The Greenhouse

when looking for a green house in the middle of london you may well find yourself hard pressed. tucked away in a tiny mews street in mayfair, this restaurant does not scream and shout for attention. we found it hard to find and once we found it, it didnt exactly jump out at us. two of us for dinner, both of us foodies. we have eaten in top restaurants around the country and had very high expectations of the service and quality of food. once through the door, after the pretty walkway and garden surrounds, our coats were taken and we were seated in the restaurant. personally, we would have liked to have had a drink at the bar in a more informal setting first. Once at the table, we were served quickly with the menus and wine list. we were offered our choice of drinks to start. we opted for a glass of champagne each, and chose a bottle of polliy fume. The wine at £30 a bottle which was beautiful and very reasonably priced. the champagne, once we saw the bill, was not quite as well priced. the appertisers were innovative. posh mini cheddars filled with goats cheese and a exploding rubarb and apple oyster. after which we had a pre starter as you would expect in a resaturant of this standing, a soup (yawn). it was neither warm nor chilled and was nondesript. starters we ordered included scallop and chicken and foie gras terrine.. the latter was excellent, creamy liver and beautifuly made brioche. the former unfornately lacked the full impact of the terrine and was slightly meagre due to the fact. i only had one scallop. the atmospehere in the reatuirant is slightly formal and 'old' . whilst eating our starters the reaturant was graced by the head chef himself, to a table opposite us. unfortunately, from this moment onwards our service seemed to dimish into obscurity. wine glasses were left empty and were were made to feel a bit like second class citizens. possibly we were surrounded by celebrities but surely we are paying the same so we deserve equal attention. main courses. rose veal. its a fillet steak cooked perfectly with popcorn. the sea bass was undersated by a white wine foam. we enjoyed the main courses and were ready for the treat of desserts that we dont often order when we are out. pre dessert was like the best mojito you will have in your life. cold mint sorbet with a kick. Desserts . one decontructed black forest gataeux would have been amazing was it not for the alcohol content of the cherries in kirsch. the parfait was a perfect deconstructred snickers bar and was brilliantly executed. the highlight of the meal was the petit fours. chocolates, marshmalows on sticks and candy floss all perfect! Our bill for tthe night came to £248 but we took the service charge off as we expected better considering the reputation .The price.£65 for three courses or £80 for a tasting menu.

would we go back? ... no... go to claridges. the food may not be as refined but the service and atmosphere are worth double the money of this place.
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Ian carter
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Sunday, September 27, 2009

Had a great dinner here last weekend. Really imaginative vegetarian food, which is normally non-existant at other restaurants of this kind. We absolutely loved it... just as well for the price! Staff really informative and attentive, yet somehow relaxed at the same time leaving you to get on with the important task of eating.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A friend and i dined at the Greenhouse following drinks at the Dorchester on Friday - from the moment we entered and to the time we left we had nothing but amazing service, attentive and informative, fantastic food accompanied by well selected and complementary wine.....we loved it....every bit of it!

The cheese selection was a must and we litually stuffed ourselves so we could eat no more - i have nothing but praise and happy to pay the bill (oh yes i didn't as my friend obliged) - would i go back again and pay for myself - in a heartbeat!
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SP
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, June 09, 2009

A place for fine dining.
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King - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, March 22, 2009

Most expensive restaurant I've ever been to but a very memorable experience. Seamless service from start to finish. A varied menu with vegetarian options that are well thought-out & really delicious (which is rare). Would have loved to have sampled the infamous cheeses but was too full up from the 3 courses and tasters in between. Wine was simple but lovely. £50 for a bottle doesn't buy you an interesting bottle however! Comparable experience with Claridges but more intimate.
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Charlotte S.
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, May 19, 2008

Over-priced pretentious nonsense. No sensible vegetarian options, despite promising them on the menu / web-site. We dined at 7.30 but already the specials described in such lavish terms, were finished.

Very disappointing.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Thursday, March 20, 2008

This dinner for two on a Friday night was one of the best I had the opportunity to enjoy in London in over 10 year. The other one being at the Capital.

The presentation on the plate was impeccable, the bubbly was chilled to perfection and the 3 courses were just superb. Whether we indulged in fish or meat, all was just great. Plenty of amuse-bouche and in-between from aperitif to coffee. You need more than a week-end to go over their bin-end wine-list and the sommelier was the most helpful, pointing us towards a good value wine rather than a screaming price. £190 for two. For that quality meal in London, it's hard to find any let down. The only reserve I may have is that the place can get very lively on a Friday, therefore very noisy. But clearly the new chef is reaching for the stars of Michelin...
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Cyrille Delval
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Just doesn't hit the mark. The lobster tasted like fairy liquid! Best bit was the dessert - divine. The waiters seem to snigger to themselves when they serve the food at the pretentiousness of it all
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, February 20, 2008

A superb meal on Friday night. For the first course three of us had langoustines with chestnuts - an amazing combination. Our fourth enjoyed the scallops. For the main course we mostly went for the specials - I had hare with foie gras and truffles with truffle mash - another great course - and my wife and brother-in law enjoyed the woodcock also with foie gras. Our fourth guest had the lamb which also met with approval. After that the desserts were a bit of an anti-climax but the first two courses rank amongst the best I have had.

The wine list is very long and in parts very expensive, but the sommelier recommended a Portuguese red for £33 and then brought us a Vacquyeras for £23. In total the meal was quite expensive but it came with all the trimings - seemed like an amuse bouche between each course - and worth it for a special occasion.

We had a bit of a wait for the main course but service was exemplary throughout.
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Jeremy Thomas
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Sunday, December 16, 2007

This is what fine dining is about. Tucked away in the back streets of Mayfair The Greenhouse is set back from a small backstreet and impresses from the moment you walk in.

The service was impeccable and unrushed.

The food was everything you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber.

The wine list was extensive and had something for all budgets - the whites we chose were stunning.

Well worth a visit if you are feeling flush - a nice place for romantic meal if you can find a table away from the ubiquitous fat rich businessmen.
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Gav
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, October 08, 2007