Sessions Arts Club in Islington

Firstly it is hidden in a large building but entry is through a small red side door so you feel you are party to a special secret! The room is picture perfect and the candles and lights create a great atmosphere.A particular talking point was the Jean-Luc Picard toilet ! We went with friends and enjoyed a really fun couple of hours over Lunch. Our table for four was upstairs and we had a very comfortable banquet. All the dishes are small but interesting sharing plates and although we had nine savoury dishes and three desserts I wouldn’t say we were over full. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable and the service was great. Would I go again? Definitely, but I would have breakfast first !

Wonderful celebratory meal in fabulous setting. We were slightly shocked to find a nearly packed restaurant at 6.00pm on Wednesday but after the meal we realised why. This is an absolute find. The food is visually exciting, it tastes wonderful and when your eyes roam from the plate and your lovely partner, the setting is beautiful. Highlighted by the brilliant staff who are very cheerful, attentive and professional and dressed in clothing which are also works of art.

Set in a beautiful building, friendly waiting staff, food a bit hit and miss and portions tiny. Even the large plates were smaller than you’d usually get for a starter. The truffle risotto was amazing , the other dishes ok but nothing to justify the prices. Guys if you are going to serve what is effectively tapas you might provide a bit of bread or something as service so folk don’t leave hungry, and not charge a fiver for a slice of bread! Worth going once for the ambience but sadly won’t be back.

Definitely worth a visit for the beautiful building. Because it's such a hyped up venue it's hard to get a booking and it seemed staff were quite chaotic. We were sat but they had run out of menus, one of our dishes was very under-cooked (they did take it off the bill) and although I had asked for a 30th birthday celebration - nothing was acknowledged which may sound entitled but other couples and groups around us had something prepared by the restaurant. Overall for £160 it's a lot of money for sub-par service and what I would call average dishes BUT building and atmosphere was lovely.

Beautiful spot for an excellent lunch. Staff were warm, friendly and helpful. Great cocktails and elegant small plates. Wines by the glass are very reasonable.

Overpriced, overrated, poor food - honestly disgraceful to charge those prices for such uninspiring fare. I left hungry and feeling ripped off. Avoid

Looked promising on arrival but unfortunately very disappointing. Although our table was booked for 2 pm it was not ready and when we eventually got to the table at 2.15 we were told hot orders needed to be placed in the next ten minutes …. No time to peruse the menu ! Apparently the food is a sharing menu although portions didn’t match this expectation … Is this the Emperors new clothes - all hype ?

I was surprised by the young clientele - the food was so underwhelmingly limp and lacking in vibrancy it would be better served in a nursing home. No exciting flavours, no contrast in textures, no sense of technique (beyond drenching stuff in swampy purees). Even the deep fried dishes had zero crunch. Mush. Just mush. For once I was actually glad the portions were tiny. Except it did feel particularly insulting given the prices. The £30 Trout, Roe & Redcurrant dish featured a sad fillet of half cooked half raw trout (Intentional? Mistake?) drowned in boring beige sauce with literally 5 redcurrant berries, three roe eggs, all perched on top of some indeterminate orange mush. Hope we don’t get food poisoning. The only good dish was the chocolate tart. The room isn’t even THAT sexy. Honestly. Is this place meant to be a joke? Go to the Quality Chop House 5 mins down the road instead.

Oh the lure of Instagram and Tik Tok… Billed as the most difficult restaurant to book because it’s so popular … God knows why …and we fell for it . Dining room is truly spectacular visually and that’s represented by the hundreds of pics you see online. If only you could grab a drink and get your content and go home … I think the waiting staff here are fine… it’s the kitchen that lets this place down .. they simply can’t cope with the amount of covers . Another sharing menu rip off where the portions are of Lilliput proportions. Mains delivered in dribs and drabs .. one turns up .. then be prepared to wait for 20 mins for the next one and so on. And when you’re paying £30 for a slice of trout (which is really a starter) then they really are taking the p***. But still they queue…with their phones … and still they pay for the rip off food .. but it’s not gonna win you the loyal clientele of say The Wolseley and The Savoy Grill, who do it so much better. It’s a shame . So much potential but in my opinion just a bunch of money grabbing cowboys. AVOID !!!!!

Beautiful interior/ chant chic, nice ambience but awfully grumpy and unfriendly waiter’s. Terrible value for money! Suggested to share portions but portions so small that really enough for one person and also overpriced as small Portion but pasta dish for £20! Bread was To be expected- both amazing. Croquettes was good- oil spurted out when you made an incision. Good other than too much oil from the interior of the dish. Beef tartare was too Chucky,nice dish otherwise. Artichoke crips was the highlight Eel gratin- piece of Eel almost non existent in the layers of the potatoes. Otherwise would have been a corker! Hen of the wood- nice sauce- rich and deep but the mushrooms was battered too much and oil logged. Dandelion pasta - seriously so small but can only be eaten by one not even shared by two. The dish was lovely and creamy but it’s an absolute day light robbery to be charging £20! Duck- probably 100g to be shared again. Nice metallic and beautifully cooked. The desert was a decent size, the chocolate tart was very good as was the ginger cake. Service was appealing. It’s horrible going for food and the Waitering staff are so unfriendly, its ruins the evening. Will never come back.!

We were excited to have lunch here with friends and we all have dined at many high end restaurants. The venue was love at first sight and such a beautiful setting. We all decided to have sharing plates and some cocktails which was all beautiful. Unfortunately the service was terribly slow, we waited so long for the food, when they did finally arrived it was nice enough but they were just warm. We had to keep asking for drinks, and were kept waiting for other food to arrive. We were all disappointed with the lack of service. Although we don’t mind the price as long as it is justified when you get the quality of service throughout. We didn’t and we won’t be returning back in a hurry

This restaurant is unique, especially cozy environment. Very tasty food and perfectly matched drinks. Of course the prices are not low, but the food is worth it. Also the service and helpfulness of the staff is amazing. Thank you. I'll be back!

Un endroit exceptionnel avec un décor raffiné, le personnel charmant ! Et le meilleur est dans l’assiette, une cuisine élégante et sobre tout en étant originale par ses associations et ses saveurs Et en plus c’est beau Un excellent moment

I cannot recommend Sessions enough. The staff are so freindly and knowledgeable and the food is amazing. The building is extraordinary and full of character and atmosphere. The the old elevator creates such a sense of occassion. Four of us went for a family birthday celebration. We had sea bream, smoked eel, crab, loveage pasta, pork, clams and panisse. Excellent wine recommendation - Soave Castelcerino. The best espresso martini I've ever had (I didn't like them before!) After dinner drinks on the roof terrace after all of the puddings - there is four of us eating for a birthday supper. Delicious food. Warm and fiendly staff who welcome you with warmth and respect. It's a special place.

Fabulous restaurant for dinner in beautiful arty surroundings. Food is full of flavour and uses interesting ingredients. We had brown prawn croquettes, salsify, crab, pork with a mild anchovy sauce, the delicious panisse and a hazelnut tart to share. Including a bottle of wine and service it came to £175 for the two of us. No wonder it is Michelin rated!

AMBIENCE: very special location, vintage decoration in an historic building. Don't forget to have also a look at the "unisex" toilets/one with a shower 😉 SPECIAL MENTION: 2 great barkeepers mixing/serving excellent apéritifs (even drinks not listed on their beverages menu)! The young waiters do their job with a friendly and relaxed attitude 👏 SERVICE = ok FOOD: (the idea is to share different plates/kind of English "tapas"), tasty, creative and well presented food! Delicious shrimp croquette (watch out when you cut it 🤗) , crispy eel&potatoes, panisse, hake, tender pork&anchovy sauce, spicy stuffed quail as well as "cakes"/hazelnut and cheesecake were all tasty! Texture, presentation, taste, quantity etc were perfect for us. Even the "bread&butter" was really good ... to enjoy the sauces .... VALUE FOR MONEY: OK, it might seem expensive, but the price/quality ratio was good. Drinks aren't overpriced, beer/glass of wine starting at 7/8 pounds. We had a quality time & an excellent dinner at this special place!

Sometimes hype is for a reason and this place epitomises style, quality and fun, a feat not all fancy places manage to pull off. Exquisite food, fantastic wines, lovely staff, all in a stunning film set of a location.

Really disappointing. Waited an age for food to arrive (chased it up twice with the waiting staff who didn’t apologise), had to ask for cutlery and the food not much to write home about - tiny portions and not that flavoursome (with the exception of...

Absolutely beautiful venue, stunning food and amazing staff. We went for a special family birthday and it was wonderful. I would highly recommend visiting

Tonight I experienced some of the best food I have ever eaten. And I have form Well done the kitchen brigade for really clever modern and delicious food It was so good and all really beautiful. Fantastic actually.

great space and atmosphere, sea bream had no taste at all, hake was lukewarm, service mediocre and a bit full of himself (why???), not impressed, this place would have a lot more potential

Everything was spot on - great setting and vibe, every dish was served hot and staggered perfectly. Good wine list, excellent service - special shout out to Rachel. One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in London.

Came with a group of friends for a birthday dinner and was looking forward to it after the anticipation it's been given, but sadly it didn't really live up to the hype. The service was mostly good, our waiter was friendly but the food runners...

Big service problem . Timing , presence , involvement ... the space has so much potential. Food was not bad at all but how not tasty If served by a waiter who looks like he's gonna collapse ...

A very interesting setting in a Dickensian type courtroom complete with gallery and real gas lamps greets you after you check in at a small desk in an alcove on the ground floor. And the experience continues with an assortment of unusual and excellent small...

Booked for my friends birthday and when I walked in they said they were aware of this and would do something special. We ordered the waitresses recommendations but it was the oddest selection of food and nothing seemed to go together. Oddest was a large...

Came here on the recommendation of a friend who loved their experience. Staff was very friendly and accommodating but meal was definitely disappointing. Favorite part was the fig leaf old fashioned at the beginning, the rest of the meal left something to be desired. Very...

This was a major disappointment. The food was insipid and flavorless (based on both regular and modified dishes) and the space lacked inspiration. I am lactose-sensitive and our waiter tried to accommodate but the chef refused to modify the dishes. There were only three dishes...

A birthday lunch and I was going into this with some trepidation given a few of the recent reviews. All I can say is that other people have either had an unlucky experience or don't 'get' what the Sessions Art Club is about. Yes it's...

Literally the emperor’s new clothes. They clearly maintain their hype with their booking methods. That is about it. You go up the lift of a commercial building to the 4th floor and that is where the bs starts. The room itself is really rubbish -...

Lovley shabby-chic room with a good admosphere for dining. Friendly and efficient service. Sharing plates consistng of interesting and unusual items and combinations.

Expected this place to be style over substance but that wasn’t the case at all. The staff are young but professional, clearly bothered about whether you enjoy the food and drinks. The menu is interesting and all of our choices were delicious - particularly the...

Birthday treat, we arrived for lunch. A hidden away little door, a beautiful lift and a room that has to be seen to be believed. We ordered a bit of everything which was a little steep in price, but very clever and well presented. The...

A wonderfully evocative setting with its bijoux plates of exquisite (both presentation and taste) food. Well worth a visit from Paris! Memorable - the salsify and gnocchi, the oyster mushrooms , the carpaccios, and the jewelled rhubarb hiding under the only “custard” I have ever...

Saturday lunch, second time I’ve been, and again it was just brilliant. Do not listen to the negative reviews. We had lots of food, two cocktails each, a glass of champagne each and a bottle of wine between us. The bill came to £280 including...

Went for my bday in Sept. There were three of us. We shared starters and puddings and they easily managed my GF dietary needs for my coeliac. From the atmosphere to the service to the food....oh, the food! It was delicious at every course, from...

Frankly, I am staggered by the poor reviews. Feel like we must have been in a different restaurant ... The only negatives were the very high wine prices and the slightly too arch sommelier .... Otherwise, the service was uniformly sweet and professional, and the...

The space is so beautiful and we were lucky to get a table on the top near the railing so you could see the grand room. The food was excellent, drinks delicious (maybe skip on the margarita) and service was decent.

First visit to this incredible venue after waiting months for a table to become available. We were certainly not disappointed by the ambience and magnificent surroundings, but the food did let it down. We had a pleasant waitress who kept apologizing for her stuttering explanations...

The space is undeniably grand..and the feel is opulent.We were greeted and seated on the mezzanine level.Our server was truly outstanding and helped us navigate the .. interestingly arranged menu.We advisedly opted for a span of options,from the top to the bottom of the menu,with...

A couple of foodies… Our experience of this place was simply beautiful in every way. Staff were friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. Food was a delight (quail with coco de paimpol beans was yummy). And the wine very good indeed. Will return as soon as I...

Visited today 15/11/2022 for my birthday and have to say loved everything about it. The food was delicious and very varied based on a sharing menu. Every course was lovely my favourite the brown shrimp coquette, could have eaten more. The ambiance is so lovely...

Upon first impressions, it looks promising as the venue is beautiful. But one look at the menu and it all goes downhill rapidly. It's one of those pretentious 'sharing' type menus with a minimal selection of unappealing dishes. We really struggled to find anything which...

I’m very surprised at all the negative reviews. Four of us had the most lovely Saturday lunch here, extending into an afternoon of cocktails on the beautiful roof garden. The food is well executed and spot on for the price point. But what you are...

Honestly after going to this place i still receive flashbacks to how bad the food was. One prettyish room CANNOT distract from the god awful plates served in front of me by disinterested staff that thought they were too cool to serve. I really felt...

Our big mistake was getting caught up in the hype of booking a table rather than reading the reviews. We so wish we had our research and read some of the bad reviews as we could have written it word for word! It started off...

Racism tolerant restaurant: On the 14th of September I went for a birthday lunch at this restaurant. The man and the woman at the table I was seated next to spent the entire lunch mocking my friend and I, saying offensive things about us loudly....

Bland food bordering on tasteless. Comes as dishes to share. But none of them are particularly suitable for sharing. The venue is it self very pleasant. But what’s the point. We came here to eat tasty food not stare at the walls.

This venue offers a trendy and atmospheric space, charming and helpful waiting staff, and a strong wine list. The only problem is the food. It is bland at best, greasy and repellent at worst. At least they make the starters (small plates) look nice. They...

Having read the reviews and seen pics on Instagram I was expecting a calm restaurant in beautiful surroundings. We sat under the mezzanine which was hot. The service was slow. The music terrible. The food arrived in dribs and drabs, was tasty but nothing special...

Much hyped by foodies whom I respect, we came here expecting to love it. However, the ambience, service and, most importantly the food hugely disappointed. A thudding base in the piped music meant that everyone had to shout to be heard. Despite ostensibly good quality...

So visited a few months ago taking one of the 3 couples for their wedding present. It was terrible, squeezing 6 people round 2 tables no room for plates (sharing plates all plate little food) coats left hanging on backs of chairs which isn’t ideal...

This restaurant could be incredible - it has all the ingredients, except it seems in the food which is almost thrown onto ones table by insouciant waiting staff and leaves one beggaring belief at its size and lack of substance - the prawn croquettes and...

Exemplary service in a beautiful building but all three of us were utterly mystified by the food. Portions are small and meant for sharing - well good luck with that, most of the dishes were barely enough for one and in some cases their execution...

The setting is phenomenal and the atmosphere is great. Service was also great - attentive and friendly and helpful in running us through the menu and giving us info relevant to dietary requirements. However, the actual food itself was very underwhelming and I actually didn't...

Writing negative reviews always makes me feel like I'm attacking the staff and chefs personally, so let me say first: the staff were mostly friendly, and the chefs were clearly putting in great effort. But I really can't say anything positive beyond that. I could...

What an amazing restaurant. An incredible setting, incredible vibe, incredible food and incredible staff. Maitre d Liam has put together an terrific team of fun and fabulous waiting staff who are also super efficient. The food is just out of this world - the menu...

The old sessions House was a bit of a mystery in Clerkenwell. I had no idea there was a restaurant on the top floor until I saw it listed in the Time Out Top 50 restaurants. Its an odd concept, which seems to becoming more...

Beautiful setting. I found the service poor. There were a number of times when we had to catch the attention of the staff for something they had forgotten (the wine we ordered then an ice bucket for wine, to take orders). They seemed more interested...

I had expected that booking lunch at Sessions Arts Club a couple of days in advance would be impossible but I must have hit a lucky cancellation. Entrance through closed red doors via dusty gnome in basement. Sorry, I mean delightfully friendly greeter, albeit sitting...

Couldn’t love this place more; the atmosphere in the evening is buzzing, the team were so friendly and relaxed, the food was delicious and the building is incredible. We tried some unusual dishes from the menu which has Mediterranean/Italian influences. Cavolo Nero crisp flat breads,...

A true experience. A venue with legacy, aesthetic impact and considered culinary pedigree. Enjoyed a broad sampling of honest food and complimentary wines. Honest ingredients, simple execution all delivered with superb service and a setting which is hard to beat - congratulations.

It was good, ok, fine. Maybe it was lost on us but nothing was special, apart from the building and the vibe. The service was so-so and the food was…pleasant. Much was under seasoned which didn’t help but even so, given the hype, it would...

A friend and I had lunch there yesterday having read the great review in The Infatuation. The setting is wonderful, very atmospheric, and the staff are attentive and helpful. We were grateful for the advice on the menu, otherwise we wouldn't have known that the...

The venue and the staff are wonderful. The food is simply horrible. We went for my daughter's birthday. After the over-priced and awful starters we paid and left to go to find somewhere else to have our main course. But not before paying a preposterous...

Booked for an Xmas lunch treat. Great space, staff very helpful, wine list excellent. The food was good, but for a vegetarian I'd not say great - obviously used to multiple sharing plates as I live in London, but usually that means there's a show...

We went 4 handed for lunch after reading Marina's review in the Sunday Times. What a great place! Shabby Chic to the extreme with original features combined with modern art to great effect. The staff were young, enthusiastic & very knowledgeable especially the lovely maitre...

The Classical Guitar Festival was on in London, my partner had got tickets for Friday and aunty Orsi had accepted to babysit the kids. I then proposed to book a table in this new place I heard about in the Kentishtowner mag. My wife answered...

Each dish is outstanding. Beautifully prepared and presented. Friendly and professional staff. The restaurant decor is fun, warm, and creates a perfect setting for a top dining experience in London. Very well priced for the incredibly high standard of food and service. Will return very...