Le Saint Julien

Service was very slow; manager needs some customer service training and the food (although we were told it was taking so long because the 'pan-fried' fillet of fish needed baking in the oven) was lukewarm.

Real pity because having booked it for colleagues several times and heard the food is great, I've wanted to try this place out myself for a while.

Although the food was tepid, it wasn't bad. I just cant risk taking clients here as the service was embarrassing - I wont be booking here again.
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4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Friday, July 01, 2011

I wanted to take my parents and sister out for a nice meal in London and Le Saint Julien (Barbican) was the restaurant I choose.

I was looking through the establishments offering 50% off food and I based my choice on the reviews given. Le Saint Julien had scored well with previous diners and on the night it did not disappoint.

As soon as we arrived I noticed the quant ambience of the place, just the right size to create intimacy whilst still retaining a decent atmosphere.

The staff were very polite from the off and provided excellent service throughout the evening. We started by ordering a bottle of the merlot and house rose, with the merlot proving to be a very good red.

For starters our table ordered the scallops, tarine, foie gois and goats cheese. The only dish that I wouldn’t say was up to scratch was the foie gois which was very buttery. As for the rest of the starters we thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Our mains consisted of the 21 day aged sirloin steak with hand cut chips and three of us opted for the duck fillet with berry sauce and green beans wrapped in bacon. All of them were superb, the only quibble I had was that my duck was slightly over cooked to my taste but I should have specified preference when ordering. We received just the right amount of attention from staff while we dined, having our wine glasses toped up periodically and always with a smile.

There was just room for dessert and we choose the crème brulee, tart au citron and a berry tart served with clotted cream. All of these desserts were created to perfection yet it’s safe to say the crème brulee stole the show being one of the best I have ever tasted. The berry tart came close second and I would recommend saving room to sample one of the two.

All in all we had a lovely evening and we all agreed that we would dine here again + recommend to friends. With the 50% discount on food, the meal came to £35 per head (including tip). For 3 courses, two bottles of wine and great service in my eyes Le Saint Julien is a real gem….
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Danny Saggers
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, June 06, 2011

Superb dining. Great atmosphere. A place that makes you feel (like) you could be in the heart of Paris. I will go there again.....very regularly!
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Gary Reed.
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, February 28, 2011

very good food and good service. I have been going there for 4 years and have never been disappointed though they seem no longer to do the steak tartare which was a rare treat reminding me of my childhood. I write as an authority on Mrs Beeton who was appalled at the idea of steak tartare.
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Author of Mrs Beeton''s Best Bits
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Monday, January 03, 2011

I love this restaurant, food, service and atmosphere is genuine, if you're looking for great honest tasty food, a resonably priced good wine list and freindy staff I'd recommend a visit

Great value too, go hungry and order as many fries as you can, you'll be craving them the next day otherwise, enjoy
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mc ec1 - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, December 02, 2010

Met a couple of friends for a meal in Smithfield market last night nad ended up in St Julien.The place looks like a typical French brasserie, with lots of mirrors, brass and tightly packed tables.

The menu is also classic French and priced at 3 courses for £29.95. Starters were good with the Foie Gras being the highlight, the snails in garlic butter were also good. Onto the mains and these were very good with the lamb shoulder and braised rabbit being really top notch. Desserts were okay but not up to the standard of the first 2 courses.

Service was good, both friendly and knowledgeable.

The wine list was short but covered all bases and we had a nice bottle of NZ sauvignon blanc and a cracking bottle of Claret from St Julien.

Overall a great night that ended with a few more drinks in one of my fav pubs the Rising Sun.
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Chris - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Booked this for a business lunch and was very pleased. Food and wine were excellent as was generall atmosphere. Slight issue with the time it took to bring our starters but as we were not in a hurry it was not an issue for us.
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John - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, September 29, 2010

I booked this as it is something different from the usual restaurants I visit - an authentic French restaurant in the middle of London. The restaurant was unmistakably French -the staff were very polite and welcoming and seemed very formal although we were allowed to relax and weren't rushed to make orders.

My partner chose the scallop starter and although she is not to keen on sea food she loved it. The mains were equally great.

The food was delicious and better value than most of the overpriced, small portions, offered in most other French restaurants I have been to in London.

The overall experience was fabulous and it was one of the few restaurant I and my partner have said we would definitely want to return to and we will be very soon.
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Fioanu
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Dinner at St Julien was lovely, however the service seems to fluctuate somewhat. On arrival the wait staff seemed more on the hostile side of friendly, but as the night wore on they became more hospitable and were very attentive. Good value if 50% .

Entree of seared scallops were light and delicate, the fois gras was nice and the snails weren't great. For mains, we had the duck which was lovely but a bit too salty. Those who had the steak really enjoyed it. The fries were totally overdone. Dessert was well presented and nice- especially for those who had the chocolate fondant.

However our evening began to go downhill at the end of the night when trying to get the attention of the wait staff for the bill, which we had to ask for 5 times and took a bit over half an hour- and that was only when we walked over to the bar to have a word with them and said we didn't want to wait anymore. As we were leaving, the manager stopped us and very loudly began saying how his wait staff were extremely disappointed that we didn't pay the service charge. We explained how we had waited for half an hour and he retorted that was impossible, insinuating that we were lying. His shocking behaviour and tone was extremely rude, and spoilt what had been an enjoyable evening until the end...
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Thienhuong
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Friday, February 26, 2010

nice and cozy place. i love french food so this was a good choice
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- View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, February 09, 2010