Grumbles in City of London, Westminster

Really charming. A place that time forgot, and long may time continue to forget. No Grumbles from me.

Subdued, refined-rustic, french cafe. Wood paneling; interesting historic photos; French songs playing (1940’s?). I selected the fixed price meal: Fillet with fries, avocado and prawns, and fruit/cream/crumble dessert—all prepared perfectly and delectable. The included glass of house red wine was simple, but acceptable. I upgraded to an excellent Bordeaux on the second glass. I ate late evening, so very quiet (which I prefer) and the staff appeared tired. Friendly, but inattentive.

Lovely starters all around, main course was a fish pie for me which was bland and watery. Dessert was good. The service grew better as the evening went on but it took 25 minutes before we got our first drink! We asked for a corner table because we brought along our (well-mannered) dogs but didn't expect to be squashed under the stairs with hardly any space let alone get up from the corner seat without two other people getting up aswell. All in all completely overrated from our point of view. Not for us.

Old style bistro, furnitures are quite old and wobbly. Apart from that Food was pretty decent. We tried the steak and chicken salad. The steak was very nice with creamy sauce and salad dressing was very good too.

Family pub with a warm and calm atmosphere

On a été bien accueillis (il y avait même quelques mots en français) et on a bien mangé (sirloin délicieux). Rien à redire.

They turned people away on sketchy grounds such as the party being too small. It was 1.5 hour before closing time so makes no sense that they reserve spaces like that. Seems to be a racist establishment. I was ignored for a while standing around before being told that. Lots of reviews about selective treatment so I'm not surprised but am disgusted. The stupidity of alienating large swaths of profitable customers due their misguided racism is laughable but not surprising.

I have been to this restaurant so many times over the years and I love it. The staff and food are always great and if you get one of the upstairs booths it’s even better.

Food, service and atmosphere are always on point. Reasonable prices and very drinkable house red. A neighbourhood cult classic for good reason. Long live Grumbles!

Great English food and the loveliest of staff, all of that in a very cosy atmosphere. Would definitely come back and recommend to friends !

Have been before and really enjoyed the food and ambience. This time they have a special menu celebrating 60 years of being open. If you like liver and bacon, this is a must. The food was superb

A delightful find. Best steak I've had for a long time. Excellent service and look forward to returning.

We were visiting from Australia and staying nearby. I ordered the Roast of the Day which was Beef. I agree with a prior review that the meat was tough and the rest of the meal was barely warm. The mains came out before the entree which I do understand mistakes happen. Then adding the 12% onto the Bill was a bit rich. I would totally not mind paying this if the Food and service was on point. Sadly it was not. Also the waitress was rude when we questioned the 12%. Sorry, but for the price, I would expect a half decent meal.

Tasty comfort food, great very accommodating service.

Excellent food and service, attentive but not in your face, honest cooking packed with flavour. We brought people who thought we had made a mistake when they arrived they soon changed their minds. Would highly recommend.

Came for set lunch served by charming waitress - it’s got rather pricey as main course was 2 small sardines on potato salad of a stuffed pepper. Ham hock terrine starter good though

Grumbles was fantastic as always! Similar to other restaurants, portion sizes at Grumbles have reduced in recent times and the bacon accompanying the calves liver is not the high quality it used to be, but overall, Grumbles remains a favourite restaurant with good value for money. Will continue to return!

I visited this location in 2019, great food, great service.

After seven years, we decided to have lunch there again. The food was simply bad—the beef was tough and hard to chew, the Yorkshire pudding was burned, and the service was minimal, limited to just delivering the food. Unlike in the same month in 2017, the place was empty, which should have been a warning sign that something was wrong.

As always, excellent. Be brave and have liver & bacon. It’s super stuff. Add a decent red wine and you’ll be well fortified.

The only reason I didn’t score this ‘excellent’ was because it’s very simple. That really works for me and that’s what I look for, but doesn’t work for everyone. I’ve been going here for years and really enjoy it. It never disappoints. The staff are friendly, I like the age of the restaurant, I like the simplicity of the food and the ensure that is cooked well. They change the menus and I always appreciate specials. Grumbles is connected to the old heart of London. Go here if you want a nice cosy atmosphere, affordable wine and good food.

Great place to eat, food really nice. Excellent staff

Fish n chips were greasy which bled over to the fries. Taste was good overall though. Beer was good. Prices were excellent.

So disappointing. Extremely embarrassing as took an old friend there. Over priced for poor quality food. Cannot recommend. Lady serving us was very pleasant though

Another great evening at this fabulous venue. Took friends here who were not familiar with the area. Everyone had a lovely time, was able to sit “Al fesco “ Service was excellent, food amazing and it’s nice to be Al fresco, without it being noisy and crowded. A good time was had by all, and would thoroughly recommend Grumbles for a dining experience.

I have been to Grumbles several time and really like the interior, the people who work there are really nice especially the tall waiter Alex ! The food is great and I love the interior , my cousin that I took there wanted cheese for desert which I think they should consider adding ! Thanks

The menu is short but well chosen. Reasonable prices. No long waits between courses. Efficient staff. A very enjoyable evening.

Very nice place and very good food with average prices for Westminster. Absolutely impeccable service. The obligatory 12.5% ​​tip is not exactly appreciated, but apparently it is a London custom.

Retro ambience,which I in my 70s like. Reasonable prices, well-cooked food and not pretentious.

Delicious authentic French food in the centre of Pimlico. We had a bottle of excellent wine, and three courses, all for under £75 per person, which we thought was great value for the quality of the food. Would definitely recommend.

Exceptional, as always. Staff are wonderful and the menu is delicious.

Great food and service. Fish was fresh.

Really charming restaurant, staff were lovely and attentive and the food was excellent

Lovely to find a reasonably priced restaurant, with delicious food and friendly service, so close to Victoria and Belgravia.

We last visited Grumbles over 20 years ago. It was as good as ever. Great food, reasonable prices and good service. Thank you.

Simple, classic menu, perfectly cooked. Ideal bistro environment and atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.

A very nice discovery, especially with the meat with the mustard caramel, a great tasting success, and therefore a good address :)

I love Grumbles so much. Wonderful food, excellent service, joyful atmosphere. It’s glorious!

This is a great restaurant. Food is honest, well prepared and superb to eat. The fact that it's been going for such a long time is all the evidence you need. Highly recommended.

Poor food quality, poor service, high prices. Mussels were tiny and not freshly taste at all. Beef steak was £20 and comes with just a plain tomato cute in half. The plate was extremely hot and waitress wouldn't warm you! Burger was just not acceptable, bread bum came half toasted and half not. French fries were soggy, like from frozen. Prices are too high for the quality of food. The place is outdated, not enough space between tables for customers to get in and out, the staff must to move the tables every time. Not enough light to properly see what you eat. Overall not worth the experience, avoid it if possible! Dolphin

Great food, lovely atmosphere, friendly staff. Always a good evening.

Small restaurant very cosy feel, everyone super friendly, service was amazing, open kitchen, prices reasonable for the area but food wasn’t that great… snails were massively under seasoned (no salt or garlic). For the main i went for the special (veal with parma ham and mashed potatoes) wich was good enough but maybe a bit basic. We picked some wines in the 35£ area and they weren’t very good and too warm. We had a good time but I don’t think i’ll come back.

Was staying locally for the weekend and was looking for somewhere independent and interesting to eat. Looked on Google maps and found this place that, having been trading since 1964, I thought would fit the bill. It was very disappointing. Menu is small and basic, not an issue in itself, but it didn’t offer much thought or care with a weird mix of styles. We ordered fish pie and calves liver. Additional charge of £5.50 for mash to go with the calves liver. Calves liver cooked well and tasted good, but small portion. Mash was overpriced. Fish pie was sent back after a couple of mouthfuls as it was mostly mash and the fish that was there was lacking in any sauce making it very dry. The fish pie was removed from the bill. There are much better places to eat around the area so unfortunately I can’t recommend Grumbles. It seems that they are trading purely on being in existence for a long time.

Had to ask for water a couple of times. Otherwise, service was good.

Always fantastic at Grumbles. And great service for families too. Always recommend this local haunt!

Middle of the road - more than adequate with reasonable choice. Nothing special but perfectly ok

Great little place with great food and fantastic, friendly service. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

A quirky little restaurant has a good atmosphere to it but the food lets it down badly… good service friendly staff… food very bland and taste less…. Fish pie was extremely watery no flavour and only fish in it was salmon and frozen prawns.. rest of the mains were cold over cooked

The head waiter/owner was pretty surly. The food was only adequate. The fish and chips consisted of a very poor fillet, NOT skinned and the chips were worse than a wet week

Omg! It was a nice surprise, amazing food

Menu on here was out of date so prices were significantly different for set menu.

Small local restaurant. Varied menu with options for everyone.

Lovely, cosy place in the heart of Pimlico. Delicious food and friendly service.

It is always a thoroughly pleasant treat to eat at this fantastic venue.

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We’ve been to Grumbles several times now. The service is quick and efficient and of course, the food is wonderful. Highly recommended.

It is a delightful bistro restaurant with excellent food and friendly, discreet service. Magnificent atmosphere

Average food and average service. Sad we are there.

A quality French-style bistro, conveniently located in Pimlico. Definitely on the smaller side and an intimate environment. Our table was right by the entrance into the kitchen so we had a cool view the entire meal into what was happening back there. The food itself was good, not necessarily outstanding, and the service was decent as well. Altogether not a bad choice, and at the very least you're going to get a quality meal.

Sunday Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding and vegetable medley excellent.

Great vibe, cute place, friendly staff, delicious and reasonable food!

We got to meet the original owner who started Grumbles 60 years ago 1964, Jeremy Friend! Mr Friend still dines at grumbles several times a week! So you know the food is always at its best.

Always love a visit to an old favourite with an old friend when in London

Nice atmosphere and simple traditional food. The restaurant has been going for over 60 years and was busy.

The food was decent, but a bit expensive. However, they slipped an "optional 12% service fee" into my bill which I didn't spot until after I paid. Shame on me for not spotting it - shame on them for adding it - it came to an extra 10 gbp

The fish pie was excellent, but the chicken salad pedestrian. The dining chairs upstairs are hard; with added cushions the enjoyment factor would soar.

A cosy, friendly neighbourhood bistro serving well cooked, unpretentious food at good value prices. Were very well looked after by the team, service attentive but not overbearing in the least. Highly recommended for a relaxing meal. Will return for sure

I always love Grumbles. Always a little special, yet informal, relaxed and unchanged. Long may it last.

Super family dinner, great menu, fabulous atmosphere.

Terrible food but nice service; disappointing and overpriced

Great price fix menu. I had a hamburger and it was a little dry and quite small. Maybe I am just used to American burgers. Ha! Everyone else loved their meals of mashed and sausage.

Fish and chips was good. Nice family place quite and relaxed. Good selection of beer and wine and the food. Take the family and enjoy

Grumbles is proof that, despite Brexit, some things here in London still still work exceptionally well. It gets better with the passage of time. The staff are brilliant and always make us feel welcome. Everyone should dine at least once at Grumbles on a visit to London.

Avoid it as much as you can! Arrogant service with lack of care for customers. Old, poorly maintained. Okish food, much overpriced, especially for meat. They didn’t even say goodbye when we left … although we were the only customers (no wonder why ..).

We hadn’t been here for about 8 years (not sure why) before we went again recently. It hasn’t changed at all but that’s no bad thing. We had a cosy table downstairs and the service throughout was friendly and very efficient. The liver and bacon main was a highlight of the food we had. A starter of snails could have been tastier, and the bread was disappointing (too dense). But these grumbles aside, Grumbles reminded us why we used to visit frequently. And we’ll definitely be going again soon. Recommended for anyone staying nearby (and good for single travellers too).

On the occasional times that I visit London these days this is a restaurant that is on my short list to eat at. It's always a great experience.

Lunch 27th March 24 for four discerning, old school-mates was very much enjoyed. The food, drink and ambience were just right. We'll be back for another reunion later in the year. Thank you.

Work meal for 10 people - excellent place

Stoped by Grumbles for lunch and had a nice experience. Service was very good and the ambience wonderful. Had one of the daily specials and enjoyed it

An absolute gem, delighted to have discovered Grumbles. Delicious bistro food (I had Wiener Schnitzel, others had sea bream, veggie choice) - charming prompt service, good choice of wines and beers. Very nice atmosphere, so much nicer than any grotty themed chain. Grumbles? Absolutely no complaints! Thank you for having us.

Fantastic! Great service. Great ambience. Delicious food. Thank you!!

Absolutely delightful - delicious bistro food, very prompt, unobtrusive and charming service. Lovely ambiance, a perfect antidote to soulless chain restaurants. Highly recommended.

Great little bistro with good quality home cooked food and a lovely atmosphere.

have been several times over past 20 years. consistently good. not fancy fancy - more well tried and tested classic dishes and good wines. excellent prompt professional service

An excellent family lunch with attentive but not intrusive service, and high quality food and drink. A very enjoyable experience and one we expect to repeat in future.

Good service, staff were friendly and attentive. Food was very good - simple menu but cooked well.

Une réservation de dernière minute par téléphone. Un accueil déjà bien sympathique. Un véritable dîner authentique de qualité, servi dans un décor typique. En famille, les enfants (4, 10 & 16 ans) étaient appréciés par l’équipe souriante et attentive. Du fish and chips en passant par des plats « locaux » aux desserts, absolument savoureux !

lovely local restaurant. Great ambiance, very friendly service and delicious food. For sure this is added to our list of favourite local restaurants.

Very good food and enjoyable atmosphere, definitely recommended.

My food was excellent! I had the fish pie; this dish never disappoints. The French beans were beautifully cooked. Dessert was the creme brulee, which is a favourite, it was (and always is) delicious! The service was attentive initially and then we were left to enjoy our meal. Grumbles was busy but the noise level wasn't distracting or intrusive. We didn't have any wine with our lunch, so the bill was reasonable. Grumbles is a local favourite; the food is good and reliable and I never feel rushed.

Wonderful place with a great ambience - cosy, wooden panels, decor etc. We randomly found Grumbles for a mid-week lunch. Great menu (liver was fantastic!) and service was spot on. No Grumbles from me

Brilliant local restaurant in Pimlico. Celebrating it's 60th year and still going strong. Highly recommended.

Really lovely independent restaurant. Friendly staff, lovely atmosphere and quiet enough to hold a conversation! The food was good and value for money. Would recommend.

Our worst experience here, where we normally rate Grumbles very highly. Diane's fish pie was totally lacking in fish. We normally dine on the ground floor and did not enjoy the basement ambience. Is it possible to stipulate eating on the ground floor where have always dined before,? If not we wouldn't come again, very sadly. It the only restaurant we ever use when we come to London.

Delicious food in atmospheric surroundings. I last went about 30 years ago

Nice food and restaurant. They also have the kid menu

Always amazing super fresh food and great wines

overpriced with poor quality poorly cooked food .It would seem that the only people who were less happy than us to be there were the staff

A lovely small bistro. Good value food and very good service.

Superb in every respect. Food was excellent, staff were friendly, attentive and helpful, decent atmosphere with people enjoying themselves and music gently playing in the background at a volume which was pleasant without being intrusive (I personally loved the music selection as well) and the prices are very reasonable for central London. I personally recommend their Escargot but definitely go for the 12, not the 6, otherwise you'll just be wanting more.