L'Escargot

We were surprised to walk off the street on a Saturday night and be able to get a table. Looked like several others did the same. We're not surprised any more.

Food choices were very unexciting and presentation pedestrian

Scallops were almost raw and tasteless, overwhelmed by the chorizo (no, make that saved by chorizo as it brought SOME flavour)

Veal chop and sauce were delicious but served on bland spinach and garnished with rocket (oh no, not ubiquitous rocket, please)

Sorrel sauce with halibut was sadly lacking enough sorrel

Tables are far too close together, we were sped through and were so disappointed, decided against puds, cheese or coffee

It still cost just under £100 - yep for starters and mains for 2 - and we'd only bought a bottle of one of the cheap white wines (i.e. 23.50) - though it was crisp, dry and pleasant.

I don't begrudge the staff a decent wage but an imposed 12.5% service was a bit much even though they were friendly and professional we felt like we were really rushed by them - and being able to tell your waiter has just taken a fag out of his mouth from the smell of his breath is not good.

Also hated the downlighters, far too bright when we arrived though they were turned down later!

That was our one and only visit and we wouldn't recommend it.
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F Gras
5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Sunday, March 14, 2010

I had a meal here this weekend.

Was very dissapointed, the food was very average.

I was expecting something out of the ordinairy but was really just the standard of a chain restaurant.

Service was Ok.

On the whole was not up to the level that i would expect for the level of the bill at the end.
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4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Monday, March 01, 2010

It is 13 February 2010 and I just returned from L'escargot. I did not know it had been completely refurbished so when I entered I was already disapointed by the style and the fact that the tables are near one another like any other restaurant in London. It must have been more than 5 years ago since I had been in L'escargot when decor, food, service was still impecable .

Menu wise I already knew that the Valentine menu announced is not worth the price they annonced. A complete rip off but stil I was hoping... I had booked very late unfortunately. I had called other restaurant this week and they were fully booked by Wednesday already. Another big disapointment was the speedy service. Luckily we had arrived 20 minutes earlier so we chill out with no pressure before the service started. If I would have let them do, in less than 90 minutes we would have been out but we purposely slowed down our eating and drinking when we realised that they were speeding. I do not mind paying £216 which I paid tonight. But honestly I do not know why? It could have been cheaper and with a better service and atmosphere. The life band was an amateur band (not a jazz band as announced). Not so long ago I went to the Spread Eagle in Greenwich and the bills was cheaper, the food, decor and service was impecable. Sorry, I do not know what went wrong in l'escargot but I will not return any more.
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Marie-France Lefebvre
3 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Saturday, February 13, 2010

L’Escargot is simply restaurant service at its very best. I will definitely be going back.

Marco Pierre White must be applauded for this excellent eaterie deep in the heart of Soho. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, we were waited on hand and foot. And let’s not forget the exquisite food - my sea bass was cooked to perfection!

The portions, as my mother would say, were of elegant sufficiency.
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Dragon - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, December 31, 2009

My familly and me came to Lescargot this last saturday. The venue was beautifull, the restaurant was very buzzy, but the atmosphere was very nice, the light, the music very nice. We have been very well welcome from the reception until our table. The manager Jerome, was very good recomanding our food, we were very impressed by his professionalism. We spent a amazing night there; The food was delicious and the service top. We ll defenetly come back and will recommend the restaurant to all our friends. Thanks again, well done!
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Jack. S
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, November 21, 2009

My husband and I had dinner on Friday 30th Oct. We walked off the street without a reservation and were very happen to get a table for two. Unfortunately, that was where the good fortune finished. After ordering a glass of champagne we waited. After a while we ended up asking for our drinks when the waitress took our food order. While waiting for food we were not offered bread even though tables around us were. We eventually asked for bread when our starters arrived, but then had to ask for butter. We ordered an exspensive bottle of wine with our mains and were rather annoyed to find the couple next to us with a decantered bottle of wine which was the exact bottle we bought. When asked why we were told they had run out of decanters!!! Our mains then arrived minus the side order of fried potatoes. Due to the poor service no one noticed and noone asked if we were ok or if we had everything we ordered. We waitied 5 min and then asked a passing waiter. He then bought over two cold servings, which we refused to eat. He then took them away leaving us to eat our steaks before they went cold only for the potatoes to be bought over when we had finished our meal! We felt as though we were treated like two tourist off the street with little respect for our comfort or satisfaction. As it is we are both London professionals who dine out regularly and were appauled at the service we recieved at your restaurant. I would not recommend the experience to friends or enemies.
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Shari Lopez
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Thursday, November 05, 2009

I had dinner here last week (mid-oct) and i was blown away by how good this restaurant was, considering its French and I'm vegetarian!

Initially I had called my Concierge and asked for somewhere very good to eat in London, at quite short notice. They got me a table at the Ivy (but late) or here, after getting them to check it was suitable for vegetarians, we decided to give it a go.

The food itself was incredible, much better then I had expected it to be. Full of flavour and so well presented that I didn’t want to ruin it by tucking in…however that didn’t last very long.

The service was very good, with the waiter spending time with us to help us choose a wine, according to the food we were going to eat. They also didn’t pester us while

Inside the restaurant was very nice too, very authentic with a lovely atmosphere.

Bill wasn’t that bad either, 2 of us, 3 courses, with coffee and a bottle of wine - £130 inc service.

overall a great restaurant, ticking all boxes and one I would like to visit again
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jamiepryer - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, October 28, 2009

On Saturday 3rd October 22009 my husband and I called in, after the Theatre, on the off chance that we could get a table and from entering the building we were treated like royalty. The food was wonderful, in both taste and presentation, and the petis fours were to die for. Thank you so much to all of the staff for making it such a memorable experience.
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Susan
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, October 06, 2009

We wanted to have a pre-theatre meal in Soho, but instead of having something cheap and nasty (and there is plenty of that in Soho) we decided to try Marco Pierre White’s “L’Escargot”. It was a divine choice.

The restaurant is stylish, the service was polite and friendly, the food interesting and delicious and the wine list very reasonable.

The meal we had was the pre-theatre special and the price was exceptionally cheap at eighteen pounds for three courses.

We thought that as we were not dining a-la-carte we would be rushed through the meal, but actually the timing was perfect. After each course there was a ‘civilised’ break before the next course was served.

There was a good selection on the menu, and a-la-carte was offered too. The wine list did not suffer from a bloated choice, but still had enough to interest us and complement the meal.

It is certainly a restaurant I will try again when I am next in London.

(By the way, we read some of the negative “London-Eating” reviews before going, and frankly, we were apprehensive. But it turned out to be a superb choice.)
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Sam and Annette Bando
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, August 26, 2009

i went to l'escargot last month and it was the worst experience of my life, the food was terrible, i could cook better than these professional chefs. the service was a joke and the waiting staff were so rude. and upon leaving one of the chefs was smoking outside and i looked at him and he had a go at me, absolute disgrace, never goin back
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jason koumas
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, May 10, 2009