The Ivy

Visited The Ivy as part of a birthday/new year celebration.

Generally the staff were attentive. However the experience did not live up to our expectations on any level. Our table was positioned directly outside of the kitchen. A kitchen staff member continually passed our table with a large black plastic bin. Then a member of staff left a trolley which can only be described as a steel hospital trolley directly in front of our table which remained there for the duration of the meal. We did mention this to a member of staff but the trolley was not removed.

The meal itself was nothing to excite, was bland and mine was cold. The young lady taking the food order seemed to keep her notepad down the back of her trousers, which was not becoming when one was trying to eat. The Ivy is a busy venue but I think it is only popular by long past reputation.

Each table had a single small rose in a small vase. Each rose whether at reception or on the dining tables had wilted.

If ever the management would like to experience 'how it should be done' could I suggest they travel to Rutland where numerous first class eating establishments can be found.

Expensive and disappointing - we will not be visiting The Ivy again.
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1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 02, 2012

A truly disappointing night at The Ivy.

This is very much a place riding on its reputation. The service was pleasant enough, but it was all very rushed and even though we had been allocated two hours for the table, we had finished our two, very ordinary courses in 40 minutes.

The waitress returned far too frequently to refill our wine glasses. I had the duck as a main course which was dry. Other dishes were uninspiring. The tables are packed in and so are the punters, by the end it was getting quite noisy.

There are many better places than this for dinner in London, but looking at the crowds here tonight, I suspect The Ivy will continue to pull them in whatever is on offer.
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paul, london
6 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Having dined fairly regularly at the Ivy for about twenty years, I would heartily recommend the place to everyone, the fabulous food - even their brown bread is wonderous, easily amongst the best bread I have ever tasted! Price wise, quite reasonable given the standard of food and in a gorgeous room with wood panelled walls and murals, stained glass leaded light windows and a convivial buzz about the place. Some people would ask if the waitstaff were snooty, au contraire, I would say, we always had great service, indeed some of the waiters were marvelously entertaining making for a most jolly time all round. So imagine my abject surprise and disappointment the last time I visited taking some friends who had never been before, to be told after we had paid the bill (we had moved into the bar area by this time as our table was required) when we decided to order some more champagne, to be told no, we couldn't order any more drinks and it was time for us to leave! At first I really thought the waiter was joking, being a real card with us. As we weren't drunk or being loud, we asked why (no one else was in the bar apart from a rather startled barman at this cringe making exchange) the reply was, well, you have been here rather a long time! To say we were astonished was putting it mildly!

Oh well, never mind Ivy Holdings, I will never lower the tone of your establishments again, will they care? Absolutely not! Shame, as I really rather liked the place.
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KikLondon
7 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

With such a range of good and bad reviews, I was curious to see whether the Ivy would live up to expectations - and it pretty much did. It's entirely possible it may have once had more charm - many have said that it's had its day - but then if you're there for the first time it's not as if you have any frame of reference.

As soon as you're inside you can see what all the fuss is about; the decor is elegant, the front of house staff are charming and the atmosphere in the main dining room is great. We were quickly offered menus and given enough time to decide what to order, and food came out in good time - not super quick but then most people are there to enjoy being there rather than to rush in and out. The menu itself is extensive but largely traditional comfort food. This isn't the place for interesting fusion food, rather more familiar fare done to a high standard.

Food was overall very good, despite a slightly bland chicory, apple and fennel salad and a slightly over-pestoed (but tasty) ravioli. The squash risotto went down well, as did the sweets of pear tart with salted caramel ice cream and sticky toffee pudding. Coffee after this was also decent, as was the service throughout.

Just for balance, there were a few minor criticisms. Plates were not provided for the bread as standard, and being pretty busy meant that it was difficult at times to hear the waiters. Aside from this though it was difficult to fault. The bill came to just over £120 for two, with three courses, a bottle of wine, coffee and service, which we thought was entirely reasonable. The set menu at the moment is around £22 and £26 for 2 and 3 courses respectively, which is pretty fair too. Overall, we loved the experience and agreed to visit again in the future.
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8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 07, 2011

I went to The Ivy on Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago with a group of friends. This was my first visit and was very disappointed. I found the portions small and the dessert I ordered, Baked Alaska, tasted like something they had taken out of the freezer rather than freshly prepared. One person in our group was celebrating a birthday and I asked if they could put a candle on her dessert. The waiter looked horrified replying 'We don’t do that here Madam’. Then I asked if we could sing Happy Birthday and he said we couldn't. Outrageous. Who do they think they are?!! For the amount of money we spent, £650.00 I would have expected better. Very disappointed and won't be going back there again.
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4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Monday, October 24, 2011

Having eaten at some of the finest restaurants in the world, I have been curious about The Ivy for some time, so on a recent visit to the UK coinciding with my birthday I decided to give it a whirl. Booking early is to be advised, I booked two weeks ahead of my visit and got the last table for that days lunchtime service.

First impressions: This is a beautiful dining room! Wooden panelling and stained glass within a subtle Art Deco aesthetic, filled with professional and friendly waiting staff. My party were quickly seated and drinks orders were taken and delivered.

The Menu: The board of fare in this this establishment reads like that of a high end Gastropub. Not a place for serious gourmands, but still a pleasant place to eat. We chose Crispy Duck Salad, Squid Salad and Seared Foie Gras for starters and Lamb, Veal and Pork Belly for Mains, with a selection of vegetable side dishes, and this is where the whole experience started to become inconsistent. The starters were excellent! My Foie Gras was perfectly cooked - slightly brown around the edges and translucent in the middle. Sublime! My main course, on the other hand was disappointing; the Pork Belly was dry and did not have much flavour. My companions expressed similar sentiments, and felt that the main courses lacked the imagination and flair of the starters. Desserts of Knickerbocker Glory, Bolivian Chocolate Mousse and Popcorn Macaroon continued the Gastropub sensibility, and also added to the inconsistency by overshadowing the main courses.

The Service: Courteous, efficient, friendly and helpful.

To sum up, dining at The Ivy is all about the experience of being there. It is a beautiful dining room serviced by very professional staff. The food is adequate, but is unlikely to impress a serious gourmand. All in all, my friends and I found the experience enjoyable enough not to begrudge the £322.00 bill (then again, we followed lunch by blowing £772.00 on Champagne and Cocktails at Claridge's) but this was based on the ambience and service rather than the food.
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Quinapalus - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, August 22, 2011

This was our first visit to the Ivy as a treat from my daughters 21st birthday. we were both greatly looking forward to it. We were not disappointment. we were given a table overlooking the entire restaurant. Staff members went about their duties with precision and professionalism. The food was beautiful and very well executed.

I would highly recommend going.
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beth - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Saturday, August 13, 2011

Similarly puzzled by the bad reviews, have eaten here many times, the food is consistently good, wine list strong, and the menu does introduce and exit certain items depending on the season, eg chef had a light hand with partridge last autimn.

Regularly reliable is the Bannockburn Ribsteak, medium rare, slowcooked pork and cabbage type options, The Ivy hamburger. Whole lemon sole looked nice, halibut has been in the past.

The service could sometimes be a little friendlier at the entrance but is like that because its bookings only and they dont want nuisances bothering the occasional theatrical or arty diners. I have found the service standards to be particularly high at this establishment and would recommend it, unless you are on a tight budget, or only there to see famous people. Caprice and Daphnes also recommended if this place is full. The one failing is that there is not a functional air conditioning system at The Ivy.
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Bill S
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, August 04, 2011

Can't understand the bad reviews! Some people seem to expect the waiting staff to perform magic tricks, have perma-smiles and pretend you are the only people there! I ate here for the first time with my girlfriend and can only be very positive. Food was excellent, service impeccable and very friendly, and the atmosphere was top. A great buzz which you can't always find on a Tuesday night. Also the wine list is long and caters for all. Definitely highly recommended!
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Nick
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Great wine, nice food, AWFUL service!
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tracyk - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Monday, August 01, 2011