Simplicity

My boyfriend, parents and I went to Simplicity last night and will certainly be going back!

The service was impeccable. The food was lovely and the set menu was real value for money. What more could you ask for!
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Monday, October 06, 2008

I love this restaurant. Can't agree with the previous reviewer - Lawrence is unendingly friendly and I think the food is very reasonably priced. £19.50 for three courses? Great hand-picked wine. The perfect local.
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Philippa
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

well, the food is OK, if a little over priced for what it is, once they actually let you in, but we've had 3 occasions now where we got there to discover that the restaurant had decided to close for the day, afternoon or evening without prior warning.

Last night, mindful of the previous two let downs, we phoned up at 3pm to check they would be open. they said yes, no need to book, just come on down. But when we got there later on, chef (who is also the owner!) had decided he couldn't be bothered to stay open after all so once again we were turned away.

We live locally and really wanted to support a local venture, but the disdain they've shown to their customers is so poor we won't be going back ever again. Luckily there are some other decent places nearby, so we went to one instead and will continue to do so.
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Lucy, Rotherhithe, London
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 4
Monday, August 18, 2008

Perfect local restaurant - great food, great value and friendly service. What more could you want! Just the type of place that Rotherhithe needs and hopefully it will go from strength to strength.
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KBarry
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, June 29, 2008

We are Rotherhithe locals but our local-ish restaurant of choice has always been Il Bordello in Wapping. The closure of the East London Line prompted us to look a little closer to home and we are absolutely delighted to have discovered Simplicity. We have been back almost once a week since!

The ingredients are good quality and the food is excellent, as is the service. I highly recommend the goats cheese starter, the seabass stuffed with couscous and harissa and the soft chocolate cake. The wine list also changes frequently and has some interesting and inexpensive choices.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, March 06, 2008

Had the great pleasure of eating at Simplicity last night. Only the second time we had eaten here and we are already thinking why we took so long to go back and when can we go again!

Fantastic food, superb quality and such good value. There is an excellent variety of dishes to suit everyone.

The wine list is top class and Lawrence (owner/chef) does a great job of 'woking the room'. His passion is obvious he enjoys talking to diners whilst giving his recommendations on what wines to have with what foods. You get to know where the wine comes from, why it is on the list, and even get to sample before you buy.

What is so special about this small and discrete hideaway is that it has the 'personal' factor about it, it is not a big place, I would say perfectly sized, and they obviously attract local diners as well as visitors.

Specifics on the food - the chicken and duck are wonderful, the desserts are just heavenily (so make sure you leave room!!) - Warm chocolate pudding or the Apple crumble - simply divine!!

This is a place where you should take the time to visit - It is a little off the beaten track but I promise you will not be disapointed!

I will be back very soon!
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Loz - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, February 23, 2008

I have lived in the area for over 5 years and whilst I love living there I have always felt that there are not enough good local restaurants around. I was therefore quite excited about the arrival of Simplicity and finally made it there last night. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed-service was friendly and efficient and food was lovely as well as reasonably priced.

It's a shame the restaurant wasn't busier as I would be sad to see this place having to close down due to lack of guests.

I will definitely be back and I would highly recommend this restaurant.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, February 22, 2008

I was delighted to find this little restaurant. It is almost austere in the simplicity of its decor - if you didn't know about it, then you might not be tempted in, assuming you'd ventured into Rotherhithe village in the first place. However you should definitely venture in and find this restaurant. The food is, without question, excellent, and the service is friendly and attentive to the right degree. The choice of dishes is not extensive, nor is the wine selection, but then when both are this well-judged, that does not matter at all and there should be something for every palate providing you aren't expecting something like sashimi. The choice changes regularly, which is reassuring.

It's also very good value for money. The first time I went, I'd been for dinner the night before at one of London's better known restaurants in Mayfair, and had had a very good but expensive meal. It is no exaggeration to say that the meal I had in Simplicity (a starter involving smoked salmon and a main of Gressingham duck breast, followed by something chocolatey) was however noticeably better whilst costing about a third as much.

Highly recommended.
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Jonathan
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Monday, February 18, 2008

This is, quite simply, the best local restaurant I have ever found.

Rotherhithe is a fairly quiet part of town but I was thrilled to discover this gem a few months back.

I have now eaten there five times and the menu has always been different - variations on a theme. The ethos is simplicity - there is a shorter range of dishes, the idea presumably being to do a few things very well (rather than lots of things averagely). And it works. The food is delicious, the wine choices excellent too. The staff are friendly and helpful and the owner/chef is always happy to talk to customers. He also didn't mind my dining companion asking for some bacon to be added to his starter and accomodated this request without comment.

Best of all? It's reasonable. Great food at great prices.

Why anyone would bother with the Mayflower (50yards away) I have no idea.

A definite ten out of ten. Get along and try it. Be warned though - the portions are huge!!!
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Craig Barrett
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, February 11, 2008

24th November, 2007, My wife and I ate here after finding Simplicity on the web, and looking for somewhere to eat while staying nearby overnight in London. We were most impressed both with the food and the service. The food was excellent, freshly cooked, absolutely delicious and fantastic value for London. The service was very good, our waitress was very friendly and very attentive without being intrusive. The owner, Lawrence, came and spoke to us for quite a time, which we really appreciated as the small but delightful restaurant was very busy. I would have no hesitation in returning and have already recommended the place to friends, well worth a visit.
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Mike Pearson
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, November 27, 2007