Le QuecumBar

Good points: Band was excellent. The decor of the place is quite charming.

Bad points: Food is some of the worst we've ever had - overpriced, tasteless, and no aesthetic appeal. Best thing was actually the microwaved Gu brand chocolate puddings. But at six quid a pop not something you'll be running back for.

We also had the pushy reminders about the £15pp minimum and the request for tip despite the already excessive service charge for unimpressive service. Spoilt what could have been a good night.
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Scott
2 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Monday, November 28, 2011

Rude staff almost spoiled a great night

Went to see the extraordinary Tcha Limberger with his band at Quecumbar last night. Having paid £15 on the door, I expected to enjoy the music in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

After ordering a bottle of wine (mediocre at £25), my friends and I found ourselves being pushed into quickly finishing it and buying another. Ignoring this pressure, I was astonished to be told that the venue had a £15PP minimum spend policy (on top of the cover charge), and perhaps I should order a dessert and some more drinks. I had come out for to music, rather than to eat or get drunk, so I made do with a few glasses of juice (£3, straight out of a can).

On top of the sheer cheek at such a policy, it was completely inappropriate for the staff to basically accuse me of cheapskatery within earshot of friends, acquaintances, and even the performers. At least the waitress ('only following orders') had the decency to look sheepish, in contrast to her smirking colleague at the bar, and the embittered manager who wanted to take it all out on her customers.

I'm glad that I overcame my embarrasment and stayed though, as Tcha's second set was incredibly good. Even the manager's subsequent rudeness to my friends (for ordering tap water) couldn't spoil the mood.

A compulsory £10 service charge, followed by the waitress asking me if I'd like to add a gratuity, was a final bizarre touch.

5 stars for Tcha, 0 for the Quecumbar!
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Dan
3 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Still reeling from one of the worst meals ever last night at the Quecumbar. It was our fourth visit this year. We weren't expecting much on the culinary front as the food has been truly disappointing each time but we really love some of the artists who play there when visiting the UK and so have gone back again and again hoping that the venue will redeem itself.

But last night was truly the nail in the coffin. We will never go back and it seems like many others have come to the same conclusion judging from the dwindling audiences we've witnessed on our repeat visits.

The place leaves an awful taste in your mouth because as well as the food being essentially inedible (we were preparing ourselves last night for bad school food and it still managed to surprise us by being worse than our lowest expectations) it is an absolute rip off. We are normally happy to pay for good food but this is just a joke. My husband and I paid a total of £50 for: 5 bottles of beer, a soup, a baked brie starter and a moussaka. The soup was clearly made from powder and was totally disgusting. The brie - since it was essentially a cheese put in the oven and taken out again - was the only thing that was vaguely palatable. This huge food bill plus tickets of £15 each for the music makes it a £40pp night out which would be fine if it was a really amazing night out with great service, delicious food and so on. Unfortunately, this is so not the case.

The service is rude and cocky, and especially patronising from the manageress who seems to claim to be an expert on gypsy music yet gets details wrong when introducing the acts and who is aggressive in pushing customers to have more drinks. Needless to say, whacking a hefty £10 on our bill for service was not very welcome.

The dwindling audiences have a bad effect on the music too - no musician wants to play for a crowd of 10 people when so much about a performance is vibing off the atmosphere in the room - it's not their fault but naturally solos are not quite as enthusiastic, singing more subdued. This is such a shame.

I really hope that an alternative venue appears where lots of these guys can play - somewhere built on love not greed- because we will definitely not be going back to the rip off that is the Quecumbar.
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disgruntled-of-the-east
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, November 07, 2011

Hmm French restaurant, really? So the menu includes chilli con carne, turkey tagine (yes turkey!) and that famous French classic gammon and pineapple.

The decor is nice so is the jazz unfortunately the food is not. A very strange place serving average food.
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Neg
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Saturday, July 30, 2011

An evening of excellent music from Moscow Drug Club interrupted at length by a rogue fire alarm (which no staff member knew how to switch off) and the worst curry I've had anywhere, home and abroad, over the past decade, a genuine culinary outrage that makes nonsense of remarks about good food elsewhere on this site. We left deafened and demoralised.

Go for the music, certainly, but avoid the grub at all costs.
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Laurence
4 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Monday, February 14, 2011

I have to call to task the negative reviews on here and maybe they are from rival jazz clubs? me and my wife had the best food we have had outside New York, and the fabulous jazz music, very attentive staff, great atmosphere and decor, and very reasonable prices gave us such a night to remember that we will be going again as soon as we are in London in late October. well done guys and gals at this marvellous place. and rasberries to the people who just want to gripe, gripe gripe!
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pete avery
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, July 01, 2010

I'm surprised this dump is still trading. My meal here some time ago was one of the most disappointing dining out experiences ever, and the staff (i) fairly obviously could'nt do their jobs, from wait staff to kitchen to front of house, and (ii) equally obviously could'nt give a 4 x about customers, and quality and value of truly awful "food" - swill more like. Place should be great, alas, it is abysmal......
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Christopher Imrie
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Anyone who complains about this place must be wanting to put people off from going there to keep it all for themselves! What a beautiful, intimate and unique place this is. Me and the 3 friends who accompanied me last time found it absolutely enchanting. I will admit the food could have been better, but I have had a whole lot worse at more expensive venues. The music was top class, service wonderful and the staff were hilarious! I think most of them are performers themselves. I would recommend this gorgeous venue to anyone wanting a different and romantic evening. We went on a Thursday where I understand the musicians play regularly on that night. We found the lead saxophonist funny and breathtakingly talented, and would have happily paid more to see him and the equally talented piano player. We will all be going again very soon. Maybe I should rubbish this place in this review in order to keep it from being too packed to accomodate us again, but that would just be plain dishonest.
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Emma Fotherington
9 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, May 09, 2010

I recently spent a wonderful evening at Le QuecumBar. The atmosphere was cosy and inviting and the food was typical "gastro-pub" style, tasty and good value. But the main reason for going was to see the incredible gypsy jazz guitarist John Jorgenson and his band. John is a world-class virtuoso guitarist whose energetic, passionate and skilful playing could stop a clock, and as if that wasn't enough, he also plays clarinet and other instruments and his own compositions are mesmerising and moving. He is an all-round, consummate musician with a friendly and down-to-earth personality, even mingling with guests in the break between sets, signing CDs etc. He has played all styles of music and has even played at Wembley as part of Elton John's band in the late 90s.The fact that a musician of his calibre is willing to come to a small, initimate venue like this is a real treat indeed. John Jorgenson is a patron of Le QuecumBar and if he thinks it's good, it's good! Can't wait to see him there again.
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Christine Birch
10 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, May 06, 2010

What a terrific place to while away a pleasant evening with friends..Were not musicians but we know what we like. and very cheap compared to the other bars in battersea.
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bob perkins - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, March 15, 2010