The Admiralty

we had lunch for 8 as a family celebration.the youngest was 18 the oldest 87.

We all felt it was a great occasion, wth high quality food , good wine, attentive service in an interesting historic setting that all ages felt comfortable with. A memorable day , a great family occasion.
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tony edwards - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Saturday, May 27, 2006

Evening dining at the Admiralty was an absolute joy. My party of five choose the Admiralty for the special offer deal and we were not disappointed. From the moment we entered, the welcome was warm. It certainly had the "oooo" factor. Then we "oooed" and "aaghed" from the Smoked Salmon starter, through the Chicken Ballatine main course and certainly gave a resounding "oooo" for the Chocolate and Mascapone sponge cake with milk sorbet - divine! The service was excellent. The waiters were helpful and pleasant. We rated this restaurant our finest to date for special offers. We will come again offer or no offer.
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Janet Morgan
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Saturday, May 20, 2006

My friends and I enjoyed a thoroughly superb early evening dining at the admiralty last night which has prompted this review.

For those who have not had the pleasure make your way to the Admiralty before the offer ends. We will certainly be going again.

The venue is tucked away at the far end of a splendid courtyard situated in Somerset House, so for those looking for a fabulous dining experience you will not find it by chance. Thank god for london-eating .co.uk. This is a real jewel in the crown of fine dining.

The courtyard fountains are spectacular set against the back drop of the architecture of Somerset House which offers a great place to sit and wait for your friends or just arrange to meet early to take in the ambiance.

Once inside the reception was very welcoming. The dining area was accessed via the bar area that is small but cosy, the decor in the dining area was straight out of a magazine. Clean, bright, elegantly decorated and was the first wow of the evening...breath-taking.

The staff were all very welcoming visible but unobtrusive. We chose our cocktails, I had the Bellini but would have preferred the Lychini which was divine. This will be my choice next time we visit.

The menu had a good selection. I chose the Salmon salad to start followed with the Chicken Ballantine and the Chocolate and mascapone cake to finish.

Well the second wow of the evening came with the starter that was so well presented I should have taken a photograph. It was delicious. Just the right amount. Mmm

The chicken visually was not what I expected but what it lack visually it certainly did not disappoint. It was a gastronomic delight. Oooh! Succulent chicken on a bed of creamy mash potato and spinach. I could have eaten a second portion. Delicious.

If we were pleased with our first two courses the absolute treat was the dessert...Chocolate and mascapone cake. This was so well presented I took a photograph!!!

When it arrive the collective ooohhs and aahhhs made the staff laugh. If you love chocolate you will adore this dessert. More please. The little sweets placed on the table before the coffee arrived were delicious citrus jelly on a brandy snap biscuit and a small pistachio chocolate. A real touch to end the evening.

As we were on our regular budget girls night out we did not select any wine from the extensive list. However be aware that service is add and we bumped up the final bill with water and coffee.

In all we did not mind at all paying for the service as it was excellent. The food the best gastronomic experience I have had in all our nights out. Well done Donna for choosing such a fantastic venue. We will be back before the end of the offer that is for sure.
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Janese Samuels
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, May 19, 2006

My friend and I visited for Saturday lunch this weekend. We were warmly greeted and taken to our seats. The tables were a fair distance apart and were able to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. I changed my mind over the dessert and they were happy to change the order. The service was excellent.

The menu choice was varied without us feeling overwhelmed with choice. We had the house white which was reasonably priced and had plenty of body. The food was excellent. We were there for a total of 2 1/2 hours and had a fantastic leisurely lunch.

We were not rushed even though we were the last couple to leave. A walk round the courtyard and being caught in the water fountain ended a lovely lunch. I would definetly go again.
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Hazel
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Went on 2 courses and free cocktail for £19.50-lovely atmosphere-fresh lilies everywhere.Heavy linen clothes,sparkley chandeliers and a few fossils on the wall.The Amuse bouche of butternut squash soup-very rich and creamy.Jeruselem artichoke veloute was delicious-main course fois gras and duck and beetroot jus, duck a little fatty but otherwise gorgeous and rich. The chowder and sea bass were pretty delicately tasty too aparrently. Felt very posh and like a real treat.The lychini cocktail was gorgeous!!- was charged for water and service charge- wine list was pricey.But if you stick to your guns and budget its really lovely.Would have been lovely to linger longer but we were off to a show.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, March 24, 2006

Went for lunch with the deal.

Overall, the experience was slightly above average but I would not say it is spectecular.

With the meal deal, I have to admit it was good value considering its location.

The interior decoration was ok, maybe it's me but it doesn't look too stunning in the sun to be honest.

Now onto the food, the menu is diverse which is good and you are not pushed for choice with the deal.

Starters and Mains was good (again not amazing.) Relatively good portion as well as nicely presented. I had saddle of rabbit which was nice, the combination worked well but the rabbit got a little bland by the middle of it(and to my taste, a tad under-seasoned).

Now, onto the desserts...I was expecting something fantastic after the build up from the rest of the meal and the reviews that I have read. I also work as a dessert chef in a restaurant so I was really looking forward to this part and most importantly, I think this is the most important part of a meal as it is a platform to show the art of cooking and the chance to really heighten the pleasure of eating!

We ordered the citrus souffle, chocolate fondant, vanilla rice pudding and mini dessert combo (panna cotta, fondant, rice pud, white chocolate mousse and something else.)

Well, in my opinion, it was really disappointing! There was no flare in them and they looked like they have just been slapped onto the plate, no effort in presentation at all. The rice pudding tasted ok but the consistency was a little off the mark. The souffle was average and was not as light as it should be. Fondant was a bit of a disaster as the chocolate 'sauce' was non-existent, it got completely soaked up so definitely a no for that. And the mini dessert combo was of the same standard...

Overall, I will only go for the starter and mains and stay within that boundary.

Service was a little rushed at the start but went normal after a while.
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MY
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Sunday, January 22, 2006

We had the wonderful vegetarian garden menu with some friends here, following all the wine recommendations. The meal could not have been better and the service was superb. Every course was a surprise; the wines matched perfectly. The chef indulged us with one or two variations from the set menu for those who preferred fish. All in all, we would rate this as the best vegetarian meal we've had in London for a very long while. The quality more than matched the price.
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David and Hilary
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Saturday, January 21, 2006

As a business traveler who spends at least 2 weeks a year in London, I am always looking for new dining options. The Admirality was a wonderful surprise-well situated near our hotel and well priced for the menue. The service was excellent, and I would highly recommend this restaurant.
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Alex Glickman
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, January 08, 2006

Thought it would be nice to take a German friend here last week. The location by the ice rink made for a nice Christmassy evening. The restaurant however was a bit of a let down. Food turned up cold, so two of us had to re-order rather than wait another 45mins for rabbit. The staff were very apologetic but even when the replacement dish turned up (sea bass) it wasn't overly hot either !!! Nice location, lovely staff, but the food was a disappointment. Then to top it all, they overcharged us..oops !!
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Therese Killen
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Friday, December 16, 2005

I have been here on a number of other occasions and found it brilliant - but this time the starter was uninspired, service very slow and the final bill seemed large. On the plus side my lamb was really good and the rice pudding great. Probably not so good for larger groups?
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Friday, December 16, 2005