The best way to start the day.
This somewhat hidden address is well worth it.
You'll be quickly rewarded.
Generous dishes, a warm welcome.
Variety and flavorful.
Enough to fuel up for the activities that follow.
Had an enjoyable evening and some great dishes on the tasting menu. So what I write here may seem picky. But...we paid over £400 per head (including wine - and non-alcohol - drink pairings). I've been fortunate to eat in a number of Michelin starred places and this isn't at that level IMO.
Restaurant is nicely located, very nicely presented and the staff were generally great. The sommelier seemed like they'd had a bad day and not especially inspiring. And I know I'm getting old when one stand-out thought was how many were wearing clothes that didn't fit!
The food, which is what we came for, was a mixed bag. None of it was "bad", definitely need to underscore that. Clearly significant skill involved in all of it, which is one box ticked. Nothing worse than visiting a top end restaurant only to think you could prepare the food at home!
And there were some stand out dishes. The mackerel/lime/sorrel was a flavour punch, and the sea bream/black radish/perilla was both full of flavour and delicate all at the same time. Definitely my favourite dish. I'd also note the Eastwood cheese/bakewell dish was nice too, but a £15 supplement was a bit cheeky in retrospect (we knew it was a supplement beforehand). Bread and chicken butter was nice (parfait technically well executed)...
Others were OK - damning with faint praise at this level really. Earth was a mushroom dish that was nicely executed, Quail pt 2 nice enough and I liked the Final Sweets but reception was mixed around the table (eating all components together made the most of it IMO).
A number of others were nice ideas, but missed the mark in key places. Cheese/caviar had nice flavour but the texture wasn't right. Too chewy - pitched a "doughnut", I'd take a doughnut back if it cost 50p from a supermarket and chewed as this did.
The chicken sandwich was pretty bland flavour-wise and the texture was on the edge of OK. Flavour was also lacking in the beef/trout/leek dish and the rhubarb/custard (the main flavour of which was the orange cake - didn't mind that, but the menu advertised rhubarb and custard, which I love, and that was nowhere.
And a couple technically missed the mark. Cod/fennel/green chili had a small piece of cod that was overcooked - marginally, but overcooked. And whilst the taste was lovely, it wasn't fennel/green chilli. And Quail pt1 was a couple of small pasta parcels, the pasta for which was too thick and the stuffing very solid. Being greedy it's not often the texture of a piece of food detracts from the flavour (if it's there) for me. But this did.
Wine pairings were generally very good according to my dinner mates. I was driving so tried the non-alcohol pairings for the first time ever. I probably won't again. Some nice liquids that I wouldn't have thought to try, but some not that great (I should have asked for a list of what they were in advance...perhaps that should just have been offered ;)).
There's a lot to like about this restaurant, but with its awards and price point it's operating at a serious level and missed the mark for me, so couldn't recommend it on the basis of this visit.
The vegan wrap is so delicious, this is my third time coming to here and I would continue to eat here. When I am writing this review I am enjoying the chips, so glad to choose here as the lunch place!
Las bebidas, así como los aperitivos eran perfectos. Adi, nuestro camarero, no dejó nada que desear y nos impresionó con su manera amable y excelente servicio.
The food is really good here. Stopped by after visiting Rollernation and had the chicken burgers and shakes. Everyone loved their meal. And the staff are really nice too.
La comida y los precios eran fantásticos. Mejor Bacon Inglés que he probado. El propietario es un hablador y muy hospitalario. Una amplia gama de comida, desde espaguetis a inglés completo e irlandés a café turco y pastelería. Incluso si no me quedo cerca de este restaurante en futuros viajes, trataré de buscarlo.
The whole tour was amazing and worth every cent. The food was spectacular and Kerri’s service was top notch. I would recommend this to anyone who is planning to visit London. Kerri and Chef Mo were 10/10.
We love coming to The Orpington! We moved to the area this year and happened to discover this little cafe within a couple weeks of moving. We were so happy to find such a cosy and welcoming place with such delicious food. There’s a great selection on the menu and we’ve since come back to enjoy several breakfasts, lunches, coffees and dinners here!
We recently visited for a Christmas meal and had their Christmas set menu. We had such a lovely evening and both the food and service were brilliant! The food and service were excellent and all of the attention to detail they put into our meal made for a really special evening. Thank you very much!
216 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EB England, England
This man and gelato place is tight, resting on its reputation. Small portion sizes, high prices. I bought my girlfriend a £8 ice cream and then wouldn’t let me try any flavours. Goodbye. Way to lose a long term customer. I used to send people here. No more.
A really delightful evening ... food was delicious; wine pairing was delicious ... all made even better by Lucy and her team who made us feel as if we were the only guests on the boat!! Thank you!!