Roux at The Landau

A very nice setting. We went to the bar first, where they do serve some very good, albeit very expensive, cocktails- service there was quite poor considering the prices.

The restaurant is set in a beautiful room. Tables are well separated from each other and the little bits of free food you get prior to ordering are all very nice.

The food I ordered was underwhelming- black pudding was nice but not any nicer than a good gastropub. The suckiling pig that I shared (min. 2 people) was very good pork and amazing crackling but that's where the fireworks stop, I would expect it to be good pork for 52 pounds for 2 people but I would also expect a twist, of any kind. There wasn't.

We didn't bother with desserts due to the quality of the rest of the meal.

I wasn't very disappointed but I wouldn't go back again or recommend it when you consider that some of the best restaurants in the World are in London, many of which are a fraction of the price I paid the other night.
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Z
5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 1
Monday, September 17, 2012

We had an early evening supper here a couple of Tuesday’s ago and it turned out to be a very pleasant school night treat.

B had booked the dinner deal which is currently available Monday to Wednesday if you eat at 6.30 or after 9.30. For £47.50 you get three courses, a couple of glasses of wine, water, coffee and petite fours. There is a lunch deal available Monday to Friday at the same price with half a bottle of wine per person.

We arrived at 6.30 and received a warm, friendly welcome as we deposited our coats and bags. The large main room was pretty empty as we took our table but it soon filled up during our meal. It's an attractive, in a grown up kind of way, room with high ceilings, subtle lighting, crisp white linen and plenty of space between the tables. For a very romantic evening there are a couple of recessed nooks which are a bit more private.

I liked the fact that the staff knew that we had booked the deal and presented us with a menu that had a choice of 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts. No attempt was made to up sell to the main menu and we were certainly not made to feel like we were on a cheap deal by any of the friendly staff who looked after us very well all evening.

Everything we ate from the amuse bouche of chorizo stuffed deep fried olives to our final course of cheese was skilfully prepared and beautifully presented. The main course portions are a decent size and you will feel well fed by the time you get to your coffee and petite fours. A nice touch was that extra coffee was offered rather than needing to be requested.

The wines on offer with the deal were all pretty decent. We both had a glass of Pinot Blanc to go with our oak smoked salmon starter which was a good combination. I moved onto a glass of Rioja Crinanza which was really very nice and brought out the best in the flank of beef I was having as my main.

All in all this was a very pleasant evening, with some very tasty food at a decent price in a “high end” setting. While I will not be rushing back I would definitely make a return visit.
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NunheadNeil
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Saturday, November 19, 2011

We visited the Landau for a celebratory lunch prior to a weekend away. As always the location is great, and they seem to have done a good job either keeping the period features, or renovating the interior. The staff were impecable, and there were great wine choice per glass. We ordered largely from the tasting menu, and really enjoyed the starter and main, particularly the Lamb. I confess not to being a great dessert fan, but my wife assures me it was up to scratch!
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Friday, November 18, 2011

Head Chef Chris King , Michel Roux's protégé, does that mean he'll be good at TV shows but rubbish at cooking? Agree with below comments, a lot of hype, spin and reliance on PR. They are milking the Roux name and saving costs with inexperienced chefs....don't think this is what Albert had envisaged? Says this is a father and son first venture after 19 years - don't see them working together in the kitchen, Michel seems very busy trying to save..."our bread" on TV, like it needs saving? Classic tale of rags to riches...and back.

The service is not bad but the food is more Heathrow Terminal 5 than Regent Street. We took our clients from Germany, trying to impress and thought a Roux restaurant was risk free. Big mistake. At the end of the meal everyone from the office looked embarrassed with fake smiles, quickly ordering more wine (which was very good) to avoid the question "how was it?"

You've been warned.
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N
2 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Friday, March 25, 2011

We had the set lunch, 3 courses with a half bottle of wine, water, coffee and petit fours for £45. The dining room is a very beautiful and grand space. The service wasn't as good as we expected. We waited quite a while to give our order. We asked for our wine choice at the same time but it took a while to come. I asked my husband to pour me some water as my glass was almost empty but a waiter spotted him and came over and snatched the bottle out of his hand, without even saying excuse me. When our amuse bouche came we didn't get a chance to finish them before the starters arrived. My duck galantine was okay but a bit chewy and my husband's pumpkin veloute was a bit tasteless. For our main courses, I had the red gurnard, the fish itself was very tasty, and my husband had the lamb which was good, with a tasty broth, but not well balanced as there were too many beans. Our dessert of pear tart was lovely and probably the best bit of the meal although my husband doesn't have a sweet tooth. Overall we were a little disappointed with the food and thought that the service could have been much better. The set lunch is good value for the location, but I don't think that we would recommend Roux at the Landau based on our experience.
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Sam - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Landau on Thursday 10 Feb , taking up the offer of Dinner: 3 courses with a half bottle of wine, water, coffee and petit fours and a glass of champagne £45 , champagne was at the start of the meal and was very good . The service was excellent. The menu pretty short but hit all the right notes ,each course was brilliant. Top marks for the service and food , I had venison which was perfect , partner had the sea bass also very well cooked and very nice .
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Well yes, great architecture, lovely ambience and a well set table but there is more needed to make a good restaurant great. What the Roux brothers got right at Le Gavroche is that the food and service are fantastic and that the customer is king – whatever they are ordering or however much it costs – sadly the Landau has yet to learn that.

The ‘Festive Menu’ was poor in imagination and delivery and yet worse still was not good value for money. I can only eat small amounts and yet at the end of three courses could have started the whole cycle again. The cheese – granted it was not on the menu we had been given – was a disgraceful apology for a final course. Really, if I hadn’t been a guest and had paid myself I would have complained the pretty little ceiling down! The Sommelier and the wines saved the day but overall it doesn’t get any more disappointing than this.

If you do want to offer great food and good service to EVERY diner then please do not offer 'deals' or set price meals, it would be better to re-mortgage the house for a good dinner than to be pick pocketed for mediocrity.
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JR Surtees
5 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Friday, December 03, 2010

I have to be authentic and inform others who may wish to visit this amazingly stunning piece of architecture to then find yourself being greeted by at the stunning entrance by the well approach of their staff; seemed a journey of what only dreams could be made of. A little far fetched? Rhetorically speaking of course; no, not at all.

It was my dear Parisians birthday party and our first approach was at the Artesian Bar. Such beauty surrounding us as we indulged ourselves in a warm and magnifique drink of Artesian Hot Buttered Rum; sublime.

To then journey to The Landau Restaurant being shown to our seats to then find my friend was a little uncomfortable with the breeze flowing out of the air conditioning. This was mentioned to the staff and to our amazement took no time to re-accomodate us. Now that's what I call excellent service.

We went for the three course meal which also included a glass of champagne. The food was great for my palette and was digested with its lightness, very well.

The restaurant staff have to be acknowledged in an extraordinary manner as their attention to detail was/is out of this world. Pleasant, attentive, extremely polite and hit all the right notes.

I'm about to embark and return very soon to introduce the location to a dear friend of mine. My mind is already tracking itself forward to re-order the Hot Buttered Rum. Isn't this what life is all about?! Enjoy e Buon Apetitto.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, October 02, 2010

After having wanted to do so for some time, I finally ate at The Landau recently. I was extremely glad I did so, as it offers a refined experience, from the well-executed food to the distinctive and charming service (which, while not always the slickest, is genuinely warm and worthy of return alone).

I loved my chicken parfait starter from the set menu deal; it was the highlight of my meal, just melting in my mouth. Vegetarians, can request the additional flesh-free menu; my husband raved about Mrs. Tee's mushroom linguine.

The dining area is beautiful and the pace of the meal was good - it's a real dining event and I wouldn't hesitate to return.
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dawnage - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, August 10, 2010