Camden Brasserie

We ate here last night - there were 7 of us including 2 children and 3 teenagers. Between us we had 3 starters, 2 main courses, 3 junior meals, 2 starters as mains and 4 desserts. 1 bottle of wine (£24) and 1 brandy. Total bill £175 ie £25 per head. Good money and if the food had lived up to expectations I'd be happy to go back...for a special occasion. Trouble is we had a very inconsistent meal. Steak and sausages were good. Desserts were poor apart from the ice cream. Some disappointment as they had run out of one of the flavours - this at 7.30pm. Still it had been a hot day so a run on white chocolate chip had clearly taken place. Salad dressings were anodyne and too oily. Chips were flaccid though they looked good.

Service was good although one of the main courses was served 5 minutes after the rest as, according to the waitress, the chef had forgotten to do it. We were early and there were only 4/5 other tables occupied at the time so this seemed rather odd.

Portions were generally small.

The junior steak I kid you not was about 12cms by 5 cms (and no I didn't have my ruler with me). It tasted fine but for £8 it damn well ought to. It arrived on a full size plate and looked very small and lonely. It was eaten in 3 mouthfuls by a 9 year old.

Overall nice ambience, clean and bright, airy and not too noisy. However poor value for money and patchy food. For that money and the limited menu you need to be much better to get people coming back.

Unlikely to visit again unless persuaded by locals that we were just unlucky.
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Jeremy Balcombe
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 1
Monday, May 12, 2008

Visited here yesterday. First impressions are very good. The venue is very clean and modern; the service is warm and friendly. As for the food... don't expect much for your money. My two lamb sausages to start with were more chipolata than sausage, although my companion's chicken wings looked a bit more substantial. The real letdown, however, was the main course. We both ordered the fillet steak at £17 a pop, but when it arrived it was about five bites-worth of (admittedly nice) meat with a bowl of thin bland fries. For £17 I would expect a mammoth chunk of meat and thick chunky home made chips.

Overall I think it's a great venue for a romantic dinner or a business lunch, but if you're going out to "eat" (i.e. to sate your hunger rather than for the experience) then I would advise you go elsewhere. If I visited again I'd probably stick with one of the cheaper main courses at about £12.
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Steve R
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Thursday, July 19, 2007

Saw many of the reviews praising this place, but after going I can't quite understand why.

The dishes were quite simple - nothing all that interesting on the menu.. so I went for a classic steak and chips. The meat was too thin to give it any real flavour and the chips were really thin fries that tasted more of oil than anything else. It was ok if you were at a cheap pub, but not for £16 or whatever cost it was.

I also ordered a cocktail when the other 5 at my table did - yet mine took at least 10mins more than everyone else.. but there was no reason why. Everyone else had finished their cocktails before I had even started mine - the drinks were very poor for the £5-6 they cost.

Overall it really lacked anything to set it apart from anywhere else - and the cost was way too much for such a basic brasserie.
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NB - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

We've been going to Camden Brasserie for a VERY long time, way back in its first incarnation round the corner when the grill area was part of the restaurant and the walls were bare brick! I can honestly say that we have never had a bad meal there. Enrico and his brother are absolutely charming, their staff are always helpful and friendly, even at the busiest times, and the quality of the food and wine is first class. If they make a mistake in any way (and it's awfully rare) it's rectified immediately with a smile. Another reviewer commented that the menu choice is not wide but that what they do, they do well - and that's the whole essence of the place. If I want the best steak (plus bowl of yummy frites) for miles around, that's where I go. I had a birthday party there last summer for about 60 people: they made space for me to have a jazz quartet and singer, and even for a little bit of dancing! One of our guests said it was the best Sunday lunch he'd had for 25 years! Obviously he doesn't get to Camden Brasserie very often...
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Gillian
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, June 12, 2007

I went to the Camden Brasserie a couple of times recently - the first time I had their fabulous rib of beef for 2, and the second time a home-made burger. My partner had some pasta dish the second time, which was perfectly fine - just not anything special. As a restaurant primarily known for it's beef, I warned him against trying anything else, and I think I was right!

If you like your meat - go and eat here - it's really very good.

Service was not particularly attentive, but very friendly on a busy night.
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SparkleyC
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, March 28, 2007

I went to Camden Brasserie with seven other friends for a friend's birthday without any of us having been there before, so we didn't really know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised.

The most impressive thing was the service which was impeccable. With just the right balance of attention and 'being left alone-ness' the staff were only too happy to help out with the few special requests we had with regard to surprises, gifts and cakes for the birthday girl. Any questions we had about the menu or wine were all answered promptly by the waiting staff, which was a refreshing change from the all-too-usual occasion where they need to go away and find out what a dish actually consists of. Also, despite being the last table of people left we were never rushed at any stage and the staff and manager were happy to sit around and have a chat with us as we very slowly gathered ourselves to leave.

All the food we ordered was the perfect temperature and flavour and each of us thoroughly enjoyed our dishes which were a variety of seafood, soups, salads and red meats. The ONLY thing I would mention (and this is by no means a complaint) is that there could have been more variety on the menu, but I guess they operate on the maxim that they do few things and they do them very well. Certainly no complaints on that front.

I would very happily go again and recommend the Camden Brasserie for anyone looking to treat themselves to a nice meal in a 'humming' atmosphere. Not too quiet, not too noisy which is the perfect way to ensure you receive great service and food.
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Tania Patti
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, March 19, 2007

the brasserie seems at first glance as if caught in a time warp as many things have not changed in its 20 or so years in Camden. For me its a good thing as one thing that remains is a friendly homely feel and the food is still great........seems theres been a few changes and some extras bits and bobs here and there but still the same feel.........great value too compared to the mega corporate restuarants
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Jonathan Barr-Saunders
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, September 22, 2006

Best London food place you will find.Run by two of the sweetest brothers in the world.South American hospitality at its finest.Great food for 18 years every time and a real smile with never once any issues ! A GEM -try the black and white dessert and the steak and fries!!!You will come back a million times.
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Mairead
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, August 03, 2006

One of the best restaurants in Camden ,I've been going for 15 years and never had a bad meal. I go for the delicious starters - Tuna Tataki is excellent - great steaks,try the aged rib on the bone, fantastic thin chips and friendly service.
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Ed Chatham
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Camden's finest 'proper restaurant'. I have been entertaining clients in Camden for 10 years and never been let down with the Brasserie which is more than I can say for most of the local eateries.

The atmosphere, even if not rammed is convivial and breezy, and although not French (most of the staff are now Polish I think) is classily chaotic as a Paris brasserie would be.

Good value as consitently reliable food and reasonable choice of wines.
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Daniel Malkoun
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, April 03, 2006