Rowley's in City of London, Westminster

First time there on recommendation. Loved the steak and salads

I've been going to Rowley's for years, but on this occasion it wasn't great. One of the staff struggled with English, another with personal hygiene (he was noticeably whiffy). The starters were all good. Most diners opted for the specialty entrecote. Unfortunately one was full of gristle and most of it was left. However the staff didn't check what the issue was. The unlimited fries didn't seem very forthcoming either. I personally had the salmon. It was utterly flavourless and overcooked. I would have had pie of the day but they no longer do it, or indeed peas a la francais. Rowley's is pricey of that there's not doubt, but it used to always be packed. It was noticeable that it wasn't and I can't say I'm surprised given the meal we had. Plus service costs should always be included in the dish cost. A tip in England is for going above and beyond. Adding a service charge that amounts to 50 pounds just isn't on. Include your employment costs in the dish costs. This isn't America.

Great steak. Not as busy as I remember it

Fantastic steak and fast service, definitely still as great as the first time

We remember the old days when the food, service and ambience was a treat. Unfortunately not any more. The bread was ordinary and the service was inattentive. Btw the waiter needed a bath? 😌. Although the steak was good the portion was so small we walked out unsatisfied and hungry. Very disappointed … ☹️

A simple yet romantic vintage French restaurant in London that's truly delicious! Located in St James, this exceptionally old-fashioned French restaurant opened in 1976. The menu is straightforward, and they offer a pre-theatre menu due to its proximity to many theaters. The restaurant has a vintage charm, subtly beautiful. Each table ordered the Chateaubriand, a grilled steak with fries and a mysterious sauce. Honestly, the butter sauce is just okay, but the peppercorn sauce is fantastic! 👏 The fries are refillable! 👏 The onion soup won my heart, highly recommended! Not the type with a thick layer of cheese on top that makes it overwhelming, but a rich and aromatic onion flavor with cheese topping on two small pieces of baguette. The baguette soaked in the soup absorbs the onion's fragrance, combined with the cheesy aroma – outstanding! It's undoubtedly my comfort food in London's cold winter! 👏 The scallop chorizo salad for starters is also excellent. The scallops are perfectly grilled, incredibly tender. 🫶 Finally, ending with the classic French apple tart. Usually, I find apple tarts poorly balanced and too sour. But not this one! The crust is crispy, and the soft apples paired with vanilla ice cream – hmm... I melted too 😌 For those who appreciate simple and delicious food, give it a try. The dishes are not complicated, but you can feel the careful preparation, harmonious seasoning, and an extremely comfortable dining experience. 👌

A London institution but needs to modernise its menu. There is nothing even vaguely healthy on the menu. If you want steak frites then it is OK, else better to go elsewhere. That said the price is reasonable for the area.

Nice food but not exceptional, given the price point. Nice environment and decor, and service quiet but attentive.

Like “ the kings new clothes “ you are inveigled by the decor and setting into thinking a fine dining experience must surely lie ahead- how wrong you would be … it’s average fare served in a victoriana style waiting room with comedy club prices - don’t!

Regal Victorian tiled elegance with inset gilded mirrors give an ambience of taste and style. The service is polite and helpful but the food is acceptable not exceptional which it would need to be to warrant the exorbitant prices!

We have dinner there every time we visit London. Food is first rate and not expensive compared to average establishments in the West End. Service is always professionally attentive. Highly recommended.

A calm , conducive atmosphere on this evening of romance . Staff polite and friendly ; food was exquisite

We were a bit disappointed. The house special, the grilled chicken was rather underwelming.

This place seems to be a hidden gem of London. We were able to get a reservation on a Friday night and had one of our favorite dining experiences in Europe!

Excellent food and service. Really enjoyed our visit and will definitely return.

Great food - lovely service - Oli the manager was very professional, chatty and a real credit to this lovely restaurant - would strongly recommend and will be coming back again soon

A great evening with friends and family! Been meaning to go for a while and it didn’t let us down - great food - great service - especially from the manager Oli! Steak and champagne was perfect - strongly recommend to anyone! Will be back

Very good food and excellent quality & service

I love their fish and chip. The steak was good.

Service: it was a cold day and the door automatically wouldn’t close. When a guest would come in and if the door remained open (because guests don’t know/ realise that it’s broken), the service staff, the particular blonde girl would frown and stomp walk and close it. Well management- please fix the door, it was very unpleasant to experience your staff’s rude behaviour. I saw this going on for the 90 mins I was there.. Food: the fish plus beans were good. My mate had the steak and got sick the day after.. tsk! The fries with the steak were delicious, only we didn’t get any till late.. guess they forgot.. I guess that was my experience with the complete order.. someone had forgotten punching it in!

The restaurant smelled of old cooking fat. The steaks felt as if they had been pre cooked and then put on the warming tray and were not very tasty. Overall the restaurant felt like it was hanging on by a thread. I will never go again. Used to go alot when it first opened. I would not let me friend contribute as I chose the place and the food was awful.

Excellent steak in good traditional surroundings, friendly efficient service and fairly priced wine

Have been going to Rowley's for years. Very disappointed this time. It appears that management has decided to downgrade everything. What were excellent steaks are now Angus Steak House. No filet on the menu. Steak with no taste, thin cut. Sorry, but I can't recommend, particularly at the prices.

Wonderful place for great friends to gather. Everything about Rowley's is super. Never disappoints.

Nice food, lovely service, good atmosphere, perfect spot for a bite to eat before a show.

It was really quite cold in the restaurant - admittedly one of the coldest evenings we have had this winter, but even so my husband actually had to eat his meal with his coat on! We all had the sirloin steak which had a nice flavour but certainly nowhere near ‘one of the best steaks in London’ as they like to claim on their website. The side of brocolli was very good and the chips were tasty and plentiful. The sticky toffee pudding and ice cream was amazing. The service was absolutely fine but not particularly warm and friendly. Unlikely that I will return as although the food was fine, I do like a warm welcome and for the price charged there are plenty of other decent restaurants nearby.

Excellent as ever good food cooked beautifully and served in a comfortable relaxing but elegant environment

The food is all delicious and the atmosphere is great!

We had a very enjoyable meal. The staff were absolutely lovely and were dealing with a technical issue in the kitchen admirably! We would return.

a typically quality English restaurant

Wish I could give them more than 5 stars. We hardly ever eat out but chose to book here as a semi-surprise for a special birthday since my husband had once casually recommended it to my son and it was nice to act on this. In the event we had to postpone not once, but twice (our fault - with various things arising) and each time this was managed cheerfully and helpfully, with the staff taking steps to ensure that we were not charged as "no shows". They also listened to my concerns about background noise levels, going so far as to send me their playlist by e-mail along with the promise to keep the music as low as possible, and careful thought given to where were to be seated. We were nicely out of the way of the speakers and the kitchen door - round a corner in lovely privacy, but the service was still attentive without being intrusive. The food also excellent - creme brulee is quite often to get right and what I had was spot on. Full marks all round.

The food was amazing, as good as remembered. The staff were thoughtful and very generous in helping us celebrate a special occasion.

Great location. Smart (but not prohibitively exclusive) ambience. Prompt yet unhurried service. Easy menu serving decently sized plates. If you like starched white table cloths but not starched service in very central London then Rowleys fits the bill.

Wish I could give them more than 5 stars. We hardly ever eat out but chose to book here as a semi-surprise for a birthday. In the event we had to postpone not once, but twice (with various things arising) and each time this was managed cheerfully and helpfully. They also listened to my concerns about background noise levels, going so far as to send me their playlist by e-mail, along with the promise to keep the music as low as possible, and careful thought was given to where were to be seated. We were nicely out of the way of the speakers and the kitchen door - round a corner in lovely privacy. But although out sight we were not out of mind and the service was still attentive without being intrusive. The food also excellent - delicious chicken kept hot with a burner at the table and creme brulee is quite often to get right but what I had was spot on with crackly caramel topping and smooth creamy creme underneath. Full marks all round.

One of my favourite restaurants in London. I have been visiting here with family and friends for the last 15 years. Always excellent service and fantastic food!

The food and service during our visit for a pre-theatre supper were both of a very high standard and the overall experience was most enjoyable.

Very atmospheric restaurant and QUIET! We could have a pleasant conversation over a very nicely cooked dinner.

The staff were amazing. The perfect place for a long lunch

We have been visiting Rowley’s at Christmas time for many years now and it never disappoints. The food is plentiful and of a consistently very high standard. The ambiance is warm and non intrusive. The staff are simply lovely; accommodating and friendly. We have never felt rushed and always made to feel special.

We have been coming to Rowleys for 20+ years (I think) as the steak has been consistently brilliant. However, the service charge which is automatically added to the bill is a whopping 15%! So a £55 per head (with just one glass of wine) for a couple of courses becomes £63.25 per head ie another £25 for 3 people. The service and attention from the staff was excellent but 15% automatically added seems excessive and a little presumptuous. We only visit Jermyn Street a few times a year and always lunch at Rowleys. However this has caused us to re-think and we are likely to try somewhere else next time. Whilst I would recommend Rowleys to a friend I will tell them about the service charge. This is why I have ticked “no” to the next question.

Classic English steak restaurant in a great location

This restaurant is a jewel in central London! Have been coming for years and it is one of the first on my recommended lists. The chicken supreme, grilled on the table and with unlimited fries is my personal favourite, but the menu is great throughout. Stefania manages the restaurant perfectly and you won’t be disappointed by the attention to detail, always of the highest quality.

Was forced to go back for a business meeting after an extremely poor service experience a year ago. The food was OK but the service is outrageously bad.. the lady manager is horrible as are most of the servers. They just have no management here anymore at all. I struck out the last two times and there won’t be a third try.

Our Christmas treat is an early dinner at Rowleys when we spend the day in London each year. Never fails to be wonderful! Sirloin steak and unlimited fries, perfect!

Really lovely food, but rather small portions and we were not offered unlimited fries. Waitress was unfamiliar with the menu and couldn’t offer any help or knowledge. Manager was excellent however and gave us a free birthday drink. Beautiful restaurant but very pricey for the amount and quality.

Ok Rowleys, you clear do not care about your customer’s experience, otherwise you would have responded to the several e-mails I have sent to you. I made a reservation for Friday 8th December 2023 at 1445hrs for myself and four friends. This was the only time available. We arrived on schedule and were greeted by a somewhat surly lady, dressed in black, who I presume to be the manager. We took our places, looking forward to enjoying a lazy, late lunch, as a pre-Christmas get together. And also as a farewell to a friend whose funeral we attended the day before. We ordered starters and main and at a few minutes after 1600hrs, our waitress informed us that the restaurant was closing and presented our bill. I have no issues with our waitress, as she was simply following direction from the manager. However, I find it a very disappointing approach to a lunchtime booking. While I accept that your website lists your service hours, at no point does it state that you will be turfed out at 1600hrs. We have dined with you on several occasions previously, along with our departed friend and ordinarily find the experience enjoyable. However, on this latest occasion, this was the furthest from an accurate description of our experience. I truly am disappointed with the service offered and your abject disregard toward me.

The sirloin steak was only warm and was tough even at medium rare, the famous sauce was mediocre and a very small portion. The chips were nothing special albeit there were a lot if you wanted them. Scallop starter was good. The female manageress was rude from entry, one waitress was very good, the others disinterested in service and we were asked to leave at 3.15pm after a 1.45pm sit down time as they wanted to get ready for the evening service….there were at least 15 others in the restaurant on two large tables who plainly were not asked to leave and numerous other empty tables ready to be cleared so we never got a chance to try dessert! They add a service charge but I have no idea why as the service we received was not up to standard for a restaurant with its long standing reputation. Plainly something is wrong with this restaurant. Wine choice was limited and £49 for a bottle of NZ Sauvignon which must have cost at worst £10 wholesale is ridiculously overpriced. Their home page says ‘possibly the best steak in London’….. I’m afraid that is far from the truth. My first time here having eaten in 100s of London restaurants and will certainly not be coming back.

Lovely place and great service and prices not too dear for central London

Really lovely evening at Rowleys . The food was very good as was the service . Fairly pricey but recommended .

Very friendly waitress, menu appears to be much closer to the classic Rowley's. Burners at other tables gives me hope. Bread not provided before the meal, but is available to order. Wine list looks to cover all tastes (I'm no expert so I won't comment further). Berry Brothers Good Ordinary Claret, no longer available, but head waitress seemed enthusiastic to learn of some of the old favourites and said she would pass it on to the owners. I have hope that the old house red will return in the near future. Atmosphere is great, I walked in at 6:30pm on a Wednesday and there were a good number of tables filled and throughout the evening it filled up almost completely. Booking is an absolute must if you want to guarantee a table. Starter arrived quickly. Smoked Salmon, celeriac remoulade, capers, cornichons, with some toasted baguette. The smoked salmon was delicate and paired very well with the tangy remoulade. A perfect light starter. Main arrived after a short wait, entrecote steak with unlimited fries (of course). The Rowley's classic returned to form. Comes with a burner on the table and the famous Roquefort butter to melt over it. Delicious tender steak and the fries as good as ever. Combined with the warm melted butter poured over everything, there are few things better under the sun, trust me. The table burners are a very welcome return as these are integral to the Rowley's experience. They no longer offer a second steak at a discount, but they do offer a chateaubriand for those with a big appetite. The unlimited fries aren't quite as forthcoming as the old days, but when asked they don't take long to arrive. Overall I'm very pleased by the return of many of the old ways as they are what kept people like me coming back over and over again. Finally the dessert. Tarte Tartin with vanilla ice-cream. No one comes to Rowley's for the desserts, but that being said they don't let the side down at all. A delicious french classic done very well indeed. If I had to nitpick I would have made the tarte slightly sweeter, but I do have an admittedly sweet tooth. Overall I can say that Rowley's is well and truly back! Almost everything that made it special has returned and I'm hopeful that the management with continue along this path. The wait staff are attentive and friendly, and the food is back to it's very high standard. I would recommend a trip to Rowley's to anyone, it's a (not so hidden) gem.

Waitresses kept rushing us through our courses despite us asking for a gap between the (very expensive) courses. Was really looking forward to the Cote De Boeuf only to find it wasn’t on the (very limited) menu although it was on the online version - which was why we booked here. We were seated opposite the pass where I witnessed one of the waitresses pick her nose!! Probably won’t return as it’s not what it was in its heyday. Over priced and mediocre with disinterested staff.

A well regarded steak restaurant with a fantastic history. At some point Fillet steak has been removed from the menu which is a little disappointing.

Food as good as usual. Service was excellent. Thoroughly enjoyable lunch.

Excellent sevice. Food was good but the steaks were not as good as a couple of years ago.. smaller and more fatty.

Absolutely fantastic evening last night, the service we received was excellent and the prawn cocktail was the best I have ever had in my life !!! Thank you and we will be back soon.

Early reservation for lunch. Had the sirloin steak and it was lovely. Service was quick. For dessert had the tarte tatin and icecream which was excellent, alongside some English breakfast tea in a lovely little teacup. There was a pervading smell of burnt steak but that was due to the heaters they use on the tables to keep the steak warm. It is expensive - but cheaper than Hawksmoor etc. Really enjoyed my steak and my visit.

Oh dear, Rowley’s not what it used to be. Average restaurant with high class prices. Service excellent but food and ambiance unexceptional.

Another memorable return to our favourite restaurant in town

Book for and had to close to a vold for as otter tables were bookes but the restaurant srayed almost entydigt alle evening Tha staff was not very serviceminded The food eas excellent

Outstanding lunch as ever. Great food, outstanding service

Great food, great service. Highly recommended and will gladly return in future.

I have been visiting you since 1989 and love the place .Recently it has become a tradition with myself and a German client that we meet here for a Christmas catchup over the last few years.We found the food good although I felt "shrinkflation" was evident. With Chateaubriand @ £95 for 2 and starters we had @ £16 each it was a bit steep. My German friend also felt the service was a bit amateurish with people "whipping " plates away too early. Just a heads up - also if you hire Uni Students - who were well spoken and courteous - give them some education on table waiting.

A very pleasant lunchtime experience. The front of house team in particular were professional and diligent in their approach and demeanour.

Nubbles. Salmon to start. Steaks to die for! Ice cream. Simple but excellent.

To be honest, not the best steak when compared to Gaucho, Hawksmoor etc..,

I got a table at the last minute easily- it should have raised my suspicions. It was almost empty on a Saturday in the run up to Xmas. It smelt of greasy grilled meat. Weirdly they put a fondue burner on our table when we ordered steak “to keep the food warm”. Having ordered steak rare, we didn’t want it to braise slowly on a hot plate! No wonder the place smelled of greasy cooking. The steak was ok but the tomato salad was tasteless. We had two steaks and two salads and one glass of champagne. It cost over £100. Also no Christmas element to the menus at all. Cannot recommend this restaurant in any way. Such a shame as it has so much potential. Steer away!

Great food and excellent service in a splendid and convenient location. Just a little bit dark when we were there.

reliable food with excellent, professional service

They seem to has lost the art of hospitality….. I have been to this restaurant many times over the decades and sadly it is not the hidden gem it once was. It wasn’t bad, it just used to be so much better.

First visit albeit being on our 'to do' list for a long time. We will return.

Lovely setting and good food. Service slightly slow but it was very busy. Nice to have linen table cloths but shame that the cutlery looks and feels more worthy of a works canteen. Good menu and sensibly priced wines. Will go again.

Really poor value for Money. The chateaubriand for two was small for £95. Would not go again.

I lunched with two business friends today; the food was good. The service, however, was somewhere between unprofessional and downright rude. The waitress (manageress?) was rude: 'if you will let me finish, sir!' 'Health and Safety prevents me giving you a doggy bag'; it does not, etc. And then a bill presented that in no way matched our order and was more than £200 greater than it should be. Mistakes can happen, but there was no apology (even when we suggested that it might be appropriate) and it looked a lot like an attempt to take an extra £200 on top of an already top heavy bill. And just when our thoughts turned to escape and never to return, we were told that we had never deposited any coats and were made to wait for 10 minutes until they were found (apology? Nope).

Strangely shown to the corner of the room next to the fire extinguisher on arrival when there were other tables free. A request for a better table met with resistance even though they were not reserved, the waitress asking me not to make her life difficult when I persisted. This spoiled the occasion although a better table was provided. Chateaubriand was good and the table top burner was a nice touch but there are other places I would prefer to visit for a good steak.

Returning after several years the few changes were all positive. Only noisy due to a neighbouring table having a boozy business lunch. Great food and service

Standards dropped a few years ago but I would say back to the good old days

Arguably the best steak frites in the solar system!

The cooking was good and the small amount of service was charming but somewhere along the chain the order for the main course was delayed by an hour and the order for the desert was lost completely and had to be reinitiated forty minutes later. The long periods of waiting for our food leads one to speculate which type of failure is afflicting this once good restaurant. It is very broken . Please fix it. Downbeat

Great service, food and selection. My first time there and I will go back.

The starters were unique and delicious. Various blends of flavors and textures. The steaks were cooked just right. The staff were friendly and professional. Appreciated the birthday treat at the end.

The Food Quality was very good and came quickly. It was very reasonably priced. The staff were most unfriendly - no greeting, no-one asked if my food was okay and if I enjoyed it. No-one said goodbye, come again, have a good evening. Overall, disappointed and cant say I would recommend it as there is so much good choice in the immediate area - sorry!!

very good for pre-theatre dining as it's particularly quiet then with quick efficient service. Everything is of a very good standard. Service at 15% is added to the bill but I discovered that the staff DO NOT RECEIVE IT. So I had it removed from the bill and gave the waiting staff a cash tip instead.

A very comfortable experience for a special ocassion!

My only complaint was about the noise level. A very loud party at another table made conversation difficult at some times. Otherwise, the experience was excellent.

First time at the restaurant and couldn’t recommend it more. It’s a true hidden gem in the heart of London, which offers a proper authentic experience. The food and service was fantastic. I particularly recommend the entrecote steak with the house sauce and chips - it was superb and and overall great value.

Lovely, civilized spot to have a quality conversation with excellent food and a good range of drinks.

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Excellent food, helpful staff, and beautiful decor ! Lovely experience overall

15% SERVICE CHARGE GOES TO THE OWNERS!!!! Disgusted to hear that our lovely servers do not get a dime of the expensive 15% service charge they automatically add. Ask to take it off and give them some cash!!! GREEDY GREEDY OWNERS !!!

A nice, traditional restaurant with good food. A bit expensive but it's the West end of London.

The food was very good and the service likewise with a cheerful staff team and great del of flexibility demonstrated. The only reason I gave ir 3* overall is becasue I was disappointed to inadvertently overhear a member of staff saying that the 15% service charge (automatically added to the bill) does not go to the members staff, but goes to the company. Had I'd known that before I'd remove the service charge from my bill and I would have given a cash tip for the staff, who were excellent. If it is the case that the company operates this policy, it is profoundly dishonest. If I dine here again, I will leave a cash tip and I recommend that all diners consider the same.

Steak was okay at best. Definitely overpriced. Service was abysmal. Don’t bother, there are so many better spots in London.

Extremely poor service! Restaurant had two tables occupied and the waitresses were inattentive. It also is very poor show that both the chefs and waitresses kept exiting the premises constantly for cigarette breaks! I do think this restaurant needs attention. On line menu completely different to actual menu! What happened to the cote de boeuf?!? Food was very mediocre! The only aspect of the meal that was worth mentioning was the prawn cocktail. The steak itself was inedible. Chips were like warm. Would not recommend. Le relais in Marylebone is head and shoulders above Rowlys!

A great Friday evening at a quiet Rowlys with lovely food, and delicious barolo!

Excellent as always. It is a classic English Restaurant which we always go to as a family on special occasions.

I took my granddaughter to Rowleys for lunch after taking her to buy an 18th birthday present nearby. I would have given more stars as the service and food were okay and they made a lovely fuss of her as I had told them it was for a birthday celebration, however when we arrived at 1.30 there were only two other tables occupied and they left shortly after, which left us on our own feeling very uncomfortable. A shame as it had been recommended as a buzzy place for lunch.

Last time here was ten years ago. The dining experience thankfully has not changed simply everything one could hope for. Great food great ambience and just the right sort of service there when you need it and never in your face.

outstanding - have been several times Jasmin was waitress for the evening first week in the job and went over and beyond - will surely recommend a visit

The starters were all delicious, steaks for main were decent size and presented with a bit of theatre. The Rioja and rose were both excellent. The 15% service charge is excessive and does not go to the staff but the company, which is unacceptable. We left a cash tip.

Saturday lunch not very busy , however food simple and good as I remembered. Bit pricey