Galvin La Chapelle

Fantastic. Four of us ate here last night and it was the best restaurant experience I've had bar none, save for Murano.

It's all been said about the room (the word room doesn't do it justice - this place calls for the use of the poncey, overused, artisty word "space"). It's fabulous. Tops the Wolseley for grandeur and style by a mile. It's ideal - how you might imagine or dream that a restaurant ought to be.

Service was smiling, competent and effective. Waiting staff were plentiful. They were not stiff and formal, rather helpful and willing. They also looked great in their classic black and white uniforms (which were not the usual polyester monstrosities). Very professional. Whoever hired this bunch knew what they were doing.

The menu is just as I would wish a menu to be. Classy selection of dishes and ingredients. For a relatively compact menu (maybe 9 starters and a 10 main courses) there is great variety packed in. The cooking is excellent.The crab lasagne is superb: flavour jammed and light as a souffle. For my main course I had the special of grouse, which they warned me was very gamey. It was not overly so. Best cooked game bird I've eaten. No dryness or bitterness at all. Cheese trolley was knowledgeably served. First class food.

The wine list is long and deep, with lots of choice £40+, and enough below that to satisfy. We stuck to the shallower end. An ok Galvin labelled house champagne - a bit of a lightweight effort that lacked punch. A reasonably priced, tart Petit Chablis (£28). A decent Italian Dolcetta (red) for about £34. And then a nice pinot noir- not sure where that was from...I was a bit squiff by then (there were only four of us).

Expensive but good value. Three courses from the al la carte, champagne / a bottle of wine and a cocktail each (!) it was just over £100 a head. Well worth it for a big time blow out.

This place is a bit like the Wolesley, but with proper grown up food and wine - and no gawping tourists. For impact, finesse, and quality of delivery it knocks GR at Claridges into a cocked hat.

No question that for style and fabulosity this is THE place in London at the moment. If they keep the standards this high it will be a very tough act to beat.
Comment on this reader review

Kwev
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Thursday, October 28, 2010

Excellent restaurant. Everything was perfect. Service was perfect. 10 out of 10 ... Impressed by such quality !!
Comment on this reader review

10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Had a brilliant Sunday lunch at La chapelle really friendly staff & very accomplished food.I had the wood roasted Cornish lamb,and my partner opted for the Grousse.

From the moment you enter the door this place is sheer class & I can not recommend it enough.
Comment on this reader review

Woody
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, September 14, 2010

We went for the "family-friendly" lunch on a Bank Holiday Sunday. We had a great time - the staff were fantastic, the sommelier knowledgeable, the food and location are great.

More importantly, the two year old loved it all - the toys on a table by the door ready for use, the relaxed and welcoming attitude of the staff, and the 'off-menu" dish prepared especially for her. This was the first time that we have ever been in a London Restuarant where children are truly welcome. We will most definitely be back.

Ignore the dodgy reviews and carping on this site and elsewhere. You will enjoy it
Comment on this reader review

Richard Poole
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Food was very disappointing.

Courses ranged from nice to unpleasant. We had the Rhone set menu. Starter of soup and Lyonnaise salad were both nice but nothing special. The beef rib was a tiny portion of meat with mainly fat and bone making up the bulk of the dish, it was terrible. Dessert of peaches and lavender icecream was an off flavour combination. Another dessert was 3 slices of goats cheese and bread - nice but uneventful.

The service was prompt. The setting is a beautiful converted building.

Overall food not good and not good value for money. There are many better restaurants in the area.
View/Add comments (1)

5 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Having read some good reviews about La Chapelle (Greg Wallace's 40/40 in Olive magazine in particular), I have to say that I was quite disappointed by my visit on Saturday night.

The building is amazing, and, along with the decor, really gives the place a wow factor when you enter. Unfortunately it's from there that things start to go downhill.

Firstly, I really love restaurants using seasonal products, but there was far too much repetition between ingredients used in the starters and the mains. For instance, for vegetarians the main ingredient for both was asparagus. I think this is pretty lazy on the chef's part. Also there was red snapper, lamb and duck on both courses, which was quite limiting.

Secondly the service was too quick. There was a really short space between ordering and receiving our starter, which meant that the bread had only just been served to us when it arrived. The plates were then taken away the second that we finished and the mains arrived shortly after. I know that some people deem this to be good service, but it just didn't help to make it a very relaxing meal.

Lastly, and most importantly, the food just wasn't up to much. It wasn't terrible; it was just nothing to write home about. My starter of asparagus with summer truffle vinaigrette was ok, if a little too creamy, although my partner's tuna looked lovely. My red snapper for main was fine but the fennel was too hard to cut with my fish knife so I couldn't eat it, and there was a layer of potato underneath that was really greasy and tasteless. My partner had duck but the sauce with it was very, very rich. Desserts were well presented.

Ironically our dessert plates weren't whisked away, so we were never offered coffee. We settled on just asking for the bill after waiting 20 minutes for anyone to come over.

I think, for a similar price, Chez Bruce and The River Cafe are far better.
Comment on this reader review

ciscomonkey
6 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Monday, June 07, 2010

Been a regular visitor to La Chapelle since Christmas (6 times now) and i have to say it's now my favourite restaurant.It must be the most beautiful spaces in the country & to find it in the heart of the city is even more amazing.Tonight I tried the pyrenean milk fed lamb terrine which was sublime,followed by a wounderfully delicate ballotine of cod with baby artichokes & aioli.It makes me mad when I read the rubbish that idiot A A gill wrote above,he could'nt be more wrong.Anyway on my way out i noticed chef Marcus Wareing dining on a table so if he chooses to eat here it can't be that bad Mr Gill
Comment on this reader review

10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Friday, April 16, 2010

Service was so snarky. Unwelcoming, even hostile. Akin to an airline dinner, not to mention we were seated next to a table of people who had added chairs on the ends so they were pretty much a part of our dinner. Glad to hear they were able to sort out their court case and that one guy's divorce, though.

Food was dull. The lack of service and atmosphere kicked the evening to the can. Skip it unless you know the bosses are in that night so you can get a proper experience.
Comment on this reader review

LJ - View all reviews by this user
3 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I thought I'd leave it to three visits before making a review. I have had the same dish three times - the crab lasagne, followed by the Pigeon Tagine, followed by selection of cheeses. basically - the service and quality of the opertation are superb - faultless even. the only complaint is rather pathetic on my part - and that was that the pickled lemon condiment for the tagine had become more of a sweet glace lemon. That's about it. the food was still brilliant. the wine list is also approachable and the cheese selection comprehensive. The venue itself is amazing - it is quite unlike anything else in the UK. I'll, er, eat someting different on my next visit :)
Comment on this reader review

Andrew Robinson
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Like Spinal Tap's amplifier, your service ratings should go up to 11.

As some others have said, the portions are a little on the modest side, but that's not all bad when one is watching the waistline. The tastes and textures were exquisite, and the service was charm personified from Mrs G meeting and greeting, a friendly and very knowledgeable wine waiter, and the delightful Francesca who supplied us with limitless bread and tap water to go with our duck egg and watercress veloute and our tender venison. We thought that, for this quality in Central London our bill was reasonable at £150 for two including wine and service.
Comment on this reader review

David Shipley
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, March 17, 2010