Essence

Visited Essence for a colleague's leaving lunch (party of 7). Although the tapas were undeniably good the experience was rather marred by poor service. On entering, one of our party observed a large notice in the window proclaiming "lunchtime tapas - 2 for 1". After being seated we asked the waitress for the details of the offer and she admitted that she didn't know and sought advice from the other staff; she returned and advised us the offer wasn't on and the sign had now been removed, and that we wouldn't have qualified anyway as we were a party of more than four. Had it not been a special occasion for a colleague I would certainly have left at this point.

The various dishes varied between good and excellent but two of the items ordered failed to materialise and even after we commented on this, only one appeared and was very much delayed.

Despite the fact that only two other tables were occupied we received at best below average service. The venue also lacked atmosphere and was very cold due to an open door (in late October!)... eventually the door was closed (by a customer) and the temperature rose to a balmy fifteen degrees...

I personally would not return based on this experience.
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Steve Broughton
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Friday, October 26, 2007

what a gem this place is! the tapas are always superb, loving the fresh seared tuna,perfect!

i recommend it and they do an happy hour on cocktails till 7pm.
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dominique
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, September 24, 2007

My wife and I have been to Essence before concerts at the Barbican on very many occasions. We like it very much indeed. The food is always excellent - tasty and interesting. There is inevitably a high turnover of staff in restaurants like this but the staff have invariably been courteous and helpful.

We have recommended it to friends who have also enjoyed eating there.

It has become one of our favourite places.
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Pat Soutter
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Saturday, June 23, 2007

Went to Essence on a weeknight after work with some colleagues and we were certainly not disappointed with the quality of the food, it was really delicious, particularly the fish dishes. The prices however, are pretty steep considering the portion sizes, even by London standards. Also the place seems to be trying too hard to be hip without giving enough attention to the overall atmosphere. The main glitch to note was the service which was definitely below par. The staff were not particularly busy but were visibly reluctant to take our orders and, with the exception of one of the chefs who we spoke with, they were gloomy and surly in nature. We still managed to have a good time but their attitude and the 'cold' atmosphere of the place spoiled the night somewhat. I would far rather eat less fancy food in a more traditional Tapas Bar, I think the overall experience would be far more enjoyable. Essence is probably more suited to pretentious types who focus on the modern decor and design of the menus.
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Alex
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Monday, January 08, 2007

The first time we went here I thought that I discovered yet another good place to eat in Clerkenwell but by the second visit I realised that I was just really really hungry.

Essence is good to go to for drinks with some tapas as nibbles but that's about it...but then you're still better off going to Meson los barrilos for the same thing (but with more choice of tapas and nicer staff...that actually speak spanish). The staff here can sometimes appear to be too fabulous to serve you and were more intent on serving their friend. Without the food Essence would be quiet a dull place to drink as well as there is no character. Would rather go home hungry next time than come here.
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hp5al
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Sunday, September 24, 2006

Overall, we really enjoyed our trip to Essence - principally because the food is excellent. Some really tasty and innovative tapas dishes (as well as some classics, done very well). Service was OK - we didn't have the massive problems that some other reviewers seem to have had - they were fairly friendly, but did manage to forget 2 of our dishes (which were then taken off the bill). Not particularly impressed with the atmosphere - the dining tables seemed like a bit of an after-thought to the bar, and the prices were pretty steep for what weren't huge portions. Overall though, the food was good enough to make up for any of the rest, and I'd recommend giving it a go.
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ajp50 - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Friday, September 15, 2006

The reviewer below definitely has a point - the service here is brusque to say the least. However, I do think he was particularly unlucky on his visit as although the service I received wasn't great, I wasn't treated as badly as he was.

On arrival we wanted a pre-dinner drink in the bar, and although at that point we were one of just two couples in there, I was totally ignored by all 4 bar staff for too long, and made to feel like an inconvenience when one did eventually take my order. When eating, we did get table service and did not have to start a tab, but they added a 12.5% service charge to our bill by crossing out the actual amount in biro, and replacing it with the cost inclusive of service! This removes the 'optional' part of the deal as the reviewer below points out - perhaps this is because if diners were given the option they would probably decline to pay!

This isn't the place to go for a quiet meal, or, as we have established, good service; it is however somewhere to go for great tapas. I cannot fault the food served here at all.

As tradition dictates, this is definitely a bar that serves tapas rather than a restaurant. On the Friday night we visited the bar became packed with local office workers as our meal progressed, and this does mean you end up feeling a bit of an afterthought, perched at the edge of a noisy party.

The food did make up for it - tortilla was delicious, packed with caramelised onion and served with sour cream, and the chorizo was generous, and crispy as it should be. We had six dishes in all, and they were more than enough for two. The prawn and monkfish skewers were moist and succulent, and a salad of goats cheese and pine nuts, whilst questionably authentic, was absolutely fantastic. A dish of meatballs and totato sauce, and some roasted vegetables completed the meal, and both maintained the high standard.

I would recommend Essence, but for the food alone, and not if attentive and polite service are important to you when eating out!
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Cassie
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 6
Saturday, August 12, 2006

I have been a regular at essence since its opening days and I have never encountered such situation. we use essence for corporate parties and for our own leisure, and none of our team of 20 has never met the rudness you mention in your review, hence my email. i work for a well known fashion designer and i can assure you we would not use essence bar premises if that was the case. personally i rather think it was a one-off.
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Silvia F Ferrari
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, July 31, 2006

Good food but overpriced and miserable rude staff. Drinks were poor quality too - using lime cordial instead of fresh lime is just lazy, especially when you are charging such high prices. DOn't know why it gets such good points for service because I thought it was terrible. Not a smile in sight and we were treated as if we were unwelcome and a nuisance. We won't be going again!
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Adam
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Thursday, July 27, 2006

what a find! went for the first time a week ago , the tapas were excellent,i recommend the Iberian pork,scallops,octopus....Our waiter was very friendly and help us choosing dishes and wines. We had a lovely evening, will go back for sure.
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william
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, May 06, 2006