El Metro

I can't imagine why anyone would want to write a bad review on El Metro

On a good day the food is very good, on a bad day the food is pretty good.

The Staff are great, Candice and Oscar are amazingly friendly.

Yes it gets busy, so what, yes you wait, so what, have a glass of wine and relax!

Yes there is dodgy music sometimes, so what.

Without doubt the best place to sit with friends relax and eat and be merry.

iF you want fine dining in a refined atmosphere with people rushing to your every need when you click fingers, El Metro is not for you.

If you want atmosphere, good food, wine and to have fun, El Metro is for you.
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Adam Rowan
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Thursday, March 13, 2008

I met a friend here but I did a recce beforehand to see what was around the area and I was appalled by the lack of decent places to eat in this part of Hammersmith but maybe I need to be enlightened ..... The 6.50 buffet was ideal for us , we are both vegetarians and there was a superb spread of dishes we could eat including a massive Paella. At first the interior appears a bit austere, but an atmosphere soon developed. I am tempted to go back for an evening meal . My half hour recce was rewarded
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Derek Smith
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, February 14, 2008

This place is one of the most authentic spanish food AND atmosphere in London. Tapas are more pricey than in Barcelona or San Sebastian, and the Paella not exactly the same than in Valencia, but it is as close as it gets, so forget the review of the sour and bitter first reviewer!

Entering this restaurant is walking into Spain : TV is live spanish football or entertainment (not only Eldorado), music is live traditional spanish music, and decoration just makes you feel there. Have a sangria, lay back, relax, you're there.

Don't hesitate a second
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Laurent
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Thursday, January 24, 2008

Avoid this place like plague. How this restaurant has managed to stay open since 1989 is quite beyond my comprehension. Open entering the dark gloomy claustrophobic L shaped dungeon that is El Metro, you'll most likely be stuck (completely undeserving)in a queue for around 10-15 minutes before you get offered a table. Now I usually have no gripes with waiting a few minutes for tables, provided that the staff offer something up as an incentive to stay. Free glasses of cheap house plonk are the norm, maybe a modicum of tapas? Nada! Hubris would be the right word to describe the staff's attitude of this shadowy corridor of a restaurant.

And it gets better: No cloak room? Tick. Rude, inconsiderate staff? Tick. Drinks orders are forgotton, ice ages pass between other meals being served, the irritating insipid Spanish "muzak" gets turned up to 11. By the time demonstrably unwanted guitarist arrives to drown out any form of communication with other guests I've already got my head in hands wondering why I didn't to stay at home, neck a bottle of Sangria and watch repeats of Eldorado on Sky to recreate a more authentic Spanish experience!

Perhaps I should talk about the food. The less said the better. Shame on me for thinking that a supposedly authentic Spanish restaurant could get to grips with the intricately complex task of cooking a Paella the right way!

When the £60 bill arrived I suddenly realized I probably could have flown to Spain and had better.

So in conclusion:

Pros.....Close to the station.

Cons: Ridiculously overcrowded (whole tables had to be moved into the middle of the restaurant to get access to the lavatories)

-Bland, badly cooked food.

-Unpleasant

- Ridiculously loud music.

Avoid!
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Simon
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Monday, January 21, 2008

we had our friend's leaving do at this place in chelsea...the staff were very friendly and professional...the manager even attended to us to make sure things are well, the drinks i wouldn't say i'd go crazy for but the amount of food they served as we had a set meal was more than one could imagine, we didn't even finish all of it, it was a spanish adventure for the tastebuds.
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jerico - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Saturday, December 29, 2007

A great place. Being going there now since 1990. Excellent food, friendly staff, great tapas, tiny outside terrace but heated and covered. Good live music at weekends, ideal for late night snack, drinks and lock-ins. Gets packed when Chelsea are playing at home, both before and after games - ideal for me!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, November 27, 2006

The food was lovely, the service was exceptional. One of my friends was not happy with her meal and she was offered something else with no fuss at all! When she turned down the offer the charged was waived. The rest of us were happy with our meal, the food was tasty, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Definately good value for money. Budget is and average of £15 without alcohol.
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Lady Gen
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Friday, September 22, 2006

I thoroughly disagree with the last review posted. I have had nothing but overall great service at this warm and friendly restaurant over a period of 3 years. The food is great, service friendly and yes it does get busy at times but it is a small and welcoming place who even provide you wiuth rugs for your knee on cool summer evenings !
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Georgina
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, August 08, 2006

This was the worst evening I have endured for a very long time.

We arrived at 7.20, and the restuarant was half full, with 3 waiting staff on duty. After being waved to a table in an empty section, we had to wait 25 minutes for someone to take an order for drinks - we actually had to stand up and wave to remind anyone we were there.

When our tapas arrived they ranged from mediocre to almost inedible - all soft and flabby from being microwaved. The bread was stale.

We then waited another 20 minutes to catch a waiter's eye to get the bill. The prebooked birthday party beside us had to stand and walk to the bar to get a menu, after waiting the same amount of time.

In the circumstances we didn't want to pay the "optional" service charge on any already hefty bill - the manager asked why, then yelled at us that it wasn't bad enough to justify not tipping (!), and accused us of lying because he had taken our drinks order himself (not so).
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Tanya
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, June 26, 2006

El Metro in my opinion, is improvable, but for what you can find in London, it is one of the best, if not the best out of the Spanish restaurants.

On weekend nights the atmosphere is great, typical spanish enviroment, with live music, great service and ofcouse tasty food!
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Alexis
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Saturday, June 24, 2006