Refuel Bar & Restaurant

I've turned into a regular here, so I've become familiar with how things are done. I'm also tended to in a respectful way by the friendly staff and recognised each and every time.

First, the bar itself. My drink takes only minutes to make, after only waiting a few minutes to be served, even during the busy periods like around 6pm and on when its difficult to move. Service is spot on, along with the very pleasant waiting staff and bartenders.

And I can have any cocktail I want, in the very literal sense. If I've come up with a cocktail or maybe had one I have somewhere else. Even specifying one individual ingredient not included on the menu, they'll make it just for you. If they get your drink wrong, or not to your liking, for example to much fruit or alcohols, they'll make it again no extra charge. If you order food from the Tapas menu and it takes more than say 15 minutes, they'll scrap it from your bill.

The mural gives it somewhat of an illusory 1940's feel and certain 'Je ne sais Quoi'

Second, the restaurant. A great atmosphere and friendly staff. I've had Breakfast, lunch and dinner there. I've never had a problem with any of it. I do happen to suggest the Refuel breakfast. The Service time is whenever you want it, simply just signal the staff in whatever way you feel necessary.

My starter was the Grilled Polenta (Corn starch) with Proscuitto and Rocket dressed with pesto and balsamic. This was gorgeous and exquisite. The combination of savory flavors along with the sweet balsamic soothes and softens your pallet. Main course then. I have most, but my most enjoyable choices were the Chuck steak, served with chick peas and tomatoes. And also the Beef Ragu, something quint essentially italian about it. SImply not to be missed. The sides are most pleasant as well, ask for the Rocket and Parmesan salad with balsamic, and say you want pesto. They will pretty much do anything you ask.

And dessert. Only problem, to much vanilla in the money ice cream and not enough honey, but its not that big a deal. If you for example like only one ice cream from each ice cream choice, let them know and they'll give you only those select ones.

I wouldn't call it value for money. It is for people who are willing to spend a fair bit of money. The standard spend of say, one person goes to about £100 to £180.

I have indeed eaten at many top london restaurants, such as Claridges, Ubon by Nobu, Box Wood cafe, Harvey Nichols, Le Manoir and the Ritz. Refuel is definitely among them. I suggest taking a look and sampling some of the many delights they offer.
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Ross Donaghy
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, May 15, 2008

This has to be consistantly one of my favourite places to have lunch in the west end. the menu is constantly changing and there is always something tasty that is not heavily on the meat/offal style of dining. There the added advantage of playing spot the pseudo celebrity with the hotel being in soho. Best of all is the sunday lunch, when afterwards you can go downstairs to the film club. total indulgence.
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cartoon
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

I went with a group of 12 friends to the Refuel restaurant, which is the restaurant at the Soho Hotel, just off Wardour Street/Dean Street in Soho.

We arrived early for our 3pm booking and decided to have drinks in the bar area, which has a rather contemporary feel to it, although not overly comfortable seats. It took at least fifteen minutes before any member of staff asked us if we would like a drink, then when we ordered it, it took at least another twenty minutes to arrive - we weren't in a hurry, but this is just to emphasise the general poor service of the place.

Finally at 3.10 we were seated in the restaurant area and given our menus. Whether they gave us more time because there were 12 of us I do not know, but they didn't take our food orders for at least another half an hour. I ordered chilli crab cakes with aioli, which was quite tasty, although the breadcrumbs were soggy rather than crispy. My partner ordered Shaved fennel, feta, bacon and chive salad, which he said was limp and absolutely tasteless, which you wouldn't imagine, given the ingredients, but somehow they managed to make it very bland.

Ah well we thought, the main course should be fine, as we both ordered the mixed grill. This is a £20 plate and doesn't come with anything else, so should be quite substantial. When you think of mixed grill, you think quite a lot of meat. Well, when it turned up, all that was on the plate was 3 TINY bits of meat (tiny lamb chop, small piece of steak and a tiny bit of pork chop) - no garnish, very disappointing. Oh, and the meat was lukewarm at best. In fact, my crab cake starter was more substantial than the mains we had. I ordered a portion of hand cut chips with mine, just to bulk out the plate. The chips cost £4.50 and when they came, I counted the chips. Six - yes six chips folks. Admittedly, they were biggish chips, but I would have liked a proper size portion. I also asked for some mayonnaise or aioli to go with the six chips, and they said they would bring some, but didn't bother.

I wasn't even offered a dessert menu, but it didn't matter as I'd had enough of the place by then. The bill came and including drinks, it was £80 per person, which would have been good value if the standard of the food, quantity of the food and service had been anything other than poor, which it all was.

I've eaten out in top London restaurants, sadly this place is NOTHING like any of those. My advice to anyone who's in this area for lunch is AVOID this place like the plague, and go somewhere civilised.
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Andy Roberts, Southend, Essex - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, April 21, 2008

Staff were very friendly but the restaurant is slightly large, uncosy and soulless - possibly because it was a Wednesday night!? Also, not a fan of the Pizza Hut-esque drawings on the wall behind the bar!

Food was OK but not the best value for money or the best tasting. Many better places to eat in Soho.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Thursday, November 29, 2007

I am wondering whether I went to the same restaurant as the placed review.

My main course was delicious! Organic salmon cooked to perfection with a bacon and potato rosti. Sweet was a superb apple pie that looked enormously stodgy but just melted in the mouth.

I will certainly be going back again.
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Richard Ashworth
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, November 22, 2007

Not great for what is supposed to be a superb hotel. Food was nothing special and was cold-semi warm on arrival to the table. Service was very slow! We were a large group and its obvious they could not cope with serving so many even though we ordered off a set menu and at £35 a head plus drinks and service there are sooo many better places to dine in London! A true touriat trap! Unlike the restuarant at 'The Four Season's Hotel' Park Lane where we dine at least a couple of times a year including Christmas dinner party with friends, here the food is very well prepared tasty and fresh and the service is impeccable every time! Where they also did a fantastic job for our wedding reception 2 years ago! This is why will return and return again. We will however NOT be returning to 'Refuel'!!!
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sharon - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Sunday, October 14, 2007

Fantastic sunday lunch for a friend's birthday. The best service I've had in a long while - very efficient while managing relaxed and informal at the same time. Food was excellent, even though we were at the end of the set lunch session (£24.50 for three courses) and a large group.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, June 05, 2006

Trendy restaurant in a trendy hotel Could be a recipe for disaster (no pun intended) but refuel proved to be a find -despite them initially delivering the wrong order to the table. Senior staff sorted things out admirably. Liked the fact that staff were efficient and courteous with none of that inverted snobbery you sometimes get. Food was of a high standard - not quite Ramsay or Aikens but in some ways more pleasant as a result. V good choice of wines at reasonable prices. All in all an excellent spot for a lunch treat.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, April 10, 2006

Impressed. Not expecting to be. I would normally walk half a mile in the rain to avoid eating in an hotel restaurant Claridges excepted). The £19.95 three course lunch looked good and all of us ate half on and half off the set menu without any of the usual grumbles from the wait staff. Of whom all six or seven who attended to us were excellent. My potatoe and leek soup was exactly as leaky as I'd like. Although the deep fried parsnip (?) crisps on top were an unwanted addition.

Monk fish & mussels in saffron broth was perhaps a touch over curried - and being from Anglo-Indian stock that is saying a thing - but on reflection: very good.

Over all: an excellent lunch. Good food, funky ( the mural behind the bar challenges those on the Michelin building for art deco grace) surroundings and top staff.

A real soho hide-away
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Dr Benway - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Thursday, February 09, 2006

We so enjoyed the Soho Hotel in which is the Refuel Bar and Restaurant. I must admit that we only ate bar food but that was all we needed as it was sooooo delicious.

We were thrilled with the quirky vast pieces of art, large comfortable sofas, funky palatte of furnishings and unsurpassed staff. Even though our friends returned home on Monday we've refueld twice and would highly recommend this location.
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The Honourable Piers de Havilland
Wednesday, September 07, 2005