Quaglino's

Very dissapointing.

Our party of 15 adults arrived here to celebrate an extra special event. Our drinks reception at the bar was fine but once we were seated the evening went downhill. Drinks were served promtly and after about 20-30 minutes our order was taken. While bread and butter was supplied on the table, no side-plates were present (and never arrived) so needless to say the table linen was a mess with crumbs and buttered knives before our meal had even started. The starters arrived and were quite nice (potted duck, asparagus) - the 'toasted' bread with the duck was burnt on one side and completely un-toasted on the other (strange but a minor problem). However the mains were a disaster - the fish dish (seabass) was so awful they were sent back and a replacement dish of fillet beef was given to those who needed it. However, despite all of us (who had ordered the fillet of beef originally) being asked how we would like it cooked, the staff admitted they had not kept track of the rare, medium or well done meat and simply gave them out randomly with an apology - not acceptable. To make matters worse the meat was of exceptionally poor quality. Dessert was however, very nice but when the coffee arrived it was cold. All in all a disappointment and I won't be eating here again.
Comment on this reader review

5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Saturday, January 29, 2011

Arrived at Quaglino's last night and was very impressed with the decor and buzz of the place. We started our evening with a nice drink at the bar and it slowly went down hill from there. We waited so long for someone to come and get us to seat us at a table that we had to go and find someone ourselves but that was fine it was a little busy and we are quite relaxed people. We were seated at our table eventually and then had to wait about 30 minutes for someone to come and take our drinks/food order. Again we waited about 40 mins and still no food however a waiter did come over and apologised for the long wait so again we gave them the benefit of the doubt. Starter arrived and I must say the food was excellent so then we began to relax a little and hoped to enjoy the rest of our evening (my birthday). Once the starter was cleared away my boyfriends main (steak) was delivered straight away not even 5 minutes to allow the starter to digest. However I was still without a main meal 5 minutes later and my boyfriend still had no side dishes. We called for the waitress who then went hurrying into the kicthen and returned about 5 mins later with my fish and my boyfriends side order...................BUT GUESS WHAT no side order for me. You can imagine we are now running out of patience with this place. Called the waitress AGAIN who returned 10 minutes later with my side order (no apology just dumped on table) needless to say my fish was now cold. We called over the manager to explain what had happened and she offered to take away my main and replace it with a fresh one which I refused as my boyfriend had already eaten his meal to save them both getting cold so what was the point you go out to eat together right? I told the manager not to worry about it just take away the fish and remove it from our bill. THE BEST BIT.......within a couple of minutes of her removing my plate a waitress returned with our bill and asked us to settle it right away. (IN OTHER WORDS PLEASE LEAVE).....What can I say about this place good food from what I ate but a DISGRACE in service and the way they treat people. We just left very dissapointed without a fuss and WILL NEVER return to Quaglino's again.
Comment on this reader review

6 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Sunday, November 28, 2010

After reading some of the previous comments I was slightly worried, but our party of 15 were greeted and led to the bar area before being seated. Pleasant atmosphere, not too loud so we could hear each other. Led to our table and our orders taken promptly and shortly after our starters arrived, plenty of staff to cater for our needs. Food was very good, and were quickly served. Overall a very good experience and would visit again.
Comment on this reader review

Mr Price
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, November 21, 2010

It seemed strange that no one has written anything about this restaurant for a while,...! Well, what a fantastic surprise came our way last Saturday night. We decided to book Quaglino's, also gently referred to as Quags (by the staff themselves).

Booking was taken promptly and in a very efficient manner, a lovely Elisabeth called us in the morning to re-confirm our table and our special requirements. Upon arriving, we were greeted by 4 smiles, offered to have a drink at the Bar, which we did and decided to go classic, Martini and Cosmopolitan - faultless and Brani, the Bar manager makes feel like it is home... whilst listening to the ban and singer, we had a very nice view of a full restaurant, full of buzz and full of people clearly enjoying themselves. Eventually, we were taken down to the restaurant, sat on a nice round table (left hand side of the restaurant, best side to sit as one has a good view of what goes about...) - an eastern very polished, friendly and efficient waiter took our order, we went for Quaglinos cocktail, Caesar salad, followed by Dover sole and fishcake, our dessert was one pavlova to share - the food was amazing, classic and reflective of what this restaurant has managed to establish over the years..., did you know this place opened in 1993?

Yes, most definetely would recommend anyone to go back and enjoy a buzz night, with quality food and great service. Decor is modern, art deco, with some interesting features such as the tastle on the chairs, different colour columns, check the toilet signs very quircky, very Quags!

Well done, I have already booked for next month.
Comment on this reader review

john and juliette
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, October 11, 2010

Oh dear, this restaurant is very disapointing. I took 35 customers there for private dining before Christmas and it was OK, no panache but no real complaints. Went there again last night with 4 friends, one sent his moules back as very overcooked, two of us had the duck, also overcooked. Looking at other reviews it seems that overcooking is a consistent problem at Quaglinos. Also lacks any buzz, menu is unimaginative and food served is on a par with what a decent home cook would come up with, service is on the slow side and it is over-priced. they also tried to chanrge for two moules main courses, one of which was the dish sent back as incinerated the first time round.

They ar e in danger of being categorised as a tourist trap, and its not one I'll be visiting again.
Comment on this reader review

Tony
3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Just went to Quaglino's on Mar. 12 to celebrate my birthday. Although the food was very good, the portions were so small that no one felt full. The service was very sketchy also. After filling our wine glasses once, the waiter failed to come back to refill. It took my husband getting up to get the wine bottle himself before one of the other waiters poured more wine for us. The prices are much too high for the food and service you get. There are much better restaurants to go instead.
Comment on this reader review

7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Thursday, March 18, 2010

I went to Quaglinos yesterday with my mum . The place was packed with people. We had a free meal and we were given the Evening Standard menu 3 course meal. This was via toptable. The service was excellent and the waiters were very attentive. For starter I had a jerusalem artichoke, truffle and chive soup which was fantastic and my mum got the roquefort papilion with chicory and grilled pumpkin. For main course i got the braised rib of beef with mash, red wine sauce with sauteed olives and tomatoes and my mother took the sea bream with crushed potatoes and mustard sauce instead of the poached haddock with crushed potatoes and mustard sauce. For dessert my mum got the rhubarb and apple crumble which was fantastic but my dessert on the menu was written as poached pear with vanilla cream and valhrona chocolate sauce which was really tinned pears served cold with cold chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream instead of vanilla cream. Everything was fantastic apart from the poached pear. I will return there many more times.
Comment on this reader review

Jonathan Rashti
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, March 07, 2010

Late evening meal @ Quaglino's for 6.

What an impressive venue! It blew me away on entering, such a setting and buzz of business and the atmosphere, all just spot on! Unfortunately the food, service and communication did not meet the setting.

Wine: White wine was not cold enough and then was left and forgotten about in an ice bucket somewhere until we reminded the staff that after our first course we still had no white wine on the table. (Initial attempts to communicate this to staff was thwarted by the fact that they did not understand English)

Entrees: Steak tartare, very tasty but menu said it was to be seasoned to my liking at the table, no such theatre was experienced as i was left to season it myself.

French Onion soup (gratinee lyonnaise) was bland, under seasoned and flavourless.

Caesar "an original classic recipe dressed at the table" AGAIN no such table dressing was experienced.

Main Course: Chateaubriand, not hot, undercooked and when served onto my plate all the meat juices were sprinkled on and around my plate onto the white linen.

Cote de boeuf: overcooked, bad cut of meat, about 40% had to be left on side of board due to being chewy and inedible.

Haddock: Arrived looking very much like Halibut so had to get sent back and changed.

Desserts: The 5 cheese board should have been called a 4 cheese board and the rhubarb crumble would fill a 5 year old let alone a grown man.

All these factual accounts of a catalogue of errors are I’m sure a one off. I have no doubt that this is not a usual evening for the fine establishment.
Comment on this reader review

Mo - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Monday, March 01, 2010

I went to Quaglino's last week with my three friends, all i can say is the food and service was excellent. We arrived early and had drinks in the bar first.

I had read the reviews from the week before, which worried me.

It was a perfect evening, with great company.

We shall go again. The Clicks!!
Comment on this reader review

9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, February 22, 2010

I went to Quaglino's last night Saturday 13th February. The place was packed and not having been for ages was looking forward to an enjoyable evening. However it proved to be a very disappointing night with extremely mediocre food at high prices, appalling service as there didn't seem to be enough staff (it was a Saturday night!) and it seemed that the restaurant is all about low quality food at high prices for maximum profit. It really ia a shame as I used to frequent Quaglino's all the time and combined with the great setting, the meal was always reliable and delicious. I remembered why I hadn't been for over a year as the last time I went there I was also disappointed. It seems since the new restaurant owners have taken over, the standard of food and service has considerably declined and the customer is lucky if they get a meal that is edible and of a standard that one would expect in a well known London restaurant! I have noticed that this has also happened at the Bluebird restaurant on the Kings Road.......
Comment on this reader review

Marie OHara
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Sunday, February 14, 2010