The Troubadour

I hadn't been to The Troubadour in over 20 years..and, in fact, had more or less forgotten about it, so i was somewhat looking forward to go back there when i was invited by friends..it has changed a bit(it used to be smaller, and i don't remember them doing food back then), and i wish they hadn't started..Prices are a rip off and the food was at best average..iCold fries, uncooked burger, and cheap wine..£40....This is London 2008 i know, but there are so many places you can eat in that price range that are much better.

Admitedly the place is busy and quite different from anywhere else, but i would only go, as i used to all those years ago, for a coffee....Service is shoddy but friendly...
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jc - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 1
Friday, January 25, 2008

Never before have I paid £50 per head for poor house wine and incredibly low quality food. The expensive mozarella and tomato starter came without mozzarella (no apology whatsoever) and was utterly tasteless. The t-bone steak was a huge chunk of fat with a fat price tag. Extremely disappointed - as were the other 15 people I was dining with.
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JM
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, November 05, 2007

I have been going to the Troubadour on and off for 8years for breakfast or lunch. It's a really groovy place, the ambience is great and music always good. It used to get very smokey, but thankfully this is no longer a problem. Service can be shody and food on the whole is ad hoc - burgers, steaks, omelettes breakfasts are very good and good value, but other stuff can be quite expensive - for instance I was very disappointed today with what I ordered - ciabatta with spinach, mushroom and goats cheese - very tasty but very tiny portion. At £7.95 I expected a much bigger portion - I could have kicked myself for not ordering a breakfast instead whcih would have been much more filling and much better value for money. I did complain and was told that the reason for this is that goats cheese is expensive! I wouldn't have left a tip but irritatingly had no choice in the matter as service charge is added to the bill.
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J.C
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Saturday, October 06, 2007

Okay, I have to add to the debate about what this place 'is'. I live in the area and have been to The T about, ooh, 30 timesin teh last 8 years. It's officially, a 1950s coffee house, one of the last surviving ones. You know, the kind of place people went to smoke, dig the philosphers and call each other 'hep cat'. It's one of those venues you can go as a woman by yourself and not feel uncomfortable; a retiree used to sit in the window and challenge people to play chess, though I haven't seen him in a while.

Downstairs is a live music venue - I've never seen it used as a nightclub, though you can hire it out to have parties at an exorbitant rate. The downstairs is dingy and annoyingly shaped, but Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon and about a billion other legends have all played there, so you just have to deal. Pay £4 to go down and heckle new bands - everyone else does.

The service is, 70% of the time, sloppy and slow with a side-order of grouchy, so be prepared. The food is classic brasserie-style, salads and burgers, so don't go expecting Michelin stars. However it's not expensive and they don't microwave. I personally think the chips and burgers rock, and a friend swears by the giant rabbit salad.

At the end of the day, The T does coast on its reputation a bit. But there is nowhere else like it in London, its got a wonderful, unique ambience, and really does deserve the term 'institution'.

That's my two pence worth!
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Jane
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Thursday, August 16, 2007

Very disappointing indeed. Overpriced. Staff distracted.

We've got the food about a hour later, cold, no seasoning...microwaved.

Music too loud, the smell of smoking everywhere. Anyway, the just don't care.

Gotta get back in the game, folks.
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gunter_hansom - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Saturday, May 26, 2007

A very disappointing experience indeed. Since I recommended this place to my friends I am so embarrassed that the night ended in a most appalling manner with one of the waiters treating us like criminals.

I don't know what the hype is about the service. Quite frankly I thought it was awful. Very typical of a pretentious, stuck up place that thinks it's better than it actually is.
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Anonymous
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, May 07, 2007

Delightful staff and a really jazy atmosphere make an entertaining evening. The food is cheap and tasty, the burgers are a must.

The only drawback we found was booking a table for 6 and it (in keeping with the atmosphere of the place) was a little cramped and uncomfortable.

Arty chic meets 50's diner would probably sum it up.
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Joff Evans
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, October 05, 2006

I think this place is great! Facts:

-not a pub! It's a cafe/wine bar...

-very cute, arty and always packed

-the kind of place everyone wish they had in their neighbourhood

-food isn't fab and somewhat expensive for what it is

-but you don't go there for the food, rather for a glass of wine, a chat, maybe desert

And before I forget, there is a small nightclub downstairs which isn't too good, but they do have excellent poetry and comedy nights.

All in all a great place if you want to something different... small but original.
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FT - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, May 22, 2006

I quite like this place. It has a slightly ersatz Bohemian feeling to it, but the service is fast and friendly, and the burgers are fine. The one big drawback is the smoking i.e. you may have someone smoking about 6 cm from your meal. Avoid downstairs at all costs... the music can be good but you can hardly breathe at all.
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Neil H
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 5
Friday, February 17, 2006