Odette's

We decided to go to the length of babysitter etc because the decor looked interesting and the chef had won an award. This is the experience in short. The artichokes were a pleasant suprise as they were not bathed in ascerbic acid the goats cheese nice the shaved truffles were like soggy bran flakes. Main course lamb was very good all two mouth fulls accompanying veg not memorable. Cheese pleasant as was pudding but not amazing. Bill came to £215 for two. Would we go again....... NO as all in all rather dull.
Comment on this reader review

Lally
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Hmmm, interesting experience. We had a nice table although we had to squeeze a bit, sitting half behind a door (well, its a fairly small place at least upstairs). Aperitif was nicely served, although a bit costly at 8 Pounds for a plain vanilla drink. Starters were very good, really exceptional quail and the lasagne was quality above average. Wine - extensive and expensive wine list, we were a little dissappointed that the just under 40 Pounds wine does not even require uncork (screw cap). Main dishes were very well cooked; risotto as good as it gets (only one vegi meal on the menu though) and very very very nice sea bass. Service appeared a little bit stressed at peak time between 8 and 9, but the restaurant was full and therefore that is okay (again, the fairly small but cosy size of the restaurant made it not easier for staff). Overall, no doubt a good place to celebrate a special occasion, but at 150 Pounds for party of two a notch over the top. (they have a early evening special price for early birds which is probably worth asking for if early arrival).
Comment on this reader review

Rabesch
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Thursday, September 04, 2008

this place is simply fantastic. everything was flawless from begining to end. cool bar downstairs too. i really can't praise it enough.
Comment on this reader review

The Shrimp - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, August 23, 2008

the set lunch for £17.95 for two courses is just incredible value for the quality of food and cooking , really worth a visit .

obviously a very talented chef
Comment on this reader review

shane
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Thursday, May 29, 2008

3 of us went today for Mother's Day lunch. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Will def go back for a special occasion (£200 for 3 of us, all in, was a little steep for lunch). As a Welshman, it was good to see Bryn williams chatting to some of the local/regulars on the next table. Vegetables were too salty and my creme brulee's rhubarb coulis was too sweet-otherwise everything was very good! Would def recommend this restaurant .

Peter Warren from Clapham
Comment on this reader review

Peter Warren
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Sunday, March 02, 2008

This has to be the worst meal I have EVER had and my 7 guests would definitely agree with me. Furthermore, it's the only restaurant where I have been asked to leave [by prima donna chef Bryn Williams ] for daring to criticise his under-done pollock and tasteless cheek of beef.I would have liked to have seen the dessert menu but I was refused the pleasure and told to go!
Comment on this reader review

Michael Plosker
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Here we were , four of us up from the country as it were,Welsh and proud of it. We may be from over the border but we too have done our share of fine dining at Tyddyn Llan and Plas Bodegroes to drop a culinary name or two. We came in search of the best of Bryn Williams and we were not disappointed. The food, the service, the general ambience of the restaurant and, yes, even the wine, lived up to our expectations. Even more to Odette's credit was the fact that these standards were maintained while Bryn was elsewhere that particular day and that he has exerted his Welsh influence both on the menu and on the staff who greeted us with 'Croeso' and thanked us with a 'diolch'.

Dewch yn ol i Gymru, Bryn .Come back to Wales!
Comment on this reader review

Janet Lewis
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Our dinner last night at Odette's was something of a mixed bag. I had tried to book a table for four a week prior. Unfortunately, they were fully booked, but the helpful person of the phone suggested that we go on the waiting list. We did, and ended up getting a call on the day to tell us we were in.

We were greeted warmly at the entrance, and given full assistance with our coats and numerous bags and other gear. We were seated at a lovely table in the front of the restaurant. Although the tables are quite close together, we didn't feel particularly cramped. We all thought the decor was absolutely fine.

We were all very impressed with the menu, which was varied, well thought out and (we thought) reasonably priced. The pre-started was a glorious mushroom soup. Really, really good. I ordered the pig's head terrine and blood pudding, which was outstanding. In fact all of the starters were superb. So far, so good.

One of my friends ordered a starter off the main menu, but the main course, roasted salsify, off the veggie menu. When it arrived, we thought it was a joke. It was truly the smalest main course portion any of us had ever seen. It was gone in literally 4 bites. The rest of us ordered the monkfish, which was beautifully prepared, but also reasonably small portions. I had a couple of bites and commented that it was cold. At that point, one of my friends commented that the middle of hers was "icy". We sent all of the monkfish back and asked if we could order some sides as our other friend was still hungry. Whilst the staff accommodated, they weren't terribly helpful and not at all apologetic. They brought minute portions of cracked potatos and green beans. When the waiter returneed with our re-heated monkfish, he couldn't remember which plate belonged to whom. This is shocking in a restaurant of this standard. By this time, we were starting to get a bit fed up.

It didn't take long to finish the mains, and we were all still hungry so we ordered dessert and four glasses of dessert wine. Two cheese plates, a rice pudding and a pear crumble with anise ice cream. The sweet desserts were excellent, and the cheese plates included decent sized (thank goodness) portions of some lovely Welsh cheeses.

When we got the bill, it was £72 per head for 3 courses, one bottle of the cheapest champagne and four glasses of desert wine. We did not feel that this represented good value. We were also disappointed to have been charged the full menu price for one of our company who had order her main off the cheaper vegetarian menu.

Whilst Odette's did have a lot going for it, for that price I would expect things to be perfect. We were all very disappointed in the portion sizes and the sloppy handling of the cold food. I very much wanted to like it, but I fear we won't be going back any time soon.
Comment on this reader review

Lisa Saper
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Sunday, December 02, 2007

llops, fois gras, sea bass/John Dory, lamb/beef. Only desserts vary from restaurant to restaurant. But only slightly. I sincerely do not know why I fall into the trap of ordering them every single time. Maybe it has something to do with my gluttonous nature. Most of them are disappointing too, which makes my gullibility even more pathetic.

My visit to Odette’s was no exception, except that, in a very big way, it was. But first things first. Some say the place looks ghastly with its yellow curtains and leather seats, wallpapers adorned with grey flowers and odd chandeliers. I personally do not agree. Sure, I wouldn’t want my living room to look like that, but, for a restaurant in Primrose Hill, it’s more than suitable. Unfortunately, however, we did not have the opportunity to admire the flowery wallpaper and yellow curtains because we were not seated in the main room but in a grotty basement, with exposed bricks and cheap flooring. I would have protested, if only I weren’t so cowardly sheepish.

Then came the menus, accompanied, of course, by the omnipresent tasting menu with its scallops, fois gras, John Dory and lamb. Could I resist? Of course not. I didn’t even bother looking at the à la carte despite my conviction that what was to follow was going to be yet another voyage into culinary mediocrity. I’m glad to say that, for once, I could not have been more wrong.

Everything was remarkable, with the only exception being some bits of pop-corn which found their way into my sweetcorn soup amouse-bouche. The scallop dish came with two scallops, one céviched and the other seared. It was very summery, which given the time of year could be regarded as slightly misjudged, but exquisite nonetheless. Without doubt, one of the very best scallop dish I’ve had. The fois gras, again served two-ways (one fresh and seared and the other I can’t remember) was also very good. And so was the John Dory, again served in a very light, summery preparation, which, despite the weather outside, complemented the fish extremely well. The pièce de resistènce, however, was the lamb. Absolutely superb. Barely cooked and therefore deliriously succulent, it really was the height of the dinner. Decent cheeses and a perfectly acceptable dessert of poached pineapple with coconut ice-cream concluded what I thought was an exquisite meal. Certainly one of the best I’ve had in London in a very long while, comfortably surpassing my recent visits at Pétrus, Foliage and the Square (the latter only because I was unlucky in my selection - my dinner companions’ dishes apparently did reach culinary heights seldom seen in this city).

Apart from eating in a cold basement, there were only two other down-sides to our meal. Firstly, the wine list is lazy and somewhat over-priced, which is a shame and something that I think should be addressed. Perhaps, here, they could learn a thing or two from Foliage. Secondly, half of our dinner was accompanied by an unashamedly snooty lecture about wine provided, gratis, by a kind punter sitting two tables away from us. I think it was intended only for the lucky souls sitting at his table, unfortunately it was loud enough for the whole room to hear.

All in all, however, this was an excellent meal, easily within Michelin star territory. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, come January, Mr. Williams will have cause to celebrate. After all, if distinctly mediocre establishments like Roussillon and Arbutus can have their star, I don’t see why an infinitely more deserving restaurant like this one shouldn’t.
Comment on this reader review

F.L.
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 9
Thursday, October 11, 2007

Went for dinner last night. The pig head terrine was fantastic, as was the lamb I had as main. However, everything was completely underseasoned. Service was OK though there seemed to be more staff than customers and did not think it was completely necessary for Brynn Williams to spend so much time upstairs on the floor.
Comment on this reader review

- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Thursday, October 11, 2007