Walnut

I live locally and regularly eat at the Walnut - it is my favourite restaurant in the area, with a fantastic selection of starters and mains, not to mention the delicious desserts. On my last visit I had scallops (which I always have because they are cooked to perfection) and a special of Marlin, which again was incredible.

I am very surprised to read the negative views of this restaurant as I always find the food to be exceptional with very knowledgeable staff who are always on hand to help if needed.

I would highly recommend this restaurant and the lime and passionfruit souffle! I like the fact that whatever you choose, you know you won't be dissapointed
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, July 07, 2006

What a shame! I regularly go tp Walnut and never have a bad meal, in fact, I have always had an above average meal! The aubergine sausages are some of my favourites (and I am not even a veggie) I have had the best ribeye I have come across. The lamb was great, very pink which is not to everyone's liking but just how I like, melting in the mouth. Not everyone's cup of tea so you may want to check first how the other meat is served. The passion fruit and lime souffle was amazing, not too sweet with a lovely sharp tangyness to it.

I think that it is well-priced, no more than any other restaurants in the area and unlike most other places in London you actually get a decent portion of food. The wine list is also exceptionally well priced (have seen some of the same wines in other London restaurants for double the price)

I have had the scallops loads of times and I thought they were supposed to be seared? I always ask for them cooked more as I do not like them too raw.

I think it is a real shame your experience was not good and I am not convinced you are not in cahoots with La Brocca?! (My opionion being very different on La Brocca but I will keep that for the La Brocca page)
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, June 30, 2006

I’m amazed to see any positive reviews of Walnut. We went last night (23rd June) and had, to put it mildly, a shocker. My boyfriend started with the scallops with balsamic dressing, which arrived in suspiciously super-quick time. Presentation was unenterprising, the scallops dwarfed by a damp clump of lettuce that looked as if it had been scooped from a pre-washed salad bag. They turned out to be cold in the middle, so we sent them back only to have the same scallops returned, bite marks all present and correct. This is surely shoddy, if not rude, especially from a restaurant that sells itself as a cut above the usual West Hampstead cheap n’ cheerfuls. Nevertheless we soldiered on, nibbling morosely on day-old unwarmed walnut bread as we awaited our main courses (walnut lasagne for me, aubergine and sorrel sausages with chive mash for my boyfriend). These turned out to be so dreadful as to be almost laughable. The lasagne was a loose collection of indeterminate and tasteless vegetables that slithered from limp pasta into a morass of purplish-brown sauce. The entire dish had been drowned in what appeared to be single cream, in fact an exceptionally bland béchamel sauce. What might have been an ‘interesting’ walnut and sorrel flavour in an amuse bouche became sledgehammer-like in a main course. About twenty large walnuts had simply been dumped into the whole sorry concoction, and as I ploughed miserably through it the dish began to resemble nothing more that a mass of canine diarrhoea. My boyfriend was not faring much better. His aubergine and sorrel sausages (which had also been inundated with the signature walnut) turned out to be lumpen croquettes containing a greyish mix that did not taste recognizably like aubergine, sorrel, or indeed anything much. The mash was marginally better, but still had an unpleasantly sticky quality. We left the dishes half-eaten and called for the bill, a ludicrous £48 (we’d also had a half bottle of Sancerre). Whilst service was friendly and helpful, this restaurant is a gourmet disaster. Do not go here. You’d be much better off at nearby La Brocca, where prices reflect the decent and unpretentious Italian fare served in lively and relaxed surroundings.
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Saturday, June 24, 2006

I visited Walnut for a birthday celebration with a group of friends. Having read some of the reviews which were mixed we thought it would be a real treat for a birthday celebration.

Overall, it was just ok but not enough to re-visit. The service was a bit chaotic, lots of dashing around the place which didn't create a very relaxed atmosphere. In fact, one member of our group thought one of the people serving us was quite rude and unfriendly.

Some of us had starters - I ordered the mushroom in filo and it was burnt around the edges, a friend ordered the chorizo and this was cremated when it arrived so we complained and were served a properly cooked version. Main courses were average, we asked for two steak dishes to be cooked medium/well cooked but this was not how they arrived. The lamb dish was undercooked, and the risotto dish was disappointing. Sorry to be negative but we were disappointed with the whole experience and would not go back but you never know until you try for yourself.
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Maureen
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, June 13, 2006

When we lived in West Hampstead, we came here a few times. The food was excellent - the fish was cooked 'exactly' how fish should be cooked. The service was good - although the seating was a little cramped. We haven’t been back for ages, simply because we’re not in the area anymore. Even so, I fondly remember it.
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Lawrie - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

I am really surprised to read 'iffy' reviews on this place. We have lived in West Hampstead for three years and hadn't visited Walnut until last weekend. Suffice it to say that we went again this weekend! The food is delicious, servings generous, atmosphere vibrant and service exceptional. A really lovely night out and at a very reasonable price.
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Kate
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, January 30, 2006

I am amazed to read the review for Walnut on 5th Jan, we happened to be in the restaurant on that evening and as usual enjoyed excellent food and service. Walnut remains my most loved restaurant in the area, it is a true West Hampstead perk nad I am proud to be a regular. I find all the portions well-sized compared to most West End restaurants. On Thursday I had a wonderful mushroom terrine and seabass (fresh and simple) and treated myself to a decadent chocolate tart to finish. I wonder if the author of the ridiculous review was even in the restaurant that night, the beer swigging and black smoke alluded to certainly wasn't part of my evening.
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Rachael Sprite
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, January 15, 2006

Can't agree more with most of these comments. The restaurant looks nice and cosy so my girlfriend and I decided to check it out. Our experience was mostly a disaster. The staff at the front seemed to be being let down by the chefs. This is a relatively small restaurant (10 tables?) and it took us two and three-quarter hours to order and get our food. It also looked very unprofessional to have black smoke bellowing out of the open kitchen and chefs swigging lager. The scallops I had were very nice although as previously mentioned the portions were miniscule. My girlfriend had over-cooked duck and the 'homemade' cheesecake was not only miniscule but tasted rancid. What I find the most offensive though is that they haven't replied to my letter of complaint.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Thursday, January 05, 2006