Arbutus

I ended up at Arbutus late last night purely by chance. I was greeted nicely and not made to feel awkward for dining alone. I thought the food excellent and the service could not have been more professional or friendly. I was surprised to read some adverse comments about the food previously posted on this site. I too had the mushrooms and polenta and, though not a vegetarian ( I started with tete de veau!), thought it was a masterclass of perfectly cooked quality ingredients that married perfectly together. I also appreciated their wines which allow you to drink very good quality wines by the carafe. My bill was £55 including service which I thought was terrific value. I left a cash tip purely for the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff which I do not do very often. I've just discovered that they have a Michelin star - it is very well deserved and I'll certainly be going back with friends soon.
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Graham
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, November 26, 2009

I ended up at Arbutus late last night purely by chance. I was greeted nicely and not made to feel awkward for dining alone. I thought the food excellent and the service could not have been more professional or friendly. I was surprised to read some adverse comments about the food previously posted on this site. I too had the mushrooms and polenta and, though not a vegetarian ( I started with tete de veau!), thought it was a masterclass of perfectly cooked quality ingredients that married perfectly together. I also appreciated their wines which allow you to drink very good quality wines by the carafe. My bill was £55 including service which I thought was terrific value. I left a cash tip purely for the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff which I do not do very often. I've just discovered that they have a Michelin star - it is very well deserved and I'll certainly be going back with friends soon.
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Graham
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, November 26, 2009

For the price it's not really good enough.

The food was very hit and miss. Three of us dined, and I would say half the dishes were interesting and expertly executed (pig's head and onion ravioli, 'pieds et pacquets' and floating island being the stars of the show). Other dishes such as the polenta with wild mushroom and the partridge were unremarkable 'gastro pub' fodder at fine dining prices.

Service wasn't great. Though staff were friendly, they kept trying to push dishes that weren't selling in quite an aggressive way (once is quite enough, thankyou), and ignored my (very clear and polite) request to have my carafe of white wine brought with my fish main, meaning it was room temperature by the time I wanted to drink it. I also wasn't offered the choice of tap water, which I find irritating. A tip seemed to be expected for storing our jackets. I have worked as a waitress in the past, and I know that all these small things are tricks to get the customer to spend more, which I can accept for many restaurants, but for a place with a Michelin star, it feels a little vulgar.

The room gets incredibly noisy thanks to its' hard surfaced hotel lobby stylings, meaning we were shouting across the table to each other by dessert. Put some drapes up, guys. It would really help.

If the meal had been cheaper, I wouldn't feel so disappointed, but at £45 a head, the service and food should feel more elevated.

I would be curious to try their prix fixe menu, perhaps the lunch service runs more smoothly.
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claire
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, November 18, 2009

First time to the restaurant and i can honestly say it was my last.

I have no idea how they still have hold of their michelin star. The service was awful, so much for service with a smile. Bread came out didnt get asked if we would like some just got the basket of bread shoved in front of our faces. Food was dissapointing had the porchetta serious over kill on the parmesan. looked boring on the plate, which also hadnt been polished properly. I had the plat du jour which was a roast chicken ballotine chicken was dry, chickpea puree was like eating sandpaper, veg was over seasoned. dessert well didnt bother save being dissapointed for a 3rd course. They were not very busy id say 10 people max including us. I expected a lot more. wish i had taken my money elsewhere maybe to wild honey.
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rara - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, November 16, 2009

I posted this on the Time Out site and I thought I'd add it here in case anyone is interested.

The website (same layout as sister restaurant Wild Honey) makes the place look really nice and once you get there it is. But then sadly it goes wrong. (I can't comment on WH but from below you'll see that I'm not too enthusiastic about trying that one now).

I wish I had taken heed of Sarah's review (A Time Out site reviewer). It has a Michelin star (not sure why, considering the overall experience) but I guess it is now struggling to hold on to it with the poor level of service in the evenings.

The food was OK, but not much more than that and certainly not special. But the service, well, all I can say is that with so many places to choose from in London I wish I had taken my money elsewhere.

Even the staff in Chez Gerard on a busy night are pleased to see you.

Good luck if you really need to try this place but if you want a smile with your dinner try other places first.
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D.
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, November 03, 2009

We had a really enjoyable lunch at Arbutus, taking the set menu. Choice is limited but everything ordered was well made and top quality. It is certainly less flashy than other michelin star restaurants but also much cheaper. Teas were a little expensive (£3.25), but only in comparison to the very good value offered elsewhere. Recommended!
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chloe
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Monday, September 07, 2009

Oh dear, an old favorite on the wane! Arbutus still serves great wine at reasonable prices in carafes but the food and service which used to be top notch are slipping. We had dinner last night and I'm afraid I left downcast.

First the food. An unusual cold carrot soup with hazelnuts was delicious, and a crab salad was "pretty" and amongst the main courses a fresh tarragon-infused risotto with courgettes and beans won smiles around the table. But meat dishes were a disappointment with a tough cut of beef bouncing around my mouth with great resilience and a stewed breast of lamb needing another half hour in the oven to melt the fat away properly. Puddings were "nice" but served in mean portions.

Finally service. This is meant to be a smart Michelin-starred restaurant (it certainly charges 'smart' prices) but the friendly staff were poorly trained, plonking dishes and pans all over the table, scooping cheese from an extra plate brought by mistake onto my friend's plate "because it's easier" and generally being invisible whenever we wanted to order. Wine we ordered to come with the main course arrived after we had finished. I wanted to order a pudding wine but they never asked (and I couldn't get a waiter to stop long enough to ask myself).

Bizarrely, at 7pm there were kids under two at a couple of tables yelling their heads off (it's a family-friendly restaurant) and sound levels from other diners rose to a cacophony by 8pm.

I've had three very good and memorable meals at Arbutus and this may have been an unlucky experience. Other diners didn't seem too bothered but the overall atmosphere has changed from an informal but sophisticated little gem to a bit of a canteen. They may have had some staff off sick or simply a bad Friday evening's service but I'll need convincing before I go back again.
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richard
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Saturday, August 22, 2009

Great little restaurant. Casual rather than flashy (which suits me down to the ground), good food - although I felt the menu was quite limited and lacking in dishes that made my mouth water. However, really enjoyed my choices of crab salad followed by bouillabaisse (Marseilles style - fish not seafood), and apricots for dessert.

Service was good, attentive without being "in your face" and the bill was also very agreeable!

Will definitely go again for a casual dinner, although would think again for a special occasion.
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Debbie
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Thursday, August 06, 2009

Arbutus is a serious contender for best value lunch in London! It offers good food, with excellent ingredients sympathetically prepared, fairly good service and a superb wine list.

However, I note that other reviewers expect the dazzling "Michelin" experience such as one enjoys at Claridge's. A single Michelin star denotes "very good cooking in its category", Arbutus does exactly that. If you want something "flashier" (and in my experience more expensive) might I suggest you go elsewhere.
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Shappo - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Monday, August 03, 2009

I have to say I was hugely impressed with Arbutus. The food was absolutely sensational, as was the wine (which, because it's served in carafes, you can try as many as you want before you buy). Two courses, for two, plus a lot of wine for £100 - means that I'd recommend it wholeheartedly for a fantastic meal at a reasonable price. The only fly in the ointment is that the decor and lay out of the restaurant is bland.
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Annabelle
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, July 29, 2009