Orrery

This is an overwhelmingly positive review. I urge you, therefore, to consider the following comments within their general context. Exculpatory preamble out of the way, I can unleash my partial wrath. So here it is. Conran restaurants are, in my infinitely meandering knowledge of London’s culinary domain, ghastly. I have been to Bibendum, Pont de la Tour, Plateau and, Paternoster Chop House, and my experiences were eerily and scandalously similar in their astonishing mediocrity - verging on sheer badness. The service is almost unequivocally pretentious and inefficient, the food is, following a similar vein, rarely more than average and the prices have a uniform tendency towards extortion. The inclination to reach the conclusion that Parliament should produce an addendum to the Human Rights Act and ban Sir Terence from opening another restaurant is almost impossible to resist (please, do note the emphasis on almost). Ha, I feel better now.

The Orrery, however, is in an entirely different league. It is the polar opposite of all the malicious comments I have made before and is, therefore, the only (deserving) recipient of a Michelin star. It is almost (no emphasis here) as if it is not owned by Conran. Well, if you forget that it’s right above the Conran Shop on Marylebone High Street and if you ignore those awful personalised Conran labels on the Hildon bottles they serve.

Let’s assess the aforementioned characteristics individually so as to obtain a clearer picture of what I’m inarticulately trying to put across. First of all the service. It is on par with the very best of London’s eating establishments, i.e. Ramsay’s places (apart from Maze, where you’re likely to witness waitresses spitting chewing gums in their hands and nonchalantly downing bottles of Badoit in front of customers), Foliage and all the rest. In particular, I would like to commend two individuals. Mind you, I never do this, mostly because by the end of the meal I can hardly remember where I’ve eaten, let alone which waiter did what. The sommelier, a blonde young French (I think she was French) woman whose name escapes me because it wasn’t mentioned, was marvellously polite and unpretentious. It does not often happen that, upon ordering a random £45 bottle of red firmly rooted in the cheap end of the wine list and chosen almost exclusively because of the price tag, one hears the sommelier say “Excellent choice, sir (I’m 21). It’s a very nice, rich wine, I, myself, enjoy it very much”. Whether that’s true or not, I do not know – although, the wine was indeed pretty decent – what I do know is that not only was she respectful to me, the customer, something one would expect in an establishment like this, but she was also cheerfully kind even though I was not an overweight Yankee ordering a £1,500 bottle of Pétrus. And I think that is very cool. So please Sir Terence, get the nice lady a decently fitted Spencer jacket. The second person I would like to commend is a Polish waiter, who had apparently been there for only a week, who single-handedly demolished my negative preconceptions involving rude Eastern European waiting staff. He was discretely attentive, politely friendly throughout the whole meal and even managed to apologise for the inattention of one the managers.

As to the food, me and my date had the tasting menu, which at six courses for 58 quid is a comparative bargain (probably ranking slightly behind the Ledbury in terms of quality and value). For the life of me, I can’t remember everything I ate, however, I do remember having an extraordinary lamb course and an equally extraordinary vanilla pannacotta on a bed of pineapple carpaccio (which may sound quaintly 80’s but was actually very good). These were the highlights, but everything was expertly made, tastefully presented and quite good value. This takes care of the price bit as well.

Finally, the only thing I would care to mention is the atmosphere of the restaurant. Despite being above the Conran Shop and despite the visibly outdated, mid 90’s décor, it is actually a very nice place. The large windows facing the school garden in front and the slim yet breezy layout all contribute to the creation of an excellent dining environment. In the words of a previous poster, it is like dining al fresco without the annoyances of dining al fresco.

All in all, excellent, almost.

8.5/10.

Bill for two including service, two bottles of water and wine: £195.
Comment on this reader review

F.L.
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, July 09, 2006

Excellent - truly a nice find. The food was delicious, the view just lovely and the wine was exquisite. The wait staff was very very attentive and helpful. We loved it so much we are returning with a dear friend very soon.
Comment on this reader review

Evelyn
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Thursday, June 15, 2006

We went to Orrery on a wonderfully sunny day and although it seemed at first to be a shame to be sitting inside, the room is so beautifully light and airy that we had most of the benefits of an al fresco lunch without any of the problems!

I'm pleased to say too that the food lives up the expectations you get upon arriving.

We went for the tasting menu and were very impressed with everything. There were too many dishes to describe them all but special mention must be made to the scallop and belly pork with apple shards and celeriac puree: absolutely delicious! The crunchy, slightly sour apple; soft, earthy celeriac and the two fantastically rich meats created a combination of flavours and textures that I shall be remembering for some time.

I also thoroughly recommend the cheese board which is immense and could almost be a little daunting but the waiter does provide some guidance if you feel a little overwhelmed.

Service was mainly excellent with most of the staff clearly being enthusiastic about the food and keen to explain the dishes. The cheese board man was, unfortunately, incredibly supercilious and condescending and really didn't seem to be enjoying his task. Happily we we were able to console ourselves after this slight blip by consuming vast amounts of said cheese and making thorough gluttons of ourselves!

As to the cost...well it's not a cheap place but then it's not pretending to be and considering its location, history and -by far the most important- the quality of the produce and the cooking, I would say that it's msot definitely worth it for a special occasion.
Comment on this reader review

Helen
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, June 13, 2006

A true jewel of the London scene, this restaurant truly takes the cake and rates as one of the finest it has been my pleasure to visit in the five years I spent in this city. From the delightful little epicerie downstairs to the charming views over the quaint schoolyard below, Mr. Conran has certainly stuck to the old adage "the devil is in the details". An aesthetic as well as culinary success, a meal at the Orrery is not easily forgotten. With a wine list to make the most experienced sommelier blush, and a plate of amuses-bouches to satisfy the most discerning of palettes, there is little one could pick out to criticize. I ate one the finest loins of beef my youthful teeth have ever sunken into, and sipped a red wine that may have given me a deeper understanding of life's imponderables. The fact that the dining room is so well-lit without even a spark of electricity is a testament to Mr. Conran's virtuosity of design. Simple, clean and elegant, the contours of every surface, from the polished wooden panels between each table that slide when privacy is needed, to the trademark round windows harking back to the nautical days of yore, are a sensual delight that enhance the festive experience that is a meal at the Orrery. Step inside, have a seat, choose a grand cru, you will never be quite the same again.
Comment on this reader review

Immanuel
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Saturday, May 27, 2006

I went for a special occasion Saturday lunch and feel for such a prestigious and pricey restaurant it was mediocre. The staff were 'very busy' coping with the half empty restaurant alas frequently leaving my wine glass completely empty, my food was fine, Sardines on toast, then John Dory and finishing with Chocolate pudding, but my partner's choice of Pea Veloute was a thick pea soup, the John Dory of such small portions that you had to wonder where the £25 for the (cold) plate had been spent and a soufflé that was delivered to the table past it's prime. The restaurant was cold, the staff unable to cope, the food portions miniscule but the prices large. I just don't see what the other reviewers here found so great….Londoners can do a great deal better elsewhere in terms of ambiance and service and the food whilst good in parts was not worthy of a Michelin Star and value for money was poor, however the cheese board was memorable even if only to look at!
Comment on this reader review

EdwardB
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Monday, May 22, 2006

I went with my husband and a friend to Orrery the other night - we chose it because they are both vegetarian and my husband had heard they do a great vegetarian taster menu. This was correct, it was quite nice. However, what we didn't realise is that if one person at your table orders it, everyone has to have it. So while I had planned to order all sorts of carniverous delights I was told I was not allowed to because the other two wanted to eat the vegetarian thing! Dining rules and 'systems' are really best left for places like Harvester. They quite liked what they ate - it's rare for vegetarians to have a range of different things to eat in a restaurant - but I got lumped with something I would never have chosen. It was really annoying and as far as I'm concerned an unreasonable rule to impose upon paying customers.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

I have lunched twice here within the last 2 months and been impressed both times. The first visit was a more costly a la carte affair and was impressive, especially the cheese selection. On the second visit we opted for the plate du jour which was even better tasting food. The fois gras is superb and don't forget to leave room for the cheese - a great selection.
Comment on this reader review

Paul Hickman
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, April 05, 2006

My partner and I wanted a special night out for our anniversary and Orrery provided a superb evening. We went on a Sunday evening and if you get past the fact that there are many different menu's ( Just to get your tastebuds going even further !) then you are on the road for a tantelizing selection. We went with a set menu which gives you 2 - 3 of every course in a small helping. For those that like to taste many different things this is perfect !

From the white mushroom Cappucino to the chocolate mousse haven - the food was all extremly well presented and fresh not to mention a delight to the palate !

The service was fine and the layout of this restraunt means very cosy seating in a romantic but yet relaxing enviorment.

This is a pricy night out - but if you want quality then orrery is the place to go for ! French food to delight and wines and cheese that will make you hum all the way home !
Comment on this reader review

Helena
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Went to the Orrery last night. Wonderful meal, attentive good humoured and friendly service by staff eager to advise if asked and enthusiastic about the food. Had a great time. Not cheap, but worth what it cost. Food superb - the duck fois gras was wonderful. Strongly recommend for a leisurely and delicious meal.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, January 16, 2006

Went to Orrery last night and had the menu gastronomic. Service was good and attentive. There was certainly a lot of food but we were not left with that 'wow' feeling at the end of the meal.

In fact, apart from the lamb which was excellent, the remainder of the menu was of the standard of good dinner party food - not anything like the standard of this restraurant's other 1 star peers. The bill came to just over 200 for the set menu for 2, the cheapest bottle of champagne and coffee including service.

An enjoyable evening but we probably won't be going back - for similar money you can eat better quality cooking elsewhere.
Comment on this reader review

Sunday, September 25, 2005