Smiths of Smithfield

Ate on the third floor tonight for a special treat. Tinned crab on burnt toast to start, charred tough steaks to follow with almost frozen salads and then for dessert lavender creme brulee that tasted like nappy cream! Seriously it was so bad I had to spit it straight into the napkin! The waitress was great but the floor manager acted as if we were trying to get something for nothing when we asked for some items to be removed from the bill because they were inedible. Ridiculous. Top price restaurants can be rubbish when times are good but during a recession they would need to start to get something right. It was easy to get a reservation at short notice and now I know why..

Would not recommend to anyone.
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Anita
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 0
Sunday, April 06, 2008

I LOVE the atmosphere , the raw feel of the place and was so looking forward to the food .......Smiths of Smithfield having proper good quality of meat from the Smithfield Market ....sadly I was very disappointed with the quality of the meat, presentation fab, food crap .....I feel so disappointed that the meat was tough 'TOUGH AS AN OLD BOOT' as my mum would say ...but it was!
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Sarah
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 0
Thursday, April 03, 2008

Having read a few reviews beforehand we were a little nervous booking a table for 6 on the top floor. Reasoning that people review when they have bad experiences rather than good, we thought we'd ignore the negative types and see for ourselves.

On the whole I wish we hadn't bothered as OK is all I can say about an expensive meal. The food was good (especially the oysters but that's more praise for the oyster than the chef), all except the meat, that is.

Quite unbelievable that a restaurant boasting fine meats which is sited opposite London's meat market can serve up such sub-standard beef and offal. Service wasn't all that either so on the whole I'd say try the other floors and have the fish.
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Jim Collins
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Monday, March 31, 2008

I lovvveee this place! it's not fine food but it's gooood food with big portions and delicious as well. Not pricey either considering the atomsphere of the whole place and the good service! I had the duck with oyster sauce and it was huge with a small leg and a big breast and oyster sauce was not the thick stuff from the bottle but a nice broth! Also had the chocolate and mascarpone torte... mmmm... it was havenly! I love this place, been there twice already, will definitely go back!
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pea - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

I read many reviews prior to my visit to the 2nd floor of John Torode's restaurant in the center of London, some of which were very good and some very bad, on my visit i was lucky enough to find the event very pleasurable.

This restaurant tries to be all things to all people with a trendy bar...business meeting area...dining room...and an expensive upper floor restaurant.

My mushroom and paster starter very good and a 10oz beef burger main was delicious, all finished with a delightful sorbet dessert. To my surprise, the portions were moderately sized, unlike some of the other places similar in standard.

The whole restaurant had a really good atmosphere and the service was great with the waiters/waitresses being helpful and cheerful.

My only complaint (and now I am really splitting hairs) was that the alleged 'fresh orange juice' had the distinctive bitter taste of a concentrate.

Overall I had a thoroughly good time and would recommend Smiths' of Smithfields' to anyone so long as they have moderately deep pockets.
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Ben Voce - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, February 16, 2008

I have been to Smiths on the Ground floor numerous times and have never had any complaints. Last night I went to Smiths the first floor for my second or third visit. Previously it has been good. Last night was one of the most apauling meals I have ever had the displeasure of eating. Frankly on this showing the proprietor is not only unqualified to judge Matsrchef he probably would not get through the first round. A great start, in that of the limited main courses (there are only about 6) 2 were unavailable, leaving a meagre choice. It was 10pm granted but perhaps the waitress might have informed us before we sat down to order and having already consumed a couple of drinks at the bar. The potter crab was passable, though the bread it was served with was clearly past its best. As there was little available of the mains my friend had the risotto balls. These tasted more like salt balls and they were left on the plate. I selected the most expensive thing on the menu, the steak, it was frankly uneatable. Needless to say when the bill came in at £75 for a meal I would have been ashamed to present in my home, I was a tad miffed. Not going there again!
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Tim Drukker
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 0
Saturday, February 16, 2008

We ate on the second floor dining room, it has a great buzz, not too noisy, but a relaxed and funky feel. The food was spot on and prepared to perfection, and generous portion sizes meant no room to try the puds, but we will be back again to make the effort. Wines were reasonably priced too, and waiter even offered tap water instead of pushing bottled - top marks. Was good to see that JT was there on the night (weds). Handy to have street parking outside too...although that meant less wine for me! £65 for two of us, inc service for 2 courses of quality and a bottle of wine. Staff we great, even the chefs said hello as we passed the open kitchen. Well worth a return visit!
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Ian
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, February 14, 2008

I've been a regular of the ground floor cafe for a long time now as I work and live in the area. First of all, I think that being such a busy place the quality of food and service overall is fantastic. Sometimes the waiting time for a table can be quite annoying... I love their menu and quick service and I now that if anything goes wrong I just need to speak to a member of the staff and the mistake will be rectified. I have to say that I work in the restaurant industry and for this reason I can be a little bit fussy when I go out. This is, definitely, my favourite place around when I'm hungry but not in the mood for a formal restaurant. The butchers from the market make the best company in the early morning!

A place full of character for the busy life of London. But I will not recommend it if going out for breakfast has to be the only highlight of your day as staff not seem to bother lissig a**.
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Daniel
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Sunday, January 27, 2008

The food is great, let me say from the start. However, the service is awful; our waiter was rude and pushy, and when I objected to my plate being taken away before I'd finished, he shrugged and walked away. When I asked for the manager, he said "He's busy". So I refused to pay the hill, which got the manager to the table pronto, where he apologised, then gave me a hard time for not paying the service charge. Won't be back any time soon.

Also, why play banging techno in a spacious restaurant? Means everyone has to shout to be heard.
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Luigi Bellini
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I live locally and have been a fairly regular customer in here for several years. though perhaps not for much longer. The service and manner of the staff has gone from good, to bad, to worse. Fair enough Sundays are busy but when your nearly finished plate is whisked away from you when your partner is still eating .. its plain rude. This has happened 3 times now. No, the waiter wasnt making space and we werent lingering, its basic waiting skills. Also the bacon butties now have more fat rind than any greasy spoon i've ever been to and are buttered on the outside !!! .. what on earth is that about. Get it together JT !
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lorne
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Friday, January 11, 2008