Ransome's Dock

A group of 6 of us went to Ransome's Dock on Saturday night. Our experience was, it is fair to say, mixed. On arrival we were shown to our table but told that there were no menus for us to look at - we had to wait 5 minutes for these and a wine list. Not a great start.

The menu was interesting with a good variety of dishes. Starters ordered were Eel with roast beetroot salad and horseradish cream ("Very well done and tasty"), Char-grilled quail with a bulgar wheat, celery, almond & pomegranate salad ("delicious and accompanied the quail well, however the quail was overdone"). Three of ordered the appetising special - Scallops with pea puree - which was well executed though, with only two scallops for £12, extremely overpriced. To accompany these starters we had a bottle of Sauvignon and Muscat which both worked well and were keenly priced - the reasonable mark-ups on wine was a theme of the evening.

The main courses were a success - the duck breast worked well with the apple sauce and red cabbage (though was not cooked very pink as requested), lamb & aubergine casserole was another highlight which avoided being too fatty and the ("fantastic yoghurt sauce and the spinach was the perfect, simple accompaniment"). Steak was "beautifully cooked" and to order.The real high point of the evening were the two bottles of red wine which accompanied the mains - a bottle of NZ Pinot Noir which was delicious and a bottle of the Reserve de Leoville Barton which at £45 was a steal. Both complemented the various dishes and were deemed a success.

Puddings were of mixed quality - one described as ("mango and stuff all ranged on a plate with seemingly little discernable purpose or direction") however the chocolate pot was tasty enough and the Hot prune & Armagnac soufflé executed well (even if it only taught its eater that he doesn't like soufflé!!).

Overall, our experience was generally positive. The service left something to be desired (which throughout the meal was brusque and at some points sarcastic) and the wine was really the star of the show. However for a neighbourhood restaurant the cooking was generally good and the prices (with the exception of the scallops) very reasonable.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, May 19, 2008

I really, really like this restaurant. The food is really good and the wine list is second to none (owner is a true conneisseur of wines). They use great fresh produce and it shows in the food.

I had the smoked eel to start and it was one of the best and freshest fish I have ever had. I had the brill for a main which was good. My wife had the steak which was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The dessert was mindblowing. The waiter told us it was one of the best soufles in London and it did not disappoint.

The only critic I have is that they have to update the interior of this restaurant, ie replace the chairs and tables.

It's a fantastic local restaurant for us Batterseans.
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francois
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, April 02, 2008

I have had the best exprience eating in this restaurant!

The food is absolutely divine! the steak perfectly cooked and seasoned!

the souffle was the best desert i have ever tasted and the many times i have been there prooves that it is one of the best if not the best restaurant in London. i would never believe anything less than perfection said about the place and would recommed any person to go there for a lovely meal and great service!

the owner who can provide an interesting insight into the impressive wine list and the manager Brian Simmons and his staff can ensure your stay is more than comfortable in fact you don't feel like ever leaving!!!

If you want a fantastic meal out GO THERE!
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Anastasia Chaplinskaya
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, March 24, 2008

What a disappointment. Having been recommended this restaurant we decided to go along for lunch on Saturday.

The menu looked varied and the setting was lovely – should have been a nice experience.

However, this is where the positivism stopped. My mother and I both opted for the Sirloin steak with chips – Extremely expensive in comparison to the rest of the menu at £21.50 and a mixed salad. When it arrived and we were both extremely disappointed with the quality. The steak was extremely tough, full of fat and wasn’t too tasty either. The chips appeared as if they were courtesy of Mr. McCain and our salad was swimming in oil, with very attractive pieces of brown avocado.

We were then ignored by waiting staff for well over 10 minutes after we finished, waitresses were too busy cleaning un-occupied tables to notice we were trying to get their attention, Once we did our half eaten food was then removed without question as to if we had enjoyed it or not. The final straw came when we asked if we could both have a Pimms, This was proceeded by asking if we wanted the Pimms with Vodka or Gin – We both just wanted Pimms on its own and as I have it everywhere else and was informed by the waitress that this wouldn’t be possible! We decided to give up at this point and requested the bill. We removed the ‘discretionary’ service charge as we did not receive any. Something I have never done before and I eat out regularly. This was met with some degree of annoyance which I found extraordinary given how badly we had been treated and the fact that we were prepared to pay £43.00 for the half eaten meat (have honestly had better beef in Weatherspoons!)

To sum up; if you enjoy good food, good value and most importantly good service avoid this place at all costs!
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GP
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 1
Monday, June 11, 2007

Ransome's dock has to be the perfect way to spend a sunday afternoon. Great food, great surroundings and a great wine list. Martin Lam and his wife Vanessa really have built a great family run restaurant. I look forward to going every time. If its not on the menu ask if they will do the prune and armagnac souffle. THE BEST PUDDING I have ever tasted.Keep the good work up.
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jamie
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, October 12, 2006

I first went to this restaurant back in the late 90s. Last visit was in 2000. Loved the food. Loved the wine. During one visit, I sat with Martin Lam himself and had a wonderful conversation about wines.

On the first vist, the chicken left a lot to be desired. Called "Cajun", but with spices that were nowhere near New Orleans (more like Bombay). On the next and following trips, however, they had improved their menu vastly.

Very hospitable. Some friends, restaurant owners, in California wanted to see his wine list. Martin was kind enough to copy his list and his menu for me.

I am heartsick to get back there! I know the route from Sloane Square station to Ransome's Dock by heart!
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Bob Siegmann
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, August 09, 2006