Michael Moore

I brought business colleagues to Michael Moore restaurant for a relaxed dinner to talk and sum up the meeting we had in London. I hunt and fish my dinners myself in Norway so I am quite choosy especially when eating game or fresh fish.

I had Michaels moose fillet and it was very well prepared and tasted lovley. One of my frieds chose the halibut and he also was very impressed. He is partly grown up in the Lofoten area and used to fresh Norwegian fish.

Advice on wine, good atmosfere and an excellent service topped off a tremendously successful evening. Thanks!
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Thomas Baardsgaard
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, February 06, 2010

NOT WORTH IT. The food is however is divine - very creative, huge flavours, the most perfectly cooked lamb I have eaten. Desert was a sublime chocolate trio with great intensity of sweet and chocolate.

BUT the portions are so small that (i dont exaggerate) my lamb main (at £27 without sides) was enough for 3 small mouthfuls. Sides (spinach pototoes etc) are not quite enough for 2 to share at at nearly £4 each side that is ridiculous.

The service was great too (not sure about the chef coming out to chat/flirt with everyone at 10 pm) but the atmosphere is ZERO - almost embarassingly quiet (the next table stopped talking to listen while we ordered), the music was so quiet that we could hear clearly every word from the table behind us as if we were all on one table. Worst atmophere of any place i have been to in London (and have been to a lot!).

The decor is just plain white with two awful peach paintings. The lights are too bright, its all a bit clinical, boring and now a bit run down. The toilets and steps are so small that even I at 5'6" had to be careful not to bang my head. Tables too small by miles so that on our table for 2 we had to keep asking for glasses and plates ot be taken away so we had some room for things.

Shame as the food was very clever and delicious and if they made the decor better, put on some decent music and increased the portions by 50%, it would be well worth the £170 for two people for 3 courses and one bottle of wine plus one other drink.
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Jennifer
6 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, December 15, 2009

NOT WORTH IT. The food is however is divine - very creative, huge flavours, the most perfectly cooked lamb I have eaten. Dessert was a sublime chocolate trio with great intensity of sweet and chocolate.

BUT the portions are so small that (i dont exaggerate) my lamb main (at £27 without sides) was enough for 3 small mouthfuls. Sides (spinach pototoes etc) are not quite enough for 2 to share at at nearly £4 each side that is ridiculous.

The service was great too (not sure about the chef coming out to chat/flirt with everyone at 10 pm) but the atmosphere is ZERO - almost embarassingly quiet (the next table stopped talking to listen while we ordered), the music was so quiet that we could hear clearly every word from the table behind us as if we were all on one table. Worst atmophere of any place i have been to in London (and have been to a lot!).

The decor is just plain white with two awful peach paintings. The glihts are too bright, its all a bit clinical, boring and now a bit run down. The toilets and steps are so small that even I at 5'6" had to be careful not to bang my head. Tables too small by miles so that on our table for 2 we had to keep asking for glasses and plates ot be taken away so we had some room for things.

Shame as the food was very clever and delicious and if they made the decor better, put on some decent music and increased the portions by 50%, it would be well worth the £170 for two people for 3 courses and one bottle of wine plus one other drink.
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Jennifer - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, December 15, 2009

I had a lovely meal at Micheal Moore's recently - the food is fresh and authentic, sophisticated with out being fussy and the service impeccable and warm. I had the trout which was prepared to bring out its best. It is just the kind if intimate neighbourhood type restaurant that I wish I had in my neighbourhood. Not inexpensive but not over the top either and the level of cooking is well above the price point. It is the type of restaurant that once discovered you will want to go to repeatedly because it has this unique combination of being special but making you feel very at home.
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MEG20 - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Was very impressed by this place, and glad I took the recommendation of my friend to visit. The service was spot on and set a positive tone for the evening.

I thoroughly enjoyed each of the 3 courses, there wasn't a weak point in that respect. It was a little pricey, but not overpriced considering the quality and and diversity of the menu. There is also a very soothing atmosphere which significantly added to my enjoyment of the evening

A lot of the reviews on here so far seem particularly critical, perhaps a bit harsh in my oppinion. I would happily eat here again.
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8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

So, will keep it really really short and clear, this restaurant is not worth it, at all. Service a total failure, food even worse, price doesn’t reflect quantity neither quality. If you want to spend over £120.00 on your meal (for 2 ) just go to Maze or somewhere similar. Not that tiny overpriced restaurant.
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, October 22, 2009

My 2 friends and I decided to go for an impromptu mid week dinner. My friend recommended Michael Moore as she had been previously and enjoyed. We arrived and were seated near the front with plenty of room and ordered the viognier wine which arrived well chilled.

We all choose a different starters and main courses and whilst waiting we received warm fresh bread. The starters arrived promptly and they were very well presented, all dishes had individual look and taste. The main courses did not disappoint after such good starters. The food was fresh with interesting combinations. We spent a lovely relaxed Wednesday evening.

It was so nice to be in a friendly, relaxed environment but still have top quality food and service in W1.

I could not fault the staff, service or food. Excellent..More restaurants like this please....
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Alison - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Having read some of the reviews about Michael Moore restaurant i think i have to write down my experience at the restaurant. To begin with I totally agree with sooooo many of you who have mentioned the size and the price of the portions, not worth it....at all...!!! Food is all sauce and presentation, very little actual meat or veg. Not saying this coz I eat 2 kg of meat for my diner, but because I have been to so many good restaurants all over Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Also the Chef /Owner claims to be a celebrity chef, so I ran a quick research and as I expected NOTHING came up about him and his TV shows and presentations. He hates Gordon Ramsay with a passion and contradicts himself about food and restaurants.

Here is a piece of advice instead of flirting with all your guests after dinner, better spent some time in your kitchen or go to a good restaurant to try out some good global food.

Even the tables covered in dirty table cloths, are too small to accommodate everything on the table, and if you are waiting for the sommelier to top up your wine better pull the bottle on your table. Overall the restaurant is too small, too uncomfortable, too expensive, too hot, the ceilings are too short if you are over 6 ft better be VERY careful when going down the stairs to the toilet and DONT FORGET TO MIND YOUR HEAD. I mean in what restaurant with a main course at £26.00 do you have mind your head???

With a bill exceeding £100.00 for just two of us this restaurant is a total failure. !!!
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J.K.
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Worst restaurant I have EVER been to.

The waitress couldn't speak English therefore couldn’t understand us when we said we were waiting for friends. The wine we ordered there was only one bottle of, so when we wanted a second we had to have a different one. The food we ordered came out differently to what was on the menu. The starter of 'Pepper Mousse Terrine' turned out to be a pepper flavoured jelly, and the Guinea Fowl was served with the Red Snappers accompaniments and vice versa. The side of vegetables also arrived 10 minutes after we had been served our main course (how hard is it to microwave some veg on time). The Cherry Tomatoes were out of a tin and the Risotto tasted like Mac & Cheese. Where do I finish...! Oh, and we were the only people in there.

Service was appalling, don't waste your hard earned money or corporate cash, there are plenty of better restaurants literally a two second walk away.
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, October 08, 2009

In summary this restaurant is a triumph of style over substance, a cliche but accurate.

I was disappointed by this restaurant however this may have been due to my high expectations based on reviews and recommendations, and the fact that I was celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary.

Lets start off with the atmosphere - some may describe it as cosy, but I would say claustrophobic would be more accurate, and it was also sickeningly warm probably due to the fact that the kitchen is tucked up away under the dining area and the heat wafts up the very short stairway past the toilets.

The restaurant seemed fairly busy which is usually a good sign, and the food brought out to fellow diners was presented incredibly well and looked very appetizing. We were seated promptly and presented with a complimentary glass of champagne which was a nice touch as my wife had mentioned the anniversary when she booked.

From this high point there is a slow downward spiral.

We finished our champagne and waited for menu's and the winelist. And we waited a little longer. And longer still.....a good 25 minutes later we asked a very embarrassed looked waiter if we could have the menus and promptly order a few minutes later.

First impression of the menu was that the Chef was being very thrifty with the ingredients, as it was difficult to differentiate between starters and the mains with the bulk of the same ingredients featuring in both. I don't have an issue with this per se, however it should not be the overriding factor when deciding on the menu. For example, Belly Pork and Cucumber salad starter and Belly Pork main. Duck salad and Duck breast main, and so it went on.

Actually writing this review I am reliving the entire experience which was not great to be honest. So I will cut it short for those of you that have made it this far into this review.

Being a fan of Belly Pork I order the pork salad. It was sliced thin and served cold on top of a wet mess of grated flavourless cucumber. This could have possibly worked but the cold fat of the pork, and the watery cucumber did not mix well.

My wife faired slightly better with Vanilla Scallops on Gravadlax, another strange combination but it was presented well and individually everything was quite edible.

Onto main courses. I tried the Sea Bass and Tempura Octopus with artichoke fennel puree, and my partner had Tandoori lobster with red mullet. The Sea bass was only so slightly overcooked but the skin was soft and moist. The tempura octopus was completely overcooked, chewy and inedible and the artichoke puree made so little impact I'm not sure it was even on the plate.

As for my wife's choice it was a mixed bag. She managed to get through most of the red mullet, which I found to be chewy and greasy but the Tandoori lobster was incredibly tasty with interesting mix of flavours.

I skipped dessert @£7.50 a shot, feeling quite deflated at this point. At this point the chef made an appearance and proceeded to blow raspberries or kisses at his Maitre'D/Sommelier completely distracting him from the task at

hand - running the restaurant. Observing his behaviour I came to understand some of the failings of his restaurant. Then came the biggest surprise of all - the oversized bill!

Do yourself a favour and avoid this restaurant. Save your hard earned pounds and spend them somewhere with a reputation for consistency, good service and good quality food. This restaurant tries to talk the talk and walk the walk and fails miserably. Clearly the proprietor thinks that charging nearly £30 for a main course will elevate this establishment above where it belongs but he is very wrong.

Life is too short to spend an evening eating pretentious, overpriced and at-best mediocre food.
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John
6 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, October 06, 2009