly following it by overcharging by £100 with the wrong bill. Not quite sure what happened when Michelin guide was making their recommendation, but that’s definitely not present there anymore.

Lovely lunch, great service with such lovely staff. I'd Definitely go back.

A friend recommended the restaurant to me. It exceeded my expectations and I will recommend it to friends. outstanding and enjoyable service by the helpful and friendly server.

Lovely pre-concert dinner. We ate at the counter (due to a late booking) and did have table envy!! The menu is lovely and our food was delicious. A mix up with desserts was sorted out quickly and efficiently. Will return!

Excellent food and service. Steak tartar and gingerbread old fashioned were exceptional.

Welcoming and brilliant hospitality, food and, particularly, wine service and delivery. Excellent and sensible range of good value - for the impeccable quality - wines.

Food was good, but a little salty over all. Service can be massively improved, asked for bill, which only took 30 mins to arrive, and no one came to collect payment after waiting for another 20 minutes. We ended up walking up to the waitor to pay, since no one cared. The person who took the payment was rude, and cold. Probably won't return due to inadequate service received. The person who took the order was polite...

Beware sharp practice over wine ! This is a shame because the food was lovely, but we had a bad experience over the wine - we were trying to decide whether to have 1 carafe or 2, & the waiter said that we would be better off getting a bottle of wine, so we did. Part way through the meal he said that he hoped that we were enjoying our £1000 bottle of wine, which I took as a joke, but did slightly concern me; but when I got the bill I found we had been charged £64 for a bottle whereas 2 carafes would have been £30 ! (we never saw a wine list, & of course I should have asked, but we thought we were OK following the waiter's advice, so just be careful ! & enjoy the food which was lovely)

Cannot wait to return to London and go back to this special restaurant. Wonderful service from start to finish, delicious food, and a great wine recommendation. Perfect intimate dinner out in London, and on a secluded quiet street in a busy neighborhood east to get to using public transportation.

Great spot for lunch - simple menu but beautifully cooked. Service was pitched just right I think. Very affordable way of enjoying good quality food.

One of Jason Atherton's London restaurants, little social is as the name suggests, a little smaller than its brothers and sisters - but no less wonderful. Fantastic food, service and a drinks and wine selection to match. I had the crab salad and ox cheek, sharing the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. All were fantastic. Great service to match. We were a party of 6, so managed to get the little private booth at the rear of the restaurant - cosy and intimate, but still with a view and ambience from the wider restaurant. Would recommend.

A cozy Michelin star restaurant serving British classics. Beef stew and toffee pudding are a must order.

Lunch option is unbelievable quality for price.

This restaurant is an absolute gem. In the centre of the West end, yet hidden away from the bustle of the crowds. It's one of those places that you don't want other people to find out about because you always want to be able to book a table, BUT you must share the love in order for the restaurant to thrive The food is sensational, best Steak Tartare i've ever had, and the sweetcorn risotto was a delight.. I would normally order the steak but I thought I would try something i wouldn't ordinarily order. Alas, I was too full for a desert. The service and the ambience is perfect too. As an often a lone diner, I always appreciate when I encounter no problems in booking a table for one, so thank you. Their prixe fixe menu is superb value, and as someone who finishes at 16:00 it is always advantageous to order from it. I only had sparkling water with mint and lemon to drink in a wine glass and I'm grateful they accommodated my request for it with no fuss, but I hope when I have less busy weeks to enjoy their alcohol too. Really happy to have find this lovely venue ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The food was very good but the approach to allergens was incredibly haphazard. My sister who is coeliac had a severe reaction after eating here - there are no menus listing allergens. None of the servers seemed sure of them either and were slow to come with water/ wine etc. When I contacted the restaurant I was told someone would get back to me but they never did. Would definitely avoid if you have any dietary requirements!

Nice restaurant. Good food and service

Absolutely loved it. Will be back!!!

Incredible. Beautiful, delicious food, great cocktails and wine selection. Nice service and general atmosphere. Would highly recommend and will be back!

It was the loveliest afternoon for my mums birthday! The food and drinks were 10/10 and so was the service. Everyone was so lovely, from my first enquiry to book the semi-private table. We will definitely be back.

Nice, intimate restaurant with a solid menu of well-executed familiar/comforting dishes (e.g. steak tartare, pork chop, plaice) and the best fries I’ve had in a long time.

A very nice welcome into delightful ambience, beautiful designed comfortable seating area. Well designed menu and delicious food all served by attentive and likeable staff.

Cosy restaurant in the heart of London. Top notch bistro-style menu with a great value lunch and early evening table d'hote. Highly recommended.

I’d highly recommend this place - we went for the lunch set menu, which is something we do often. We’ve never not opted for the full 3 courses, but after the first 2 and bread we were stuffed! Food was delicious and I liked the more relaxing vibe, not white table clothes which is what you get across the road. We also got a carafe of wine which was good value at £15. Overall, £90 for that lunch was very good value.

Surprisingly disappointing service - depending on which of the three waiters we had: Waiter 1: welcoming and friendly but over-promising (‘sit anywhere’ to ‘oh sorry I’ve been told you have to sit over here actually’) Waiter 2: contemptuousness bordering on rude (we think it was Igor - but we had 3 waiters and only 1 name on the bill. He was older, large, gave Maitre De vibe). 3: Irish waiter was fine - we presumed still training/finding his feet. Food was fine; sadly not particularly elevated but the quality (though not flavour (and overly salted)) of the red meat was excellent. Ambience: superb; lovely vibe/decor/lighting/buzz. Overall we were sadly disappointed.

Very nice place, with perfect food

rubbish service with overpriced food. I strongly recommend not to come over. The ribeye was overcooked I was ordering medium turned out it was almost well done. The seabass was ok but not to the Michelin standard. Overall, it will make you very disappointed if you choose to have an unforgettable dining experience.

All a bit uncomfortable for me, starter of Crab was good, main of Sea bass - cooked brilliantly. We all agreed that the Eton Mess was probably the worst we had ever had.

What an absolute gem of a restaurant - lovely food, great service and stunning decor. Top spot for a special night out.

Had an amazing evening out with the missus, with this restaurant being a huge part of it. Thank you to our Ukrainian waiter who was extremely knowledgeable about the products, friendly and attentive. We especially enjoyed the steak tartare, chicken and the house red wine. Made us feel like we are back in France. Thank you very much, will def go back for sure. :)

Great and cheap set menu. Waiters could have been more polite though

Great food in an oasis of calm. Unbeatable central location. However, the welcome and service was a bit slapdash and disorganised at first. Nevertheless, it's a real find and I will return.

Very cosy place, staff is very friendly, and the food was just amazing. I took the mushroom pene with salad and aged parmesan, it was succulent. The only cons is that the portion are not very generous, but it’s just my opinion.

Food is good but not overly impressive

Food was amazing - very well seasoned, cooked perfectly and of very high quality. Service was impeccable. The value for money of the menu was also a great surprise, especially for the high quality dining once receives.

Nice affordable dinner before Theatre. We went for a set menu which cost £27.50 per person for a three course meal. The waiter was very friendly and the food was good.

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The service was impeccable. Very attentive and helpful. Food was great. Definitely recommend it for a night out.

Great evening as usual. They make it look so easy! Can’t wait to go back.

Great menu Extensive wine list If you want a G&T, check the mixer ......

I would highly recommend Little Social, a French restaurant located in the heart of London. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, perfect for a romantic date or a night out with friends. The menu is an absolute delight, offering a range of classic French dishes with a modern twist. The ingredients are of the highest quality, and the presentation of each dish is simply stunning. The flavors are rich, complex and perfectly balanced, leaving you feeling satisfied and wanting more. The wine selection is equally impressive, with an extensive list of French and international wines that complement the food perfectly. The knowledgeable staff are always on hand to offer recommendations and ensure that your dining experience is nothing short of exceptional. The service at Little Social is impeccable, with friendly and attentive staff who make you feel right at home. Whether you're a seasoned foodie or just looking for a great meal, Little Social is definitely worth a visit. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough and look forward to my next visit!

Overall it was a fine experience. The mussels were excellent but that was it. The steak my husband got was super fatty and my ragu was subpar. Really just didn't think it was worth the price. The restaurant itself was beautifully classy and staff was nice.

My party of 11 thoroughly enjoyed our experience at The Little Social, Pollen Street. At times feeding a larger party can be a bit tricky, the LS handled our meal with complete ease and expertise. All three courses for all the party was absolutely fantastic - with some raving about the fish especially, and the wine list offered something for everyone's taste. And before heading off we sat soaking up the atmosphere too. Thoroughly recommend The Little Social for all events.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to little social (March 2023) the atmosphere was buzzy yet you could still hold a conversation with your friends. The service was brilliant, our wine glasses and water glasses were never empty. Food was fantastic, we liked the look of the whole menu and ended up ordering most items on it. We shared it so everyone got to taste a bit of everything and it was yummy. The mussels were my favourite. It’s well priced too, for the quality of the food, service, atmosphere, location etc. would recommend A*

A really good and beautiful restaurant!

Had the set menu here and was pretty good with decent sized portions. We ordered vegetable and potato sides which really weren’t needed, would be helpful for the serving staff to be a little more informative about that. Disappointing wine selection by the bottle if you want to drink red. I also found the creme brûlée a little too ‘eggy’. But the rest of our food was delicious and the service was very friendly.

Immaculately presented, exquisitely balanced cooking. Sommelier was knowledgeable, and the staff were all professional and courteous as one would expect. Will be returning.

The location is excellent and entrees were very nice. Mains pretty disappointing. Overall value for obey wasn’t great.

Lovely atmosphere and the service was great. We had a large table but everyone felt catered to. They were very accommodating to allergies and any queries we had which made the whole experience much more relaxed. The food was fantastic too...

Beyond Delicious food. Friendly and accommodating waitstaff. Each course was beautiful and tasty.

Nice atmosphere. Had a three-course set menu. The starter, steak and the dessert Pavlova all tasted good. Our table was in a relatively private area at the end of the restaurant, perfect for 6 people (or a small group). There’s also another table near the entrance which looked good too.

My first time here was great in terms food and service. It was also packed and hard to get a reservation. This was in 2016. However the food was not good the second time, in 2022, but the service was acceptable. We had the flat fish which was below average.

Awkward service. Good cooking. Tiny steak, good fish portion. Average value.

Outstanding food, fun atmosphere, friendly staff, not a cheap outing but 3 courses, cocktail, glass of wine and service for £95 isn't terrible for the quality experience.

Great service, food and ambiance, perfect treat

Wonderful service. Outstanding food. The lemon sole was exquisite. Ambiance lovely. It was a great evening out. To be repeated !!

The location was really nice, and they have outdoor tables. The food was mediocre, the fish didn’t taste very fresh. Also, they charged me 17.5 euros extra by mistake which I accidentally found out as I was walking out. They refunded the extra charge, but still strange.

Nice place. Good meat, excellent service.

Excelent ambience, lovely welcome, great service & tasty food. Couldn't ask for anything better

Very good service and great food very clean and tidy very recommended

Decent spot for a business lunch - relatively informal but good quality food. Menu quite boring though and for the price, I would not spend my own money here.