Wodka

Service was terrible. Food OK. But couldn't recommend it
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Friday, March 14, 2008

Went to Wodka on Valentine's Day, having enjoyed previous meals at sister-restaurant Baltic in Southwark. Dining on Valentine's Day is always a worry - often marred by tacky attempts to up romance levels, over-priced set menus and over-crowded venues (leading to poor service.)

Happily, the lovely people at Wodka managed to play host to a great Valentine's for me and my partner. A reasonably priced (for Feb 14th, anyhow) menu included an excellent cocktail to start, a fantastic choice of starters, and an all-round great dining experience.

The restaurant was perfectly decked out for a romantic occasion, with dimmed lighting, subtle music, and unintrusive but attentive service. The last point particularly worthy of mention - waitresses didn't rush us despite late time slot, and one even replaced a cocktail which I knocked over without any bother whatsoever.

Food was all spot on - not huge portions, but adequate over 3 courses. Chose a nice quirky white for under 20 quid, perfect, and the introductory cocktails were so great we had to stick around for more after our deserts.

All in all - very highly recommended for a cosy, friendly restaurant with flawless service and excellent food.
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M
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, February 18, 2008

The restaurant is excellent, if you like Eastern European food.

If you do not know it, you probably wound not like it. I think the whole thing could be summed up by my English and American colleagues who made faces of eternal suffering the first (and probably last) time they tried red caviar. You either like it or you don't and if you like it, you probably learned to appreciate it during the tender years when you did not know that caviar is "fish eggs".

The quality of food was superb compared to other Polish and Russian restaurants I visited in London; service was attentive and pleasant.
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Alexei
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Okay where do we start? ...

We arrived and were welcomed by a really pleasant waitress. I booked for 8pm but was not asked if I'd done that, yet the data suggests 'always book' I mentioned I had booked and by pure intrigue the waitress finally asked me my name. My immediate thoughts were 'Hmm, you HAVE to book gives one the impression of being seriously busy', - but that can backfire on you (as appears to do here)! I was told that the restaurant was Baltic/Eastern European rather that primarily Polish.

Nicely seated at a table by the window we are presented with the menu and wine list.I asked where the 'set menu' was as I'd viewed it and printed it but am told it ends at 19:30! I think 'Here we go again, this is not quite how it seems', and decide swiftly we are onto a place that gives the impression of being ultra busy and trendy followed by menus they don't actually run from.

I was not disheartened though as I wanted to try Vodkas and went for the suggested Strawberry one. Okay, I'd try them all but we were there for a meal! Wine was a let down as a £24.50 bottle that was described by my partner as, 'Table wine we drink in Italy' so we went for a more obscure one and a good choice I might add costing £17.00.

The starter (and the only item it seems made in house) was okay, nothing special followed by the main course. Erm, shall we say I can obtain this in a supermarket which should not really be a valid comment I should be making here. We both ended with 'White cheesecake' (which I looked forward to) but was not as expected. Bill (including the surprisingly 'optional' 12.5% service 'included') was just under £90.00! I'd conclude that my late Polish farther would have thought we were on a slimming course.

Presentation was okay with much of it appearing to be pre-plated. Certainly overpriced and overrated - Kensington does not mean charge the earth for very little! The pub across the road would have been a better choice to have stayed at.

Michael
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TwoForFood - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Monday, October 15, 2007

Judging from the previous reviews, the Wodka management must have implemented a somewhat sweeping change in its culinary positioning, away from generously sized portions of robust / rustique / traditional homemade style food to some sort of Nouvelle Cuisine derivative (i.e. big plates framing slim-line portions). I don't have Polish blood running through my veins, but I do love Polish food and I have sampled it more than once in its environ d'origine. I have to say that I was somewhat underwhelmed by the four small pieces of eel (grossing around 20 grams - sorry for being pedantic) that formed the backbone of the warm eel et al. salad. Needless to say, small individual course portions can be fine - especially in commercial terms in the posh'n'slim-line Kensington area, but they should convince through taste and texture - and that's exactly what the potato-heavy "eel salad" did not achieve (abstracting form the fact that I had looked forward to nice portions, which had been promised to me by the waiter). The same was true for the ox tail stew that I had chosen as mains - basically a chewy beef stew, not much of an oxtail flavour there, I am afraid to say. The other dishes didn't convince either. We were a group of four and sampled pierogi, various salards, rabbit (tasted more like chicken than game) and chicken kiev. The quality was ok, but didn't warrant the price tag and definitely weren't sized generously in Polish tradition (again, as promised by the waiter). It didn't help that the in my view slightly unattentive waiter kept bringing single shots on a double shot or alternatively one-and-a-half shots in a whisky glass on a double shot order.

I do realize that an assessment as negative as this does arouse suspicion amongst the positive ones that have been posted previously, but please bare in mind that the friends-and-family review posting game is not exactly unheard of in forums like this. I had been looking forward to the dinner in Wodka a lot and went there with my Polish girl-friend and two friends. The dining room was nice and the waiters friendly, but service, food and presentation weren't up to scratch, with the bill topping 200 Pounds for four persons. Please see for yourself and let us know what you think. Expect to pay 50 Pounds per person for a three course meal with a couple of vodkas.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Saturday, August 25, 2007

Saturday evening, not over-full (surprised by that), excellent vodkas, surprisingly light and delicious starters (one always assumes a certain stodginess about Polish cooking), good meatballs and pork as main courses, ok wine, and good atmosphere. Altogether an enjoyable evening. Beware the quick service though: no time to enjoy a break between courses: let the attentive waitress know in advance! Will return in a few months' time, by which time hopefully the service will have slowed down a bit!. The only reason why the service rating that I have given is low is because it was too "good" (in the sense of too quick): so good that it was in reality not so good.
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GvKl
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, May 07, 2007

I had lunch here last Friday with two colleagues from work, and I was very pleasantly surprised!

Like the last reviewer, I have got some Polish blood flowing through my veins, so when I took the first forks of food I was delighted to find that this tasted at least as good as that what my grandmother had been able to come up with in her own kitchen.

I had well-prepared grilled goats cheese with cranberries and walnuts as a starter (and a bit of salad), two succulent roasted duck legs with red cabbage for the main course and nalesniki (sweet pancakes with raisins and a creamy sauce, which was gorgeous!) for pudding.

The ambiance is rather sparse, but nice, very similar to what it would look in Poland - no fuss, but welcoming and big windows, very ilght and airy.

The bill came to £75 for the three of us, which is excellent value for money due to both the quality of the food and the attentiveness and friendliness of the service. It included: three 3-course set-lunches (you can choose from more than TEN starters and mains!!), three wodkas, one beer and two juices.

I will surely come back... :)
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Wilhelm Link
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, April 30, 2007

I'm Polish, so I am quite particular when it comes to Polish restaurant food and whether it even compares to Mum's cooking. I ordered the "zurek" soup and a small portion of "pierogi". The soup was rather tasty, but the 4 pierogi on my plate (yes, only 4!) tasted just like the frozen kind I can buy at the off-license. My meager portion of food cost a whopping £14, and I left the restaurant hungry.

Other than that, the staff was polite, and the ambiance was very pleasant....but certainly not at a small price!
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 2
Thursday, March 01, 2007

Me and my best friend went to the Wódka last evening, everything was perfect, absolutely nice service, girls were charming, decor and candles on the tables make light really soft and relaxing, good menu and wine list, long list of polish spirits, liqueurs and beers. Restaurant is perfect for every occasion. Food is nicely presented on the plate and tasty. I'm Polish and I must say this place is very good and highly recommended. We just missed polish food and it was perfect choice. For those who would like to try polish kitchen: you can not find better place for your food experience!

Joanna & Magdalena
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Joanna
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, February 28, 2007

We went to this restaruant last year in London and intend to come back this year over the Chirstmas holidays. It was a wonderful experience and the staff was exceedingly lovely. I hope Stand is still around and I hope to get a picture with him this time.
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Janeen
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, November 10, 2006