Elena's L'Etoile

I visited this restaurant last Friday early evening with a friend. We arrived at 6.30pm and were the second table to be seated.

It was a nice, pleasant evening. Service was excellent throughout and the food very tasty. We each went for three courses which were nicely presented and well spaced out over the two hours we were there.

We booked using a special offer and it was ok priced at £51 inc £9 tip. The drinks were a bit on the expensive side, £5.50 for a glass of cranberry juice but the remainder of the food was reasonable.

It was a nice restaurant and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending to anyone in going.
Comment on this reader review

roses - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Monday, March 19, 2012

I visited the restaurant last night with a group of friends, unfortunately service was poor and did not warrant the 15% service charge. Food was good, however beef Wellington @ £ 25 was a little over the top. Champagne was charged @ £12.75. Per glass, again rather over the top.

No atmosphere, no music, waiters having a smoke outside the front door!

We were rushed through courses and out of the door. No crowd waiting to take our table, so why? No goodnight and thank you for your custom, why not? All other local restaurants were busy, I now know why. I shall not return or recomend this establishment.
Comment on this reader review

2 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, October 16, 2011

I had an excellent lunch with a friend today at Elena's L'Etoile. The ambience is delightful and the staff were friendly and efficient. We both had mushroom souffle, followed by sea bream and then chocolate pave. All three courses were delicious. I'll certainly go there again.
Comment on this reader review

Robert Rowthorn - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, September 06, 2011

My girlfriend and I almost didn't go to this restaurant because there are some terrible reviews, both of the food and of the service. Happily, we decided to go on the basis of Lex's review on this site, and had excellent food and excellent service.

First, the food. I had mushroom souffle, a trio of pork (belly, cheek and trotter) and lemon tart. M'girl had hot-smoked salmon, plaice and a chocolate pudding (the classic mousse-on-top, cake-on-bottom). It wasn't Michelin-star stuff, but it was like the best mid-priced restaurants that you find in France -- traditional cuisine with high-quality ingredients, and all elegantly presented. If you hanker after decent French food (I get a craving from time to time) this is the place to get it.

Second, the service. We were looked after by a charming waitress and the food came at just the right speed; the maitre d' and waiters were a little on the brisk side but certainly not rude. If you have ever eaten in France you will know that the service is often like that anyway. If you'd rather have Coco the Clown than proud Gallic efficiency, go to TGI Friday's.

This is a wonderful little restaurant with character (in spades), excellent food and, when we went, pleasant and efficient service. Do not be put off by the bad reviews -- if you don't know this place, you are missing out.
Comment on this reader review

John Butters
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, June 25, 2011

We went to this restaurant on 8th April feeling a little aprehensive having read some very negative reviews. We need not have worried..it was FAB!!!

The welcome was warm, the staff were friendly and efficient and the food was delicious, what more could you want?
Comment on this reader review

elaine long
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, April 18, 2011

I have just returned from eating lunch with a friend at Elena's L'Etoile. We wanted to go somewhere quiet and old-fashioned. I had been here years ago and liked its understated charm.

The food was fine - traditional and a bit dull. But the service was honestly the worst I have experienced in a London restaurant for a very long time. We were seated at the back of the restaurant and when other diners arrived we were all corralled together with no space between us, although the rest of the section was empty. The waiters were uniformly rude to the point of unpleasantness: not a smile between them; no lunch menu offered, then given to us on request with real grumpiness; our credit cards taken without a word and returned (wordlessly) by another waiter. Maybe we were not as valuable to them as the celebrities adorning the walls. It was all pretty graceless and I will not be returning or recommending this restaurant to anyone else.
Comment on this reader review

Sheila Browne
2 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

OK, I think it's time to offer a slightly different perspective on this grande dame of Charlotte Street. For those looking for Pacific rim Welsh fusion cuisine ordered via an iPad app and served by laser guided robots, please look elsewhere - you WILL be disappointed.

There are still a few of us left however, for whom character, charm and tradition count for something. We actually like taking time over our food and we enjoy chatting with waiters and managers who treat us as we treat them: be nice and, good heavens, they're nice right back - who knew?

We don't like being called 'you guys' by some vacuous orange Jedward clone and, shock horror, we kind of dig old fashioned bistro cuisine.

So it was that a group of 20 of us celebrated my wife's 40th birthday on Saturday. I have to say that from my first email, to being invited to dine at the restaurant while Andreas the manager planned the details of the evening with me, to my friend being given a carefully wrapped parcel to take home of the cheeses she was too full to eat after a meticulously prepared and perfectly choreographed dinner, the entire experience was flawless and quite, quite wonderful!

Chicken liver parfait was rich, sweet and with a light aftertaste of armagnac. Beef Wellington was moist and delicious in a crisp, firm pastry crust (no sogginess to be seen anywhere). Creme Brulee came with a nice brittle crust and a rich creamy centre. Wine comprised a good example of a rich Saint Veran and a succulent Brouilly.

Yes, this menu is not going to excite Heston Blumenthal enthusiasts as to my knowledge no liquid nitrogen or snail ice cream were used is its creation. Yes, Elena's is no budget restaurant and you could certainly have a more provocative selection of food served on squares of black slate for the same or less money.

What you probably won't get elsewhere is the well-worn, slightly creaky (like a favourite uncle who's getting on a bit but can still beat you at football), unpretentious, charming, reliable, heart warming and convivial experience that Elena's seems so effortlessly to provide.

Since Saturday I have had thank you notes from pretty much every one of my guests (a group comprising a pretty wide range of ages, backgrounds and professions from Soho media types to oil rig engineers) all saying what a wonderful night they had had.

I can't really think of any higher praise for a real little timeless treasure in a West End that's awash with anodyne, tricksy restaurants catering to attention deficit diners who think a good time needs to come with an instruction manual.
Comment on this reader review

Lex de Wynter
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Monday, June 21, 2010

i love l'etoile - i have celebrated my 30th and 40th birthday here. my parents had dinner here on their wedding night. my grandparents ate here before and after the war. service was always excellent, food well prepared, well presented and always reliable.so i am heart-broken that dinner last night fell very short of the mark, service was lack lustre, the main restaurant was almost empty when other restaurants on charlotte street were full. please elena - knock back into shape!
Comment on this reader review

5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Sunday, February 21, 2010

I booked a table at this restaurant using my Taste London card.

I was treated like scum throughout the whole night. I sat down to a table at the back of an empty restaurant. The waiter who served us was unbelievably rude, telling me that if I wanted more bread, I would have to pay for it. I said I changed my mind about the bread and he told me that if I didn't want to pay then I should have gone to Mcdonalds!

Our food arrived and the fois gras was quite bland. The main courses were very over priced and frankly, quite boring. Fried sole and mash is fine but for approximately £20, I expect something extra.

I asked whether ice cream or cream was served with the chocolate trio desert. The waiter said " well what do you think it comes with? lamb?". I have never felt so insulted by the waiter's arrogant response.

To make a point, I refused to pay the optional service charge. The waiter told me that if I didn't pay, I wouldn't get the discount. I asked to see the manager and resolved the problem.

I was very unhappy with the service and I can honestly say that I have never been treated in such a way by any other restaurant in London.
Comment on this reader review

Fran - View all reviews by this user
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Sunday, October 04, 2009

We ate here last night (Sat) on the TasteLondon card 50% off deal. We had never visited before. Arrived at 8.45pm to a dead & empty restaurant with only 2 other tables taken. Every other restaurant on Charlotte Street was absolutely heaving with people.

The food was really quite decent. Carpaccio & fish soup starters were good, and the main courses (Particularly my calves liver) also were lovely with some great presentation. The waiters were unfortunately a bit overattentive - which meant we were rushed through a two course meal and coffees in barely more than an hour. I prefer to linger in a french restaurant myself but i suppose in hindsight there wasn't much ambiance to linger for!

I am not a restaurateur but its quite obvious why the place is dead to the world. Charlotte Street is packed with innovative, modern cuisine, competitively priced and energetically presented. Elena Etoile is too expensive (eg - all main courses priced at £20), very tired and overwhelmingly out gunned by the competition

At 50% off our bill came to £53 for two courses, coffees and two glasses of wine. That is the right price for it. I certainly would not return at full price - for the full prices on the menu i could eat for less at Bistro Galvin de luxe which i suppose sums it up.
Comment on this reader review

4 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 5
Sunday, August 23, 2009