Mon Plaisir

Some of the reviews on here seem on the mean side. I've been here twice in the last year and the food, ambience and service have been great - it's a charming, friendly, professionally-run restaurant with a genuinely French atmosphere.

It's the kind of place you go a few months and then want to head back to. Definitely worth a try.
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ade
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, July 06, 2006

i hve been to Mon Plaisur a no of times, My honest feeling is that it is getting worse ann worse. During my last visit which was last Satuday, the service was awful- slow, and v unprofessional.

In terms of the atmosphere, i hve to say that only certain parts of the restaurants, ie, the front 2 blocks are pleasants, but the rest are rather disappointing.

the food was probably the only thing that was still Okay about this restaurant.

My main suggestion to the restaurant is that i think they ought to train their waitors a lot better than this, well, for the price of food and service i'ts charging the customers.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Monday, June 05, 2006

My husband and I had a 3 course dinner tonight (5/5/06) on the strong recommendation of a London friend. We found the food excellent, the service prompt and pleasant, and the wine prices reasonable. We highly recommend Mon Plaisir.
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e barrett-connor
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, May 05, 2006

I visited this restaurant last night and in retrospect and surprised by the negative comments that others have made. A superb soupe a l'oignon, complete with masses of melting gruyere over toasted bread. This followed by lamb cutlets - with plenty of tenderly cooked meat. Others had the rabbit rilette as starters and partridge and coq au vin for mains.

I think most restaurants in Covent Garden are problematic for a pre-theatre crowd, but by 7.30pm this was all over. A lovely restaurant to which I am certain to return. I'm not saying it was cheap, and I wasn't paying, but those disdainful reviews seem a bit off the mark to me. My friends and I had a great meal.
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Paul
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, January 26, 2006

What a shame that so many readers seem to have had a less-than-delightful experience at Mon Plaisir of late. My most recent visit, a treat for my mother, was absolutely flawless - impeccable service, a warm welcome, terrific food (my foie gras and mum's escargots were both top-notch starters) and good value if far from cheap. I have eaten here, oh, must be at least five or six times and have never experienced any of the problems described by other readers. Saying that, there does seem to be a trend for terrible service pre-theatre and I would personally be saddened to think that one of my favourite restaurants could be ruining their reputation by acting so disdainfully towards the paying public. I do hope readers will give Mon Plaisir a chance to show them that when they do things well, they do them very well indeed...
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Hugh Wright - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, January 25, 2006

I have tried this place twice (Against my better judgement!) I am sorry to say that this is one of the most dissapointing French restaurants I have ever been to. The theatre menu is grudging and meagre. And the staff are incredibly rude. Please go somewhere that serves real french food and don't waste time in this place.
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Marion Bouchard
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, January 05, 2006

On the face of it the pre-theatre menu at this outwardly charming French restaurant Mon Plaisir on Monmouth Street looks like a steal at around £14. The front of the place is warm and inviting with it's old fashioned Parisian charm and the menu looks both delicious and French. Jusqu’ici, tout va bien. However on reflection, the military style grilling you receive at the door, apparently designed to root out non-theatre goers, is an early sign of the diminishing plaisir to come.

All the staff here speak French and there seems to be about 7 or 8 or them in a very small restaurant. I mentally question the number of waiting staff but soon it becomes apparent why...safety in numbers....

Once seated we find ourselves about 15cm from the next table where the proprietor is loudly enjoying his supper over a newspaper, half of which is looming ominously over our table. About an elbow away from us he regaling his staff on the contents of the Evening Standard and barking commands to a bemused waitresses "Get me a fork!! No, no not that kind of fork! Are you mad? This is Terrine!"

Again, its still early days so we put up with it and look at the set menu. We order from it, to a frosty reception, and in no time my terrine and my partners soup have arrived. The terrine is ok and the soup is good. The staff would really rather you did not order from the pre-theatre menu at all.

We take in our surroundings a little more...As they loudly conduct meetings with the boss, discuss wine orders, the quality of the champagne, customers ignorance about wine, the audacity of one customer to ask to sit at a table on the other side of the restaurant... etc it becomes apparent that the staff at Mon Plaisir don't realise, or don't care, that other people speak French. I'm really wishing I didn't at this point so that I wouldn't have to hear the annoying boss going on and on.

The mail course arrives very soon after the starter plates have been cleared. It's quite good but the atmosphere is taut with the kind of tension that can only be created by half a dozen people or so sycophantically humouring a bully who pays their wages. Although reasonably well cooked I find my fish rather hard to swallow. It's also clear that they are intent on rushing us through the meal as quickly as possible, although it is only 7pm and the sign outside says you need to vacate your table by 8. "We need to get that table cleared!" Barks the head waitress in French as I take my second bite.

When desert comes it is not the dessert we have asked for. It seems to be a plate of residue from Ghostbusters after the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man exploded. I inquire, in French to freak them out and am told that it is in fact an "Ile Flotant" a custard "lake" with poached meringues on top. Pretty much Ghostbusters then .... We send it back and are unapologetically presented with the right dessert. The waitress points at me, talking to the bosses wife.

Finally the coffee is good. But the head waitress is giving us Viki Pollard "evils". It seems a pity that a meal that would have been otherwise good value has been spoiled by rude staff, an even ruder boss and a theatre menu that shouldn't exist at all unless it is going to be served at a reasonable pace and with good grace. Also I'm not even remotely prepared to accept the excuse that this is the French mode of service. I can't imagine the French thinking much of it either! I would suggest that if you want French food take yourself elsewhere.

Mon Plaisir. Mon Oeil.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, November 23, 2005

My dear friend and I have been coming to Mon Plaisir for dinner, twice a year, for the past twenty-five years. It has never failed us. In fact we rely on it for its unchanging ambience, utterly Parisian ways, splendidly reliable good grub, and general inducement of wellbeing. Long may it continue. PS The escargot dishes alter de temps en temps, but are always gorgeous.
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J.C. Church
Tuesday, November 08, 2005

A friend and I had lunch at Mon Plaisir a few months ago, and had a very pleasant experience. The chateaubriand in particular was wonderfully tender and tasty. The wine list is well-chosen and sensibly priced. The service was attentive without being intrusive. The ambience is, well, very French. I was looking forward to a return engagement.

Sadly I have just tried to book a weekday lunch for a party of 12, to be told that they could only offer a set menu, rather than a la carte. For equivalent restaurants in Paris and elsewhere in France, and many others in London (We are a regular dining club), going a la carte has been no problem whatsoever. Perhaps not so very French after all. Dommage.
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Martin Saville
Monday, October 31, 2005