John Doe in Kensington and Chelsea

45 minutes for even a drink to arrive. Disastrous evening. Food not memorable and certainly not worth the wait.

Stumbled alone on this fantastic casual dinning restaurant. I had Sunday roast which was amazing tasted great, lots of flavours and textures, and the chefs really had thought about what they were doing.It's an open kitchen so can see and chat to the chefs, which is great. James was working hard and cooked me some fantastic dishes, well done James.Amazing will be back soonThanks

Went there on a Thursday night -empty except one more table - yet the service bordered the unfriendly and made one feel like a nuisance. Some good items on the menu - good taste but a feeling of reheated food would not go away

Me habría clasificado con 3 estrellas por la comida, pero el servicio reducido del total de 2 estrellas. Visité por primera vez cuando se acababa de abrir. Tenía una reserva de cumpleaños, y nos dijeron que la mesa no estaba preparada. Bien, no nos importó que esperar unos minutos mientras se dieron mesa preparada. Sin embargo, una hora y todavía sin una mesa, y con ninguna disculpa o atención del personal, que nos levantamos y nos fuimos, hambrientos, y se apresuraron a un favorito local en su lugar.

Parts of my evening were promising.. The venison was cooked to perfection. Others were not.. Questionable service.. And I'm still not sure if my bone marrow was fully cooked. The general pairings didn't work that well for me.. Promising menu but it didn't deliver.

Tengo la suerte de ser un local a este restaurante y puedo confirmar que John Doe ha sido una gran adicción a Golborne Road. Hacen un plato increíble del día cada almuerzo que supera todos los otros restaurantes en el barrio. La comida es deliciosa y porciones generosas. El espacio es acogedor. El diseño es fresco con interesantes detalles peculiares y uso de materiales. El servicio es amable y relajado. Un gran local.

Mi plato de sardinas eran excelentes. Las berenjenas parte de la comida principal estofado de berenjena y tomate llegó fría muy decepcionante. Si hubiera sido sirve correctamente creo que hubiera sido agradable. Después de pagar la factura de más de 100 libras en efectivo, el servidor no devolver el cambio. A sólo unas pocas libras pero 12,5 % SC ya había pagado así que sentí estafado. remitido a estos dos quejas hasta el restaurante por dos correos electrónicos y afirmó que era mejor decirles que escriba una mala crítica en Tripadvisor. No responda al segundo correo electrónico así que aquí está la mala crítica.

"Ultra-hip but with great food. All meats - venison, chicken and guinea fowl top notch, but star of the show was the crab in Keralan sauce. Service unusually un-attentive initially, but warmed up. A great spot."

Llevé a mi novio aquí por su cumpleaños, y no puedo recomendar este lugar.

Hemos estado en John Doe unas cuantas veces con mi novio, y en ambas ocasiones hemos disfrutado mucho. La primera vez que reservamos pero la segunda vez que llamamos con antelación a sólo 15 minutos antes de que nos obsequió y tenían espacio. El menú parece cambiar bastante a menudo y tiene algunos platos muy interesantes (la primera vez mi mi novio tenía corazones de pato - sorprendentemente delicioso! ). Bueno, si quieres juegos también. postres fabuloso y una buena carta de vinos. Si puedes sentarte en el bar, así que se puede ver a los chefs muy amigables y interactivos en el trabajo. No es barato, pero merece la pena para una delicia. Volveremos!

Comimos allí hace poco en un sábado por la noche. Yo estaba muy entusiasmado con visitar este restaurante después de leer tantas buenas críticas y humo comida un gran favorito de la mía. La comida estaba bien, pero realmente no guau me gusta lo que pensaba. Ash-Roasted puerros eran sabrosos, aunque parecía un poco aburrida en el plato. Podría pasar con algo de trabajo en la presentación. Mi esposa tenía el tartare venado, que fue el mejor plato, muy bueno. Mi esposa tuvo la marisma de cordero salado, que a ella le pareció que no está mal, pero no es nada especial, que mi principal de bistec venado fue una decepción. Un lime-sized trozo de carne que recocido y un poco sinewy y difícil, servido con dos enormes piezas de la médula ósea y un montón de ensalada. La carne no sientes realmente la parte principal del plato! Supongo que la mayoría de la comida es que no tuvimos un gran éxito de mayorà desde cualquiera de ella, lo que es una especie de el punto del restaurante. Ahora, el servicio. Diez minutos después pedir bebidas no había señal de ellos. Nos persiguieron y mi cerveza traían, pero otra llegar a haber bastante requiere unos minutos más tarde por el vino. 45 minutos después ordenar comida, nos registramos con camarera sólo para ver que no había sido olvidado. Cue una mirada de pánico ya que ella tiene prisa en hablar con el chef y me dijeron que no había visto el billete en absoluto (estamos sentados en la barra, así puede ver todo esto). Cinco minutos más tarde, aperitivos llegar, pero ninguna explicación ni disculpa ofrecieron. No estábamos demasiado molestos ya que estábamos por la noche y sin prisa, pero teniendo en cuenta que lo habían acabado nuestro vino tuvimos que pedir un segundo. 15 minutos más tarde, tuvimos que perseguir. No sé si esto es normal, pero el servicio parecía caótico. No es que era desagradable, simplemente no son confiables.

Lovely restaurant near Notting Hill. Nice atmosphere and super friendly service. Crab on toast was delicious. Venison was great. Beer and wine is really good. Menu changes regularly, so we'll definitely be back.

To taste dishes cooked from Bertha, the anthropomorphised beast of a cooker, is surely the most authentic that food can taste in London. Leeks, ash roast and delicately dressed with a caper, lentil and tarragon sauce is just the beginning. Keralan Crab Curry stunning...the list goes on.....Every dish a treat, every flavour an explosion - All dishes are mind blowing, service superb and the Apérol Spritz the perfect starting gun

This is a great place if you love food. Focused on taste, all fired by a big bertha of a wood fired oven, John Doe is a great place to get something different. I came on my own as I'd heard about it online & had a spare evening, and was made really welcome, with great draft Thornbridge beers. Sat at the bar, I watched the chefs prepare the food literally in front of me, as the heat of the oven pulsed out. It was one of the best and most visceral food experiences I've hadRecommended: duck hearts, octopus, pheasant kebab, leeks I've eaten at John Doe a couple of times now, dragging my work colleagues with me - who are similarly smitten :)

Excellent food - across a range of dishes, from the beautifully smoked venison, to the flavoursome steak tartar this had something for everyone at our table. Washed down with a good selection of both wine and beers. Can't recommend highly enough

Been here twice now, and both times the meal was fantastic. I think my favourite dishes were the octopus, which was just sensational, the charred leeks (which was a surprise at such a meaty restaurant) and the duck hearts. The latter took a bit of convincing for me to try, but after an initial bit of taste-bud confusion they really are pretty amazing, and I had them on my 2nd trip as well - nothing like anything else I've ever had before or since.Both trips I sat at the counter, I always like being able to watch a kitchen or bar work when they know what they are doing, and Bertha the big oven is a beast to watch in action! Really highly recommended.

The staff are friendly, cool and laid back. But the level of service and knowledge of the menu, provenance of food and drink selection was impressive. Been back a few times and they always deliver. Exceptional food, great atmosphere.

Been here several times now, the most recent was last night hosting several clients for dinner here. Atmosphere is always good and food superb and last night no change. Venison tartare, bone marrow and octopus to start between us followed by Venison burgers, Sole and lamb for main and meringues and tarts to end, all washed down with a few bottles of red. Thoroughly recommend, great food, great atmosphere.

Would highly recommend the octopus starter and Venison Haunch Steak main. The open kitchen complete with 'Bertha' charcoal oven makes the bar area a fun place to eat, but there is also a larger sitting area that accommodated a large group of friends.Also worth noting the beer menu is extensive and we tried a few new ales from UK breweries I'd never heard of.Have been twice and its the kind of place you want to try everything on the menu, so will definitely be back again soon!

I have been to John Doe on a number of occasions. Once on a date with my husband and a couple of times as part of a larger group for celebrations. I have never been disappointed. The food is absolutely delicious! The venison haunch steak is one of the best I have ever eaten and a really large portion! Not only is the food great but I love the relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant with brilliant service. I will definitely be going back!!!

Just had lunch at the John Doe. The interior is terrific. We had the lunchtime special which was a bargain: lamb shank with three types of salad and half glass of wine or beer for £10 per head. We sat at the bar while the chef chatted away to us as he prepared the food. The chef is extremely friendly and clearly loves what he is doing. He was testing new dishes whilst we were there and gave us some to try. This is an excellent restaurant that likes big, bold smoky flavours and offers a good wine list. The staff were exceptionally friendly and the food was delicious. I am already planning my next visit and will go a la carte to experience more of the menu.

Cracking dinner. Sat in the sun at the front of the restaurant where the full length windows were open to the street. Sank a couple of craft IPAs before eating one of the best burgers I have ever had - the venison was perfectly cooked and complimented by the gruyère cheese and a healthy portion of fries.My girlfriend had the venison and goat kofte which was accompanied with a flat bread and some sort of couscous - delicious and an equally large portion. She wasn't as impressed with the lengthy craft ale list but had couple of glasses of rose. Will definitely be going back and will also try to get a table at the open kitchen bar to pick up some tips...

Been there twice now and sat at the bar both times chatting to the chefs, who even gave me tasters! Great atmosphere and great food, looking forward to another visit

Went there for a friends Birthday. I ordered the tartare and burger - both absolutely delicious & the squid looked great too. Would happily recommend to anyone!

Such a delicious feast - amazing service and fantastic food. We were sitting downstairs with a big group of friends which was perfect for a private event. Highly recommended.

5 of us went here, having heard about it. The fish was underooked, as was the kofta. My lamb was tough. Not a good experience. If it is to succeed this restaurant needs to pay attention to its kitchen skills - or lack of them.

Decided to catch up with friends and family at John Doe over lunch and it turned out to be a fantastic experience lasting nearly three hours! We opted to share plates in order to try as many dishes as possible and would recommend this approach as the variety of flavours really adds to the overall experience. We loved the intimacy of the open kitchen and spent much of the afternoon talking with the staff, getting recommendations and discussing ingredients. John Doe is still a relatively new place but already getting over booked for dinner so its worth considering it for lunch as is easier to get a table.

One of my favourite London restaurants that offers something a bit different with the cooking on coal. The flavours this produces are unusual and delicious. I've been back several times now and on every occasion the food, beer service and wine have been superb. The fitout is very good (central bar area is very cool) and the service is always great. Highly recommend this place!

Ash roasted leeks, smoked venison, and a great chocolate terrine desert - this place serves seriously tasty food in a funky but smart venue. A bit off the beaten track but we'll worth the trip !

We went to John Doe for a birthday meal. My fiancé booked earlier that week and when she said it was a special occasion they offered to put together a special tasting menu with accompanying wines for us. They even sent through the proposed menu to check we liked everything on offer. We had an absolutely fantastic evening, the staff couldn't have been more friendly, attentive and efficient. The food was just incredible - our favourites being the octopus and the chocolate terrine! The wines were perfectly matched to the dishes and were very generous portions - we were also given a glass of prosecco on arrival which was a nice touch. The meal was brilliant value - costing us a fraction of tasting menus at other places. Would 100% recommend - we're already planning our next visit!

This was the third time I've been to John Doe and I would highly recommend a visit! I went with a group of friends and we found the food amazing, I had the grilled octopus and the roe burger and I would highly recommend both (but also recommend the venison and mutton kofte). The service was friendly and fast but didn't feel rushed at all and superb selection of beers. Book in!

"Really fresh and vivid favours. Most dishes from the grill with a hint of smokiness. Roe tartare, kofte and chicken all exceptional. Friendly service in a super cool corner of west London, happily free of the tourist hordes of the Portobello Road."

I hosted my birthday at John Doe and there were 25 of us in the downstairs restaurant. We had a fantastic evening and were looked after extremely well. The food was amazing and I cannot recommend this place enough!!

A quirky, and well thought out restaurant. I had the lamb's tongue followed by the fallow burger and couldn't recommend more! Great service, and so good to see a company doing the eco thing when it comes to cooking!

I had a really delicious octopus starter followed by venison kofte which was soooo good and a really hearty portion too.

I was so excited about visiting this restaurant having read their menu online - my husband and I salivated over it all day before our visit for dinner - there was so much I fancied I was in turmoil over what to order.On arrival and being given the menu - what they actually serve is less than a half of the 'sample' menu, and definitely the less inspired, less challenging half. But worse than that the prices bear no reflection of the online menu. Venison Haunch Steak for example has gone up from £15 to £22! I wish we left at this point, but we love venison, and as they push their venison credentials we thought we should stay and try the steak.To start we shared the squid (now £8 instead of £4.50 online!) It was laughable. It was one tentacle cut up and spread across a plate, otherwise bulked up by chick peas. Per square inch it was probably the most I have ever paid for squid. And it was tough and tasteless.We consoled ourselves that at least the steak would be worth our visit. How wrong were we. When it arrived it was a large plate with a big bone full of marrow (inedible), and 95% covered in salad. Fishing beyond the salad we located a tiny piece of steak. Probably about 3.5 inches square. We were shocked. To make is worse it was ordered rare, and was medium to well. We sent it back, and when it returned it was with the same bit of now cold bone marrow, the steak was still tiny, but much better cooked. But having cooked venison haunch steak at home, this cut did not compare. It was tough and slightly tasteless. Our other main of Chicken was ok. The roast potatoes tasted like they had been reheated - they were not good.Service was awful. The blonde waitress looks blankly at you whatever you ask for. And when we asked for some hot broccoli to accompany the steak on its second return, we were told the kitchen was too busy .. so we would have to eat the cold portion .. We could not get out of here quickly enough - especially as by the time we left something smelling like burning fat was filling the air. We stunk when we got home.I feel really angry about my meal here, as I think they are cynically marketing themselves as something they are not. I know a sample menu is just that, but it should reflect your offering, and your price range. I feel they are keeping this menu on their website to attract diners - who wouldn't want to eat there when you see the menu, but they have no intention or capability of delivering it. This is not a restaurant with a chef, but a short order cook, and I do not believe their claim to care about ingredients. If they did something would have tasted better. When I compare this to places like Kitty Fischers and the Portland that I have eaten in recently, this is the most expensive, and uncomparable. AVOID!!

I wish I'd looked at the other Trip Advisor reviews before booking. Service was good, wine and beer are okay. But the food was VERY disappointing. Especially the Venison haunch - a small steak for 23 quid served with fries you could get anywhere, and enormous and off-putting bone, and a few sprigs of watercress. The salt marsh lamb was okay but no more. Octopus chewy. The dish we all enjoyed most was the leeks as a starter! The food just wasn't very nice. I wish I'd queried the bill but you know how it is on a night out. You don't want it soured by making a fuss, so you just get up and go. Vowing never to return.

Big Bertha, the wood burning oven is the star of the show. Service is pleasant and laid back, don't come here if you are on a tight schedule.I had roast duck hearts on toast (pleasantly medieval) followed by chicken. My companion had marrow bone with toast followed by rabbit. It all was delicious, plain and simple but good.I like this place.

Visited this restaurant on a weekday evening. I had not read any reviews about this restaurant in advance so did not know what to expect. The service was friendly but very slow. When we enquired about the delay, we were told lots of tables showed up late but no apology was given. The bread they gave us was just plain wholemeal that tasted like it was just a sliced loaf from the supermarket they had brought in. To start I had the octopus, the dish was lovely but very small compared to the size of the other starters. My main was the fish and while it was cooked well, the whole dish lacked flavour. The sauce tasted of nothing and whatever the veg was, tasted of nothing. The table ordered the duck fat roast potatoes to share as this was meant to be a high point but they were awful. It was like they had been cooked hours ago and while they looked good, they were dry and tasteless. Some of the other diners had the bone marrow but were disappointed with the dish. Overall it was disappointing. I will not be returning.

Living in the local area, it is great that we have a number of restaurants that have opened up recently. We decided to start with John Doe ahead of the others as lovers of venison and game. I had a similar phone experience to others when returning their call to confirm the booking, with a slightly rude man answering.We still went ahead with the booking and started off ok with a couple of drinks. The menu was uninspiring compared to the sample menu online but we went with the Smoked Roe tarter and roasted leek to start. The tartar was lovely and not something I had eaten before however the leek was fairly underwhelming.. after all, it was just a roasted leek [at £6..]. My partner order the deer haunch which was not a patch on the venison loin we have at home from the local butcher, and I went for the lamb cutlets with salsa. Sides were duck fat potatoes and broccoli. The most surprising part of the whole meal was that everything, and I mean everything, was under seasoned... there was salt and pepper on the table and I was starting to wonder whether it is a new concept... season your own food? I'd prefer the chef had a go first to be honest.The highlight was the wine, a decent Malbec at a reasonable price. On the whole though, an underwhelming experience and unless the level of service and food improves, the restaurant runs the risk of being overlooked for one of the menu new offerings.

Having tried to call the restaurant several times during the day and was unable to even get a dialing tone I finally managed to speak to someone in the early evening and enquired about a table for 2 around at 7.30-8pm. Was adamantly told the next table wouldnt be available until at least 9.30pm. We decided to chance our luck anyway and turned up at 7.45pm to be met with a nearly empty restaurant. By the time we left at 9.45pm there were still 5 empty tables upstairs and downstairs was practically deserted. The inept booking system aside, the food was really very good indeed, beautifully cooked and presented.One small note for waiting staff ...if the restaurant is on the empty side, having a member of staff constantly hovering in eyesight makes for a slightly uncomfortable and awkward supper!

I am writing to give some feedback. Whilst I appreciate that it is a busy restaurant and small, I was very disappointed and surprised by the service I received this Friday evening when I tried to call make a reservation. I was told in a very perfunctory manner that the host did not have the 'time' to check the diary and had a full restaurant when I wanted to check for availability. I had previously sent an email on 18th March to ask about a reservation to which I have had no response thus far. I called back again to ask about this and was once again told in no uncertain terms that I should call back tomorrow. I know it has had good reviews but I believe this to be very short sighted. I live locally and have been to the restaurant once before. I would be keen to return and offer it as a recommendation to friends and colleagues alike, but I honestly think that after calling twice today and being given 'short shrift' on the telephone it would make me rethink my visit. I understand it's abusy restaurant but your clients are not only the ones sitting in your restaurant but those you speak to and those that they speak to. I offered to give my name and phone number but again was told to just call back as the host did not have the time to take this. I felt that this was not only rude but incredibly shortsighted. I know it would definitely not make me want to call back after having being treated in this way. I have never been treated in this way at any time when I have rung in an attempt to make a reservation.

Table booked for four @8.30pm - firstly the waitress gave away our table and so we were moved downstairs and told that we would have to wait to order because the kitchen was too busy. 45 mins after we sat down we were 'allowed' to order from what is a terribly misleading menu i.e. the Roe Tartar - we ALL mistook as being a fish dish when in fact it is a game dish. The Lemon Sole was swimming in a thick brown gravy with butter beans - again not clear in its menu description. All four of us where really unimpressed with the food, to top it off the head chef decided it was a good idea to let his dogs roam freely around the restaurant - when they weren't in the dinning room they were staring at the customers through a under street outside cellar yelping their heads off - crying for attention - very alarming for diners downstairs.The furniture is also a disaster - no handrail as you go down stairs - just a very wobbly (coming out to the wall) odd copper pipe. There are frames on the walls without any pictures in them. The toilet seats were falling off, under fixed seating there were plastic boxes filled with what appeared to be rubbish, we moved tables twice - everytable was wonky. To top it off - the poor manager had clearly had enough - he'd gone home... leaving the two waitresses alone to try and deal with all the tables of guests downstairs who were feeling abandoned and disillusioned.Really poor attempt at being a trendy cool restaurant - we left very annoyed and disappointed - what a waste of time and my friends comments as they left were.. "We resented having to pay for that... grrrr"

My husband and l live around the corner and were saving this resturant for our anniversary. We arrived at 6:30 for an early supper. The waitress enquired with the chef who aggressively asked "are you staying long". My husband is an owner of a wine bar/restaurant and always eager to order something unusual on the wine list (despite the price) and collectively we are massive foodies. The chef bellowed across the bar to the sous chef asking the whereabouts of the manager and then stormed out. The sous chef looked sheepish. The waitress looked mortified. And we were left looking like lemons. Maybe we should have eaten ourselves. Eventually we left the restaurant only to find the chef screaming on the phone with the manager. Teething problems we can appreciate, but rudeness is unacceptable. Not the warm neighbourhood welcome we expected. We ended up eating at Malabar in Notting Hill. They were fully booked but squeezed us into a corner table. Great food, friendly staff and a local favourite. What a shame John Doe. Whatever you were cooking smelled good. But your rudeness left a foul taste on our palates.

Really one of the worst service in a long time . Food finally arrived 1.5 hours after booking table. No apologies . Host was rude . Quality of food was very average. Not worth the trouble . Even for cheese we had to track them down.

Stopped off for a work lunch on a Friday. Excellent and prompt service in an comfortable and smart environment, I love being able to see what's going on and the kitchen and the charcoal powered "Bertha" is very cool.I tried the octopus which was beautifully tender but with a lovely charring, the duck fat potatoes were super crispy and tasty and the venison burger was both moist and tender with a nice fluffy brioche bun.The really special addition for me was the beer though, all English and craft, hitting every flavour and mood you could want. I started with an Chiron that was hoppy but still quenching and finished with the Wildebeest together with the chocolate and cherry fondant - honestly the perfect pairing!Couldn't recommend John Doe more.Thanks guys

Had dinner here...brilliant...fresh...innovative..great atmosphere..unfussy. artichichoke tartiflette is a must

This new modern British restaurant in W10 just off Ladbroke Grove is amazing!Everything is cooked in a 'Bertha', which is a fantastic smoke oven. You need to meet her!From the homemade smoked bacon with borlotti beans and apple, to the venison burger, or the mouth watering tartiflette, the duck fat potatoes are a must! Finished off with 'beer' ice cream! This place is a dream! The co-owners Mark and Paul serve up great 'smokey' tasty dishes.A lovely atmosphere, and great value. We are 'hooked'!