Footstool Restaurant in City of London, Westminster

My friend and I decide to pop in for lunch after visiting The Tate. We ordered the toasted sourdough aged Feta, sun-dried tomatoes and & Pesto and the free- range chicken breast, kimchi & mozzarella sandwiches. After ordering we were told that they'd run out of sun-dried tomatoes. My friend changed her order to the Wiltshire ham, mustard & mature cheddar. We sat down to enjoy a glass or merlot and waited for our order to arrive. Finally our order arrived... my friend found her sandwich consisted only of feta cheese and mine had changed from chicken breast to a sandwich which had only a slice of ham in it. We called the waitress over and explained that we hadn't got what we had ordered. She replied saying this was the chefs fault and that he didn't like being told what to do!!!!!! We asked if we could have what we ordered and asked her to return what we had got to the kitchen. It was clear that she didn't want to confront the chef. She gave a vague shrug and disappeared leaving our sandwiches on the table in front of us! My friend, not happy to pay £19.50 each for sandwiches we didn't order and which were inedible. Refused to pay for them. After an embarrassing and lenghtly discussion we were eventually only charged for the chips, the wine and offered complimentary coffees and a pastry. We certainly wont be returning. It was farcical.

We stumbled across the Footstool Cafe in the crypt at St John’s Smith Square. The Square is about half way between the Houses of Parliament and Lambeth Bridge. There was plenty of room in the cafe and a nice selection of pies, sausage rolls and tortillas along with other lunchtime favourites. We opted for the Chicken and Mushroom and Steak and Ale pies, both of which came with an amply sized side salad. Neither pie disappointed and were very flavoursome. Spotlessly clean with friendly staff, we will certainly call again for lunch if we’re in the area. It’s also put the concert venue above the cafe on our radar!

Vine aquí por un tiempo de inactividad muy necesario al final de una larga tarde de turismo en Westminster y mucho caminar. Me encantó la decoración y el ambiente en el entorno de la cripta. Definitivamente un lugar bueno para relajarse. Solo tenía una olla de té de menta fresca, que estaba bien y se servía en una olla grande. El personal fue servicial y eficiente. No puedo comentar sobre la oferta de comida.

He comido en el reposapiés muchas veces durante muchos años. Anoche decepcionó por primera vez.  Poco después de llegar a las 5. 45 nos dijeron que el menú se estaba acortando porque el restaurante se había quedado sin muchos ingredientes. Esto fue decepcionante. Luego, cuando llegaron nuestros platos elegidos, mi sopa de pescado estaba apenas tibia y el pavo de mi esposa estaba prácticamente frío (aunque las verduras estaban calientes). La sopa tuvo que volver para recalentarse. ¡NO es bueno para la presentación o en términos de seguridad alimentaria! ! El servidor se disculpó, pero la gerencia no hizo ningún intento de preocuparse por estar preocupados por los grupos de fiestas navideñas. La gerencia debería decidir concentrarse únicamente en grupos de fiestas en Navidad o asegurarse de que ambas corrientes de clientes sean tratadas de manera igual y profesional. Buscaremos otro lugar para comer la próxima vez que vayamos a un concierto en la calle Johns. .

Tres de nosotros cenamos en el atractivo restaurante de la cripta. El camarero no pudo entender nuestra pregunta sobre un plato. Era inteligente y agradable, pero sin inglés era difícil. La orden estaba equivocada. La ensalada equivocada, solo un plato principal, para tres de nosotros, y un plato llegó después de que todos hubiéramos terminado, así que lo rechazamos. Todo fue estresante ya que estábamos allí para un concierto después de la cena. La camarera principal intervino y conseguimos nuestra comida. Los platos principales estaban bien, pero las opciones de verduras eran ensaladas muy pequeñas para 5 cada uno. El concierto fue genial, pero no estoy seguro de que volvería a comer allí a pesar de ser tan conveniente. Como todos en el restaurante iban al concierto, nos aseguramos de recibir nuestra factura temprano. Estaba mal. Lo enmendaron. Tuvimos que ir al escritorio a pagar, ya que habíamos esperado un rato en la mesa. Todo esto estropeó la cena

Like many others, we ate at this restaurant prior to a concert. Despite ringing to book three weeks in advance, when we arrived there was no record of our reservation whatsoever. The food was very overpriced for the quality and quantity. The sweet potato fritter 'small plate' was rubbery. The pot-roasted pheasant was well cooked, but had two slivers of parsnip to accompany it and nothing else. My partner's smoked haddock was barely cooked and was verging on raw in places. Service was poor and perfunctory. We paid less for a 7-course tasting menu elsewhere a few weeks ago. Definitely not somewhere we would recommend, and definitely not somewhere we would eat again. This was our first ( and last ) visit, despite the concert hall being superb.

I wouldn't really go out of my way to recommend the food, but the setting is to die for. A rather apt description, actually, as it's in the crypt of St John's Smith Square, entered down a set of stone steps. Inside it's glorious; vaulted, warm colours, imposing. It's on the pricey side, but this is SW1, darling, so you'd expect that. Anyway, they have to somehow maintain this elegant and ancient structure, so you don't really begrudge it. The ideal location for Westminster ladies who lunch.

We were here for lunch. The restaurant is in a lovely underground area (brick built). There are tablecloths and linen napkins and service is good. We enjoyed our food.The menu is rather restricted and expensive.This is not the place for a quick snack but if you are looking for somewhere to have a bit of a treat this is the place for you.

Needed a quick bite to eat before a concert upstairs in St John's. The crypt, underneath the hall, is convenient & the restaurant is self service, with a small selection of hot & cold dishes, salads & desserts. The selection of cakes & snacks was more extensive.The lamb & mushroom stew with salad was fine - quick, but not cheap.

WE had a very pleasant meal in nice surroundings in the crypt of St Johns. The food was really only average, for instance the goats cheese starter was quite small. Our total bill including just two small glasses of wine was over £80 and we thought that was a bit steep

Truly awful. I recommend St J SS change their caterers asap. Avoid the off venison stew and the smoked fish chowder AND what tasted like last year’s Christmas pudding. Disgracefully expensive for seriously stale reheated food

Last night three of us dined at the Footstool before a concert given by the choir of New College Oxford. The crypt is a beautiful place but the food was dreadful. My husband called it the worst meal he had had for years and I would say the same. Two of us had terrine to start. It was edible but no toast was supplied. We asked for some but when it arrived, after we had finished the terrine, it turned out to be limp sliced bread. One of us had soup which was supposed to be parsnip but which was thin, watery and tasteless. We all had haddock chowder as a main course. It was a gloopy mess of over-cooked mushy potato and some flakes of fish. A disgrace.

The crypt below historic St John's Church has been given a modern lease of life as a restaurant. And it's well worth stepping down the stairs to enjoy the tasty meals on offer here. The tables are set beneath the arches, making for an enchanting occasion whether you're there for lunch or a pre-concert meal. The menu includes lovely home-made soups and main dishes, including fish, meat and game. There's a good wine list and the service is friendly and efficient.

Three of us had dinner in the Footstool in the crypt below St Johns Smith Square before the carol concert by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. It was a good experience. Good choices on the menu of starters, main courses and desserts. Two of us had smoked haddock chowder and one venison and chestnut pie (the latter an enormous portion). All were tasty and well prepared though maybe not gourmet. And for dessert we all had lime and ginger posset, a real treat. It is not an intimate venue but agreeable enough. The service was cheerful and willing. We will be back

An enchanting location set in the crypt of St John's (above is the St John's Concert Hall) and very relaxed setting. Service was "on point!" Marjorie and her colleagues were professional, friendly, informative and polite at all times. Although we didn't attend the concert, we were able to enjoy the performance in the background, without it interfering with our conversation. A great choice for anyone hard of hearing as the tables are set out fairly well spaced, so noise levels were good. Perfect select menu. I will be visiting again!

This is an amazing place. So close to Parliament, the Tate and the river. The food is delicious and the service is excellent.

Went here with work for a team lunch.

Me fui con un grupo de colegas antes de un concierto. Es un ambiente encantador sótano, y la comida era trajo rápidamente así que hicimos el concierto en buen tiempo.

Un amigo habíamos reservado aquí para el almuerzo el miércoles. Solo por eso, es digno de mención. El hombre en el teléfono insistió en que "la última que servía era a la 1:00 p.m.". Mi amigo sostiene que no podría ser justo. Luego le informaron que no se mantenga la mesa, a pesar de su diciéndole que íbamos a asistir a un servicio en la Abadía de Westminster y no pudo garantizar nuestra hora de llegada exacta hasta el momento. "Bueno, prisa es mejor conseguir la mesa", le informaron. No es un buen comienzo. Llegamos a su debido tiempo. Había muchas mesas vacías que permaneció vacío durante la comida. Tanto por el guión loco para garantizar nuestra reserva no fue cancelado. El restaurante tenía muy buena pinta. El servicio no era tan bueno. Pedí salmón mousse de empezar y terrina de cerdo llegamos. No me gusta enviar comida de vuelta. Nos explicaron a la señora que nos y ella insistió en que sería descontado de la factura. No fue así. Campo principal de sobresaliente y burbujas y chillido era buena. El postre no estaba. Fue una fresa y ruibarbo desordenadas. Por desgracia, era absolutamente insípido. La cuenta fue de £84, así que este no era un bocadillo barato entre semana. La próxima vez que no nos molestaría con el menú pero sí para el buffet que parecía interesante.

Esto no fue mi primer viaje y me complace ver que el servicio era coherente con la calidad que había experimentado antes. El servicio del almuerzo era relativamente rápido, la comida estaba bien preparada y el ambiente muy apropiado para hablar sobre una comida a lo largo de

This is such a great place to eat. Great choice of delicious food and so reasonably priced. It is also so convenient for Parliament and Westminster Abbey. A little jewel.

The staff are rude & unhelpful. Not a credit to the venue. Will never ever darken the doors of this place. Avoid this place. We left our complaints with The Manager of SJSS.

Our first visit . If I'd have known how good the menu was I may not have eaten lunch! As it was we had the soup which was delicious and served with lovely bread. " soups and 2 glasses of house white cost £24. Main dishes are around £10. The place has a nice ambience and is clean and well looked after.

This lovely café is located in the stunning crypt of the church (now a concert venue) some 5 minutes walk from The Palace of Westminster. They do hot food, coffee and cakes. I had the latter which were very nice if a little expensive.

Intimate restaurant on lower level of Smith Square which provides food service throughout the day: coffee/tea, nibbles, dinner, post-concert champagne receptions.

He comido aquí varias veces porque es muy práctico si a un concierto anterior y porque la ubicación de la cripta es pintoresco.

Cold food, missing items from dishes from every course and then bringing out just scraps on a plate when asked where it was, rude staff, lies about who was at fault. Worst Christmas meal experience I've ever had. I could go on but don't know...

Esta fue nuestra primera vez en el restaurante y el sentido de auto-servicio contigua es una apuesta mucho mejor. Hemos usado el último varias veces con éxito. El restaurante ofrece comida escabel muy similares a precios más altos; no es más tranquilo y tan concurrida, la única ventaja de ser la seguridad de asientos. Reserva en línea de su sitio web es difícil de usar, sin embargo. La comida fue decepcionante: una cazuela de cordero tenía carne fría y la petición de cambio (muy educadamente) nos encontramos con otro plato ofreciendo dos piezas de carne. No es bueno (había un 10% de descuento determinado). Pasta de un amigo estaba cruda, no al dente. Las porciones eran pequeñas, también, a diferencia de la auto-servicio. Todo el lugar es muy conveniente para la calle John's Smith Square. (hombres) eran los inodoros no limpiado y eran malolientes; necesitan limpieza profunda.

He estado comiendo en el escabel regularmente durante los últimos 3 años o más - no porque es genial, pero muy práctico. El almuerzo ha sido siempre buena, pero a veces contradictorio. Yo comí allí anteriormente hoy- era nuevo menú (al menos para mí). Gran relación calidad-precio, comida sencilla, bien presentado y preparado. La cena de tres platos era excelente. Lo que era especialmente notable es la calidad de su servicio eficiente, cortés y muy buen humor. No pude darle más altamente.

Mi marido y yo comimos allí con otra pareja antes de asistir a un concierto. El servicio fue amable y muy eficiente. Menú la opción proporciona a un precio excelente. Altamente recomendado.

Fui con tres amigos a la exposición de hockney en la Galería Tate y tenía la intención de almorzar en el restaurante Gallery, pero estaba completo, así que decidimos de improviso para probar el restaurante footstall en SJSS. Como entonces era bien pasado 1. 30 nos preguntaba si nos darían una mesa sin reserva pero resultó no ser un problema. Hay un buffet, pero decidimos probar el menú a la carta. Este era un precio de £17. 95 por 2 campos o £19. 95 por tres. Disfruté de una inicial de una ensalada de queso de cabra con remolachas, red rocket y endivias. Dos amigos tenían una ensalada igualmente delicioso a la parrilla según cintas de calabacín. Los platos principales que elegimos caper skate incluido con salsa de mantequilla, pollo a la parrilla y un navarin de pechuga de cordero. Los lados eran innecesarias como los platos servidos con puré de patatas y col. Principal supuesto porciones generosas, pero todavía conseguimos un postre (buena selección) - dos de nosotros tuvimos un postre de limón y compota de yorkshire color crema y otro tenía dos helados. El menú es de temporada y disfrutamos especialmente el hecho de que los ingredientes estaban bien elegidos y principalmente de proveniencia desde el Reino Unido. La lista de vinos es corta pero bien elegida y disfrutamos de una botella de sauvignon blanc chileno con cafés. La factura incluyendo el servicio funcionó en £31 cada uno. Esto es una ganga en el centro de Londres para un almuerzo de tres platos con vino y café.

Nuestro primer uso de los reposapiés; no nos decepcionó. Lugar obvio para comer pre-concierto ya que no hay mucho en la manera de elección local cercano. La comida estaba buena, pero no excepcional. Un poco limitada (pero de esperar cuando está dirigido a gente muy...

Cuatro de nosotros fuimos a cenar a este restaurante en la cripta antes de asistir a un concierto de piano clásico en la parte de arriba de la iglesia. Las opciones del menú eran excelentes y la comida que elegimos era sabroso, bien preparada y bien presentada. Tuvimos un par de botellas de Borgoña rojo muy razonable. El personal era servicial y el restaurante lleno rápidamente con otros amantes del concierto que hizo animada y agradable. Pudimos volver al restaurante durante el concierto de intervalo para terminar la última de las botellas de vino que había comprado. En general, una experiencia muy agradable, perfecto para ir en un concierto fría noche de invierno.

Mi marido y yo hemos comido aquí varias veces con mis suegros antes de tomar en un concierto de navidad en el lugar anteriormente. La ubicación es fantástica - tanto en términos de comodidad y estilo, pero la comida nunca realmente se levantó. Mientras no puedo decir que la comida era horrible, no fue memorable y sin duda no vale la pena el precio.

Hidden away in the crypt of a church is a nice restaurant. As it is in a crypt, probably not good if you are claustrophobic. Service was friendly and good although I suspect that our waiter was new as she has to check to get answers to our questions. The food was served promptly and was steaming hot. The restaurant was busy with groups having Christmas lunch outings but the staff managed well and service was good.The lunch menu offered good choices and the food was nice - nothing that I can recall as memorable but good enough.

We came here for Christmas lunch. It was my second visit here and the setting, in the crypt of the church, was as good as ever. The arches allow for a good deal of privacy even when tables are close to one another. The only thing I would suggest is they dim the lights a little to create a more atmosphere.The food quality unfortunately was poor. The duck terrine had the consistency of old leather and the turkey was unimaginatively presented in 3 just warm slabs. For the price they need to do better. The wine list is quite small but decent.I wouldn't recommend this place unless your using the cafeteria part pre or post concert. They need to bring the standard of food up to the quality of the environment .

We visited as a group of 11 people. The restaurant was busy, the one thing I noticed immediately was how hot the room temperature was, it was uncomfortable.I had a 2 course traditional xmas dinner, the staff were polite and and prompt to serve drinks. We had been her before in the previous year and the food was good. Unfortunately the food was not as good as I expected the turkey and potatoes were dry, the cranberry sauce ruined the meal as it was extremely sour and sharp. The food felt like a let down.

We had a pre-concert meal with a pre-booked voucher for a two course meal including a glass of house wine. We ordered early before the restaurant began to fill up and were then told that our starter had run out so we would have to reorder. The manageress was rather rude and over familiar when we objected. Some time later a waiter brought our original starter order to our table and then as we began to eat the manageress tried to take it away!!! We then had to wait about 45 minutes for our main course which did not come until we had asked repeatedly for it to be chased up. When it arrived it was nearly cold and very unappetising. Our daughter who is vegan went to the buffet where there used to be a reasonable dairy free choice. However she could only find some salad and cold broccoli that was dairy free. Even the couscous supposedly had dairy in it. Altogether this was an uncomfortable experience which we will not be repeating in a hurry. Fawlty Towers would have been a better choice!

We Went for a concert on Saturday evening , love the venue, the food in the crypt was a superb, lovely service. Was a lovely evening thanks

We were attending a concert at St John's Smith Square and wanted a quick light meal beforehand, so went to the Footstool restaurant which is in the crypt of the church. The atmosphere is nice, exactly as shown in the pictures with a well lit and cosy cellar atmosphere. Half the area is an à la carte restaurant, but we went to the other side which is essentially a stylish cafe. There is no reserved seating, so I arrived at 6 PM anxious to get a table, but in fact the place, whilst busy, was never totally full and you can call a table at any time prior to the concert at 7:30 PM. That may depend on the programme – the more popular programs may mean the tables are all taken. You go up to get your food from the small but beautiful and stylish buffet with the choice of two hot dishes – last night it was Lamb tagine or a vegetarian aubergine and tomato bake, with a choice from several very creative, colourful and unusual salads. The meal wasn't expensive and nor were the drinks – £18.50 for a bottle of wine. We have a lovely light a satisfying meal and then were able to walk up the atmospheric spiral stone staircase to the main church and listen to a fantastic concert.

There's undoubtedly something special about eating in a crypt and yet the restaurant at St John Smiths Square is always a mix of highlights and lowlights. Highlights this time were tasty food and Marjorie our maitre d'h - it's not cheap, but the fixed priced menu avoids nasty surprises at the end of the meal. The bar never seems to work here - how hard can it be to get a £7.20 glass of Sauvignon Blanc ? Answer : apparently very. The cakes are great (note the Chelsea Buns) and the coffee's good, once one gets served. The toilets - just don't ask. I'll come here again because of Marjorie - but I just hope they can get it right next time.

Booked table x 2 here for a Monday night prior to a concert. The room itself is actually quite nice but the evening was a disaster:There is a choice of 2 or 3 course dinner. The smoked chicken starter was insufficient in quality and the taste of 3 pieces of chicken was negligble. One piece was not digestible due to gristle. The goats cheese curd looked okay and my friend enjoyed it. My smoked fishcakes were dry, devoid of fish and again served with a tablespoon of mushy peas and the same of salad, horrible quality and insufficient quantity. My friends main course of lamb was appalling - 3 slices around 3" x 1" - the trouble was about 2/3rds of each slice was FAT. Disgusting and she quite rightly returned the dish to the kitchen and replaced it with fishcakes. She thought the same as I about the fishcakes, only worse, she found a long bone in hers and they didn't have any accompaniments left, so they dished up some reheated mixed veg from her previous lamb dish.The service was hit/miss. No salt/pepper on table, no water offered. When asked for, they kept forgetting to bring. No tartare sauce for fishcakes, had to have mayonnaise, they forgot to bring that to. Replenishment of wine, they forgot that too. They didn't have a clue basically and I totally resented paying £73 for a crap 2-course meal with 2 glasses wine each. c£8 of that bill was for service too. If I'd seen that on the bill before paying, I would've asked for it to have been removed. Do not recommend this place to eat at all. Avoid at all costs.ps. the toilets were disgusting - they stank & were dirty, with no toilet paper and there was no air and the light kept going out. Truly horrid, made me retch nearly.

What a wonderful place to meet up for coffee and cake or a light meal. A very pleasant setting. Excellent menu and fresh cakes. Helpful friendly service. If looking for something in Westminster, well worth visiting.

The first challenge is finding this place, its in the basement of St John's Smith Square a short trot from Westminster tube and a handy place to eat in an area not littered with reasonably priced lunch places. I met a friend there for lunch on the 'cafeteria' side - the other side is more restaurant style with waiter services. I had kedgeree and salads - it was well okay but not great - could definitely have done a better job at home. My salad portion was huge but not very subtle - great big chunks of beetroot and carrots - it looked great if your favorite colour is purple but increasingly became an ordeal to get through. I had to keep saying but beetroot is good for you! They did redeem themselves a bit on the tea which came in teapots but... all in all apart from the lovely company of the lady I was having lunch with i've had better midday food in London. however, I will say this - its not a rip off £10 each for our food and my friend bought me my tea. So I am not saying avoid I am saying, don't expect TOO much from the food. Building buffs will really love the location though its very atmospheric and music buffs should know this is a great classical music venue - music upstairs and nip down for wine/food in the footstoool.

We ate here before a concert and it did the business. The food (modern British) is not stunning - it has the slightly bland machine-produced feel that all contract caterers produce - but it's OK. Service was brisk and pleasant. The vaulted cellar setting is nicely atmospheric. For two courses and shared pudding plus coffee and service and a glass of wine we paid about £37 a head - probably slightly more than it's really worth, but this is a pricey part of town and there aren't many alternatives nearby.

Recently I arranged to meet for lunch with a journalist contact in London. She works in Westminster so I asked her to suggest where we should go. Footstool is a lovely intimate restaurant situated in the former Crypt of St John's Church at the centre of Smith Square, just off Millbank and within walking distance of St James tube and Victoria. The setting is, of course, artificially lit and sight lines are curtailed by the buttresses that support the fine old Church overhead. All this creates an intimate atmosphere, especially at a table for two. Larger tables occupy the darker recesses. The food was good, served promptly, and was very enjoyable. The staff were attentive and efficient when needed. I would certainly recommend Footstool if you're in the area.

I´ve been to this restaurant for lunch with a friend, and once you arrive at the place you feel like you are in a historic place. The restaurant is beneath a church, and the atmosphere is great. I had the soup as starter, and it was delicious. The main course was the ribeye steak, with chips and English mushroom. It was gorgeous, with a generous portion size. They also have a very interesting selection of wines. Service was excellent from the moment we arrived until we left. Price is decent, as you would not expect it to be cheap in such a nice place. I will definitely come back and I recommend it.

We went there before a concert. The food is now distinctly overpriced (£17-£19 for a main course) and the service a bit random. (There were no wine glasses on the table so the waitress had to go looking for some.) Largely traditional British food but a prawn cocktail was neither modern nor retro, and had some avocado chopped in it that was harder than wood. Pork belly was lukewarm. Our food arrived at different times. One saving grace (!) was that having poured gravy on my coat, the manager did graciously volunteer £10 without quibbling to have it drycleaned.

The pre concert menu offers a selection of delicious starters and main courses but at a high end price. About £17-19 for main courses and £8 region for a starter. So reserve for a special occasion and concert. The food is great and an interesting atmosphere being in the crypt. There is a less formal bar area too.

After a walk at riverside and a few pictures from London eye and Big Ben i find this amazing and comfortable place to have my lunch. The staffs are very friendly; the price its not expensive to be around 5 minutes from Big Ben, London Eye and Trafalgar Square. When you get your coffee you can learn about the place with pictures and explanations in the walls.

Very friendly staffs and very good service.Good price to be close to central London and a historic building.

I've been there with my wife couple of days ago, and we were so impressed with the level of service and care we've received. Amazing armosphere, and very tasty food with a wide variety of dishes..I will highly recommend this restaurant.

The restaurant in the basement of St John's Smith's Square look pleasant as you go in and the food on display looks hopeful. Sadly, though, at least when it comes to the buffet (I didn't try the restaurant proper) the food is out for too long to be properly edible once it gets to your plate.The ideas look good and probably were good in the kitchen and when they were put in bowls to be displayed but by the time they are put on the plate the hot food is tepid and the cold food is limp or dry.I had the soup with salad leave, bread and butter and cheese (£8.75 - not good value for what you get). The soup was all right but not hot enough, the bread was dry because it had been in the heat for too long, the cheese was good and the salad leaves were fine but small. Generally the portions are small (even the hunk of bread was half the size I expected).Part of the problem is that there isn't much competition in the immediate area. It makes sense to eat there but the food doesn't match expectations, particularly if you have eaten a few times at St Martin's in the Fields which is similar but of a much higher quality.It's a shame that the food isn't better served (it takes far too long for the queue to be served as payments take a longer time than they should). If they redesigned that part of the restaurant it would probably make it a lot better.

Been to the footstool twice and was extremely impressed with the quality of food on both occasions. Mouth-watering cuisine and a lovely atmosphere make this place a 6/5!

I've the lunch on December last year. The food was delicious and the presentation was great. The service as well was extremely efficient and the surroundings of the crypt are unique. Definitely worth visiting!

I regularly come here for lunch and the food has never been anything short of excellent. The menu has a surprisingly varied choice and though I don't usually eat cake, the cakes here are excellent

Met my mum for a lunch treat here before going to the Tate, warm welcoming atmosphere, staff very jolly although busy but still remaining calm and attentive. Food was delicious we ate from the buffet as we didn't have lots of time, but could have happily stayed longer soaking up their festive charm... If you get the chance go, you will not be disappointed!..... Happy Christmas Footstool, see you in the new year xx

Visited here in Dec on way to a concert the food was fantastic the staff friendly and helpful the prices were very reasonable I would definitely go back here perfect start to a lovely evening

Just tried to book this place for lunch today. The phone rang for ages and when answered the person taking the call left the phone and wondered off, leaving me waiting. Tried calling again and it was engaged (probably still off the hook). The third time no one answered. I gave up and booked somewhere else.

Unfortunately I read other reviews of this place too late. In summary - they had booked too many places so some people didn't have a table; people still hadn't had their main course at the 15 minute bell; servers wee simply unable to cope; the food was dreadful. My 'Butternut squash and potato cake' looked and tasted like a slab of my nan's week-old bread pudding. I rarely write a bad review because I know restaurants have bad days but this place is fundamentally broken. Avoid.

This is a busy friendly place mainly frequented by concert goers having a meal before the performance in the church above. There was a pleasant welcome and self selection of tables for the buffet, and a separate area for waitress service. There is a reasonable choice of hot and cold buffet dishes including vegetarian, with salads, or an a la carte menu with waitress service. My poussin was well cooked in a mediterranean sauce, with a choice of 2 salads from a total of 4. The food was fresh and tasty, with crisp salads. The deserts were a selection of cakes of monstrous slice sizes, which could have been fresher in my case. There was a wide choice of whites and reds, and well made coffees. The tables were cleared promptly and efficiently. Generally a nice place to eat, although not cheap.

Reasonable prices, tasty food, very good presence of the food.There is choice of buffet meals as pretty nice a la carte menu.We had cod & lamb as main meals, which both had great taste, and been served pretty quick.So we managed to fit in our one hour lunch break.Will definitely come back.Atmosphere is nice and welcoming, service is good.Recommended!

My family visited in October as part of an organised event in the area. We were served coffee and pastries in the morning and later in the day lunch. Initially I found staff to be unfriendly as we gathered for coffee and pastries, (we were very loud, excited and perhaps overwhelming)however lunchtime service was outstanding. Food was very tasty, we had the aubergine bake and a beef goulash type of dish, accompanying vegetables were also cooked well and the crumble dessert was delicious. Coffee was also very good as were the pastries. The lady who was managing service was very friendly and accommodating as were several other staff members, bringing pens and paper for my son to keep him occupied during the visit. The rooms are very special and if your looking for something a little different then give it a try. During our visit we saw lots of people coming and going and menu choices looked very appetising. As we personally didn't pay for the visit, I later checked out prices online and I feel that I would of been happy to pay these costs for our meals. Thank you for a lovely day and one our family won't forget.

Interesting venue but can't say much about the rest! The menu looked interesting, reasonably priced and selection.We ordered starters and main course. The soup was nice, the terrine was pretty awful.A pile of rocket piled on the top of a tiny thin slice of terrine with a large spoonful of some kind of pickle. The cod was badly cooked and the noodles were almost inedible.The service was ok .

An unusual and pleasant restaurant set in the crypt of a Church within easy walking distance of the Houses of Parliament with a narrow but well selected menu,ideal for lunch.

i had an interview in London when i passed this place by chance .its Just the sitting which make the place worth visit , when you there you will face a limited Menu and expensive rates . the Food Is okay but not good value of money . also the staff is not professional at all , never again

Really there's a great food at this restaurant. A lot of options and good portions.Just the staff ... maybe I was there in a bad day.

The venue is nice - and that's about it. This once-fine restaurant appears to have been taken over by the offspring of Fawlty Towers. Our waitress was clearly out of her depth. One of our party's meals simply didn't arrive at all and he had to go and search for the waitress to find out what had happened. The meal finally turned up 15 minutes after everyone else's without any explanation as to why it was so late. The food was very average and not cheap.The place was almost empty. Goodness knows how they would have coped if it was busy. Whoever owns this place needs to start again with new management. I think even Basil could do a better job.

Arrival: We arrived in the midst of a row between staff and potential guests as to whether they had booked online. Fortunately for us, the guests were then ignored and we were taken to our table:Starters: We were given a piece of bread each; it was only later that we discovered that the basket carried by the waiter had different types of bread in it. My wife chose the terrine which she enjoyed. I chose the "hearty soup with artisan bread". Silly me (1), I had already eaten my bread, as none came with the soup; silly me (2) I forgot to ask what the flavour was, nor was I told, nor could I work it out.Mains: My wife had roast cod (well cooked, nice) with 3 small cubes of potato and some veg (pretty tasteless). I had roast beef with carrots, beans, and roast potatoes. I asked for it to be reheated as the carrots and beans were cold and the beef tepid. Fortunately, I am not a gravy fanatic, as it evaporated in the reheat process. The roast potatoes (3 pieces) were fairly soft and greasy. I had hoped for a bonus yorkshire pudding; no such luck, especially as the bill later referred to this as a "Sunday Dinner". Silly me (3) I forgot to ask for mustard or horseradish, nor was I offered any.Sweet: My wife asked about the flavours for the icecream - the waitress told her to look at the menu, and then was told it came in scoops. When she was told the flavours weren't on the menu, she went to find a colleague who came up with the answers......but unfortunately not the icecream which arrived 20 minutes later. In the meantime my raspberry and apple crumble had been forgotten. When it arrived I could have eaten it in three spoonsful, at approximately £1.65 per spoon.General, apart from our traumas, it seemed other people may have had problems; eg terrines ran out, as did chips and someone on the table near us didn't get their main course for a long time after the other people at his tableOur daughter was in the concert, she had sandwiches from Pret. She ate better than we did.

i used to come here quite regularly when working in London some years ago. It was usually a matter of queueing at lunchtime to get a table. When we went in this time through the new entrance the feel was of a canteen rather the smart restaurant I remember. The buffet food was pricey and the butternut soup thin and of a poor quality. No wonder the place was nearly empty. I felt sad about the decline.

As others have said the setting is splendid. I called in for breakfast, thinking it would make a nice change. Menu is quite limited, but the food when it came was okay. It's quite expensive though. Just as the food arrived so did the cleaner, with a large bucket of pine fragranced disinfectant and proceeded to mop the floors including the toilets. I think the restaurant should be cleaned before it opens. Won't be back.

Great venue, super atmosphere but the food was disappointing. Food served on a cold plate - my plaice was cooked well but was cold, the vegetables were overpowered by a salty butter sauce. The food let's this place down. The self service food looked better. Really disappointed.

Had lunch here during the week, a simple course took over an hour to reach the table. The food was bland and the bread stale, coffee came without milk or sugar, by the time we had to ask and it arrived it had gone cold. The surroundings are beautiful but just not worth it.

Great crypt location, average service (forgot request to avoid ginger ice cream & brought stale bread), bland and uninspiring food.Must be struggling as over half the restaurant is now a self service cafe.Broccoli and Stilton soup bland, sole greasy and just dumped on tough samphire and over seasoned sauté potatoes. Crumble obviously re-assembled in a very small ramekin.Once upon a time it provided good food; best avoided as far too expensive for what it now offers

I love this place - don't go there often but think it's super. Something a bit special about the setting and the atmosphere.

We booked a table here before seeing the reviews as we’ve had some good meals here in the past and were celebrating a birthday.Had a starter of Salmon cured in Vodka and lemons - three strips of Salmon about 1cm by 12cm with some flavoured butter and bread which went down well but can’t say I tasted the range of flavours advertised. Main was a rabbit casserole which was pleasant. For desert we chose cheeses which came on a mini cheese board with about three tiny biscuits, some nice chutney which dribbled over the sides and pooled on the table. Nice piece of oxford blue cheese, some Brie and what was called Keen’s cheddar but had less flavour than cottage cheese so I suspect some substitute was offered.Food was OK but at £42 per head after three courses, a bottle of rose and a glass of port we were expecting something a bit superior to what we got. Perhaps this explains some of the reviews below.Can’t complain about the service. We turned up at 1:30 and stayed until almost 4 – staff were sitting down to eat their own meal at the end and there was no attempt to get us out the doors and service was quick and efficient.

I wish I had read the reviews here before eating at this restaurant. We visited on a Sunday evening when we were going to a concert and I thought it would be handy, We arrived having seen salmon, steak and lamb on the website menu, and confirmed there was a full menu when booking. When we arrived 2 hours before the concert, they gave us a completely different menu and then said we could only have desert in the concert interval.In fact they had three mains: rabbit (not for me!), sea bass and roast veg pie. I had the sea bass which I normally like, asking if I could have a side order of boiled potatoes, which came with the Rabbit anyway. Oh no they said, it most certainly was not possible to change the menu and give me any potatoes! Far too busy!So what I got was three tiny 1cm wide slices of Smoked Salmon as a starter followed by a 5cm x 8cm sea bass fillet and half a slice of endive. The sea bass was under cooked, just about warm and sprinkled with cold tomato.All in all it was pretty terrible. My fellow diners had the rabbit which was apparently quite good. The roast veg looked poor. Following the mains, the waiter then graciously offered us desert, even before the interval, what generosity! I had cheese which for an additional 2 quid was pretty decent, and at least saved me the trouble of venturing out to find something to eat.OK so at 20 quid for 3 courses it wasn't expensive but it was rubbish. There must be other places to eat nearby, even the local pizza express would have been better than this.

My wife and I ate here last weekend on a trip to London. Terrible. 2 courses £70 and some of the worst cuts of meat served as "steak" weve ever seen. Starter was a watery broccoli and stilton soup, something like you'd expect in a gulag. For mains we both had the ribeye steak with hand cut chips. My wife asked for well done, me, medium rare...both were neither, and once you'd di-sected the grisle and fat, there wasn't an awful amount of meat left. Hand cut chips were more like potato wedges which were undercooked, and hard. We complained at the time, and were offered free desert or coffee, but we decided to cut our losses and just leave. Way too many good places to eat than here, so Don't!

There was a time when the food served in this brick-vaulted crypt matched the spartan grandeur of the surroundings. Sadly this is no longer so. My pre-concert starter was a flavourless textureless vegetable soup served with half a slice of dry bread. Fortunately there was very little of it. This was followed by a shrivelled-up piece of overcooked salmon served with a few flavourless new potatoes and some other unidentifiable ingredients, sitting in an artless clump in the middle of a big white plate. Next time I go to a concert at St Johns I'll remember to take sandwiches.

I went here for lunch this week. Very big mistake. The food was truly terrible - in fact it was one of the worst meals I have had in recent memory in a London restaurant. My braised pheasant was badly butchered meaning that it was littered with small bones and cooked to within, in fact well beyond, an inch of its life. It was dry, tough and completely inedible. The cabbage with lardons was grossly undercooked - also inedible. I have been charitable and rated it "terrible" in homage to the bravery of the serving staff who not only had to serve this dreadful food but then ask diners to pay for it. Do not go to the Footstool Restaurant at St Johns Smith Square - there are plently of other places nearby that offer value for money and quality fare. I will never ever go again alone, with family or business partners.

We were down in London for a brief meeting with our partners and they had chosen the Footstool Restaurant as it was a short walk from their offices. We descended into the Crypt and the ambience was bright and the brickwork was used to great effect.I chose the Beef Bourguignon which came with two helpings of salad and I chose the mushrooms and the Mediterranean vegetables, and once I had disposed of the bay leaf, it was excellent. The addition of the spring onion mash only served to complement the meal. A nice chilled bottle of white wine and a double espresso completed a thoroughly enjoyable meal.I can recommend this as a very pleasant place to have lunch near the heart of London under a beautiful baroque church now converted into a concert venue.

We ate here last evening as a pre concert dinner. The restaurant is in the crypt of the concert hall which was an 18C church which was converted to a concert venue after the war. It has recently been adapted for disabled access and loos are also much improved.The preconcert menu is £18.50 for three courses. There are three choices for each course. My husband had sardines with a chick pea salad. The sardine had not been properly descaled or its central bone removed. The bread it sat on was soggy and the salad was over flavoured drowning the taste of the fish. I had a slice of goats cheese served with a small leaf and walnut salad. Satisfactory, but underwhelming and no bread offered at all.Mains were better. Husband had belly of pork with cabbage and carrots which was good, but a serving of potatoes was £3.50 extra, I had lemon sole with crushed potatoes and steamed broccoli served with a green salsa. This was also good, the fish properly cooked but the plate as a whole lacking imagination.The choice of puddings were ice cream, a cheese plate or a piece of tart. We both had the ice cream which was a scoop each of vanilla, chocolate and ginger. Nice enough but pedestrian.We chose a bottle of Misty Bay white wine at £15.00 which was pleasant. The young waitress was very attentive and efficient but we have no idea if our dissatisfaction with the sardine was conveyed to the chef.With a coffee and tea to finish the bill came to £68.40 including service.With a little more effort - bread served without charging, side vegetables included and not charged as expensive extras, a little more imagination in the cooking and that so and so sardine sorted out, this could be a good place to eat. But at the moment they need to try harder.

Ate here at lunchtime last week. It was OK, but at the price astonishing that no green vegetable was available with the main course. Disappointing.

When St. John's church was built in the 18th century, the comment on its palladian exterior, with the four short spires at the corners was ''It looks like a footstool''. Hence the name. The restaurant is in the crypt: all brick arches and stone-flagged floors. Very atmospheric, if a trifle gloomy. The food is classical English, and generally good. Service is mostly OK, though sometimes a bit distant at busier times. Prices are - for central London - fair. Reckon £35 per head, including wine.

This restaurant is in the cript of a church in Smiths Sq. The service is good depending on who you get as a waiter. However, overall the service is good. The menu is easy to read as there are not many options. I have eaten there five times since September - usually business lunches. It is such a lovely place and your guests will feel comfortable.My last visit was on Weds 18 November 2009. The Salmon starter was fine, the fish cakes need less potatoes and more fish, however, was still quite tasty. Desert of apple and pear crumble with vanilla ice cream was a let down. The crumble was soft - not the type of crumble I like. Will go again as the previous visits have all been great.