The Ivy

Been loads of times - always been pretty good....however last night had a pre theatre sitting where we found the service shoddy the staff snotty and some of the food WAY below average - especially for a place that prides itself on simple seasonal food supposedly cooked to perfection.

Disappointing.
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Goodwoogie
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Thursday, April 10, 2008

I have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed many fine times at this popular eatery! I have had superb visits and others that were simply bistro average but with exceptional ambiance & atmosphere every time. All have been very enjoyable with good or better service and good food at realistic prices for such a desirable venue. The wine selection is wonderful with affordable prices. I have only felt a need to comment online because I have just read a few of the previous comments from what seem to be disappointed tourists or celeb spotters. This fine restaurant does not promote itself as a “tourist attraction” in its own right, sure the rich & famous do regularly eat here but that is because they like it! Sure, the celebs might get “better” attention, but that is because this is the real world and that happens! If you wish to eat in a great place with exciting atmosphere at realistic prices then this could be the restaurant for you! If however you are expecting to become a celeb’ or “A” list member simply by a visit .. Do not waste your time. This is a fine restaurant with good service and good reasonably priced food (better than average wines at very affordable prices). BOOK a table and go with an open mind and you will have a great time. If you seek entertainment, go to tussauds if you seek celebs’ go see a play! Good food & wine in central London – here is the place!

(I am going again on 14th April for “lunch” so will also let you know how mid-week lunch is soon after, but expect it to be equally as good – watch this space)
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christopher
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Thursday, April 03, 2008

Myself and my boyfriend had dinner at The Ivy on Thursday evening, 27th March. Overall, we loved the food, service and atmosphere of the restaurant although my main course of rump steak was slightly overcooked for medium. I did not complain however, as we were enjoying the excellent service and lovely wine too much! Our waiter, Mac, could not have been more helpful. In fact, we found every member of staff we talked to friendly, helpful and efficient. There were a few couples who were obviously celeb spotting as they stared openly at everyone in the restaurant, ourselves included!

Most of the food was delicious, in particular, my starter of chicken livers on toast - yummy!

We are going to London again during April and will definitely return.
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Karen - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, March 31, 2008

Had a very pleasant weekend lunch at The Ivy. It's simple food done well in a place with good atmosphere supported with excellent service.

I think because it's relatively hard to get into because of its profile, expectations are too high for an amazing meal, when it's meant to be a good buzzy 'neighbourhood' eatery.

if you want an amazing meal, go somewhere that 'worships' food. if you fancy a good brasserie type meal, The Ivy is hard to beat.
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Fergal
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Monday, March 31, 2008

It would be easy to consider this review as "venting your spleen" given the low marks we awarded the Ivy. However, when you go to what is a highly renowned eatery ( where we have eaten before and found it excellent), there are standards to maintain. We hope that anyone who reads this review does so in the knowledge that we have considered our comments carefully.

We booked for Easter Sunday lunch and were there for the Midday setting. After being shown to our table we ordered a drink. So far so good...but then matters took a turn for the seriously disappointing. On being presented with the wine list and making our choice, we then had to explain which wine we wanted as the waiter seemed to have no idea what an Amerone was. We finally resorted to pointing at the menu. The wine arrived quickly and we were expected to "taste" the wine before the ice in our gin and tonics had time to cool the glass; again further explanation was needed to the surly waiter.

We both ordered from the set Sunday lunch menu. Bad, bad mistake! The first course was bland. The main course was cold. The vegetables (served separately) were also cold. We were not asked at any point in time if we were happy with the service or the food.

Having looked around in vain to attract a waiter's attention (when we did so neither of us had touched our food for 10 minutes) they had to take our word for it that it was served cold. No apologies were given. The plates were whisked away. The second plates of roast beef and the vegetables were mildly warm, but by no means hot. The plates were cold. The vegetables were forgettable, the yorkshire pudding was greasy as well as cold, and the roast potatoes were awful. It all sat in a greasy, thin pool of what they presumably thought was gravy.

The food left on our plates was testament to the poor quality, but on collecting the said plates the waiter made no comment and asked no questions.

Finally, we had cheese and fruit bread (on the basis they didn't make the cheese). In addition to the fruit bread there was stale French bread. We didn't stay for coffee. The second sitting was arriving.

We did think of complaining further. However the total lack of consideration shown to us left us with a feeling of utter futility so that we were under no illusion that our complaint would fall on deaf management ears.

On leaving the Ivy not one member of staff said thank you or goodbye - not even the coat attendant.

The best thing about this experience was the beautiful wine. What a shame. When we last went to the Ivy some years ago it was superb. The cost is not the issue here...it is about the standards the Ivy is (or rather was) famous for.... You never know, perhaps one of the management team of the Ivy may read this review and understand that reputations once earned, need to be maintained...you can only trade on past plaudits for so long.
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Nigel Walker-Jennings
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, March 24, 2008

We arrived for Sunday lunch at 12.30 and our order did not arrive until 1.40. We had 2 starving children with us and we had to ask twice for our food.

When it did arrive everything was stone cold. My husband and I had ordered the roast beef and mine was mostly fat and not edible.

Nobody came to ask us if we had enjoyed our meal.

We also felt very uncomfortable there as we had a 2 year old with us who was definitely not welcome. He is not a badly behaved child but was playing with an empty wine bucket and just playing with the ice inside. We were given very dirty looks by two waiters and one told us to stop. (although he did bring a small bucket of ice for him to play with instead).

For the kind of restaurant they are running and the prices they are charging this experience was not acceptable.
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Joelle
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Monday, March 24, 2008

We visited the Ivy on Saturday 15th March as part of my 60th birthday celebrations. I had heard so much about this restaurant and how so many famous people listed it as a favourite, I was really looking forward to a wonderful meal and a really good experience. Nothing about it was as I expected. It is noisy, crowded, frantic and the food is nothing to write home about. I cannot understand why it is so difficult to get a table here, I certainly will not be returning as I am used to quality food a good ambiance and properly trained staff in the restaurants I frequent, the Ivy does not provide any of these things.
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Pauline Robson
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, March 19, 2008

We visited The Ivy for the first time for lunch on the 12th March and had an excellent meal. We found the staff very polite and helpful and we had a very leisurely lunch. The food was well cooked and well presented. We enjoyed the experience and would recommend The Ivy to our friends.
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Roger & Jenny Smith
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, March 13, 2008

Just returned from dining at the Ivy and was greatly disappointed. After weeks of anticipation and hype from friends could not wait to find out for myself. Everything seemed very rushed, being steak lovers we both opted for the steak cooked medium rare. It arrived at the table and i have to say it looked delicious, however after only four attempts of cutting and trying chew it, myself and partner looked at the food that had been thrown from our plates to the table and decided to give up. We both ordered a desert of which we agreed was ok. As our table was cleared and bill was given to us we decided to finish our drinks at the bar....... It was at this point I was told, that the drinks I purchased at this bar, I could not now drink at this bar, as this was for people waiting to be seated not for people who had already eaten. (Even though the bar area was in fact EMPTY) After 5 minutes of having this conversation going round in circles, it was just far less hassle, to just leave what was left of our drinks and go!
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Phil Robinson
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

‘…like being promised a dark date with Kate Moss in a tight sleeping bag and waking up underneath Stirling Moss…’

[A.A. Gill]

‘When the adrenaline of hype disperses, the hangover of reality begins...' This could be The Ivy’s motto. Or ‘an irritating experience: poisoned, rather than ivy-league’. Even better, to get the idea, apply A.A. Gill’s unrelated but apposite quote...

The 1920’s façade of this famous gastronomically gentrified café, just around the corner from Equity's offices, is currently scaffold-shrouded. A film of green gauze bound around diffuses a dirty light within, more stagnant water than dazzling emerald.

One hour and thirty minutes is all you get, the reservation confirmed by a ‘you should be grateful’ sounding message two days earlier. It must be like running air traffic control between the varnished veneer, directing luminaries to the part leather, part rubber banquettes and bussing out the slag when the meter expires. To add insult, your momentary presence within the Harry’s Bar décor is reinforced by ironically indulgent waiter spoken niceties like “take your time.” But time doesn’t wait

Once installed at a peculiarly low table, it became clear that there were no side plates for the bread, leaving you crumby. Glorious, delicate raspberry scented ‘04 Hush Heath Rosé perked the spirits, however, even if this feintly tinted traditional method Kent fizz was served in silly flutes that splashed back in our faces.

My posh Pole companion enjoyed excavating her starter of creamily Truffled Potato and Watercress Salad with bursting poached egg balloon. Critically, this is tame cooking, but nonetheless reassuringly edible. My craving for blood was fulfilled by Steak Tartare, although the plated patty looked like it had been driven over. By more than one vehicle.

To follow, a ghastly link was forged. A diner opposite embarked on an operatic sneeze as a well-fingered plate simultaneously landed on the breaded linen. This featured a deeply unappetising specimen: allegedly cod fishcake in parsley sauce. This unbalanced smoked catastrophe looked like a corpulent jellyfish's head doused in a slough of clogged painted flour. Gharish. I doubt they list this damp horror in the prominently displayed Ivy cookbook. My Eggs Benedict was predictably uninspiring, but good, although the appurtenant ‘squalls’ (ragged hash potato balls which looked like origami of moths wings) leached rancid oil.

Two glasses of robust, mineral but anonymous ‘03 Graves red from Château des Gravières, Portets (no time for a whole bottle) just about rinsed away these tough ensembles, although the distasteful memory lingers. Puddings were just too dull to mention. And there wasn’t time for coffee (in this former café). The price of indigestion? (including a glimpse of thespian Simon Callow - but so what, I prefer artistic merit on my plate): £110 (including £4 cover charge and 12.5p/c mandatory service).

Exactly 90minutes after entering, a thought occured on the damp, but thankfully non-Hedera hued street: considering celebrities ‘cling together like the ivy’, maybe the public provide them more curiosity here then the other way round...

Incidentally, the downstairs loo features a number of snide caricatures, one of which depicts a diner foisted displeasing food. The caption reads 'you'll have it boiled and like it.' How apt.
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Douglas
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, March 11, 2008