Belgo Centraal

Had the mussels as a starter, nothing flash and glad i didn't go for this as a main. We then had meals of the express menu and at £7.95 including a beer which were excellent. Food served quickly but more or less dropped on the table. Atmosphere good and overall would probably go back.
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Mike
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, October 11, 2010

Went there with a friend for a long lunch on Sunday and was really impressed!

The menu is extensive, and yes mussels make up a good deal of it but there are other options also. The service was efficient and they got one thing right that so many restaurants struggle with; the time between each of the courses, despite it being quite busy. The dishes came swiftly just as we started to anticipate the next course. The portions are a good size, and in the case of mussels in pots you get lots more than you can eat.

For starters I had the warm salad with shredded duck, egg, bacon and black pudding, which was a delicious and unique dish. For mains I had mussels in a spinach and cheese sauce. And best of all the desert menu offers a range of sweets to tempt; I opted for the white cholocate mousse wrapped in dark chocolate on a biscuit bed with passionfruit coulis...

The food is top notch and the decor is really unusual, it took me a while to work out how to use the bathroom sink until I spotted the sign...The atmosphere is somewhat noisy, but I can't complain about the staff, they did their job and were friendly enough. Maybe word got back to them that their customer service was lacking and they buckled up? If so they've improved.

The bill wasn't cheap, but it wasn't extortionate either and especially for the food (and portions), was well worth it. All in all, GREAT food, good service, worth your money.
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Min
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Sunday, October 10, 2010

Exprienced a really bad service today when my friends and me dined-in. The waiter was not friendly, and helpful. Food was literaturely throw on the table, also unwillingness to give sauce upon request. After manager have a word with the waiter, he came back to ask everything fine and what he do wrong. Explained to him and he have a go with my friends and saying that he always have positive freeback, dont think so. Before he leave the table,he added you guy have a free drink (which the manager brought over to say sorry, unfortunately we didnt touch it at all, as we here to enjoy food not asking for free drink) WHAT YOU EXPECTED.

Unbeliveable that word come from a waiter.
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Will Yap
6 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 8
Monday, September 06, 2010

Well, I experienced both the positive and negative sides of this restaurant.

The negatives being that we had to wait ages to be seated and it was incredibly noisy. However the service and food was great. The steak was amazing as was the Creme Brulee. I would definately go back again.
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Sam - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Saturday, August 21, 2010

Good beer and friendly staff but the food was average at best and my steak was gristly.

I dont understand the need for the industrial look of the place either, when they have a lovely polished flagstone floor and waiting/bar staff dressed in Monks habits....what is all that about ?

Yes I know they serve Trappist beer but since when have monks worked in a factory ?

This is a place that doesnt seem to know what it wants to be and therefore falls short in several areas. Shame
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5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Tough call this one. I basically like Belgo, but there is so much room for improvement. For some reason, the Covent Garden branch suffers from the "you're lucky to be here, now spend lots of money in our bar before we allow you to sit down" mentality. Not acceptable. We're doing *you* a favour by turning up. Remember that.

Now, everyone knows the mussels are a bit bland. So you go here informed. I know they're bland, but I'll still order them and try all the various flavours of blandness as I do! That's really what this place is about: mussels, chips and beer.

As for the service, I think my opening gambit conveys my general feelings...

As far as atmosphere, I'm afraid it's a bit of a noisy hell-hole. I've never been a fan of this sort of environment, but I know some people subscribe to the notion that they're not having a good time until they can raise their voice. So that's why I'm justifying my decision to give a 3/10 on this point.

As for value for money. I'm afraid I just want a much better overall experience to justify the cost. The bill is never that expensive - that is if you don't drink as many fruit beers as I do.

Bottom line - you know what you're getting. It's not a strictly memorable experience, but not necessarily a bad one either. Great for corporate nights out, though.
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Alan Ingham - View all reviews by this user
4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Thursday, May 20, 2010

Was disappointed overall. The restaurant's claim to fame were the mussels, and they were utterly tasteless. Our group each ordered a different dish and they all tasted the same!

We couldn't even lift the mood with some drink; the alcohol was extortionate - £4.80 for a half-pint...(of the fruit beers, but there were a few slightly cheaper options).

And then there was the sneaky 12.5% added onto the bill at the end, and it's not like the place wasn't pricey for what it served anyway!

I am told the spit roast and the cheesy florentine platter were tasty though.

Agree with someone else's review about the loos...seriously dodgy.

Service is slow - food took an hour to arrive, but that would've been tolerable if there was ever a smile on the waiter's face....
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5 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Saturday, May 08, 2010

I had a long lunch on Good Friday with a friend.

The service was impeccable, the waiter really knew her beers and there were hundreds of them, but ironically they didn't have any cider which was a bit of a disappointment. The waitress recommended a nice beer and and a nice bottle of wine. We were at our table for about two hours and the waitresses didn't rush us to hurry up, and they made it an enjoyable experience.

We ordered two sets of mussels - one mariniere and the other traditional - they were okay, certainly not the best and certainly not the worst. I had the traditional - it was quite 'gritty' and there was hardly any sauce. My friend said the same regarding his mussels too. The chips were ok. We wanted some bread and the only bread they offer is rye bread, which neither of us like but considering the lack of sauce, it wasn't needed anyway!

All in all, we paid £65 for one and a half pints of beer, two lots of mussels, one side dish, a bottle of wine and a dessert. Not bad value considering the area, but the food didn't live up to expectations. I doubt I will return.
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D - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, April 12, 2010

Went to Belgo Central for lunch on Saturday before theatre matinee, and after reading reviews of the service I was a bit worried that we would have to leave the restaurant before the food arrived. No worries chose from the Express Menu which is great value at £7.95 for main course and glass of wine, beer or soft drink.. Food arrived not 10 minutes after ordering. We had the mussels and spit roasted chicken both come with frites both were excellent. Staff very attentive great value will definately go back.
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Saturday, April 10, 2010

I went to the Covent Garden branch, the service was not bad, and they surpassed our expectation by having the table ready well before the predicted time (I suspect that may have been a ploy on their part). The waiter was both friendly and helpful. My disappointment came much later, the apparently famous mussels was taste-less. It was overwhelmed by the sauce and the mussels barely registered. Indeed it rendered the rest of meal futile, since I was enticed into Belgo by the mussels. The toilets were highly irregular, not just because of the unisex-nature of it but the stench; luckily I had finished the meal, though that would not have necessarily been a bad thing. A pithy 2 ½ star out of 5.
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4 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Friday, February 19, 2010