Orrery

The food and wine were interesting but the service and attention to detail do not warrant that price bracket. There are so many other great options in London that happen to be better value too.
Comment on this reader review

N King
4 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

I went for lunch at Orrery the other week and had a great time - service was slick but not intrusive, staff were well versed in the menu and were able to make helpful suggestions etc, as well as being smiley and polite.

The food was good, although i was expecting better. The website says the head chef had a michellin star so i went with high expectations which weren't quite met which was a shame. we both had seafood tortellini which was excellent, followed by a slightly lack-lustre halibut for myself (overcooked and over-salted) and the salmon for my husband which was 'fine' - his words for not great i guess. perhaps my expectations were a little too high, but for those prices i had hoped for something a little more exciting. However the cheese-trolley made up for what the mains lacked - what a choice!

all in all, an enjoyable experience which was almost let down by the food but saved by the excellent staff and atmosphere (and cheese).
Comment on this reader review

8 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Food can be inconsistent but on the whole it is pretty good, cheese trolley is great along with the service, perfectly proffesional and yet friendly.
Comment on this reader review

Bridget Norris
9 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Went for lunch. The set menu had some nice options but was lured astray by the scallops on the a la carte.

Bread nice, but the server did not top up as often as we would have liked (it was not full. Starter - Scallops, one was fat and juicy and lovely the other was slighty overcooked and thus chewy. truffle veloute was special. Main - fish was prefectly cooked and the sauce very nice. Dessert - a lovely chocolate fondant

On the whole a beautiful meal, a little pricey given there are so many great offers in town at the moment. I would go back though for a special treat.
Comment on this reader review

- View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Never again. went for dinner and found the cooking and service to be so far below the mark to be a joke and at these prices its unfogivable

an expensive lesson learned. real shame a this place used to be brilliant

hope it was just a bad night and no reflection on how things usually are for there sake but i wont be back.

for the money there is so many more consistent places. very disappointed as I have always really enjoyed it here. Real shame
Comment on this reader review

The Shrimp - View all reviews by this user
3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Just come back from the Orrery and have to say that I am a little disappointed.

The good - service was friendly and attentive. The amuse bouche - parsnip veloute with mushroom foam - delicious; the venison - perfectly cooked; the pre-dessert - brandy infused prunes and cream with pomegranite granita - lovely; excellent breads.

The not-so-good - did not have our first or second choice wine - rather than strike out again we let the sommelier choose - nice wine but rather than have such an enormous wine list and not have some, have a more selected list and have them all.

Starter - course pate - more of a terrine and far too much fruit in it so very sweet and served with a very sweet marmalade - and the portion was tiny - a mere sliver

Main - venison was cooked well but again - all accompanients were sweet - and all luke warm.

Dessert - fig tart - sliver of filo pastry with a few slivers of figs with a teaspoon of ice-cream - nice enough but again tiny portion

coffee - cold

Despite a very busy fair going on opposite the restaurant was rather empty - no more than 6 tables, perhaps they knew what we didn't i.e. that this place seems to have really gone down hill - what a shame
Comment on this reader review

TF
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Saturday, October 10, 2009

Went last Sunday for lunch, for 3 people and on the whole had a good time.

2 menus to choose from a 3 course lunch menu @ £25 and a 3 course a la carte @ £43. Not a whole lot of choice between them with asparagus appearing 4 times (2 starters & 2 with mains), beef 3 times and salmon twice. No pork, lamb, duck or chicken for mains. Anyway what we did order was very good, first rate breads to start, a nice little amouche and a very good cheese trolley to end.

Service was very good and all the staff appeared to know the menu well.

Wine list was a little steep with a lot of cheaper bottles out of stock (eg only one pomerol below £100 and that was out of stock).

Atmosphere was nice and calm and the room was bright and well laid out.

Overall £350 for 3 with pre lunch drinks, bottle of white, red and port. Not cheap but as I have said in previous reviews very few places are in London any more.
Comment on this reader review

Chris - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Brilliant. Went approx 10 days ago as part of the London Restaurant Week offer. Although on a discounted set menu - everything was absolutley superb. Other establishments will treat you as 2nd grade customers thinking that they will most likely never see you again - so why try so hard? Not at Orrery.

The staff were super attentive but not overbearing. The menu had some great choice (although limited due to the type of menu), the price was brilliant inc glass of champagne for an extra £2.50. Had extra little surprises as well with a couple of amuse bouches (apologies for the spelling). Food was brilliant and well proportioned.

Close to perfect. One of the nicest meals had in London. So much better than the snob factor at Gordon Ramsays.

Highly recommended
Comment on this reader review

Duncan
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, March 30, 2009