The Chancery

The fact that it was almost full on a Thursday evening tells its own story. The food was excellent, the service attentive and prompt and, given a special offer of £25 for three courses, it was also very good value.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, March 22, 2013

A colleague treated me to dinner at The Chancery as a belated birthday treat recently and we had such a lovely evening I have already booked to go back with my husband. The food was beautifully presented and very refined, though not as heavy as other fine dining menus can be. My fish was perfectly cooked, something not all chefs can manage. The service was attentive but not over the top or particularly warm. There are some excellent wines on their list but they are pricey as they often are in EC1! The dining room lacks the buzz of other local eateries like Vinoteca or Polpo, but as we were there for a quiet catch-up it didn't bother us. I am looking forward to returning.
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LJ
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, February 28, 2013

This restaurant is distinctly average. Agree with the comments re service, which is slow and unattentive. Food lacks imagination, but is competently prepared. Value for money not particularly good (£28.50 for 2 courses for lunch - about the level of a Michelin-starred restaurant). But it's in an area sufficiently populated with lawyers et al, so it will probably do OK. If bland is your thing, this place is for you.
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John Stitch
5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Monday, January 09, 2012

Love this place. Great food and v good value for money too.

Would highly recommend.
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Thursday, September 22, 2011

Went to The Chancery last Saturday, having dined there a couple of weeks previously for weekday lunch. The new menu was superb. The vegetarian option - Courgette Souffle was amazing...one of the best vegetarian dishes I have tasted - very inventive and very tasty. My friend had the Pork Rack which was also very good. The service was great, even though the restaurant was very busy. I would totally recommend the Chancery if you are looking for great food, and with the current offers, great value for money.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Restaurant was ok, tables a bit too close together but the food was great. However, our table of 7 had finished the basket of yummy olive bread provided and requested more but it never came. After our third attempt the embarrassed waiter basically said 'the chef won't let you have any more bread' (in not so many words). Disappointing considering we were paying customers.
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Nat
4 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Saturday, May 14, 2011

We dined at The Chancery very recently for the first time. On arrival we were greeted warmly, our coats were taken and we were ushered to our table - lovely ambience. Our friends who were known to the restaurant hadnt arrived yet - we were reassured that they are never late and during our brief wait were well looked after. The service continued like this throughout the meal - professional, attentive, informative and unobtrusive.

The food was excellent and beautifully executed. I had roast quail which was cooked to perfection. 2 of our party had the scallops which were superb. Mains were crab wontons and sea bass for two of our party and lamb and beef, for the other two, again, both perfectly cooked. The Wonton soup was a real surprise with an extraordinary flavour - the sea bass was beautifully crispy on the outside and perfectly tender underneath - delicious. Desserts were superb. The wine too was excellent. We chose a Malbec which complemented the food perfectly

We will most definitely return.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, March 05, 2011

Before I start, the food was superb! However...the service was atrocious - I've never left a restaurant so angry before.

We had to ask for everything 4 times (miracle that our bill was correct at the end seeing as how many of the same bottle of wine we had to order just to get a glass). People in our party didn't have their drink orders taken until the starters arrived at our table and then were not served any drinks until we had finished our first course. In the mean time we had begged for at least water which was then given to a few and then disappeared again. Then a waitress who wasn't even serving our area was gossiping about us within earshot (extremely rude and denied it when I confronted her).

When we couldn't take any more and wanted to leave, gave in our cloakroom tickets. After waiting for an age as nothing happened, we got up and went to the front to query it with the waiter who took our tickets (who was just standing there). He then just pulled them out of his pocket to ask which ticket was ours! After my reaction to this, one of his colleagues, then went and found my coat.

DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT!
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Kat H
6 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

I had my first experience of The Chancery's excellent service the first time I booked there - on the morning of my booking, I got an email from Zak Wood the owner/manager to say that he was terribly sorry but that due to an issue with their air conditioning, his restaurant was flooded and they would not be opening that evening, but that he was more than happy to make a reservation for me at another restaurant, who would honour the deal that he had on offer (as would he if we returned to the Chancery). We gladly accepted the offer and had a fabulous evening, made all the better by the glass of champagne that we received on arrival, compliments of Zak.

So last week, we visited the Chancery for a birthday celebration anticipating excellent service; we were not disappointed. From the moment we stepped in we were greeted warmly and the service was superb - attentive but not fawning. The interior manages to somehow be cosy AND elegant (?!) and as for the food - sublime is not the word. I started with the warm quail salad, followed by the duo of pork and finished with the chocolate marquis - every mouthful was delectable. My fellow diners enjoyed the carpaccio, followed by the lamb and sea bass and the strudel and flourless cake respectively; both were very impressed at both the quality and flavours and the birthday boy was delighted that he also received a beautifully decorated dessert with a candle! I was also impressed that despite two of us having allergies to wheat and dairy, nothing was too much trouble - we were offered alternatives and Nicole, who served us, was so sweet and careful to make sure that we were happy with our meals. Add to that a wine list that includes some very affordable - and drinkable! - wines, and the evening was also good value for money.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Chancery, and will return again as soon as I have an excuse... or just for the hell of it! 10/10
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Katalina
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, October 25, 2010

As a huge fan of the Clerkenwell Dining Room I was very sad to see it close. The good news is that the Chancery remains open and, in my opinion, is one of the classiest restaurants in central London. Tucked away behind Chancery Lane but well worth the detour. Service and food is impecable. I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal here. Have recommended it to several people all of whom have gone on to be regulars here.
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Lucy
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, October 19, 2010