Smollensky’s (Canary Wharf)

I can honestly say it was the worst steak I have ever had the misfortune to eat in my entire life. My jaw was aching after the second mouthful, the service was slow (even though there were only three other occupied tables) and they didn't even serve any bread as you waited for the food to arrive, to top it all the restaurant smelled pretty foul too.

The side dishes (chips, mushrooms etc...) were actually pretty good and this has boosted the food score to a 3 !!!
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Tayeba n Tas
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

I most certainly agree with the last person - I'm so fed up with these automatic tips and I never EVER leave anything extra, however good the service, when they add the money on your bill. It's just rude... if they can't work out how much to pay their staff, they really shouldn't be in business.. and besides, when did the 12.5% kick in automatically?

Anyway, I am writing a review for Smollensky's. Having written just under half a year ago, and having come here quite a few times, I reckon I have to write again. I know this restaurant well enough to have written with a lot of confidence about their poor service in two branches in the area.

I was somewhat surprised therefore, to see a full restaurant this past Friday. It was certainly buzzing and so were the four waiters! That is perhaps the lowest number of waiting staff I have seen yet, at Smollensky's and most certainly the lowest waiting staff to diners ratio!

I was very pleased with having decided to go there for dinner. We had decided to go to Browns, but they forcast a 20-30 minute waiting time, so we thought we would venture back to Smollensky's, even though it is always a disappointment.

The merguez starter was a little lacking in presentation, and the relish slightly too sweet for my taste but nevertheless quite charming.

The chips were the most perfect I have had in a long time, and we both went for burgers which were actually quite good.

Unfortunately we were too stuffed for dessert and too tired for a coffee, but in all, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Our waiter was the highlight of the evening - having expected to lounge around for a typical half an hour in between short bursts of service attention, we were pleasantly surprised that he remembered to serve our drinks, check that our food was alright, offer us dessert etc, not hold us up waiting to pay the bill.. and all that with a smile!

Only thing I would say is, the floor manager could have been a little less dismissive - he was sitting at a table by the door perhaps with some business partner. We did not get prompt attention until he got up from the table and we realised he was actually working there. We were passed straight on to another lady in a suit - the delegation was a little swift and unfriendly. But that's a comparatively small detail in the grander scheme of things... hopefully it wasn't just a one off, or a star stand-in waiter service that we experienced that evening because we might be tempted to go back sooner by choice, despite the still slightly over-priced menu and the 12.5% service charge...
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@-}--- - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Monday, October 29, 2007

The food is generally good and certainly better than most at Canary Wharf.

The service was reasonably attentive although we found it unacceptable that having made a booking we should then be asked to leave our table after only an hour (!) and while we were still drinking our coffee

Finally when will restaurants learn that adding service and then leaving the bill is treating your clients with contempt?

It is a shame that good food should be undermined by poor management.
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Chris
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Thursday, October 25, 2007

Do not put tip in when the credit card machine asks...there's already 12.5 % on the amount. £180 + 12.5% + another 12.5%. I'm in the wrong job.... What a **** take!!
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SCOUSE
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Thursday, July 12, 2007

Visited there recently with a friend very disappointed, chose to have a meal there with a friend after receiving raving review about this place from friends and family. Service was acceptable. The food and drinks are very overprized for American cuisine.

An experience I will not forget for all the wrong reasons, will not be visiting there again.
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liz
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Monday, June 18, 2007

I have a love-hate relationship with this restaurant!

I love the location, it's very comfortable to sit in, wherever you are in the restaurant. You can have a nice intimite and quiet dinner despite the bars downstairs pumping away with their loud music (including the Smollensky's one itself) and the only fault about the location, would be the ticker bar outside and the Reuters' news screen that casts strange lights across the restaurant.

Anyway, the food is fine, the price is reasonable for Canary Wharf, as Canary Wharf standards go, this is no special restaurant (but then neither are most of them) but everything is perfectly fine for a general night out.

The service can be pretty appalling though. The waiters don't offend, but I find they are the same in the Wapping branch of Smollensky's too - they have a tendency to stand around and do nothing when you are waiting to be served.

I have never been in this restaurant when they are short-staffed. I often come on a Friday evening when the bars are still full, and there is almost always enough staff for a waiter per table! Unfortunately, there is never much of an atmosphere, except for what you create yourself. The waiters are inattentive, from the moment you step into the restaurant, and make no connection with you throughout your meal.

It is such a shame - because I still come here from time to time, but definitely for the nice comfy bench along the edge than for the service!
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 7
Friday, June 15, 2007

Completely overpriced restaurant!!!! The food was not bad but 16pounds for a piece of duck and 5 chips (literally) is too much!Not to mention the prawns (regarded as starter) which were pre-cooked, only 4 small prawns on the plate with no meat in them!

The environment was good but not worth of the 70 pounds bill for just 2 main meals and 2 glasses of wine!

They can do better than that!
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Christopher
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, April 18, 2007

This place used to be brilliant, now it's terrible.

Until spring 2006, The World's Best Waiter worked there. He was fabulous in every way and did things like lay a table for us on the terrace when they weren't actually serving there. We always looked forward to seeing him. The food was always good and the desert cocktails to die for.

Now it's spring 2007 and the World's Worst Waiter works there. He's a sour-faced big brute with an attitude problem who gets personal and shakes his head as he walks away from your table. There is no particular atmosphere and, more importantly, the food is now cold. I bet the chef leaves early and leaves the staff to reheat the dishes in the microwave - no joke!

I've taken my business elsewhere.
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Gerdie
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Thursday, March 29, 2007

Smolenskys is a bit higher up the price scale than some of the restaurants in Docklands, however you certainly get what you pay for…. This menu offers delicious meals that never falter. Certain things always remain on the menu such as catch of the day sold at market price and the delicious burgers. Being a vegetarian I often have trouble with choice in pricey restaurants but smolenskys has many Veggie options, all delicious and well thought out.

The service is usually great! As place is not often completely full.

Only negative I have is that most dishes don’t come with full veg or salad and potatoes, they have to be ordered separately from the side order mune, this can really hike up the bill!

Wine choices is excellent, did Christmas dinner here 2 years on the trot and both times absolutely loved it!

Can’t believe bad rewiews for this place, I completely disagree!
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NeilBec - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 20, 2006

Terrible service.

Went for a Friday lunch with my colleague. The place was busy, and we were told that the table would be available in 10 minutes. We've been waiting for almost 20 minutes, and the people who just arrived freely passed by to their tables. The stuff seemed to completely forget about us. When we finally approached the waitresses and asked them what was happening, we've been told that those people made reservations. Our next question was why nobody informed us about it and nobody paid attention to the fact we've been waiting for so long. The answer was: "It's Friday". No apologies whatsoever. We left and nobody seemed to care.

This attitude is such a shame, especially because the bar downstairs is an excellent place serving ones of the best cocktails in London.
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Natalya
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, October 28, 2006