Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill

Got a table in the oyster bar of Bentleys on Saturday night and had a great time.

Food was good, Asparagus & duck egg, fish soup & pollack the highlights.

Tables are really packed in here but I felt this gave the room a great atmosphere.

Service from the reception to the barman was good but it was our waitress (Katie)who stood out, she was simply great!

Value for money was not bad, good selection of white wine in 250ml carafe's let us try several wines at a decent price.

And to top it all were sitting next to Hugh Grant!
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Chris - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, March 31, 2008

I went to Bentleys with such high expectations but was so disapointed with the service and food that i recieved.

The food was average (prawn and egg to start, fish pie for mains) but i was most disapointed with the service.

I was sat at the bar but still had to wait for drinks and plates to be cleared and i didn't really feel like the staff wanted us there.

with a lot of places in london this one place i won't be re-visiting.
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M Clarke
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Friday, March 07, 2008

I went to Bentley's with a friend last night and had a wonderful meal. We ate upstairs in the restaurant, which is a beautiful room with William Morris fabric covered walls and well spaced tables. Unlike another reviewer, we found the service absolutely charming. There was no attempt to sell up and they were more than happy to give us a jug of chilled tap water rather than an expensive bottle of mineral water. It's not a cheap place, but the quality of the ingredients and the cooking justify this.

We shared a dozen oysters (the cheapest ones) which were some of the best I've ever had. They were at the perfect temperature and there was the traditional choice of tabasco, freshly-squeezed lemon juice or shallots in red wine vinegar to flavour them with. They were plump and very fresh. Delicious.

I had royal fish pie as a main course. It didn't look like much when it arrived, but underneath the mashed potato were big juicy chunks of lobster, langoustine, salmon and scallop. No cheap filler here. My friend chose undyed smoked haddock on smashed potatoes with greens, which was finished with a perfectly poached egg and mustartd sauce. Again, high quality ingredients prepared simply to create a memorable dish.

All through the meal the service was attentive and helpful without being over-bearing. After 2 course each, a bottle of chablis and a couple of glasses of wine after the meal the bill came to £124 including service. I've paid more in London restaurants for a far inferior experience.
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BH
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, December 14, 2007

As Londoners my husband and I were really exicted about going to Bentleys as we had heard great things. We ordered a glass of wine each we were then subjected to a massive up sell to a bottle from a waiter, we eventually convinced him that we really only wanted one glass.

The continual selling came with the oysters we chose, again being pushed into a more expensive plate. When we asked for recommendations for main we were immeidately directed to an expensive special.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was fantasic so we sat at the bar but the waiter kept talking to us, asking where we were from etc.

The food was good, although I have had better squid & chorizo and the fish soup was disspointing.
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Monday, November 05, 2007

We stopped in for a few oysters and ended up spending the evening here. You're in safe hands with the staff, very knowledgeable. This is a restaurant that stands or falls on the quality of it's shellfish and everything is EXTREMELY fresh. We had a variety of oysters, clams, jabugo (sp?) ham and a dish of squid stuffed with feta and chorizo that was so delicious we had to order another one immediately. We drank the Muscadet which was crisp and refreshing. There's a very convivial atmosphere, even if some of the clientele can appear a little stuffy. I certainly stood out as a scruff but the pianist made my night by playing some Hawkwind. An excellent night out.
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Boz
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, October 15, 2007

I arranges a surprise lunch here on Fathers day and even though there was no special provision made we had a wonderful experience. The prices were on the expensive side, but with the ambience, quality of food and service it was perfect for a special occasion (unless money is not an object).

As we arrived early we had drinks in the bar, and the bar staff were very attentive and professional (althought the crisps served were a little soft) The menu was diverse, with novel combinations and classics. The oysters were divine, my dad had the mackeral tartare, and my brother the smoked eel - both were delicious. The Portions were on the small side - but thats just my greedy stomach talking because at the end of the 2 course meal I felt wonderfully satisfied and full (and nicely so - not stuffed!) The Lobster that my mum had was both good value and incredibly tasty.

Fluffy towels and moisturiser in the toilets, very clean and well decorated.

All in all a wonderful experience that I would recommend!
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Samantha Edwards
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Monday, June 25, 2007

Obviously some of the people that have left some bad reviews below haven't been dining out much in London as I sincerely think that Bentley's is absolutely top class. Most restaurants are expensive nowadays and one should not expect a cheap meal in one of the best fish restaurant in town. I eat out a lot and I always keep coming back to Bentley's where the food is absolutely superb. Last night I had the dressed crab ( a must for all crab lovers) and the special Black Bass with Couscous which was to die for. My friend had the asparagus and the fish pie and she was raving about them.The staff is always very friendly and they made my guest feel very special last night (it was her birthday) by offering us a couple glasses of Champagne for the occasion. Their wine list is far superior than any of the other fish restaurant too (so my husband tells me. He is a wine collector and he recons they have over 250 wines on the list. His favourite is Gruner I think but I usually go for a nice rose when I am out with my friends).

Highly recommended.
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Ruth Elliot
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Walked in off the street last Friday at around 9 oclock. Managed to get one of the last seats at the bar. In fact this was a great place to sit. We found the service very friendly and attentive with the waiters being prepared to offer advice. The overall bill for two was £120. For this we each had a glass of champagne and shared a dozen oysters. They were excellent, fresh, plump and succulent. My partner had fish pie whch was a good size portion, full of fish and not potatoe, and good value. I can confirm this as I had to help her finish. I had the turbot which was fine but nothing to write home about; the samphire and battered prawns that went with it were tasty. The fish and chips eaten by the lady next to me looked great and she seemed to enjoy it very much. The cheapest wine on the list was Muscadet at £21 and it served its purpose. We dithered over pudding as my weakness for good bread, which came readily at the start, got the better of me but decided to share the apricot pistachio tart with vanilla custard. It was really good. As it happened they gave us each a smaller portion and only charged us for one.

We had an enjoyable evening and will go back in the future.
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Alex Biddle.
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, June 10, 2007

went to Bentleys last Saturday, and had a very enjoyable evening. The food was very good. I had the mussels, which were slightly disappointing, but the Fish Pie was excellent. My boyfriend had the Oysters and then the Lobster and enjoyed both. For dessert I had the lemon& Meringue with chantilly cream.which was nice but not presented very well! My boyfriend had the Jelly and Ice Cream which he said was really good. We had a bottle of wine, and a couple of glasses of Champagne, and the bill was just under £200 which we felt was very reasonable. However service charge was included which I always think is a bit cheeky. We would have given a 12% tip anyway, as the service was o.k. The only negative comment I would make, is that the tables for two people are too close together.

When spending this sort of money on a meal, you don't want to have to listen to conversation from the next table.
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Fiona
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Thursday, May 24, 2007

Went for a late lunch with my girlfriend for her birthday last Sunday

Things didn't start well..we were herded into a small table between two other couples...much too close together for any of us to be comfortable

However, things really improved after we requested a move to the bar...started off with a dozen oysters...opened and plated up right in front of us by the barman. Absolutely delicious...and we were given a "lucky" 13th. We also ahared a plate of salmon tartare...which came mixed with small chunks of oyster and a wonderful dressing

Main courses were simple but delicious..fish pie for my girlfriend ("much better than j sheekey's") and fish and chips for me

Not a cheap lunch, C£100 with couple of cocktails before and two glasses of white wine with the food but thoroughly enjoyable. We'll be back
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GH - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, May 15, 2007