Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley

Went to Marcus' Restaurant for our annual trip to a Michelin star .

Arrived early and were seated immediately. Was asked to choose wine before we saw the menu. Is this normal?

We had a delightful pre starter of pate du foie gras wi th marmalade crust; wonderful.

My starter was duck egg on a bed of cabbage with jersey potatoes, oyster and horseradish soup. The potatoes were like bullets! I mentioned it to the waiter who said they were meant to have a bite! Disappointing. Our beef was good but not exceptional.

I had the custard tart which was the undoubted highlight of the meal. The staff were friendly and warm and offered us extra chocolates with coffee.

A nice lunch but not in the same league as Hospital Road or La Gavroche.
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Paul Reid
7 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Monday, May 10, 2010

Excellent food (we went for the 6 course tasting menu), excellent service and a warm relaxed setting. None of the snottiness you sometimes get from an establishment that has a high sense of self regard.

Yes it is very expensive if you steer away from the set lunch menu but I would highly recommend the tasting menu as an opportunity to sample 4 starters, a main and dessert (with amuse bouches and pre dessert thrown in as well). The trays of chocolate covered bon bons with tea/coffee were a nice touch too.

Service was unobtrusive, friendly and helpful. They seemed to know precisely how long to wait between courses to allow ample time for a rest without ever leaving you wondering when the next one would be coming.

I would highly recommend it as a special treat.
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A Siva
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Celebrated my husband's birthday at the restaurant. We both had the tasting menus and my husband also had the sommelier's selection of matching wines. We both frequent many 1-3 Michelin starred restaurants and we left the Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley Hotel utterly disappointed apart from the wine selection.

The front of house was chaotic and the food was average. We felt it didn't even deserve the 2 star, let alone 3 star that Marcus claimed in the TV programme he deserves.
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Mrs TY
4 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Monday, March 29, 2010

Snap! We too were treated to lunch (not dinner) by our daughter and son-in-law on my wife's 70th birthday. On March 18. we had the gourmand menu. Having eaten at a few.3 star restaurants I can say unequivocally that this is up with the best. Wareing truly deserves a third star. The only difference I guess will be longer to wait for a booking.
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Roger Coombsi
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, March 21, 2010

Beautiful, romantic, fragrant (yes, fragrant with fresh flowers) sumptuous room. Warm red leather, dark wood and soft lighting all tastefully done. The staff were helpful and charming and service could not be faulted.

I had high expectations of the food. This is Marcus Wareing after all. However I was left disappointed. That is not to say the food was not good; it was. But it was not spectacular especially for the price paid. I think Maze is a lot better.

Also the famous egg custard tart was not on the menu! A real shame....
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Enoki - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 5
Friday, February 19, 2010

I went for lunch today at chose the set lunch menu for £38. The amuse bouche was delicious and wetted my tastebuds for the main meal to come. For starters I had the Foie gras ballotine, lime salt, Dorset crab, Braeburn apple, pearl tapioca, coriander cress. Main was Pan fried fillets of lemon sole, crisp rye bread, lardo, celeriac, hazelnut crumbs. The pre-dessert was served and then the dessert of Pan fried fillets of lemon sole, crisp rye bread, lardo, celeriac, hazelnut crumbs. The meal was finished off with a seclection of homemade chocolates.

Overall, the meal was delicious and cooked with classical elegance. The decour was opulent and the service was efficient but discreet (a waiter even turned my butter around so that the unused side was facing me!). I even got a tour of the kitchen and met Marcus himself! I would definitely recommend a visit and I hope to go there again soon.
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Mr CM - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Marcus Wareing was a fantastic dining experience. We had the full tasting menu with matched wines. It was a lot of food (and wine!), but we managed to roll out fat and happy. Of all the Michelin starred restaurants in London, this has been my favorite (even better than mentor Ramsay's flagship on Royal Hospital Rd).
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Brad
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, December 06, 2009

Where can I start? I have been to this restaurant or three previous occasions prior to my most recent visit earlier this month - twice to the former Petrus and once after it became Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley. On my three earlier visit I have thought this to be one of the finest restaurants I have dined at (only to be surpassed by Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at 68 Royal Hospital Road) and have always been amazed by the outstanding quality and technical brilliance of the many great dishes I have been fortunate enough to enjoy. Not to add the impeccable service and the various complimentary amuse bouches’ I have been able to sample have always been the highlight of any meal I have enjoyed here. With great regret that’s where my positive feedback ends.

Following my most recent visit I have been left hugely disappointed with my experience of both the food and the unfortunate impression it has left on my palate. I say ‘unfortunate’ because in the past I have held this restaurant in very high regards and I am mindful now that I am left with one less option on my list of favourite restaurants I can look forward to dining at.

Let’s talk about the food - The amuse bouche of carrot soup with a liquorice foam was ok – hardly as tasty as the sweet corn or pumpkin soups I’ve had in the past. The starter of mushroom risotto was in all fairness very good and closely matched the quality of what I would have expected. My mains were most disappointing – a red mullet dish that had a very fishy taste and smell to it. The worst aspect was the dish was way too salty – it almost seemed as though if the fish had swam its way through salty water before it reached the table. The waiter on noticing the unfinished plate of food did ask whether there was a problem and in fairness offered to redo a new plate or the choice of a different dish but I was no longer keen on this as I had been put off so politely declined.

The pre desserts were again disappointing with a bitter taste and no way as good as those I’ve had in the past. This followed with dessert which was good and as I probably expected.

Usually, at the conclusion of my meals I would have sat around to enjoy the bonbon trolley over a coffee but on this occasion I did not wait around to indulge in this.

Would I visit again? That’s a difficult one as on the one hand I have a principle whereby I refuse to return to any restaurant where I have a bad experience with either the food or service. Normally this would apply but in this instance, because my past experiences at this restaurant have been so great and the fact that I have considered this restaurant as one of my favourites, I am reluctant to write it off just yet. I would therefore conclude that I will probably visit once again in the future and see whether I can isolate this recent disappointing visit as a one off occurrence. I am hoping my next visit is brilliant because I really want to be able to go to this restaurant and enjoy an experience similar to those I’ve had in the past. Please Marcus Wareing and the team – let this be a one off!

My dining companion on the other hand seemed to enjoy all their courses finishing off every last morsel with each course that was served. Now whether this was due to them having missed breakfast or that they have an underprivileged palate I remain unsure and therefore I am unable to say!
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Babu Lal
5 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Visited for anniversary - very disappointed.

Starters - ok. Mains - too salty, neither of us finished our dishes. Dessert- palate hadn't recovered.

The waiters were quite uninterested in our half full plates and my polite comment that chef may wish to hold back on the salt.

The wine was good and reasonably priced but the food, just lacked taste other than salt.
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Bella
4 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Monday, October 19, 2009

My fiance and I have been to this wonderful restaurant for our special Big "0" birthdays. What a treat! Honestly? The best meal I have ever had! The staff were exemplary, nothing was too much trouble, and an opportunity to meet the chef, Mr Wareing himself, was a really great touch.

We are going back to celebrate our wedding later this year - can't recommend it enough!
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Ann
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 07, 2009