Almeida

A very average meal. 3 courses for £17.50 sounds good but you get what you pay for. Food was okay but portions were very small. Main course hake was more like a starter. Ordered wine about 1 minute before mains arrived but it was not served until after we were finished, service in general was poor considering the place was not busy.
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Chris - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 6
Thursday, July 17, 2008

My husband and I had a meal at Almeida on Saturday night. My first impressions were not good as the lady at the door could not even manage a smile of welcome and grudgingly took my jacket as she asked for our names. Luckily this was not the case with the waiting staff who were efficient and friendly.

We had been given a voucher to use so I knew we would have a limited menu selection, however this was handled nicely as the menu was already on the table.

My starter of crab with asparagus was delicious and light and my husband enjoyed the selection of charcuterie. Main courses of sea bream and duck were also good and served with small dishes of delicious potatoes. Puddings of chocolate pot and raspberry macaroon were good too.

The restaurant has low ceilings o feels quite intimate but you are not seated right next to your neighbour which is nice. It's also interesting to see the open kitchen. We may not travel specifically to Almeida again but if you are in the area it's a lovely place to eat!
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YB South Croydon
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, July 14, 2008

Excellent food. We had the set menu which was excellent value. Excellent Service. We will definitely be coming back!
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EG - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Thursday, July 10, 2008

I went to Almeida restaurant with my partner for dinner after receiving a booklet some time ago informing me about the refurbishment. I have been going to Almeida on and off for 4 years and was worried that they may have spoiled my local restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had been re-decorated in a tasteful way, it is so cosy and now has a sophisticated bar area which is a great addition to this restaurant The staff were great as usual really livens this place up! and the food divine.
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oliwia
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Thursday, June 26, 2008

I have recently moved to Islington and I had never been to Almeida restaurant before and was looking forward to celebrating my birthday with friends. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening; the staff were charming and attentive and were very helpful with all our questions. I had the carpaccio of tuna and scallops which was delicious followed by a beautifully cooked fillet of seabream which was a simple dish but full of flavour. Although it was a special occasion I found it to be of good value and would definitely return for a mid week treat. I had not mentioned the fact that it was my birthday when I made the booking but the manager must have noticed the cards and presents and presented my dessert with a candle with happy birthday written in chocolate around my dessert - what a lovely surprise! In an area where there are so many restaurants to choose from, Almeida definitely shines!!!
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Kevin
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, June 20, 2008

food was very good and also most of the wine by the glass, but oh the service, or the lack of it, took forever to get a menu, and then to get a drink and finally forever to get the bill- just as well they add service charge- i certainly wouldnt have tipped. what a pity that a restaurant that has a lot going for it is destroyed by pitiful treatment of its clients.
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neil gunningham
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Four of us had dinner there on Saturday 17th May . I had been there several times before the temporary closure and had much enjoyed it. This visit was a serious disappointment. Not least in that its former 'Frenchness' is no longer evident, either in the spirit of the operation or in the gastronomic experience. The obvious changes : unsmiling, uncommunicative receptionist, appalling service (an hour and a half from our arrival to main course), feeble excuses from the head waiter ('a lot of people arrived at the same time'), small portions, indifferent food. The formerly fabulous charcuterie trolley which used to be served at your table is now a few tiny plated blobs of pâté and a couple of slices of saucisson. The fish was acceptable but in a bland sauce. The brie was under-ripe and tasteless. The only enthusiastic service was the attempt by two different waiters to sell us bottled water before we had even looked at the menu. For the first time in my life (I am 63), I refused to pay the service charge. Lamentable.
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Doctor Paul - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Monday, May 19, 2008

We went as part of London Restaurant Week and it was the worst restaurant I've ever had the misfortune to set foot in.

The service was appalling - the table wasn't ready for 40 minutes but even then wasn't set properly, we had to ask for menus after waiting 10 minutes, orders were forgotten, the waiter removed some dishes but not others, he decanted the wine (a year younger than stated on the menu) but served it immediately without leaving it to breathe, I could go on and on.

And then the food. The smoked salmon starter was simply a piece of fish put on a plate with some lemon to squeeze on it. A side of dry green beans looked like they were straight out of a microwave, with some so shrivelled you wouldn't buy them at a supermarket. My oyster starter was great, but mainly due to freshness than any particular care with a sauce. The rest of our meal bar the chocolate pot dessert was bland and largely forgettable.

Barely acceptable from a cheap local, but not remotely ok for supposedly fine dining and on a list of the best London has to offer. Don't waste your money at Almeida if this is how they treat customers during a restaurant promotion week!
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Ebony
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Monday, April 21, 2008

I am seldom surprised nowadays, however I had the pleasure of dining at Almeida last week with four friends and we all had an absolutley lovely time. The food was simply fantastic some of the best I have eaten in London over the past 12 months or so I understand there is a new young chef heading up the kitchen and I believe Michelin will be calling if this evening was anything to go by my Pyrenean lamb shoulder was heaven on a plate and all my fellow dinners were equally as gushing . even though I was taken aback by the food what really surprised me was the attentive, subtle and perfectly pitched service which is a rare thing in a modern restaurant. Hats off to the whole team for making a good evening GREAT!
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Kelvin Redwood
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I dined at Almeida last weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed my evening, as did the rest of our large group, due to the service and delicious food. The service was some of the best I have ever come across in London. Very attentive staff without overdoing it. The food was very tasty as well as interesting and the whole experience was reasonably priced. I would definitely dine at Almeida again.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, March 18, 2008