La Poule au Pot

I have been to this restuarant 3 times and really love it. I have been just with my husband for a romantic meal as well as with a group. The atmosphere is friendly and cosy, the staff attentive, the food excellent and lovely wine - though they give it to you in a huge bottle and keep topping you up so you can get carried away and drink more than you thought you were!
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Jo Miller
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, July 08, 2008

This is one of our favourite restaurants in London - the food is simple and good - French rustic and doesn't pretend to be anything but. The chips are a speciality. We have friends from all over Europe who will not come to London without visiting. The atmosphere is friendly and the service is attentive and informal, We are treated like family. It offers great value at lunch for a prix fixe menu and is always busy and buzzy. House wine is offered in magnums (but you only pay for what you consume). Overall the experience every time we eat there is a great one: we have introduced lots of people to La Poule because we love it so and they all come away converted and anxious to return. Decor is ecclectic - seasonal flowers, lots of orchids and tiny posies on the tables (definitely not plastic, despite what some other reviews have said!). It has become our Sunday tradition.
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Amanda Stephenson-Carter
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

What's good? Friendly, informal service. Lively atmosphere.

What's not so good? Main thing, food. All pretty ordinary from the soup to the bread to the butter to the coffee to the wood pigeon to the red cabbage to the wine.

Other niggles. Plates so hot I got a minor burn, and not warned. Decor stuffed with random tat. Pretty expensive. No choice of wines by the glass. Service not really organised. No apparent assignment of tables to individual staff.
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Simon r
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 3
Saturday, June 07, 2008

I knew from the tone of the waiter taking my booking that this might be a lousy experience, but alas I didn't follow my instincts. His only concern was that we would be sure to have cleared the table by a certain time.

The service proved to be exactly like this...not with the customer's experience in mind. Noone filled our glasses, noone seemed interested in us.

They go for a rustic French feel..basic food, often over rich with large helpings of vegetables. This would be acceptable at a Sunday lunch in a run down farm house, but not at these prices. £22 for a main course and £12 for a starter.

The restaurant was full, so I suppose they won't have to worry about readers' comments such as this. The ambience is therefore busy, even cosy, though my view was of the bins outside. Brown paper covers the table cloths....rural touch and quite unpleasant.

The tone was set by the appetiser put on our table. Thickly cut red peppers swimming in a mayonaise...utterly unsuitable and basic!

This restaurant is so overpriced and pleased with itself. Chelsea deserves better than this.
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John Taggart
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Friday, May 30, 2008

I went here for a celebratory meal last night and was underwhelmed by the whole experience. As we were 8 people, we were put in the downstairs bit which lacked atmosphere and meant we had to hear and see people going up and down the stairs to the loos. There was no room for a table of 8 upstairs which is a pity. This soured the evening in my opinion.

The service was actually very good but the food was average to say the least. Overly fatty lamb, good but not excellent rabbit etc.

I can think of at least a handful of other French bistros at which I would rather spend my money. I might return for a meal for two and see if it is better upstairs but my recommendation is for groups of more than 4 or 5 to stay away.
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Rick Brown
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Thursday, May 08, 2008

I just don’t understand why some people talk about how cozy this place is. I took my mum there to celebrate her 70th birthday. It is not an understatement to say that the atmosphere reminds me of a bad experience at a French highway fast-food “cuisine” on a hot summer day (without air condition). Just that in France they probably would have put some green plants on the table and not the plastic flowers the guys at Poule seem to love.

We felt like taking place in a hidden cam TV-setting given how rude everyone was. The waiter asked us to move table after the starter as it was reserved for someone (who turned out to be a chubby guy who kissed the head waiter on the cheek). Within an hour or so we just left, feeling like someone surrounded by enemies (waiters) trying to kill you using their weapons of mass destruction (food).

I assume you can guess if my mum and I will ever come back…
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Big John
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, May 08, 2008

I went there two days ago and had a terrible experience.

The waiters are extremely rude and pay more attention to each other than their guests. We got the menus after sitting at the table for 30 minutes waiting, and the food was very disappointing when the plates were slammed in the table 1.5 hours after we got there. Food was horrible anyway, and do not ask for a dessert unless you fancy an icy crème brulee…

Stay away, there are too many good restaurants in London to waste time and money at this place.
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Bear
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Thursday, May 08, 2008

My friends and I ate at this restaurant last weekend and we were delighted with the food, service and atmosphere of the restaurant. We all tried something we hadn't had before and none of us were disappointed.

We also found it to be reasonably priced - despite drinking a bottle of champagne!

I'd definitely recommend this restaurant and would eat here again.
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Emma Sheridan
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, April 08, 2008

second rate food and service..

for this amount of money I at least expect a forced smile could'nt even manage that.

Food was as reviewed before.

I guess your served the leftovers from the day before as our vegetables were inedible..

waste of money and time..
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emma s - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Fantastic atmosphere, wonderful food and good value for money. A really enjoyable evening out. I recommend this restaurant.
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John Szepietowski
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 12, 2008