Bistro One Ninety
our comments
The Gore Hotel is sited on Queen’s Gate, that big road where buildings behind it house some of the most talented people in the country; The Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College London, The Royal Academy of Music and the Natural History Museum.
The first place we visited was the bar (quelle surprise) and what hits you is the way the décor has been completely left to its own devices. One element they have added recently is Cinderella’s Carriage, completely random it must be said, but with the DJ mixing desk on show at the end of the bar, hiring that for a minimum spend of £100 on one of the future Burlesque evenings could be the smartest idea yet. Take That, allegedly, spent an evening in their new VIP area, but I’m sure they didn’t pay for the privilege.
So, out of the bar and directly opposite into the restaurant, and wow - pictures galore, large antique mirrors and brasserie-style seating. For starters we had the duck and foie gras terrine, wrapped in parma ham with bronze wood sorrel and rustic bread, which was really cold and a bit too hard for my liking but the duck was particularly good. Also, the pan-seared scallops with pickled watermelon, wild cress and vanilla foam, all cooked to perfection and very tasty but we couldn’t quite work out the vanilla foam bit. The watermelon was a nice combo though.
The mains, we opted for the noisette of spring lamb brushed with porcini and mustard with smashed celeriac, red kale, mint and tarragon, and the crisp roasted butterfish, with squid ink risotto and char grilled asparagus. The waiter suggested that my lamb should be cooked medium-rare, which I agreed to, but then, when it arrived, it certainly wasn’t. The meat was very tender though, but for just under £20, rather disappointing. The butter fish was lovely and, like the scallops, cooked really nicely, but the squid ink risotto was way too salty. The presentation for all our dishes, it must be said, was pretty impressive.
Desserts were the luxury white chocolate cheesecake and bitter chocolate sauce, which was divine, and the lime pannacotta with peppermint syrup; good, but not ‘oh my God’, which is what most girls seem to say when eating it!
The wine list, certainly by the glass, really does need looking at. The waiter, who was very attentive and helpful, offered us mostly what seemed to be available at the bar, so nothing that exciting there then. The core list , again, set out the way I like it – in styles as opposed to country had a predominantly old world leaning towards Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône, plainly trying to please the locals with slightly longer trouser pockets.
One thing I must add though is that overall, if you’re looking to spend a weekend in London, this is the place I would certainly recommend. The rooms, all fifty of them, offer the luxury that should come with somewhere in the middle of Kensington but for those of you wanting something slightly ‘out there’, the Tudor room is a must.
T.K-S. - April 2008
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
We had been here many times in the past in the Worral-Thompson days when it was a favorite hang out. We were sadly disappointed when we went back for lunch today.
At 1.00 on a Sunday it was empty, not good - it used to be impossible to get a table.
My daughter had the "full English" - scrambled eggs should not be beyond any cook, let alone a professional chef - these were dried out and included sections of the brown crust where they had stuck to the bottom of the pan; packet quality bacon and a supermarket sausage - no excuse for that with so many butchers now taking real pride in these basic ingredients.
My wife and other daughter had the fettucini with tomato, mussels and clams - there was virtually no tomato leaving the dish dry and tasteless. A simple sauce with a few herbs and a bit of garlic was all it needed - anyone can do that!
I had "grilled chicken with cherry tomatoes, mushroom and hand cut chips"...a good brasserie standard, except what arrived was either poached or roasted breast, definitely not grilled, and stuffed with ham in a cream sauce on a bed of French beans (not on the menu); I was the only one who noticed!
Deserts were mediocre - the crepe was cold and the cheese plate bore a resemblance to a Waitrose packet country cheese selection. Not what we are entitled to expect for these prices at all.
Service was poor given there were only ever 3 tables occupied
The wine list is fine, actually quite good, but the fine wine selection going to over £200 is odd, nobody will want wine like that with food of this standard.
The room is still beautiful as it was in Mr W-T's day and has a true London ambiance, but this in no way compensates for the absence of anyone who knows how to cook, or a manager who fails to notice when he brings out a dish not on his menu. Its now everything that London used to be (but happily no longer is) famous for - an over priced tourist trap serving lousy food.
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Overall rating 
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 2
Sunday, February 17, 2008
What a disappointment! Went here on a recommendation from a colleague and was apprehensive about doing so after seeing the scores for this place. I should have changed plans at that point but one thing that can be said for this place, it is well located for the Royal Albert Hall, so we went! If the prices were not so inflated (typical of a hotel) perhaps we would not have expected too much, but they are, and we did. I can only say that we wish we had ordered the pre-theatre menu as opposed to the a la carte and we may not have felt so ripped off! For starters - a ham hock with no flavour that looked unappetising, scallops that were cold with no seasoning and fish brochette which quite frankly were not good enough. Mains – fish cakes, great on portion size but with little fish in them, chicken which was passable and lamb wellington which was thoroughly disappointing with no flavour, no thought and no care whatsoever in its preparation. Suffice to say we passed on dessert and made a hasty exit! Service was nothing to write home about, wine was good, restaurant has much to look at by way of wall art (not to sure about those lamps though!). All in all a below-standard hotel restaurant that we will not be heading back to any time soon! The search for a good restaurant which opens early and is close to the RAH continues…
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E W
Overall rating 
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
We had booked a table for Saturday evening, to have a meal after the Last Night of the Proms, as a special treat.
When my friend made the reservation, the restaurant failed to mention that they were having a special "Last Night" menu,
and that there would be no a la carte.
When we arrived, we were told that the lamb on the menu was not available, and that instead they were offering "chicken." Just chicken. Asked for more details, the waiter could not explain what sort of chicken - leg, breast, how it was cooked etc. ( we did not order the chicken !) and went for fish instead. While the fish itself was fine, the restaurant does not seem to own any fish-knives.
Main courses were plonked onto our table before we had finished our starters. No apology offered.
In fact the whole evening we were under pressure to hurry up and finish quickly. The champagne included in the menu arrived before we were properly seated, and we were told to hurry up and choose our wine, as they apparently only have a limited number of wine lists. The bill arrived the minute we finished desert.
If you are going to offer a "Last Night" menu, then surely you should be prepared to allow your guests to actually eat the food, one plate at a time, without hurrying them along all evening.
Average food and disgraceful service - a very disappointing ending to what should have been a special evening.
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Karen
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Monday, September 11, 2006
I only went to the bar for drinks after an event at the Royal Albert Hall.
The bar itself has a great feel about it and has a fantastic amount of spirits to choose from. Prices are not cheap but that is to be expected. The bar food was seriously expensive for what it was though; the portions very small, presumably to encourage you to fork out even more. There is a lack of viable alternatives in the area which means they can get away with it.
Recommended for a drink but make the effort to go elsewhere to eat.
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Rick Brown
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
I ate here last night, with my husband. The food wasn't all bad - I had a steak for my main course and it was rare as I had asked and tasty. It would've been nice had I been given a knife that was sufficiently sharp to cut through it though. My husband enjoyed his cod too - pan fried and juicy - and he's very picky when it comes to fish.
Yes, overall the food's overpriced and the service isn't as good as it should be. Not all the dishes worked either. The scallops with peas and bacon were overpowered by the bacon. And it was the one scallop cut into three pieces trick - as if customers don't notice! Puddings were so so. Good wine list.
We were the only customers in the restaurant - and still the waiting staff had to ask us which dish we'd ordered. I know, a bit picky of me, but for these prices I expect more. Oh, and the background music drove me mad! For example, What's his face singing "Show Me The Way to Alma Dildo" - and Madge singing something from three years' ago. It was a constant, low grade, irritation.
So, to sum up, okay Bistro food. Not horrid at all. Staff pleasant enough. But must do better to justify the gasp-inducing bill.
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Ph - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Thursday, November 24, 2005
