Zoom

I've been to Zoom a few times with different people over the past few months and have tried several menu items. I've also read some of the other reviews here and can related to many of these comments.

I get the impression that Zoom is very much a restaurant for locals and if you aren't one, the lady who runs it can be quite mean, which to my mind doesn't make for a great way to get regulars. Perhaps they don't want or need any more customers, though judging from a recent Saturday night visit (the place was near empty), staff should watch themselves.

I found the atmosphere to be very much one of them doing us a favour as opposed to welcoming and accommodating those who make their business viable. Service is sporadic and dishes inconsistent.

I've never heard of this two starter "rule" but then I've always ordered at least a full meal with alcohol, so perhaps if I'd not ordered that much, the service would have been terrible.

As far as the food goes, it's actually not that bad, which may be Zoom's saving grace or the place would have closed years ago. Bread, olives, salsa were all good, mushrooms were fine, though bread burnt, some dishes were bland, while others overly seasoned. For the price point, there are far better restaurants in Marylebone where your patronage will be appreciated so on balance, I wouldn't recommend going to Zoom.
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Will
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 2
Sunday, May 27, 2012

Had dinner at Zoom on Monday. The place was full and really buzzing. The restaurant had been suggested by a friend and am glad we went.

The dishes we ate were really delicious, and almost too generous in size.

The waitresses were very charming and the woman who runs the restaurant certainly creates a vibrant atmosphere. Thank you all and will certainly return.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I think this is a really nice little restaurant - their chicken liver salad is quite the most delicious you will have anywhere. For non chicken liver lovers there's lots more well cooked starters that are excellent as mains.
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Belinda Lawson
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Thursday, July 21, 2011

Asked for rare steak and got medium well done so we sent it back only to be told that it was rare! No feedback allowed clearly with this chef.
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Charlie
5 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Saturday, July 09, 2011

Zoom is a staple in the trendy marylebone area.........the food is consistently very good, although the menu rarely varies...ingredients are fresh, and dishes beautifully presented....we have never been disappointed and eat there regularly both at lunch and at dinner.....Zoom is a treat..
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karen
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Saturday, April 02, 2011

A group of my friends decided to go to this restaurant on a Friday night. Big mistake. We were only really meeting for a light bite and a drink (coming from Wales and Cambridge) and by the time we got around to ordering we were on our second bottle of relatively expensive wine. My friend and I ordered a starter rather then a main (both students and therefore trying to save money) we were told they have a policy in which you have to either order 2 starters or a starter and a main. It said nowhere on the menu about this policy, and considering we had 3 other friends ordering starters and mains, and we werer obviously ordering expensive drink, we were shocked. When we argued this point, we were told that the restaurant has been there 20 years and everyone knows that's the policy. So she made us feel not only like cheap-skates (she actually said they don't state the policy because it looks 'cheap'), but like we shouldn't be there anyway because it's really only a restaurant for locals. Eventually after we argued a lot more and she could see we weren't going to back down, she said she would 'talk to the chef' and thankfully my friend and I were allowed to just order starters. The rest of the evening passed with them being very rude to us, and the portions I have to say for the male part of our party were tiny. Overall a horrible experience and not somewhere I'd recommend!
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Jenny
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, February 09, 2011

We have been to Zoom on several occasions and generally have been satisfied. The food is reasonable and the setting very pleasant. On this occasion, however, we were very disappointed. The staff seemed disinterested, hardly service with a smile, and we were astonished that when asking for a piece of bread with a soup starter, we were told that this was not possible as bread was only sold as a platter with olives and chili dip. Extraordinary. This would have made a bowl of soup and bread cost over £10. Shan't be going back
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4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Thursday, November 25, 2010