L'Etranger

I found L'Etranger through london-eating when looking for somewhere to eat near to the Royal Albert Hall. My friend and I chose the Early Bird set menu dinner there last night. I often find that these set menus have little to tempt me but this was different - all of the dishes looked really appealing. The warm chicken salad starter was excellent, as was the stir-fried beef main course. Terrific value at £16.50 for 2 courses. There are few restaurants within easy walking distance of the Albert Hall so this was a real find. Just one word of caution - champagne! We ordered a couple of glasses as an aperitif and then, as we were on tight timing, decided to have another couple with our main course rather than ordering a bottle of wine. However, when the bill arrived I was rather shocked to see that I had been charged £15 a glass - so with service our quick pre-theatre supper cost £105! I would have expected to pay £7-8 but this seems more than a little excessive - one glass of champagne cost almost as much as their two course menu.
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Lesley - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Saturday, June 21, 2008

The food was good. The general atmosphere was unpleasant though. The sommelier came across as arrogant and recommended an open wine which cost 35 Pounds the glass. He neither mentioned the price nor showed us the wine on the menu in order to make us aware of the consequences of this choice. So beware of their recommendations!
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Monday, March 03, 2008

I went through a terrible dinner last week with my girlfriend.

First of all, thirsty as hell, the water took as least 10mn to arrive then our champagne, ordered by the glass was flat. Fortunately one of the waiter noticed it and replaced it swiftly. I cannot believe for that asking price, most of all my girlfriend's fillet of beef was way overcooked.

Did they hire a different chef ? because i went for lunch 6 months ago and everything was great. Food is one thing but the arrogance of both the manager and the wine waiter put me off.

I really advice the owner to get back on track and do something quick.

Anyway, i will never return.
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David Smith
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Friday, February 22, 2008

L'Etranger is to me one of the best food I ever had in London and one of the most friendly service. everything look so fresh there, sashimi were so delicate, The toro platter was excellent, the black cod was 100 times better than Nobu and Zuma were i goes a lot. Now that i discovered this pearl in the heart of kensington i will spend more time there than anywhere else. I couldn't believe that the chef is French looking at the kind of product he use. Beeing myself Japanese I can say that this guy got a very deep understanding of Japanese cullture. The wine list is spectacular. I recommend this place for a formal/informal relax good evening.
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Akiko
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, December 11, 2006

I visit the restaraunt regularily (most recently 4 days ago). It has almost aways been a really good expereince, and when there is the occasional mis-step (too much wasabi in the beef tartare) they work hard on putting it right. The cuisine is interesting with a wonderful combination of French and Japanese dishes. I am a caviare fan and they serve it perfectly. The sashimi, the black cod and the lamb are other favorites. Deserts have been great too. It would be good if the menu evolved a bit more over time.

Service is very friendly and I love the way they remember what you like the next time you visit. It is always busy and bustling with a friendly relaxed crowd.

I think the prices are very fair. You can eat here for £25 a head with no wine, or spend £120 if you go for the caviare and the special Japanese beef (which is wonderful by the way).

I will be back again
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Simon Beresford
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, December 09, 2006

I have been living in London for 6 years and God knows how many times I have been to Gloucester Road and I have never noticed L’Etranger before. On a Wednesday night we had this fantastic experience with my partner and a good friend mine to try this French/Japanese cuisine. We sit in the 2nd room by this amazing wine cellar, which is on its own worth the trip to this restaurant. The décor of the restaurant is mostly black and white and very soft in terms of light, which makes the room quite discreet and private. The food was absolutely superb and original. I have chosen for starter fresh oysters on a bed of ice with different sauces (wasabi, citrus, ) and for main course a well presented plateau of sashimi with again a different choice of sauces. To drink, L’Etranger has a remarkable wine list for all prices. For the wine, we opted for a bottle St Estéphe – a real pleasure to drink even married with complex tasty food like Oyster and Sashimi. The service was spotless and friendly. When the staff was bringing the dishes, they were explaining each course which is always nice if you don’t remember what you order exactly. The price per person is about £50 which wasn’t a surprise considering the beautiful wine and the quality of the fish we had. In the end, highly recommended.
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Guillaume
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, November 19, 2006

The first time I went to dine at l'Etranger I had a really good experience, Went there last week and I have to say that the place looks a little bit battered now. The food does not seems to re-invent itself and the only thing that has changed is the prices on the wine list. Before, the wines were reasonnably priced but now it is top end. The wine waiter is pushing too hard to make the sale.Once it was a good place to dine, I feel it has lost a lot of its shine!
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Tony
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Thursday, November 09, 2006

Definitely the best Japanese/ French restaurant in London. The food is absolutely delicious and the atmosphere is very relaxed. If you are after a good wine you can be sure to find it thanks to l’Etranger’s extensive wine list. I will be going again and again.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Perfect restaurant for a special romantic evening....

Service was attentive yet not overbearing or stuffy. Atmosphere was buzzy but still felt private. Food was delicious...perfect sized portions, original dishes, great presentation. The Baileys coffee is a must!
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, July 29, 2006

We went to l'Etranger on a wednesday for lunch. There were not too many people which made the atmosphere even more pleasant.

The food was exquisite. Portions were small but perfect for a three-course meal and nobody felt hungry afterwards! I particularly enjoyed the dessert.

The sommelier did his job perfectly indeed.

A great experience that I would be happy to repeat regularly...
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K. Damery
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Saturday, July 22, 2006