Patio

I went there this afternoon for a family dinner. It was a bad experience from the time we walked in. Nothing was as they showing on their website: inside decoration, menu was twice shorter than they offer. We have been greeted by a lady who just came out from the kitchen in very dirty apron.

That suposed to be my special day they ruined it.

NOT RECOMMENDED!!!!!
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Disapointed
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, August 08, 2011

A fantastically friendly little restaurant with good homely food.

I visited here with an old school friend of mine after reading the reviews on the window. When I entered I was greeted by the hostess as if the restaurant was her dinning room and we were old friends. The restaurants décor is very homely and comfortable to be in.

After being sat down and ordering a couple of Polish beers, both my friend and I decided to go for the 3 course set menu which is incredibly good value. There were a wide selection of items on the set menu which a nice change from most set menus.

I had the white borsteh and my friend had the smoked salmon. Both were excellent but we agreed I had struck the jackpot with my choice.

For mains we had duck and pork, both fantastic with some lovely fresh salads and potatoes.

To finish we both managed to squeeze in some lovely fruit tart and of course our shot of flavoured vodka.

This was first experience of a Polish restaurant and I loved it! We both wobbled out of the Patio full and with the smiles on or faces you only get from home cooked food. A gem of place, I urge you to visit!
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Christopher James
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Bad experience from the moment you walk in. Yes the atmosphere is great, but service is poor. Drinks were served in a dirty and chipped glass, bread was not complimentary and just placed on table with no mention. Service was slow and plates were not placed but thrown at us, often handed to us where we might as well go and serve ourselves. Non helpful waitress. Food was terrible, possibly much much better 25 years ago whilst establishing their business. Typical restaurant with good reputation overcoming customer satisfaction. Value of the meal was good but only if your after value and not quality. Food qualilty, Lets just say we didnt continue any further than half main course of our 4 course set menu, and once quietly and politely asking for the bill, we were confronted at infront of all customers. Worst restaurant in London, misleading reviews. For the price, Tatra down the road will get my vote.
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Dom
2 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 1
Saturday, June 04, 2011

We went to Patio for lunch and would highly recommend it. Yes the surroundings were like an Eastern European sitting room but it is a Polish restaurant aiming to produce home cooked food so it worked in its own way. The service was extremely friendly and helpful and even though we were the only people in the restaurant, we were not rushed along at any point.

On to the food. The herring and apple salad starter was superb. Mains of beef stroganoff and slow cooked lamb were generous and flavoursome. What I liked most of all were the many additional side dishes that accompanied the mains and which were included within the price. Sauteed potatoes, beetroot, celery salad and dumplings were all cooked with care and again the servings were more the generous.

From some of the comments below, it appears that people either love or hate this place. It is certainly not the place for a special occasion or what you would describe as a modern restaurant. But if you are looking for authentic home cooked Polish food and aren't concerned with the surroundings, then I would highly recommend it.
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Arnie Siva
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10
Thursday, September 09, 2010

My brother and I popped in late last Thursday and the hostess was very obliging. Despite being late, we had a lovely meal here.

Service was fantastic, she was very attentive and helpful.

As for the food, tasty, delicious and lots of it!

We couldn't fault a thing and the price was unbelievable.

I am already looking for an excuse to head up to London just so I can eat here again!
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Rachael
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, July 12, 2010

Yes the decor is very polish grandmas living room but I loved it, just added to the authenticity. We opted for the 2 course menu and there were a variety of delights to choose from. The borstch beetroot soup with dumplings was delicious as was the potato pancake with sour cream and beetroot relish. For mains, we had the beef goulash and another polish speciality (can't remember the name) which was a spicy minced meat wrapped in a cabbage leaf with a tomato based sauce. We loved both dishes and the great thing was that you also got a selection of side dishes - roast potatoes with spring onion, buttered green beans, carrots, cauliflower and an amazing pickled cabbage. To finish off we were given some coconut cake and fresh fruit and a shot of flavoured vodka. All for £12.50 each. This place is great. I've eaten in Michelin starred restaurants before but this was on a par for it's sheer authenticity, excellent service and wonderful food. Recommended. I'll be taking all my friends very soon!
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Jo Poole
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, May 01, 2010

I ate in this restaurant in December and have to admit it was the worst food I have ever eaten! Having never been to a Polish restaurant I wasn't sure what to expect but was excited to try something new. The decor was shabby rather like a 1970's very working class sitting room. We were seated at the top of the stairs which had room for one table, but cross your legs and you would fall in a heap into their equally grim toilet!

I ordered some sort of beetroot soup with dumplings, a deep red concoction, with dumplings. The soup was sickenly sweet with a oily irridesence ... no I had to give up after a few mouthfuls making a mental note to pick up sensodine on my way out....

Next up was Biggos - aparently some hunter stew which I had hoped would save the rapidly declining feast.... no.... it appeared to be some sort of tomato and beef stew - promising concept. However to this day I cannot identify the meat, it was cut into perfectly square cubes and appeared to be reconstituted meat ... beef, chicken, lamb,pork, turkey, horse any or all of the above. The taste certainly didn't hint to it's origins...

To take the taste of previous culinary crimes I opted for pancakes like the masochist that I am. To be fair the pancake itself was fine, but topped with some lemon/orange congealed sweet accompaniment.

In summary I urge you never to eat here unless you have some masochistic tendencies. I would be loathe to support this business as they continue their culinary attrocities. It was tantamount to robbery.
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OdileF
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, January 16, 2010

I was in Patio for the first (and last) time at the weekend. It was a Saturday and not too busy but we were given the table at the top of the stairs, somewhat precarious but I guess they were expecting the bigger tables to be filled; it didn't happen.

We opted for the set menu, three courses for £16.95. We were also served a seemingly obligatory bottle of still water ( £3.50 on the bill) which was clearly a much-used old bottle filled with London Tap and put in the fridge. Bit of a joke paying that much for tap water, but you live and learn.

The food was by and large mostly cold or lukewarm when we ate it, my beetroot soup starter was good but tepid and my partner's blini was doughy and cold. I had a Tyskie beer, the only thing meant to be cold, which it was.

I had the pierogi for main, which again had some doughy pastry and was cold, while the other half's chicken was well-cooked but lukewarm. The accompanying roasted(?) potatoes weren't cooked, being hard and tasting half-boiled, yet were dripping in grease and cold. The only hot thing was the beetroot which also came with it, but that was overdone!

The vodka included in the price wasn't great quality, too much 'burn' and it was at room temperature, which didn't help.

The service was diffident and distant throughout, not discreet and deferential, so it's probably why everything felt as if it had been left in a wind-tunnel before serving. The waiting generally seeemd fairly chaotic and uncordinated and it left us short of time so we had to pass on the dessert.

For £40 I found it a bit steep all-in-all for a couple of simple meals and the portions were adequate, but not gut-busting. The place is also a bit shabby not homely and I don't mind scruffy but it's not reflected in the price.

Having had much better-tasting and distinctive food at the right temperature and in a good atmosphere with personable staff for a quarter or a third of the price (admittedly in Poland, earlier this year), we were very disappointed overall.

I suspect that it's been trading on past glories for a while, but word just hasn't got around as to how things may have changed.
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Paul
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, December 15, 2009