Galvin

Been to Galvin twice and both time were excellent. They always manage to turn some from good to amazing. I tried a green pea risotto with pan fried sea bass last time. I am not a fan of peas, but yet I thought the risotto was delicious. It was full of flavours. The lamb my friend ordered was equally good. It was very tender.

This time, the highlight of the evening was the steak tartare. I have tried few different ones before but this one really stands out. They added a little bit of mustard in it which gave it a little kick. My main dish this time was very simple. Steamed sea bream with olives, capers and tomatoes. It was simple, but when you have fresh ingredients like that, you don't need to add much extra to make it taste good.

The desserts are good, but I would say the starters and mains were better.

The bill came out to be a lot cheaper than we expected. We went home full and feeling satisfied. They change their menu regularly, so I am sure we will go back soon.
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JL
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Excellent Dinner. Food was supreme. I had the snails followed by the kidneys, my host had the foie gras and the sea bream. All was delicious.

The service was remarkably good, with attention played by all.

My only criticism would be that the tables are quite close - not sure it's the place to "whisper sweet nothings"

That said, I shall definitely return!
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Iain Herbertson
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Thursday, March 06, 2008

Reading the recently posted reviews, I find it hard to believe that this is the same restaurant that my boyfriend and I revisited last Saturday evening. We have been to Galvin several times before, but not often enough to think of ourselves as "regulars", and we received charming and attentive service on a busy night.

The food, as before, is some of the best in London - a notable lamb tagine, an incredible cod dish and a wonderful cheese board. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we took advantage of the little bar downstairs and sat sipping brandy until late into the evening. The final great thing to say about Galvin is that we asked a receptionist to call us a cab, and she was kind enough to flag one down for us on Baker Street - perfect service, perfect food and not wallet - bustingly expensive! Wonderful!
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Lola - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, January 08, 2008

I am baffled how anyone can give this restaurant 9 out of 10 for service (although I suppose it is the UK and the service in this country is generally appalling so the benchmark is low).

I've been to Galvin several times and always quite enjoyed the food but the service is third rate. The staff are amateurish (no clue about the menu), slow, and inattentive. I think the restaurant deserves a makeover on that front to bring it into the league of decent London restaurants.
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David
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Monday, December 31, 2007

spot on. why do so many restaurants fail to deliver when places like this show how it can be done. simple things done very well.

steak tartare was delicious, followed by poached halibut. other dishes looked equally tasty. service was pleasant, prices reasonable. what more do you need?
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tom
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, December 27, 2007

I went here in a party of four on a Tuesday evening in December. The restaurant was pretty full all evening. With several bottles of wine, we spent about £360 for four, including tips.

Pros:

Food - perhaps stating the obvious, but Galvin's strong point is its menu. There was a diverse selection of starters, main courses and desserts, which should suit most palates. I had the pheasant and a warm chocolate cake, both of which were excellent.

Cons:

Service - I was stunned at how "slap-dash" and amateur the service was - I've had much better service at a Pizza Express. A few examples: 1. We went to the bar before hand while we waited for our table. We were informed our table was "ready" and were brought upstairs. We then stood around the table for 10 minutes while we waited for the staff to actually set the table so we could be seated. 2. The "sommelier" was pretty clueless when it came to basic questions on the wine list (eg, "Which of these two wines is drier?"). 3. The food was served in a sloppy manner (eg, people were served the wrong dishes, food/cutlery was passed across people). 4. It was next to impossible to get any of the wait staffs' attention during the evening.

In general, it appeared that not a single minute had been spent on training the staff on the basics and that they had no prior experience of working in a quality restaurant. This is a stark contrast to other restaurants where the food is comparable (eg, Daniel in New York or even Orrery in London), where the wait staff are generally pretty professional and what you would expect from a restaurant of such a reputation. I realise it was December and I will go next year at a more non-peak season but that's no excuse for such poor service.
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Jonathan
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Was looking forward to eating at Galvin's and I was not disappointed. It has a great atmosphere, friendly staff. The food was good without being fussy.

It is very reasonably priced - wine is not over priced!

We had to vacate by 8:15 so had our coffee downstairs in the bar and ended up staying until closing with no hassle at all from the staff.

Great night will definitely be back!!
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RalphT - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, December 20, 2007

Buzzing atmosphere, attentive service, outstanding food, a memorable cheese board, reasonably priced. Probably the best dining experience I have had in London in the last 12 months. A delight to be repeated in the near future.
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conorh - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Went to Galvin for the first time last night to celebrate my partner's birthday, and it was a winner on every level. From the first moment walking through the door, being met by a wonderful maitre'd, fantastic service, and one of the best meals I've experienced this year.

A simple starter of foie gras and chicken liver parfait,was creamy and light, and matched with a gorgeous red onion marmalade, whilst my partner's fish soup was rich, hearty and flavourful, without being overwhelmingly 'fishy'!

The best main course of the year was a Supreme of Chicken lainard - tender, slightly crisped on the outside - served with tagliatelle in a light sauce and, rich woody chanterelle mushrooms.

Essentially, this is unpretentious french bistro fare served in one of the most handsome dining rooms in the city. I'm just a little upset it's taken me this long to get my act together to go there!
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Jaye Thompson
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Visited a couple of fridays ago.

7.30 slot and stayed all night.

Great food. Again.

Good service. Again.

Nice decor. Again.

Lovely "reasonable" wine. Again.

8/10.
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JD
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, October 04, 2007