The Gate Vegetarian Restaurant

I've been going to the Gate since it opened 20 years ago, but things seem to have gone a bit awry. The service was friendly but limited and incompetent. We'd booked - but weren't offered an outdoor table. 15 minutes to take our order..20 minutes to have our dessert order taken...then 40 minutes before our (15' wait) desserts didn't arrive, we managed to ask someone where they were. He checked. Said the order hadn't reached the kitchen, and "we wondered what you were doing." What we were doing? We were sitting there without menus, wine or nothing, and no one bothered to check anything. Taking 10% off the bill was nice, but then adding 12.5% service anyhow was a bit, er, rich.

It does feel a bit stuck. The lighting is glaring, whilst the outside diners were left in the dark. Nothing a few candles wouldn't transform. But it's the food that means we won't bother for a while..poorly presented, underwhelming flavours, and lacking the surprise and complexity of what it used to be.
Comment on this reader review

Lewis Cash
3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 4
Thursday, August 20, 2009

I've just come back from a leisurely lunch there, where I had three of their starter-sized dishes: first some fantastic, delicate, light, intensely flavoured stuffed courgette flower, then a perfectly seasoned three-artichoke salad, and then some beautiful courgette and red pepper involtini with a lentil salad that was fresh and set my mouth tingling with fresh herbs.

The Gate is the best restaurant in Hammersmith - even better than the River Cafe. And believe me, this is coming from a dedicated meat eater! It's my third favourite restaurant in London after the Anchor and Hope and St John. The fact that's it's a vegetarian restaurant is immaterial - they deliver incredible flavour. I was put off from going for months because it was veggie, and boy am I kicking myself now - this place is a foodie dream and I could have had many more meals there in all that time!

What they do incredibly well is taste - delicate and well-balanced, it's truly a masterclass in how to take fresh ingredients and lift them up with perfect cooking and intriguing, subtle flavours. It's also beautifully presented. I was lucky enough to work nearby for two years and it has always been a true joy for the tastebuds.

I swear I am not at all even remotely linked to the restaurant - I'm trying to get more people to go there because 1) it's beautiful cooking and 2) I can't belive people flock to the River Cafe when they can get intriguing, much more interesting and beautiful food at the Gate for half the price. The only thing I would say is sometimes their desserts are not up to the level of their savoury dishes - but hey, I'm a savoury girl, so I don't care :-)

It's not that hard to find either. Walk down towards the river, leaving the Hammersmith Apollo on your left-hand side, and you'll find the eponymous Gate after a minute's walk - basically it's in the courtyard of the Christian centre.

Delicious, delicious, delicate food - it deserves to be a lot more popular than it is!
Comment on this reader review

Gilda Maurice
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, May 06, 2009