The Glasshouse

Last week we were treated to an evening out at the Glasshouse. Having steered clear of the Grove up until now, preferring Cliveden, The Dorchester, The Ritz (quality establishments), we decided to give it a fair crack. The service was absolutely dire (it felt like they had hired direct from McDonalds). We had a single bottle of water for 4 the whole evening and when we had finished our bottle of Bolly, no-one asked if we wanted anymore. I was unable to get the waiters attention even when shouting, and we ended up getting our own drinks from the bar and bringing them back to the table. The food was not great. I had a pile of smoked salmon and some prawns - nothing to write home about, and the main course of roast beef (the only thing that looked vaguely appetising) was stone cold. Desserts were ok. For £40 a head, this just doesn't stack up - we eat at the Ritz all the time for £48 for 3 courses, and you get impeccable service and great food in a refined and beautiful environment.

The toilets were not good - the toilet seat was hanging off in one cubicle, the other was blocked and the taps had seen better days - it was all a bit shabby. As for the Grove itself, it wasn't refined luxury. They have stripped it bare of all it's grade II listed features and replaced it with a barren space devoid of character and luxury. I don't mean to be snobby but there were people dining in jeans and trainers and the whole thing was very 'Essex' and dare I say Chavy. Part of the fun of eating out is the experience you have, not just the food and service, and I have to say our hosts were wonderful and we had a most enjoyable evening with them, but the Grove was lacking in so many ways, and for those reasons we shall leave the Grove to those people who like to dine out on a friday evening in jeans and trainers. 5 star? - I don't think so.
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3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, December 01, 2010

I have been to the glasshouse twice and with different food both times they still both were fantastic. Recently i went there and for starters they had excellent gravadlax. The sushi was so good i had it for starter and main course. None of the other starters were good. For main course i had the roast beef, with yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, carrots, cabbage, brussel sprouts and gravy which was one of the best roasts in the country. Plus their chinese stir fry and sushi were delicious. For dessert it was just like lollipops and yogurts but nothing proper, really did miss the old pear crumble. Abseloutely fantastic with excellent food, atmosphere and service. Will return there many more times.
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Jonathan rashti
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Based on a friend's recommendatipn, we went to the Glasshouse for my anniversary and I was hugely disappointed with the experience.

The food was incredibly BLAND, not enough choices, and after half a plateful of sushi and smoked salmon, I was at a loss as to what to eat next as none of the food on offer looked appetizing.

The oriental station was dreadful, the food tasted like it was just dunked in soya sauce and nothing else, no taste of garlic or ginger in the food.

The roast/grilled meat at the carvery station was nothing special. The roast pork chop was tastless and dry, and the grilled vegetables had no seasoning whatsoever .

Desserts? too rich, too sweet and too heavy.

Conclusion? Expensive buffet for mediocre food. It baffles me why the other reviewers rate it highly.
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NineYearsOfMarriage
4 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 1
Friday, July 16, 2010

Sunday lunch and the dining room is half full....not an auspicious start! However we were greeted warmly at the door by an extremely personable Maitre D', and any hesitation we had quickly disappeared. Service here was exceptional, and we felt a bit more personal (less forma?) than it's sister Chez bruce.

Food here is very good, using excellent quality ingredients. I kicked off with Vitello Tonnato which was as good as I have had anywhere. My wife had a salad of endive/blue cheese/beetroot and caramelised walnuts that was absolutely delicious! What followed for me was less successful, the assiette of pork. Although all the components of the dish were excellent, they did not hang together as a cohesive whole, leaving the dish ultimately unsatisfying. More successful was my wife's Cod which she polished off with gusto! We were too full for pudding, so this gives us an excuse to return! I must also mention the sommelier who was informative and has some excellent suggestions. They have put together an excellent list here, particularly the choice by the glass. Recommended.
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Shappo - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, August 03, 2009