Mon Plaisir

my husband took me last night to mon plaisir. we've been several times and have never been disappointed. It's the sort of food I have fantasied about when reading Elisabeth David's books since I was a child, but never found before.Just wonderful.

So last night we had dinner at Mon Plaisir.I started with ravioles de royans au jus de moules et au safran, which I was told was a cheese ravioli.I was expecting a portion of 2 or 3 big ravioli on a plate with a polite portion of sauce. I should have remembered that Mon Plaisir don't do things like that. I was served a hefty portion of delicious, tiny cheese ravioli, bathed in light, slighty saffron cream studded with fat mussels. Too delicious not to eat all of it, but way too much for someone who hopes to nail 3 courses. I had to borrow my husband's soup spoon to grab the last bit of sauce

After that I didn't really need to eat anything else,but greed got me trought a fair amount of the cote de boeuf. Such a lovely piece of meat !!! The bearnaise sauce was lacking a bit of punch -not enough shallot not enough tarragon , but still wonderful accompaniment to the meat. Fortunately we'd just ordered some green beans to go along with it. I couldn't have faced anything starchy.

With the bast will in the world I couldn't have eaten pudding. I enjoyed watching the pretentious theatrefolk at the next table being upsold their puddings- the perky young waiter sold a bottle of pudding wine and 4 desserts even though they'd initially said they'd have 2 dessert and a glass of sticky . But I am made of sterner stuff and couldn't be moved . So I had a glass of mirabelle and called it a night
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vania schimitz
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, June 26, 2008

Mon Dieu ! What happenend to the Monplaisir? For years this address was for me a safe haven of stable quality and is now probably the biggest deception of the Covent Garden Restaurant scene.

We were there Friday 2nd May invited by friends, who wanted to give us a special attention. The table was booked and confirmed.

As a starter we had the asparagus with poached egg. The asparagus were crunchy raw and simply unedible. After our complaint, the waiter came back and told us to order another starter as his lady-manager said the asparagus will all come alike.

We were seved by a young trainee, who fulfilled the task with a lot of optimism but zero professional background.

As a second I had the Dover-Sole, which came cold on a cold plate. The interior of the fish was glassy and uncooked. I didn't complain as I knew the answer already. (What about the book "How to treat customers complaints ?).

When we were leaving, the manager was so busy, she couldn't even look in our eyes.

A place to avoid until they come back to their traditional quality control.
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Peter R. Geiser
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Thursday, May 08, 2008

Recently attended a business lunch at Mon Plaisir and have to say it was a good experience. My escargot where very tasty, served in a hot and fiesty garlic butter. What I did enjoy was the fact they were not served in their shells so none of that fiddling about with tweezers and clamps that look like medieval surgical instruments.

My main course of halibut was perfect. The fish was properly cooked through but retained a soft and moist consistency.

We drank the house red and white wines and I have to say both were good with the red probably getting my vote.

Have a read a few of the reviews on this site about surly service and this was not my experience. I do tend think that in many cases customers get the service they deserve. In this case our table was made up of a bunch of friendly people that have dined at scores of London and international restaurants during the course of our work. The staff responded in an equally friendly way to us and were very communicative. Good restaurant
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Paul Whynot
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, October 04, 2007

My partner and I visited Mon Plaisir tonight. We had a wonderful meal - I had duck which was just delicious! and my partner had the cod which he loved. We shared a portion of potatoes which was a perfect amount for both of us - plus they were very tasty. Service was good - we were going to a show after dinner and they totally appreciated that and helped get us our dinner in time - but also at the same time make us feel very welcome. The atmosphere was perfect - we wanted a romantic feel and it certainly had that. We would highly recommend Mon Plaisir and thank them for a wonderful dinner.
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Eva Russell
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, September 23, 2007

I have visited Mon Plaisir often over the last 20 years and have never been disappointed, so I was surprised by some of the negative reviews here. However, albeit with some trepidation, I returned again this week with important clients.

I needn't have worried: the food was as good as ever and the atmosphere still sinitmate and traditional.

The evening was a great success in every way. My only criticisms are that sometimes some of the staff can be a little off-hand (but isn't that so very French?) and if you're eating a la carte and enjoying good wine, it's fairly pricey.

I shall be back again very soon.
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Barty
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Sunday, January 28, 2007

Our experience was disappointing. The service was poor all night, although it didn’t help that our table of 6 was in a mezzanine room at the back. Our waiter was completely inept and the other waitresses were not much better. It started badly, with a 20-minute wait for a gin and tonic. The red wine was cold. The French onion soup was average, at best, although the seafood salad was much better. We were unhappy with two entrecote steaks: the ‘medium-rare’ was tepid and the ‘medium’ was raw and stone cold! Having sent them back, the steaks were reheated and served up again. One was just about ok, but the other was now dry and tough and was sent back again. But it took a complaint to the manager and an angry outburst from the owner before a fresh, delicious steak was finally served. The poor service continued through the evening and although we were offered a complimentary bottle of champagne it was still surprising to be charged for the steak that took them three attempts to get right. Sadly, despite some very good dishes, our family birthday dinner was spoiled and we won’t be rushing back or recommending it to others.
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Aidan - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Sunday, January 14, 2007

very friendly staff, very good food-the tender lamb I had in 2 and a half year in London and the best gateau au chocolat mi-cuit over the same period...I really recommand this one!
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Serge
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Friday, January 12, 2007

I went here for dinner last Wednesday 29th Npvember. They didn't have my first choice starter, nor my second or third so I gave up and went for mains - and guess what; they didn't have my first choice mains. They did have Lamb, which arrived and was something between warm and tepid but by now I had lost the will to eat. Finally they disappeared with my credit card for 10 minutes when I asked for the bill. I have been going there for years and this visit was an exception - I'll give them another go but might just call it a last chance.
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Jason
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Saturday, December 02, 2006

I went to Mon Plaisir last night (Fri 29 Sept 2006) to meet up with old friends. I had been there once before and quite frankly, couldn't remember much about the place.

As with old friends meeting up after a while, we chatted and chatted and the staff were patient with us as we put off ordering other than drinks. When we did order, we did so hurriedly, all of us having the same main course (cod with a coulis of tomatoes, olives, baby broad beans) and some sides of epinards a la creme, haricots verts et pomme allumettes. I speak French, not my friends but all was accomodated with ease by our French waitress.

The starters were outstanding, a salade nicoise, a goat cheese tartelette and my gratinee a l'oignon. The salad was fresh and appetising, the tartelette was topped with a cloud of airy cheesy mousse and my soup was sustaining and hearty with a hefty crown of gruyere. The body of the soup was robust with good beef stock and sweet with lots of caramelised onions.

The main course was equally outstanding with well cooked cod, delicious peeled baby broad beans and bits of black olive providing sparks of flavour. The sides were good, the green beans were well cooked but a little plain, the spinach could have done with a little more nutmeg and a little more cream but we enjoyed it nonetheless and the string fries were crisp, dry of oil and moreish to distraction.

For dessert, the chatting meant that we gave the list a cursory glance and all of us plumped for the chocopassion. When it arrived, it was a hybrid of hot chocolate sponge and chocolate fondant served in a low porcelain dish. It was topped with a passionfruit sorbet and the combination of hot, intense chocolate and cold, sharp sorbet stopped the conversation except for the occasional moan.

The staff were very French in that they seemed ever so uncomfortable to explain or speak more than was necessary to in English but they were never rude or unpleasant. I suspect their lack of confidence in our language was their main challenge.

Go to Mon Plaisir, preferably with good friends, have a long evening of it and eat at leisure. Go hungry and eat slowly and voluptously and honestly, you will have a good time.
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kx - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Saturday, September 30, 2006

I have been there recently. I had a very good experience. True, it is quite expensive (if you don't take the set menu, which I did), but still, everything was flawless.

My opinion reading the previous negative review is that a lot of those complaining are mostly complaining about French cuisine/etiquette rather than the restaurant itself. For instance, the comment about the 'ile flottante' points more to the ignorance of the reviewer thant the quality of the food; same for the comment about the bread. I am French myself and I had been to many French restaurants in Paris and Montreal and can say that Mon Plaisir would stand advantageously in those 2 biggest French-speaking cities.
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Marc
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Thursday, July 13, 2006