Gin Joint by Searcys in City of London, Westminster

Wonderful food and lovely relaxed atmosphere. A real treat!

Our server Brian? was excellent. Attentive, professional, friendly and on hand if needed. We had an issue with one of the courses which was extremely well managed by our server. The venue is lovely overlooking the waterside and a real pleasure to eat there prior to a show without the mêlée of self service and hubbub of the vast ground floor. Comfortable seating, lovely tableware and linen. Much enjoyed. Cooked food offerings were mediocre.

Amazing pre-theatre dinner. Arrived at 1715 and had more than enough time for all the courses. Three course meal included 1 glasses of champagne on arrival, water, coffee and we swooped our bottle of wine for Prosecco for £10 pounds extra. The food was amazingly and our server, Lakhajj, was just absolutely lovely so a huge shout out and thank you to him.

Thought we were going to an upscale restaurant. Very amateurish. Staff forgot to bring my drink to the table. The starter described on the menu did Not resemble what we were served. My pork was so overcooked that it was almost inedible. My wife enjoyed her meal. I asked the manager about my drink and mentioned that my meal was terrible. He thought that taking the water on the table and my drink off the bill resolved everything. Nope. Bad customer service. Went to pay the bill and they basically threw my cash back at me with a sneer. “Sir, we don’t accept cash.” I paid with my card. We were on our way to see a musical. They seemed convienient but proved otherwise. Please do not waste your money at this establishment. Also. There were two table around us sending items back that were cooked incorrectly. We were not the only ones.

We really enjoyed our time and meal at the Barbican Brasserie. Service was very good. Food Tasty and excellent value in central London. I’d definitely return and I will share this secret with my close friends too

Really not a great experience tonight. Had to stand at the door for a while to be seen, waited ages for drinks, starter came in 2 minutes, main took ages (without drinks). The table next to us complained that some plates were taken away and deserts offered while someone was still eating thier main. The staff were friendly and doing thier best, but they were not well trained, and there were clearly not enough of them. It just felt like a down-market chain restaurant. To be fair the food was excellent.

Horrible place. I arrived with my partner at 6pm (fairly well dressed couple in their 30s before you think anything). We needed to go at 7pm for a play. Very obnoxious manager asks us if we have a reservation and we say no but we need to leave soon. He says he’s got nothing and shows us the screen. I see there’s a table free until 7 and say oh this one is free for the next hour. Then he says “sorry I can’t have you” and I say “why not?” He just repeats “I can’t have you” and I say “but we’ll be done well before that” and he just repeats it again. Never felt so bad in my life. Unsure if this was homophobia.

Delicious and beautifully presented food. Attentive and friendly service. Good value for money. Overall a fantastic pre-theatre dining experience and so convenient as on site.

This restaurant has served me one of the tastier and most tender Shirloin steaks I can remember having; Absolutely delicious! The chips were ok and I was pleased with the overall main. I ordered Burrata as a starter and that was served with beans which I thought would be an unlikely combination but actually worked well. I chose the pistachio cheesecake for desert and that unfortunately was a bit of a disappointment. The pastry was sturdy and I still don't understand where exactly was the cheese in that desert because I just could not taste it. The cake was accompanied by some sort of berry sorbet which unfortunately also didn't do much for the dish. Despite this I would still consider a higher rating because the atmosphere was so nice, the views into the fountain patio were perfect and I was lucky to go on a sunny day with not many crowds around either. The waitresses wjo looked after us had a pleasant manner and we didn't have to wait much for our orders. Nonetheless the overall service was disappointing; I was given a glass with lipstick on it so clearly it hadn't been washed. That really put me off because I had already started drinking from it when I realised what state it was in. The final bill was also very convoluted. We ordered one burrata starter two Sherloin steaks mains with chips and a coca cola drink. However the items were not described clearly but rather than embarking on a dispute of what exactly and how much each item in the bill costed we paid the £110 asked (not including the water and the desert which were given as compliment due to the dirty glass) which to me seemed to be about £20 over what was stated on the menu.

I booked the private dining space for 9 guests for senior professionals from Chicago Booth Business School, University of Chicago on 29 May.This was booked months before, and I worked closely with Rue to ensure this evening was a success. She played very close attention to detail and was quick to respond to queries and concerns I had on the lead up to the dinner. Upon arrival, I was pleased to find that all staff at reception knew where to signpost guests, and that the food preferences were printed on name place cards which could be clearly be displayed on the dinner table. Rue was brilliant to work with and she helped to make the whole planning of this dinner stress free. I commend her professionalism and going the extra mile to ensure the evening felt special. Prosecco was served to guests on arrival by staff, special mention to Raisa, for taking such good care of our guests on the evening, and ensuring their glasses were always full. She was polite and professional and was careful not to disrupt the flow of the evening with conversations going.Really delighted with the value for money with the meal and the stellar venue. It was great to have additional privacy and create our own space closed off from the rest of the restaurant.I highly recommend this venue and hope to book again in future! 5*Thank you again for making this dinner so special.

First time eating here. Great unfussy vibe but still felt like a special event. Outlook over St Giles Church and beyond to glimpse St Paul's. The food was divine. Service attentive. Perfect.

Lovely staff , good food , lovely place - really relaxing enjoyable evening

The drinks and food was incredible. The view spectacular. The best part was the staff though Seb and his team are wonderful, passionate individuals. Highly recommend

Terrible service to the point that we went to the bar twice after waiting 20 minutes for the waiter each time. Completely neglected customers sitting near the entrance in favour of those dining. Shame as the bar was quite nice and somewhere I would have gone to again.

The staff were attentive without being too over bearing. I had a table booked for 5 of us, and I was the only person eating a main meal. The pasta was al dente and the venison sauce was rich and flavoursome. It is a nice place to visit pre-theatre or on a date

Significant improvement from our previous experience

My friends and I were here for dinner last night and it was great. Our waitress, Emily, was perfect. So welcoming, especially when I was the first to arrive, and efficient as we needed to eat before the show. View was lovely and it felt like a real treat for us. Thank you!

Great venue and food before a concert. Staff are helpful, efficient and friendly.

We were made to feel very welcome by all the staff. Our waitress, Emily, was very knowledgeable and helpful. Thanks for a lovely dining experience

Lovely food. Really nice to chill out with good food ahead of the show.

Beautiful building. A really special place to have dinner.

We were first surprised to find out that some of the waiters were unclear about the course options in the venue. And we were moved to another table as a bigger group was being expected. After all these issues, we were almost going to leave not so happily until the manager made a super generous offer as an apology for staff's faults. This restaurant has the best manager in the world. Period. The food was very good too.

Perfect pre theatre. Interesting menu, lots to choose from, all served in a retro dining room that isnt old fashioned!

Popped in for drinks about an hour before the concert. Did not have an opportunity to taste them, because we were denied to be seated at the bar even for 15 min because they were "busy" (there were a few people at the tables and no one at the bar). When I said that the place doesn't seem to be busy the manager said they are working for 4 venues, or something like this, and they are overwhelmed. While I can understand that if the venue is understaffed and working for the whole Centre (presumably), they can deny seating at a table or eating a whole meal, or even a cocktail, but pouring a glass of champagne that takes about 30 seconds? Seriously? This whole scene lasted more than it takes since I spoke briefly to the barman first twice and then to the manager. I made a point about 30 secs and 15 min, but the manager still refused and she really didn't seem sorry about it at all. I rarely find myself in such situtations and this is a nominee for the weirdest restaurant situation in my life. The barman was friendly, though. Unfortunately, this was so mind-boggling that I just won't dare to set foot in this bizarre venue again. There's a Martini Bar downstairs. It has its problems, but it's a decent place with quality drinks and friendly personnel.

Lovely staff and nice setting but the Daube of Beef was very disappointing. All elements were completely tasteless, even the quince had no flavour (how do they do that?).

Sebastian and team provided a rather exceptional level or service and cuisine in the most gorgeous setting. Simply flawless. Highly recommend to book in advance to appreciate this experience!

Every staff member was professional, and extremely attentive. My server as well as all the others made my experience very nice. The food was interesting and delicious! Thank you.

Visited a few weeks ago before seeing a concert. Had previously Visited during the Summer so was expecting the same experience. Unfortunately , this was not the case. After being shown to our table, we waited a considerable time for someone to take our order or bring a pot of tea that we had requested. The waitress failed to ask my husband if he wanted a drink . The food was OK but not really hot enough. It was a very cold night and although electric heaters were placed in the restaurant, it was still not very warm . A couple of guys including my husband put their woolly hats on!!!. Told waitress to remove service charge . Would be reluctant to return , shame as my wife had been a student at the girls school opposite the restaurant.

The setting is great, the food for what it is is overpriced, the beef (slow cooked) was bone dry (£13.50 suppliment....seriously), we had to ask for some additional sauce . Dont provide any condiments apart from plastic packets of mayo/tomato ket, we asked if any garlic mayo/tartar sauce ...blank expressions. We are members but this was wholly disappointing . It is a slight tourist trap insofar as convenient to be located within the Barbican, Cote brasserie across the street better value for sure...

Popped in here before a show on the off chance they had availability for two. I'm so glad I did! The food was delicious, the staff were accommodating and friendly, the service was flawless and the space was comfortable with plenty of space between tables. If I'm ever in that part of London again, I will definitely be more organised and book a table in advance.

We had a delightful evening. Thank you!

A wonderful pre show dinner at the Brasserie. Wonderful food, priced well and amazing service. A great start to the evening. Thank you to the staff for being really welcoming, it was my dads 70th birthday meal/evening out and he loved it.

This place is COLD. Had portable heaters, but airco kept blasting cold air. Just had dinner there and I am frozen.

Nice spot and view. Service was great. Food was good too - sadly monkfish was chewy - not great! But rest was lovely. 😁

Excellent food and service. Recommended if you are attending an event in the Barbican. Very reasonable price 2 or 3 courses for London.

The staff are fantastic. Led by Sebastian a very attentive waiting staff.

Great little Bistro in the Barbican. Posh Italian nosh with very well prepared ingredients. Excellent experience. Really enjoyed it.

Very overpriced for the quality of food

Lovely place with a wonderful menu

What a nice surprise! We had tickets to a performance at the Barbican but hadn't booked a place to eat. We decided to check out all of the dining establishments in the Barbican and were so glad we found the Brasserie. Other restaurants that have a fairly captive audience might overcharge or serve mediocre food at high pries, but not the Brasserie. We had creative, enjoyable dishes, and the price was great for the quality of the meal. And service was attentive and friendly. We would happily dine there again.

Pre show dinner great relaxed atmosphere great food and excellent service from the team

Somewhat expensive for what is essentially pretty ordinary reheated food. The cheese board featured some obvious substitutions for what was advertised, and the thyme and calvados jus that came with the pork had neither.

Lovely dinner and drinks before the show with great views. Very attentive and helpful staff.

This cozy restaurant has left the best impressions! Hospitable hosts, delicious dishes, beautiful presentations, wide wine list and wonderful dessert. I recommend it to everyone! I would like to come back here again and again.

Had pre theatre dinner. Food was lovely

Excellent option pre any Barbican performance, and probably the best option in the area in and around the Barbican

I was charged £14 of “rib eye supplement” which i only noticed after paying. Scam tactics. Upsetting to see it at such an otherwise nice place.

A lovely place for great food before watching a show.

Lovely pre-theatre meal overlooking the lake at The Barbican. Meals were tasty and the service was incredibly friendly and very attentive.

Tasty mains, wonderful drinks, and attentive service overlooking the historic Barbican lakeside terrace. Perfect for a pre-theatre dinner!

I would add that I attended as a birthday gift for their cocktails and sharing platter and although they knew it was my birthday, unlike other establishments , the table wasn't decorated nor was any slice of cake or decorated plate brought out. It still had an element of "corporate", rather than "occasion". The staff were quite hospitable and took photos of us. The view over the Barbican is also exquisite. Very calm and classy brasserie.

Would be a great place but the staff just won’t stop talking among themselves. I now know all about the discounts they give to their mates and all sort of stuff that was not meant for the customers’ ears. A man who worked there also demanded to know “where I was really from” while I was trying to read my book and enjoy some wine in peace. I wasn’t offered any water upon arrival and had to try hard to even get the drinks menu. Really weird customer service.

Post graduation ceremony treat. Very happy with our food, table and service. The restaurant is very conveniently located inside the Barbican Centre.

We had a pre-paid, 2 course dinner before a show at the centre. At first, it was good. Fast service, attentive and the starters came out rapidly! However, as the resultant busied, we basically didn’t see our waiter for almost 20mins. We wanted to order a few more drinks, but it wasn’t possible. The mains were a mixed bag. The mrs had the salmon dish, which was good. I had the ribeye, and it’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. It looked like it was cooked with a 1w LED bulb. Chewy, not cooked to how it was ordered. Asked for the bill, and after 15mins, gave up and paid at the counter. Considering we have a 1730 booking, of which we were 10mins early, we made it to the show with 5mins to spare. Dreadful. Sorry I didn’t take a pic of the steak.

We had a fantastic lunch before a matinee performance. Staff were so cheerful and attentive, food was delicious and we couldn’t be in a better mood before our show. Thanks so much!

What a wonderful way to start an evening at the Barbican Centre. Excellent quality food, expertly served by friendly, efficient and welcoming staff. An experience I hope to enjoy again in the not too distant future.

Food competent but rather polite, not pushing any boundaries or providing anything particular memorable, apart from a dessert of whipped Camembert with strawberries, which I was intrigued by but my companions found inedible. Good maitre d, other waiting staff clearly vet inexperienced, but friendly

Absolutely fantastic, great staff,super drinks and a wonderful venue. Can't praise the staff enough they are great

My daughter and I had a delicious lunch and I would highly recommend eating here. The manager was brilliant, helping us with our menu. Fabulous staff and really delicious food.

Good place for eating and socializing

Lovely value for the price, felt like we enjoyed a really nice meal and drinks that another establishment would have overcharged us for and been pretentious about. So easy and wonderful to not worry about rushing through dinner and managing transport to get to the symphony! Simply walk downstairs. Only regret is we didn't build in time for the dessert puddings as a third course.

Our waitress Sandra was brilliant! Asparagus, serano ham and fried egg starter and aubergine and parmesan tortellini main was amazing. Pork belly a bit dry, but overall it was good. Definitely will come back!

It was our first time, all went great, amazing and welcoming staff, delicious view, great view. Thank you!

Friendly welcome and service, good food and views over the lake. Sensibly priced.

Quite mediocre and not what I would expect in the Barbican.

Great food, well presented and charming staff

A bustling space with a variety of food including good fish and vegan. The service is a bit hit and miss, and you're quite likely to encounter 4 servers non of whom seems to know what the others offered to do. Very convenient for a meal before performances and quite good value if you buy the package including a glass of fizz when booking tickets.....

A pretty good place to have a pre-show dinner or drink. Very good food, excellent service and reasonable atmosphere.

Absolutely amazing! The place is beautiful and staff are super friendly and the food is delicious. Wonderful experience!

Service is outstanding! Very friendly and polite staff. We definitely recommend this restaurant.

We had lunch in the (newish) Searcy's restaurant. The food was spectacular and the service was great.

A very enjoyable meal! I was impressed that they offered a vegan french onion soup option, it’s not something you see often! My gnocchi was absolutely delicious as well and staff were super friendly and attentive. Great place for dinner before a show :)

Overpriced felt a bit ripped off but nice food and lovely setting

The atmosphere and service were excellent! Great Xmas dinner with the family (except for the hard boiled potatoes... 🫤) Everything else was amazing! The complementary Prosecco was actually really good and we all got nicely sozzled - a perfect setting for a pre-show meal 😊

Great view of the Lakeside at Barbican. It was quiet and we were given a lakeside view table. Service was beyond excellent. Food arrived in reasonable time. Dishes were tasty but a little mellow for my taste. I prefer strong contrasting flavours. The ambiance, view and service more than made up for this though.

Great atmosphere and very attentive service!Food was delicious!

Great dinner in a superb place before seeing Totoro on stage. A really really good menu and the best atmosphere to enjoy

Very disappointed with the food tonight. Starter: Burrata ok but accompanying veg bland. Main: sea bass was ok but came with a very bland sauce. Sides: courgette fries were over oiled which soaked veg at base of dish, potatoes likewise over oiled. Cheesecake pretty bland. Overall bland. Trying to figure out why so bland? Modern cookery is all about flavour surely! An elderly clientele perhaps? Service was good.

Lovely Food at reasonable prices. Service was very good.

A wonderful eating experience. The food was incredibly delicious and the service was superb. Thank you to all the staff for a wonderful start to our unforgettable evening.

Our second visit. Both times for pre theatre dinner. Food excellent. Service efficient and friendly. Will eat here again.

We had a wonderful meal here. The food was delicious - the roasted beetroot is a must for a side dish. The waiting staff were very friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this restaurant and perfect location if you're attending a show downstairs.

Had lunch before a show. The food was excellent although the portions were a little less than I'd like, but I do love my food!!! The service was timely and very good. Will definitely go back.

An amazing experience. Loved the food and service. Highly recommended 😉

Beautiful venue and delicious food.

Lovely food, nice venue, good service, reasonable price, what's not to like!

Vat not included in the menu prices. Food was OK not great. Price was not

Been visiting Barbican centre over many years but never really sat down for a proper meal. The restaurant had a nice vibe, staff seemed great and knows their wines. With it being evening, the church looked picturesque across the way. I think for London city, the set menu prices were reasonable. For starters I choose the scallops, they were delicious and well complemented. I loved the touch of fresh seaweed, the smell taking you to the ocean. Mains I went for the Pappardelle pasta, braised venison, pecorino cheese, toasted hazelnuts - super tender and sauce was delicious. Being a cheese fiend I wouldn’t have minded a little more pecorino (just not sure if it would have been frowned upon), nevertheless was still tasty. Tried bit of the pork loin, lovely and tender, with a delicious sauce and various vegetables to complement it. Though I’m still not a fan of the type of ‘popcorn’ style crackling people make, I much prefer the mixture of the traditional crunch and melt in mouth textures. I’m happy to return on my future visits.

I had an amazing experience. The food was delicious and the view was outstanding. Friendly waiter and great atmosphere. A bit pricey, but the food was so good that it was worth it.

Nice atmosphere and location but the food wasn’t impressive. My soup was odd-tasting and plain but the risotto was quite nice. Service was quite good and the menu wasn’t exciting.

Nice pre-theatre meal. Good value

Slow, with 30 mins from starter to main, without care or explanation. Average food except a tasty chocolate bombe.

Went Saturday afternoon before show Friendly staff. Relaxed atmosphere. Food was excellent. In particular the pea risotto. Reasonably priced. A quality restaurant in a great location for barbican shows even by London High restaurant standards.

Really like this restaurant. The food and the service is great.

Firstly they were quite busy so service was slow. Tried their veganuary set menu which was hit and miss, and quite overpriced considering the cost of the ingredients. My selection was nice though, the gnocchi to start and courgettini main. Both had nice flavours. My wife had the orzotto starter and the cauliflower main. Both were very bland and disappointing. As I say, hit and miss.

If you're Italian avoid this place like the plague...which I'll do in the future. The ossobuco I had was to be accompanied by polenta, but got a gooey bit if something not even the head waiter could recognise. The cost for just one miserable piece of ossobuco and a couple of carrots was astronomical. ...this is not a great representation of what the words Osteria really means!

Nice pre-theatre dinner. Reasonable price. Helpful and professional staff.

Ate here before theatre. Will be back

Had an amazing time ith work colleagues. Food excellent, staff were very attentive would absolutely Ho back. Thanks guys.

Went before a theatre visit. We had an hour and a half to spare and were given the pre theatre menu. There should have been enough time to have a three course meal. As it turns out, we only wanted two courses but when we had to remind them to take our order after 20 minutes, time was getting shorter. The food was excellent but the service let it down. We ended up asking for the bill and paying as we ate our dessert. It was not their finest hour and for that matter it wasn't ours either.