The Grapes

Great pub. Went there with a couple of friends not expecting too much but had an absolutely brilliant time. Bar staff were friendly and helpful, service was good, but nothing compared to the food. Absolutely sensational!!

Although some people have complained about the value for money, I cannot see why. I went expecting to pay this much for a decent meal in London, whereas I paid this much for a brilliant slap-up feast!

One VERY happy customer, and I will certainly be going back!
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Edward
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Friday, April 04, 2008

I hadn't been to the grapes in over 10 years but remembered it having a lovely fish restaurant above with stunning views over the thames. after twice requesting a window seat on the phone, we arrived to be told they never reserve window seats for two couple. good start for our anniversary meal!

The food is more or less how i remembered, proper scami in delicious batter being some of the best i've had, but the prices are way too expensive for what is in effect a pub.

Prawn avocado for £7, Sea Bass for £23, Scampi for £18, this is without vegetable's etc. i really think the grapes would do itself more favours if it lowered the prices and cut the size of the menu.

Out of interest afterwards we walked down to Ramsey's new riverside pub and although it had none of the charm of the grapes, the menu was a hellava lot cheaper, and this is from the supposed best chef in the world.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Service starts at 7pm finishes 9pm. Max 25 covers per sitting.

We managed to get a table at 7pm and we were the last booking. The first to be served, you kind of expect more attention, because there is nobody to compete with you in the restaurant. And you would think the level of food and service would equal the bloated reputation of this place, given the fact that they do so few covers. Quality not quantity? We paid £90 for 2 starters and 2 mains with a side of flavourless soggy spinach and a bottle of wine. The potted shrimp was too greasy, way too much butter and not enough shrimps. The chef killed the already poached hallibut under a mornay sauce "fenced in" by dry, piped mash potato and burned under the grill. Sea Bass was ok but for £24 was way over priced. The fish is all mp, which they tell you only when you get the bill. All in all a very, very dissapointing time. I guess when you only do 50 covers a day you have to jack the prices right up to make a profit. Fine, but justify it with a good product. Won't be going back.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Thursday, June 07, 2007

A new local to the area went to The Grapes to try it out. Crowd was a lot older than ours but that's fine, the atmosphere is really good. The service was good as well. But the food is really overpriced for the quality. I'm not saying it's bad food, just way overpriced.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Local pub, good atmosphere unfortunately, disappointing experience in the restaurant, hardly any fish available, pricy dishes with average taste but lovely hand cut chips, good wine selection. Toilettes could do with an extra cleaning during the evening.Tip: Stay downstairs in the pub and have fish and chips which you can't have upstairst.
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Sven
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Friday, August 04, 2006

Very over rated restaurant. Expensive (you pay £20 for scampi and chips) and its not even that good. Chips were probably the only things worth eating. We were first in the restaurant and there was hardly any choice of fish left. We were a group of 9 but they only had one tuna steak, 2 portions of tiger prawns, a couple of sea bass etc. If you go thinking you will get what you want to eat you will be disappointed unless you like a salmon steak or lemon sole! They should not be allowed to call themselves the best fish restaurant in London.
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sal
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Friday, August 04, 2006

Went to The Grapes recently and was disappointed, having heard some good things about it. The fish is not particularly good quality and the cooking is very dull. Lower-end gastro pub standards at higher-end restaurant prices, basically. Try Curve in West India Quay: same prices, fresher fish and much better cooking. The Grapes is a nice pub though with great river views. Stick to the beers if you go there.
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Peter
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 4
Friday, June 16, 2006

Sure it is just a Pub and certainly popular and has its own life - but it also has a big sign saying something like "London's best fish restaurant".

On that basis I'd say that it is appalling. Probably the worst prepared fish that I have ever eaten - I chose lemon sole since the dover sole was out - and it was just plain tasteless mush. Obviously been deeply frozen and for some time.

Oddly, the bread was tasty, in fact it was the only thing with taste that appeared that night. The "young steamed spinach with virgin olive oil" turned out to be mom's overcooked spinach wacked into a bowl with puddles of excess water - that was it fullstop.

There is no way that this place has a chef, there is a cook and a couple of servers, delivering podgy flabby expensive food. If you like tasty food and fish then go to Nobu's - The Grapes is a joke as a kitchen, but I could see the appeal as a pub.
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Walter Adamson
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Friday, June 02, 2006

We'd been looking forward to eating here for ages. The building itself is lovely, and the views out onto the river are great.

Too be honest tho' I cannot really see the appeal of the food. Ingredients are good admittedly, but are cooked in a dull way.

Fish was very plain, boring in fact. A side order of fresh vegetables was great, but who can get that excited over vegetables, especially when they cost £9 for the three of us. Desserts were served in really horrible school dinner style bowls (crumble and custard) and a nasty cheap metal dish for sorbet (which tasted bought-in). Not a problem, Bootys serves similar. But it is a problem when you are paying a lot more than next door.

By half eight they were out of lots of fish/seafood as well. The only other diners were Americans and I suspect that maybe most customers who are willing to pay for quite tedious food are foreign or on expense accounts.

We spent £120 for the three of us. It is apparently much cheaper downstairs. So if your boss is paying go along and enjoy the view from above. Otherwise I wouldn't make the effort.
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Amber
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 5
Thursday, April 27, 2006

One of the best fresh fresh fresh fish restaurants in London (if any of your party want meat you must ring in advance to arrange). Bit small but cosy, great views of the Thames. Service could be more cheerful. Booking essential, however if you are asked for a "deposit" at busy times, as we were, make sure they deduct this from bill: given the song and dance about the need for the deposit as "many people don't turn up" you'd think they'd keep a note. Pre-dinner drinks in bar rather squashed as popular but tiny.

Still worth it, but don't they know it.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 15, 2006