Bleeding Heart

The Bleeding Heart Tavern is definetely the poor cousin of the Bistro and Restaurant and if you cannot get in the latter two, it is better to give the Tavern a wide berth.

The food is reasonably good and unpretentious. The problem lies with the service. Some people like going to French restaurants where the waiters put on an artificial Parisian air and speak to them in exagerated French. I don't. I speak fluent French (being from Montreal) and this was something naff out of the eighties. Moreover, the starters arrived within five minutes of ordering and the main courses arrived no more than two minutes after the starters had been cleared away.

The nail in the coffin was in paying the bill when one of the waiters stuck the cordless credit card machine in my face and barked orders as to which buttons to press. On leaving a 12.5% tip, he made it very clear that he thought this inadequate.

Overall, a restaurant that feels it need not bother to make any effort and a disappointment almost entirely as a result of lousy service. If you do go, be prepared to be treated with contempt.
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Ed
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Thursday, April 06, 2006

Went to the Blleding Heart Restaurant to celebrate the birth of my son and my best friend's daughter. What a let down. Firstly the starters were fridge cold, obviously plated hours before. The main courses were tiny, 'pork four ways' was more like can I chew this four times before it was gone. Vegetables when they finally arrived were bland, cold and again very sparse. The much hyped New Zealand wine was adequate and as for the prices, I suppose they have to pay for all those waiters standing around some how. Wish we had gone to St John EC1 or Ramseys instead!
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Rob S
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 0
Thursday, March 23, 2006

Been there twice for weeknights dinner, in the Bistro and the Tavern. Loved it both times. The food is very fresh and tasty with great choices for fish lovers and vegetarians (and of course for meat eaters but cela va de soit in a French restaurant). A real mixture of suits and couples. I went with a group of 30-something and it felt neither too business-like nor too romantic. The waiters turned on the charm and I enjoyed the banter. The best thing about the evening? The bill - extremely reasonable (a great surprise in London these days).
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vendredimanche
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Thursday, February 09, 2006

What is brilliant about the tavern (upstairs) is the atmosphere. It can be rowdy, drunken, full of city boys and medical students. It can have annoying couples looking lost because it doesn't work like a restaurant. At some stage someone will light a cigar.

Yet it doesn't matter. The french staff are brilliantly french - so give 'em a few bon mots in their home language and wait. They'll soon let you know what they think of the red nosed lawyer demanding some Margaux next to you! It's all good fun.

It's not a place if you like Conran restaurants. But what a fantastic place to sit, feel part of the city, and eat a steak with a glass of champagne (quelle horreur) and laugh with your loved one.

Or go for lunch and just stay - the tavern is open all day!
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Mark
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, February 01, 2006

As a local clerkenwell-goer I was pleasantly surprised when I came across this little gem of a restaurant! On first glance I always thought this restaurant was a pub, but low and be-hold as you walk around the back you come across a very welcoming entrance with a defiant French feel. The bistro (up stairs) and sophisticated French restaurant downstairs are your options. I took my boyfriend to the downstairs restaurant for his birthday and it was wonderful! Warm wooden floors with panelled walls give the under ground restaurant genuine french feel. Prawns with candied carrots to start was wonderful and fillet steak with béarnaise for main were superb. The wine list was excellent and surprisingly were recommended a South American wine which was exactly what we asked for in flavour. The whole evening was a treat and I will be returning!
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Natalie Nogueira
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Went here with the other half for a romantic birthday dinner. Was appauled by the service, i know french waiters are known to be surly but this was just rude. Specials had run out by 8pm, the time between courses seemed to be barely enough to breathe and the quality of the food was mediocre: My halibut was overdone and frankly i have had far better food at my neighbourhood gastropub where the prices are half of that at the Bleeding Heart. If anyone is looking for a romantic, good quality meal i urge you to try Andrew Edmunds and stay away from this cliche from Allo Allo.
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Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, November 22, 2005

A group of 12 of us went on a Monday night and the restaurant was busy. Our American colleagues asked if they served apple martini and the waiter said yes in a dismissive tone. However he then proceeded to bring out apple juices. When no one drank them, he seemed confused and adamant that the drinks were martinis. I am not sure whether he knows about the "customer is always right" approach to service. We were all generally happy with the food. I asked for my venison to be medium but it was very rare. We were in the down stairs section and it was bleeding hot. Similar to the tube on a summers day. When we opened a window the waiter closed it and then fiddled around with the air conditioning - it felt like he turned the heat on. So in summary food acceptable for the price but the service is poor. I am not sure whether it is the french approach.
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Anand Reddy
Tuesday, October 25, 2005

A group of 8 went September 05. We had a v g evening with attentive staff (although we started just before 7pm so that may have helped) and good food - most of us had suckling pig - delicious. We were lucky to get a table altho' hadn't booked (Tuesday), so do book. The bill was £240 for 8, altho' that included 3 x bottles of wine. I recommend it, esp for a jolly group.
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Clare, Fleet St.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005