Chez Gerard (Charlotte Street)

Sometimes it goes wrong......But this was the worst meal in a reasonably expensive restaurant I have ever had. Having dined at the Chez Gerard restaurants over the years the one thing that was entirely relaible was a type and quality of food that maintained a consistant standard. Not easy to ruin a steak medium rare when it is the speciality of the house. Scallops starter was burnt for two. Took ages to get a waiter who changed the dishes for not burnt but encrusted in salt. Tried to eat abandoned and explained why. Puzzled and slightly apologetic waiter. Chatau Briand main course took forever. Eventualy arrived....well done.....No thats not Bravo its completely over cooked. Back it goes. Here is the medium rare version at last..... alas alack pommes frittes left on table now cold. Can't bear another wait lets just eat before we faint from starvation. No real apology at any time offered. The food was a disgrace at any price. Service was appauling. Pas encore Cheri Gerard.
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John Moulder-Brown
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 22, 2007

Lovely, friendly staff.

Olives and peanuts and a bread basket (not warm, but at least it was there) await you on the tables. Restaurants so often omit these nowadays.

Traditional French menu, with very few surprises. However, I ordered the "marmite de poissons et crustaces" and, though usually I do not eat mussels, the shellfish were absolutely delicious and there was plenty of salmon and monkfish in the gloriously rich, creamy wine sauce. Beware that you have to order vegetables as a side dish which add £2.95 to the bill.

My partner also loved his "rare breed pork medallions with roasted grapes and pancetta in a brandy and red wine sauce with mash". Sounds as good as it tasted.

The two of us had a main course with haricots verts on the side and a bottle of house white which came to around £55. I thought this was a relatively fair price for this expensive area of town, and divine-tasting, although there were far more expensive items on the menu.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Monday, June 05, 2006

As a restaurateur its really difficult sometimes to review others from a very realistic point of view. We know that running a Restaurant now days its not as easy as before but when its comes to big companies like Chef Gerard or any other in Charlotte Street you really except to pay for what you get. I went there on Saturday night without a reservation. Its was my wife birthday so I was prepare for the best. After a little tour to the smoking section upstairs we were located on a ground floor in a small table in the corner. Ordered a bottle Dom Perignon 1998 and we received 1996. Very pleasant room, discreet, nice back ground music. Food, good but not excellent. Awful Tesco bread. The restaurant was not really busy; just couldn’t understand why they sat another couple just beside us having more tables available. Im sure they had the same question like us. Never mine, at the end we even shared a joke. Followed by another bottle of Champagne, we finished our dinner by 11:00 pm. We were approached 4 times by a waiter asking if everything was OK and one by the manager just to know also if everything was OK. £ 300 dinner for two with two bottles of champagne at £ 200. Nothing was offered as a complement which is always a good finishing touch. Overall, overpriced and lack of professional service. Very friendly staff but no mature enough to cover an expensive bill. Will I come back?, probably no.
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Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Sunday, May 21, 2006

Eat here maybe about every two months. Just got home ... lovely as ever
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Monday, March 27, 2006

Really poor food. Such a waste of money. Never again.
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emma
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Monday, March 06, 2006

Hadn't been for a while and booked before reading the various (negative) comments from others. Worried as we were hosts to Japanese guests, but needn't have been. It was exactly what we were aiming for. A little formulaeic but reliable and only a little over-priced for this expensive corner of London.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Over-priced, over-cooked food, over-rated restaurant and poor service as well. Truely dreadlful place.
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John
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Typical of so many London restaurants - poor food, correspondingly poor service and over-priced. Avoid - best to eat cheap and excellent Indian food in Drummond St or go to the River Cafe for something expensive and actually worth the money.
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J Gray
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, December 19, 2005