Passione

Went with great company - which helped.

Food was okay, not fantastic.

My starter of smoked eel was very nice, but the monkfish was messy and way too much.

Thought all the courses came out very (too?) quick.

Staff wasn't great. They assumed the men would taste the wines when actually our hostess picked and ordered.

Service was unattentive and when we asked for 5 extra minutes for picking desert, as we were in full conversation, we got an agitated look and weren't asked again for 25 minutes....

They also forgot to give us a bag we had brought in which meant halfway home we remembered and had to go back to pick it up.

Way too expensive for what it offers.
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LM
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Thursday, December 07, 2006

Bland yet pretentious; the biscotti with coffee were the highlight for me, and the only authentic bit. I presume the idea is to do a refined 'spin' on traditional Italian cuisine to justify their absurd prices (and to tempt the jaded palate?) but I didn't finish anything and three days later have difficulty recalling what I had; ok - pasta with shredded duck (a mistake; expect not to see this on future menus!) and some wrapped up white meat tasting of nothing very much to which ginger contributed a jarring note amid the general insipidness. On my companion's serviceable boiled fish and saute potatoes there is even less to say (what can you say about boiled fish and potatoes?) and the panna cotta was rubbery; though drizzled with a perfectly ok berry coulis, blackberry and apple pie would have been preferable! The price? Oy veh!
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Simon Barrett
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, September 18, 2006

Went for dinner here about 2 weeks ago with my partner. We had been before some time ago but decided to give it a try. I started off with a ravioli parcels of slow cooked pork, which was nice enough, but for the portion, the price was very excessive. My main, which cost £23.50 consisted of 2 thin fillets of plaice on a bed of spinach and cannelini beans. Again, nice enough but no wow factor, and for that price you expect a wow factor. The service is efficient enough, if a tad impersonal and the decor at Passione really needs some work. It is far too bright and they really need to change the colour of the walls. A 3 course meal, with wine for 2 set us back almost £140. There are far superior Italian restaurants in London that simply do not charge as much. For that price, you could even eat at Locanda Locatelli, which is obviously a different class. Won't be going back.
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Luis Martins
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Monday, September 04, 2006

I recently visited Passione after hearing much about it in the press. Though the food was good- I do feel it is overpriced and overrated. The atmosphere inside did not feel like an Italian trattoria. I was disappointed that one of the signature dishes sorrel and risotto was not even on the menu. The fish of the day was served as 2-3 medallions which though tasty was not substantial enough and was no different from what I had had in the past.A friend commented that she could very easily have made these dishes at home which I agree. I think a simple pasta dish with napoletana sauce and fresh parmesan would have been as satisfying for just a fiver.I would reserve this restaurant for those who are curious to see what the hype is all about and I am sure after one visit, one will not visit again. The dishes are not special in any way and are overpriced
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shaun
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Friday, May 12, 2006

Maybe it was an unlucky evening but a massive disappointment. Staff are friendly enough but in contrast to another user, far to proactive on the wine front which seems to be a growing trend in restaurants in terms of filling glasses up so quickly it becomes obtrusive. Can somebody please tell restaurants its not clever! Starter of Trout pretty ok but main of swordish spinach and leeks was saturated in dressing....ambience nothing special....overall, nothing to especially to like or dislike about the place but at the price you expect far far better. As another reviewer said, you can eat far better for a fraction of the price at any number of gastropubs or lesser known restaurants. Wouldn't especially recommend or return.
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J Swift
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Friday, May 05, 2006

I visited Passione midweek for dinner with a friend. Everything about the evening was, in my opinion, exceptional and I would recommend eating at Passione without hesitation. The olives upon arrival were sublime and the freshly baked breads needed no oil or vinegar as they were delicious on their own (one other reviewer commented on the lack of these items). We had between us two fish dishes, both lovely and I would advise the pear and mozzarella for a first course as it was out of this world. The price I paid for three courses with a decent bottle of wine was in my opinion well worth it and I will be visiting again to sample the dishes we did not have room for this time. Full marks for food, presentation, attentive staff and surroundings. Well done!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, April 04, 2006

I visited for the first time this weekend. The staff are pleasant but not very proactive (our wine was not poured for us once), they leave you pretty much to yourself unless you call them over. There is no atmosphere, everything looks cheap rather than rustic and the chairs are very uncomfortable. On the whole the food could only be rated as low average. On squaremeal much is made of the fabulous bread but what we were givien was definitely bought in and as for previous reviews we were not offered any oils or butter to go with it. Starters of crab salad contained the odd pieces of shell. The lamb main was tender but boring and the vegetarian main of a potato dish was a greasy mess that tasted of nothing but oil - to their credit it was taken off the bill without us having to ask. My husband rated this as a cafe charging restaurant prices. On the whole, if I wanted Italian food I would spend a few pounds extra and go to Locanda Locatelli where the food, service and experience are all sublime.
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Kate
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

I visited Passione for the first time this weeekend. Frankly, I would not visit again. The restaurant itself is a very sweet place, relaxed, and the staff were particularly pleasant and helpful. Like another reviewer has commented - the bread arrived but no sign of any oils of butter. The drinks arrived quickly and the starters arrived even quicker! The food though is simply average. I had the crab salad to start and my parter had the thin air dried beef. Both were tasty and good sized portions, but at £15 and £12, I expect a bit more than just tasty. The main courses (Rabbit and a potato cake)again were nice, but nice is simply not good enough when you are paying £120 for a meal for two, and we hardly had anything to drink and no desserts. You will be shocked by the bill when it arrives, as many reviewers have already said. I think you could eat just as well at any number of gastro pubs anywhere in London for a fraction of the cost (in fact I did at the weekend).One pub I actually visited twice in two days becuase the food was so awsome and it only cost me £6.95 a time.
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Rob
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Monday, March 13, 2006

This is a restaurant that serves very classy food at high prices. No, it's not going to work for stray walk-ins looking for a cup of coffee or even for people looking for an alternative to a pizza. All is in mode of seeking a certain level of perfection. Even so, staff are on cute and fuzzy side, slightly irritating but quite biddable. Actually, I am not an absolute fan of the food here, although I can see why it costs what it does: everything is in place, the best ingredients are used. The sorrel risotto is perfect and I could eat that every time. But, overall, it seems there are two modes here: 1)textbook pefect but dull 2) adventurous mistakes eg heavy slabs of pecorino with Sardinian "poppadoms" covered in honey (= heavy sticky broken up bits ... a mess). Definitely worth eating here at least once or maybe more often eg if need reliably up market venue for entertaining guest speakers/ buiness visitors etc. Does get very crowded at lunchtime and dinner (although seemingly falling off recently) but not too noisy and gives sense of buzz/ booking strongly advised.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, March 06, 2006

Just a comment for the reviewer below.

I work in the restaurant trade, ( not at Passione, in case you were wondering), and I cannot believe that you, also in the hospitality industry, had the nerve to ask for a table on Valentine's day, only to have a coffee ! This is a day when restaurant are fully booked, over booked, and struggling to get a table for the next diner. Even if the tables were free when you entered, doesn't mean there were not booked for later on. Even if you work in a nearby hotel, restaurants are not obliged to give you a table just for the pleasure to have you there, they are also have a business to run. I suggest you go to the restaurant manager in your hotel, and get few tricks of the trade straight. Would you give away a room in your fully booked hotel at a discounted price, so that the guest could just have a nap?
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N.
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, March 01, 2006