5 Pollen Street

I am sorry to have to report that this was a really surprising disappointment, given the hype about this restaurant.

The decor is pleasant but the room became very noisy, and the food seemed to be trying to be too fancy. I had the feeling I was in a pop-up venue.

The strange contradiction between setting and food was further upset by the really graceless and humourless head waiter in the bar area, who could hardly speak English and was actually really condescending - a rarity even at the fancier restaurants. The more junior waiters were very attentive and helpful though.

Topped off with the cost of the supper, and I would not be going again.
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4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Thursday, July 26, 2012

I went there last month for casual dinner.

Nice food.

Very very very over priced. In the end food is no different than your local Italian.

They seem to be having a problem with lights. I felt like being in disco at one point. Music is terrible.

Staff is very young and cant speak English at all. They are very nice, kind and polite but it took 10 mins to order our food due to communication problem.

We had a drink at the bar before dinner. They got very cool Turkish Barman who made us laugh a lot.

Manager lady is very attentive and guy who knows all about wine is very good.

Overall is nice place but too expensive for what they offer.
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Katy
4 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, February 17, 2012

Went to 5 Pollen street last week with a few friends for dinner. Having been twice before when the restaurant opened I must admit I was very impressed on my return. The menu pricing is now far more sensible as was very expensive before and a new chef previously enoteca turi. Food was great! I did think when I visited previously that the place was a bit dated in food and service but this is now not the case! already booked for my Xmas party. Artwork is very unique!
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Jane Thomas
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Sunday, December 04, 2011

i ve been there yesterday night with a group of friends, food and service were almost perfect and the atmosphere very frizzy, i really reccomend it, chef came to us at the end of the dinner to check if we had a good meal!!
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kate foster
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, November 03, 2011

Went to 5 Pollen St on Saturday night with a friend as I had read some of the reviews and thought is would be nice to try somewhere new. I was very disappointed! Although I thought that the food was nice, not exceptional, the rest of the evening was a little bit off for me. The bottled water was not even chilled and when we complained the staff did not seem willing to do anything about it. Eventually they offered us ice, we didn't get any and had to ask again for it. The first bottle of wine we requested - they did not have! At the end of the meal my friend asked for a peppermint tea - they did not have it! She then asked for a black filter coffee and got one with milk. All of this would not have been so bad if the price was reflected as so BUT the bill came and it was £75 per head. Very expensive for an average Italian meal that I could get locally to where I live, in a place with more atmosphere, for half the price. Don't think I'll be going back there again.
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5 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Sunday, July 17, 2011

I recently visited 5 Pollen Street as a lunch guest and was looking forward to trying a new restaurant and was excited by the online menu although somewhat relieved that I would not be paying for it. I ate at 1 star Locanda Locatelli recently and the menu at 5 Pollen Street is similar but unfortunately the food and service was not.

As expected for a new restaurant the service was not up to scratch. There was some nervous bustling around whilst the sea bass was not expertly carved and there was some noticeable leaning over the table. We took coffee at the end of the meal and the small plate of biscuits arrived a good ten minutes after the coffee rendering them pointless although quite delicate and tasty.

On to the food. I started with nettle ravioli which was more akin to spinach and ricotta and the flavor of the nettle did not come through or stand out in any way. My fellow diners did appear to enjoy the courgette flowers stuffed with scallops.

For main I tried the scampi tails with lemon balm which were delicate and tasty but no wow factor. The sea bass for two was a hugh portion and looked beautifully cooked and presented. The presentation was good overall.

All in all a bit of a let down and it has a long way to go to compare to Locanda, L'Autre Pied (I acknowledge this is a French restaurant) etc in terms of food and price. Sadly the menu holds a lot of promise which does not quite deliver.
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5 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, June 07, 2011

I went to Pollen Street last week for lunch with 3 of my girlfriends. We are ladies who love to lunch so we were very pleased to see there was a lunch menu at a great price.. I think it was £23 for 3 courses and a glass of wine. When you're in a restaurant as beautiful at this, eating what is obviously very high quality and imaginitive yet classic good Italian food, this is seriously an added bonus. I in fact got tempted by the main menu, opting the Borlotti bean soup with langoustine followed by grilled dover sole.. both absolutely delicious! I was expecting the service not to be up to par being such a spanking new restaurant, but we didn't even notice ther service (which is a good sign)

The restaurant has a lovely feel to it, its unique yet very cosy and comfortable. A nice mix of people enjoying their lunch and a buzzy atmosphere without seeming too crowded or loud. We are booked in for another girls lunch next week..
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Alison Prave
8 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Friday, April 15, 2011

I went to new restaurant 5 Pollen St last Friday with my girlfriend and we had a fantastic meal. We do not usually eat in Mayfair and do not usually eat Italian, but I certainly will be now.

The restaurant itself is tucked away on a little side street off Hanover Street, which as we found, at night can be a little tricky to find, but it also makes it more intimate and exciting when you do find it.

We were both having trouble deciding what we wanted, so we asked the charming manager what he would suggest, to which his response was ask the chef. Then came up to our table the head chef, of which I am told is Stefano Cavallini, former Michelin started explaining the virtues of all the dishes. We finally decided that in fact, the sound of one of his new creations which were not yet on the menu would be perfect, so we both had the stuffed courgettes flowers with scallops and tomato sauce followed by Dover sole with orange and bottarga, both were light, delicious and exactly what we felt like, so thank you to the chef.

All in all it was a fantastic evening, the menu is a little expensive, but when you combine the fantastic food, great atmosphere and decor and affable service, the experience worth the money and I will be returning again soon
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Luke Haywood
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

wow!! the food was amazing, i never write reviews but honestly i want everybody to know my experience!!

let s start saying that i m italian and i normally prefer japanese restaurant or to cook some italian food at home but....i think i finally found a place where you can eat , proper and not common italian food, to start i had a mushroom flan , absolutely fantastic!!! was delicate and light, after it i ve chosen the seabass...another wow...i dont know what s the name of the sauce they put on top but was so nice that i ve asked the waiter for more and more of it....to finish i had an apple tart....he didnt really look like and apple tart but then once you try it you have an amazing feeling!!

wine list can be better but not bad at all, decor is stunning

if you italian, trust me you finally find a place where you feel at home!!!
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Giampiero
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Monday, March 21, 2011

My boyfriend and I went to Pollen Street no 5 on a thursday night in the end of February, when we arrived around 19.30 it was not too busy yet, but around 20.30 all tables were taken.

We had a drink at the bar to start with and the bar manager was very friendly and professional, after a chat he knew exactly what kind of wine I would prefer and he made sure that the right wine was served to me at each course, my boyfriend had the best whiskey he had ever tasted.

For the starter we had a pasta each, I had a pasta with hare and my boyfriend had ravioli with pumpkin, they were both absolutely amazing! For the main we had sea bass, it was perfectly done and a dish I would recommend everyone to try. For dessert we had chocolate cake and tiramisu soufflé, I could go back every night for that dessert, it was gorgeous!!

It would also be nice to go there in the afternoon to have a cup of coffee and a dessert.

The staff was very friendly and they showed us a lot of attention all night, everything was done to a very high standard.

I would recommend everyone I know to go to Pollen Street no 5, it is not cheap but you get what you pay for!

No doubt I will go and eat there again soon.
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sitri
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Sunday, March 20, 2011