Le Cafe du Jardin

We had eaten here befiore and enjoyed the pre-theatre menu for value and service. This time we went later (about 9:30) and so had the a la carte menu. I chose haddock in tempura batter, mushy peas and fat chips. If they served this as tempura at Sushi World (Pitshanger Lane W5) the sushi chef would commit harakiri in shame. It was ordinary batter and the fish was not the freshest. And ordinary peas, a spoonful of very ordinary mushy peas. And THREE chips, undercooked.

So I called the waitress, three times with my hand in the air getting louder each time. I had the whole restaurant's attention except the waitresses who were busy talking to each other. I explained the food was undercooked and sudenly I had staff all over me apologising and taking it away and cooking me a fresh meal - this time the THREE chips were cooked, but the tempura was still batter and the mushy peas were bland.

They didn't charge me for my meal. and my companions enjoyed theirs. I won't go back.
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Ol Rappaport
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Sunday, April 06, 2008

We ate here last night during the opera interval - we will not do so again. They lost our booking, made us wait 25 minutes between starter and main course, charged us for wine we hadn't had and seemed surprised when we deducted the 15% service charge from the bill! OK food but only if you have plenty of time to spare and don't mind a cramped noisy environment.
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Deborah Geater
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 6
Friday, October 05, 2007

I am really surprised by some of the awful reviews on this site! My husband and I dined at Le Café du Jardin last week and had a really enjoyable meal on the whole. The restaurant is situated very conveniently in Covent Garden and is a small, attractive space which offers a good view of the passing world. I can't agree with the comments about feeling cramped, as we ate on a Monday night and the restaurant was not full. However, I can see that space could be an issue if every table were taken.

My crab cake starter was great, although not matched by my swordfish main course, where the flavours were a little misjudged. My vegetarian husband was cheered by the choices he had as part of a meal deal set menu ( the extensive range of dishes is commendable, and we felt it made our trip to be very good value) and really enjoyed his asparagus. There was just one vegetarian main course on offer - a pasta dish - but it was very good. Our puddings were a real highlight - my chocolate torte was fantastic, and my husband really enjoyed his lemon tart.

Although I generally dislike restaurants which include a service charge - and I felt that Le Café du Jardin's service charge of 15% was excessive and off-putting - the service was really good: attentive, but unobtrusive. Overall, we enjoyed our visit and will return.
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dawnage - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, May 15, 2007

I went here with my girlfriend and we both enjoyed our meal. The meat in particular was really well cooked and although it did bug me that the waiter kept pouring the wine I didn't find them too over bearing.

I'd say it was not bad but fairly pricey.
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Tom
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, May 09, 2007

DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT!

The most appalling service you will ever experience and no apology if you do happen to mention the terrible service. The manager was never there when I phoned to complain and never even acknowledged the email I sent.
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Francesca De Franco
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Friday, April 27, 2007

I thought this restaurant was disappointing, although my companions were more positive. We went early before the theatre and the pre theatre menu was probably good value, although unimaginative. I chose from the a la carte and my swordfish steak was flavourless- neither the fish itself or the savoury butter garnish were noteworthy in any way. Additionally there was a delay in serving the accompanying salad. The tables were very close and it was hard for four to eat comfortably around our small table without continually re arranging glasses, bottles of water, and there was no where for menus to be read.
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Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Went here for my birthday, and unfortunately it was my choice to come here.

the guy who reviewed this place before me clearly enjoyed the service - probably because he was spending a fortune and the scummy pretentious waiters saw £ signs-a-flashing.

We'd had a lovely day out at the tower (because i've lived here 21 years and never been) and fancied finishing it with a light meal. So we went for their set menu. The first guy who served us mumbled a bit, we guessed that he something about wine so we got the house which was really sharp and probably came from the local co-op.

The starters were nothing special, and as for the main... well. My girlfriend assures me her Satay Chicken was juicy6 and tasty. So they can have a point for that. But their salmon was just so bland, and served on a bed of soggy lifeless veg. However it was still good value for money.

The saving grace of this evening was the company, although we had to whisper because the waiters were hovering and staring. The service was in fact so crappy that we asked for the service charge to be reduced, which was not greeted by 'why? how can we do better?' but a ' now i have to print another bill!' To which we replied 'Yeah, and what?'

Please, if you want a quick lunch at a reasonable price, this place is probably great, but for dinner? No. Don't bother. Don't justify this kind of useless service and disregard for customers, and general pretentiousness which killed any soul the place may have once had - if it ever had a soul, the staff certainly don't.
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AlexH - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, April 24, 2007

We came here for a pre-theatre dinner, booked throguh toptable, so it was 25 pounds for three courses plus a glass of Pommery champagne. We arrived at 5:30pm, and were sat by the bar which I didn't particularly like, but I didn't complain.

I found the tables very small - we had trouble opening our menus without knocking over cutlery, glasses, etc.

The deep-fried crab cake with spring onion risotto was very good, the highlight of the meal perhaps. The rare ostrich steak was good - however my kife wasn't changed and so I was left to saw through the steak with what was more or less a butter knife. Hard work. The meat was very tender. The accompanying sauteed potatoes were a touch too salty, and the too-crisp rosti on top was inedible. Comments were made of the swordfish being a touch over-cooked, and the rabbit and chicken rillette was not nearly rabbity enough. ]

The service was very good, attentive but not too over-bearing.

Atmosphere wasn't really there - while we were there it was very much an older crowd.
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Monday, January 22, 2007

Just come back from a meal with 12 friends in one of their private rooms. It was a 'set menu' due to the number of people, however, the menu supplied did not have any prices listed, which was annoying.

The food was ok, but not brilliant and the service was extremely slow. We sat down around 8:30pm and it took about 45 mins for our order to be taken, then about an hour afterwards the starter arrived. The main course arrived much later as well as dessert. I know its not the waiters fault, more that of the kitchen, but we were all so annoyed we told him we would not be paying the 'optional' gratiutiy, so they removed it from the final bill. We ordered a number of bottles of wine as well as bottled water, but in the end, the final cost was 62 pounds for each person, definatley not worth that much, I've paid far less at Rules in Covent Garden and had much better food and far better servide. I won't be going back.
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Phil
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 0
Sunday, January 21, 2007

I find some of these reviews hard to read and hope it was just a blip for this restaurant. I ate there back in November and can honestly say that the food was superb, albeit the service was a little slow. Well worth a visit in my opinion and i shall return in the near future.
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Johnny
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Friday, January 12, 2007