Bank (Aldwych)

Friendly yet professional service, fantastic food, great atmosphere. Ideal for business dinners. Will definitely go back soon to sample more of the great dishes on offer...
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, April 04, 2007

I had lunch here yesterday and will certainly not return in a hurry. The service was appalling; it took over 15 minutes for a bottle of champagne to be delivered to the table, the food was slow and the waitress rude and surly. To be fair, the food, when it eventually arrived was nice; not great but ok.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Friday, December 15, 2006

I love the bar at Bank, the cocktails are fantastic and it's great for people watching. I could happily sit and while away an evening tasting all the cocktails and watching the world go by, although I don't know that my bank balance would approve! The food is great too. Most recently I tried the seared tuna with miso dressing and pickled vegetables. The tuna was cooked to perfection and the flavours were great. Next was a suprisingly reasonable baby lobster in garlic butter. I like to eat luxury items in posh restaurants but cannot always afford it. This buttery treat did not disappoint. Next time you've had a hard day shopping in covent garden and fancy indulging, give it a go.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Saturday, August 26, 2006

Good for drinks at the bar, far less so for food. Dated decor and food very average. Not plans to eat here again
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Friday, August 18, 2006

Absolutely awful!! A work colleague and I decided to go here for lunch. The service was good but the food was terrible! For the price they're charging, one would expect at least an edible meal. Alas, it was not so! The chicken breast I had was so overcooked it was chargrilled all over. In the end, I left most of the dish. We walked out of there with a serious dent in our bank accounts and feeling extremely hungry. DO NOT GO THERE - you have been warned!!
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Jessica Yu
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Sunday, April 16, 2006

Style over substance

Bank is a good-looking restaurant: plate-glass windows, cool decor and an impressive menu. Unfortunately, the food really doesn't match up. I had seared foie gras as starter, and scallops as my main course. Both of these were seriously overcooked. The accompaniments were also disappointing (the scallops came with some sort of tasteless spinach mash, and black pudding which was nice on its own but didn't go with any of the other things on the plate). Also, 12.5% "optional" service charge was added to the bill, but you were still given the option of adding a tip when you paid. I hate restaurants which do this and personally never go back to them!

Friendly staff, though!
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Max
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

I used to see the Bank bar as ever hospitable resource and refuge: good for lunch time at the bar (even though food always on the bland side of bland); lunchtime in restaurant intolerably noisy (crap acoustics) -- but then again reliable for dinner (though bland, including wine choice) -- and then the breakfast moments seemed best of all, wth the white table cloths, great croissants and good coffee.

Recently though, my experiences have all been bad: lunchtime bar staff who go into hiding rather than take an order; the evening just SO LOUD that couldn't even dream of staying; and have been virtually driven out at breakfast by snotty waitresses demanding that one waits and waits while they do the 'honour' of finding a place (it's only breakfast, for goodness' sake, not a golden throne).

So, having been a regular for years and years, have now crossed the Bank bar off my list. No doubt they won't notice the loss of people like me for a while but I am pretty typical of the LSE academics who must account for ca 25 % of their trade. How far can you get on peach bellinis? is the question they ned to ask themselves.
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Beverley
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Monday, March 06, 2006

I love this place. LOvely staff. Always good fish and they so made an effort with my partners nine year old. So it is very big and noisy and full of men in suits, but what is wrong with that.
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Cartoon - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Took my sister and her 4.5 yr old daughter on a Sunday lunchtime before an afternoon theatre performance and was very impressed. From the moment we walked in the staff were very friendly and attentive and the restaurant was ideal for the combination of good food and entertainment for the kids (there was even a separate table set up with crayons etc). Very good food and pretty good value.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, January 08, 2006

The atmosphere was relaxed but noisy, food was nice but nothing special, the most interesting part was receiveing the bill which came to 225 pounds for four people, and one of the main meals included sausage and mash. To top it all there wasnt a complimentart mint or chocolate in sight.

Certainly wont be going back there. Bank is a very appropriate name.
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Mandy
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Sunday, January 08, 2006