Chapter One

My Partner Suprised Me With A Vist To Chapter One On A Sunday Evening And Would Like To Say How Impressed We were. The Food Was Outstanding And Was Service .I Opted For The Raviolo And Pork Whilst My Partner Went For The Eel And Quail And They Were Just Perfect, Although The Portions Look Small They Are Just Right. The Wine List Has A Good Selection Although I Couldn't Take Much Advantage As I Was Driving. The Service Was Friendly And The Staff Were Polite And The Waitresses Were Very Knowledgeable About The Food They Were Serving,Everything Seemed To Come Just At The Right Time. Would Highly Recommend Chapter One And Cant Wait For My Next Visit
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, November 09, 2010

we dined at chapter one on sunday evening with a couple of friends, who have never been before. We all had a fantastic evening. The service was friendly & the service was the best we have had in a long time. The staff were always arond if you needed them but never hovered or made us feel at all uncomfortable. All of us had different dishes & enjoyed sampling each others. The desserts were simply heaven, infact, had i not have been so full, i would of loved to start all over again. We would like to congratulate the chef & all of the restaurant team for such a wonderfull experience. I cannot wait for my friends to repay the meal with a restaurant of thier choice ( it will never match chapter one)

A fantastic evening. Thank you. We will return
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mr pickford
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, November 08, 2010

Food: We dined at Chapter 1 on Sunday evening, as a treat for a friend's birthday. We ate the jugged hare as our starter - this was delicious but very rich. This was followed by venison for main - delicious and plentiful in terms of portion size; there was really no need to order side dishes. We ordered the assiette of desserts but this was disappointing - far too much for a 'taster' dish of each of the desserts on the menu. There was also an odd mixture here - a rather heavy coconut cake and far too much chocolate. Perhaps we were being greedy in ordering this but in other restaurants the 'assiette' has been rather more manageable and varied in flavours!

Decor: Rather 'male'/gentleman's club-esque and oppressive - dare one say a little old fashioned?

Wine: Fantastic selection of wine - we opted for a Syrah-Viognier: delicious and very well priced.

Service: Disappointing to say the least. Whilst the sommelier and maitre d' were superb, unobtrusive and welcoming, the young girl/waitress who took our coats and delivered our food was surly (until it came to paying the bill when, clearly, she thought a smile might excite a tip). She grabbed my coat on arrival and thrust it at me on departure. She 'lurked' behind me during the meal and, frankly, lets the restaurant down. Interestingly, I noted on other websites, other diners gave the food 5/5 but service 3/5, so I'm not alone! If I'd checked reviews before dining I wouldn't have booked but, new to the area, I trusted the Michelin star rating and didn't look at reviews until after the experience when Perhaps our waitress wanted to go home at the end of a long Sunday's service but, in our recessionary times, one would assume there are others who would be glad of a job and would welcome guests rather than scare them off?
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5 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Monday, November 08, 2010

I went for lunch. I ordered an expensive risotto, when it arrived I thought they were having a joke with me. It was a tiny bowl, more of a starter size, with no flavour whatsoever and it was luke warm when it arrived. I could have made a better one at home for a third of the price.

The service was poor as well, we waited ages for our drinks and then for them to take our food order.

I have been here a few times, but I think the service and food has gone downhill.
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Fleur Rowan
2 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

It was good, that's all I can say. To be very objective,

Starters - 9/10 the food was outstanding, certainly a great way to start the meal, the pie i had came with an amazing presentation, and tasted divine!

Mains - 7/10 The mains however, was really very ordinary, I have felt more satistifed at other non michelin restaurants before to be honest. and not to mention, the fish was bland. Not saying its not good, but it doesn't arrest me at all.

dessert - 8/10 dessert and cheeses were good, but to be honest, its the kind of good that you'd get from a box of Godiva Chocolates.

Service - 5/10 This was the worst part, nothing, service was nothing, apart from the cloakroom service, it was very very very ordinary, absolutely no handling of the napkins or pulling of the chair, or cleaning of the table before desserts, mind you, we are paying slightly more than your usual pub. The manager did save things alittle, but waiting for 15 mins(after everyone on the table was done) for the dishes to be cleared and another 10mins for the dessert menu is hard to ignore.

overall, i would say that the place is good, but don't bother making a trip there if you haven't got a car, its not worth any journey, even if its relatively cheap.
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Cliff Tan
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Sunday, October 10, 2010

Drove all the way from central London to Chapter One near Bromley for lunch the other day after hearing good things about its modern European menu and wasn’t disappointed.

Head chef Andrew McLeish has come up with some great dishes. We kicked off with pressed terrine of foie gras and smoked duck breast, roasted macadamia nuts; fig purée and toasted fruit bread and my wife went for the compression of pigs head with capers, gherkins, chestnut espuma and pommery mustard.

Our main courses were just as delicious: roast squab pigeon with a croquant of peg and pistachio nuts, foie gras, carrot puree, peas and pigeon jus and the chef’s signature dish, pot roast belly of free range pork with choucroute, baby leeks, caramelised onions, salsify, apple and pork jus.

For dessert we ordered: iced peanut parfait, raspberry sorbet and peanut brittle poached plum with canelloni of quark mousse, lavender and honey ice cream.

We both agreed that the drive was well worthwhile. This restaurant more than holds its own with the best we’ve eaten in the West End, and the prices are a lot lower which helps to off-set the cost of driving there.

Chapter One may not look funky from the outside – mock Tudor- but once through the doors its contemporary, upmarket styling and roomy restaurant and bar areas make you feel you have walked into somewhere really special. Great service from people who know the menu inside out. My wife and I will certainly be making the trip more often if Chapter One continues to offer this combination of good food and sensible prices.
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David Sanders
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, August 23, 2010

We ate at Chapter One last night (May 25th 2010). There were four of us dining, as we were celebrating my birthday and my brother in law’s birthday. It was our first time at this restaurant and we had been looking to the occasion, having booked 3 months in advance.

We were very disappointed with the service we received. We are not fussy people, but we did have expectations of a Michelin star restaurant – sadly they were not fulfilled.

After arriving 15 minutes early, we found no-one to be seen at the front desk. After looking around for someone we were shown to a lounge area, which was empty except for a small group of businessmen.

We waited over 10 minutes for someone to come and take our drink order – and another five minutes before someone said they didn’t have the ingredients for one of the cocktails we ordered – and then another 10 minutes before the drinks eventually arrived.

As soon as we’d taken a sip of our drink, we were abruptly told we had to take our drinks to the table as it was ready for us. The restaurant was only a quarter full, so we were surprised to be marched off in such a hurry.

We seated ourselves – there was no help with seating for ladies, or placing of napkins in the lap, which are basic courtesies in fine dining establishments.

Upon receiving the menu, we were not given any information about the special (fish) and had to ask a member of staff who happened to be passing.

During dinner my sister in law and I ordered identical drinks, but when they arrived, her glass was only half full, as opposed to mine, which was full. I asked if the drink could be topped up with lemonade and a waitress plonked a bottle of lemonade on the table!

The food was okay, nothing special to be honest. My partner and my brother in law were both disappointed with their smoked salmon – both said it tasted bland and weak and had little flavour.

Again we waited a long time for the main courses to arrive.

We were given different desserts to those that we ordered, so they had to be taken away whilst they got the order right. My sister in law had a blood orange trifle which was very nice indeed.

Overall, we all said that the place lacked atmosphere. There was no background music in the restaurant, and this is something that would definitely help to create an ambience to the place.

I would not return to this restaurant, and I would not recommend it to others. We left disappointed and wishing we had instead visited our favourite restaurant, Pont Da La Tour.
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Amanda
3 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

My family and I visited Chapter One for my father's 70th for Sunday lunch and it was a really lovely meal from starter to dessert (Panacotta with pear ice cream which was fantastic) we all loved the food and the waiter service was fantastic, although a little bit too keen when it came to topping up the wine! The only snag I have is that I ordered drinks from the bar and got charged £3.13 for gratuity, this I feel this should not be allowed when just ordering drinks!
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Tina Barry
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, April 26, 2010

I just visited Chapter One recently, around my 4th time in the last year. I have to say it was not as impressive as one year ago for the following reasons:

1. Early Sunday night, no Quail left on Menu.

2. Had to ask for Wine list - waiter forgot

3. Our napkins were not placed on our laps

4. Staff seemed miserable, and slight attitudes

5. Had to send our Banana dessert back as banana was green!!!

However, I am very critical, everything else is brilliant. Still one of my favorite restaurants. Food is amazing, they just need to brush up slightly on the service front.
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Tony
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, February 03, 2010

My family and friends have been frequenting Chapter One since the change from The New Fantail in the mid 90's and remains my favourite restaurant for the quality and value of he food.

Had lunch today with friends and the food was exemplary as you wood expect from a michelin star restaurant.

Reading some of these reviews makes me laugh, yes sometimes the service does not match the food but the food would carry the evening even if the roof blew off.
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Brian Bloomfield - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Thursday, January 28, 2010