Arbutus

I ordered from the set menu. My starter was very good, pork porchetta was lovely. However I have to say I found the portion size teeny weeny, they make it sound like a complete meal on the menu (i.e. you don't need to order sides). For example I ordered the gurnard with gnocchi and zucchini. There were literally 2 gnocchi on my plate and a tiny swirl of zucchini, more like a garnish than a vegetable. There was also a very salty sauce poured all over. Dessert was sickly sweet floating islands and pink pralines. I couldn't finish it and it's rare I say that about a dessert. On the plus side they are very accomodating with the bread basket and tap water but I still feel that they are expensive for what you get. They also brought a second bottle of wine unasked, opened it and put it on our table. I probably would not go back.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, July 08, 2008

I have just returned home from a lovely meal at Arbutus. Contrary to the negative comments, it turned out to be a very pleasant and delicious meal. The food was a bit on the salty side but everything else was great. The service was at the right pace, not hurried. Food was in the right portions too. I don't like it when the portions are tiny on a huge plate nor do I like the quantity to overwhelm the food. I felt it was just nice.

I would totally recommend it. Three course dinner for 2, including a bottle of wine, glass of champagne to start and a digestif to round it up came to a grand total of £140.
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juniperchick
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Sunday, June 15, 2008

the cooking here really is accomplished. The dining room is busy and crackles with atmosphere. and i really enjoyed myself. however the only bone i wuold have to pick is that Arbutus trades on its image as quality at low prices (comparably) and i agree, for this level of cooking you would happily pay far more if not double. the food really is that good, however it does call in to question what you regard as value for money. although the price is extremely reasonable, regardless of what i pay i do not expect to leave an establishment after three course and feel hungry, i felt the sizes of the main courses especially, where unbalanced, my girlfriend's rabbit was substanial in size but my halibut really didn't have much else on the plate apart form the piece of fish ( great piece of fish and perfectly cooked might i add) loved the restaurant and the carafe idea is a good one. and i really can't wait to go back. I'm not bashing the place at all as i thought it was very good, just not really what i would define as value for money
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shrimpy
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 4
Friday, June 13, 2008

One of my favourite restaurants in London, the food is delicious and great value and the service is friendly and knowledgeable without any stuffiness. The use of cheaper cuts of meat prepared with skill and understanding is something that I particularly admire.

There is an excellent choice of wines, and as many are sold by the carafe you are not limited to one bottle. Highly recommended!!
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Anthony
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, June 13, 2008

Having read the mixed reviews on this place my wife and I were not sure what to expect. It turned out to be an excellent, informal evening with great food and service. Prices reasonable.
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John
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The food was light and tasty. The service was very good and friendly. We sat at the bar which was a good move as it was quite and we got the attention of the bar staff. Value for money. Would definately recommend it.
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Pam
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Thursday, June 05, 2008

Delicious food and good value. Went here for a pre-theatre dinner and was impressed by the dishes on offer for the £17.50 3-course set meal. The food was simple and hearty and cooked perfectly (we had the rabbit which I would recommend), and the service was really friendly. Another plus was the small but well chosen wine list which was available by the carafe (another plus if you're dining pre-theatre and don't have time for a whole bottle). We had a really good meal and it didn't leave a dent on the wallet either. Very deserving of the Michelin star!
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Dunx - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Have to agree with some of the other reviews here and say this was a major let down. Everything from start to finish was poor. Waited 15 mins for drink order to be taken and then another 10 mins for them to bring the bottle. When it did arrive it had no label but they told me it was what I ordered. I pointed out that I had ordered a rose and this one was white and then it took another 5 mins to find the right bottle.

Food was okay but not great and one dish was forgotten.

After desserts we had a bottle of Champagne and as they were 7 of us on the table I expected the waiter to spread the bottle around so we all got three quaters, but no he pored 6 full glasses and one got none. (We ordered another bottle)

Even the table was not great, but 3 tables for 2 put together, with no space at the head so 4 had to squeeze on one side.

In a word poor!!!
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Chris - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Arbutus was, without a doubt, the biggest disappointment of the last year, to me.

The food would have been ok (nothing exceptional) but was over salted. I even tried me partner's starter and main course, over salted. When it came to eat my shepherd pie of rabbit leg, the amount of salt in it had made it inedible.

But the worst part of the meal came when a waiter asked me if everything was all right. I am not the kind of person who likes to complain, but that time I could not help mentioning the salt.

The waiter, then, felt like he had to mention my complain to the manager who could only reply to me with a cheap and insulting sarcastic comment: "I hope that your dessert in not going to be too salted, Sir".

Such a comment would have been bad enough on its own, but I had to hear it twice more from the waiting staff. Yes believe it or not, twice more: "I hope that your dessert in not too salted, Sir".

The deserts that, by the way, were just as good as the ones you find (bought in) in the pizzeria around the corner from your home.

At the end of the day I have only been a chef for 20 years I probably don’t know what I am talking about and deserved to be treated like a complete idiot. And why would you give any respect to someone who pays a £140 for a meal for two?

One Michelin star???
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LAURENT PIN
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Saturday, April 26, 2008

I went to Arbutus last night with 4 work friends and I have to say it was one of the finest dining experiences I've had in London. Two of us started with the squid and mackerel burgers and although a touch salty, they were absolutely superb. A great starter to a meal as it was light and fresh. Two others had the pigs head terrine and they agreed that it was fantastic - one of them had eaten a similar dish at the Goring and said that this one was far superior. The other guy had the courgette with lamb shoulder and he seemed pretty impressed by it. It was great to be able to have the carafes of wine so that those of us having the squid and mackerel could have a different wine to those having the terrine - the carafes are such a sensible and refreshing idea in restaurants, I wish more places did this.

For the main course, 3 of us had the rabbit in parma ham with liver and heart filling, and pasta with a jus of some sort. It was perfectly executed and was possibly the highlight of the meal, full of flavour and although rabbit can be sometimes a bit bland, this was far from it. The little penne pieces were an interesting accompaniment to it and worked very well. The other guys has the veal, which looked and apparently tasted divine, and the risotto with garlic leaves which was again, done to perfection.

After cheese, which were a tasty selection and well explained by the waiter as we were fairly clueless as to what some of them were, I had the chocolate soup with milk ice cream. It was a truly superb way to finish the meal - imagine the gooey part of a brownie and take all of that and put it in a bowl with some palette-refreshing milk icecream served on the side and that's what it was like. Definitely the best dessert on the menu. The others had a mixture of the cheesecake (which was faultless), the mango (not overly inspiring but tasty nonetheless) and the creme brulee which the others felt needed a bit more vanilla in it as it was a touch too plain custardy.

All in all, a memorable experience and I'll definitely be going back. We managed to get through a fair few bottles and carafes of wine and the bill wasn't too exorbitant, about £70/head which for a Michelin starred restaurant is pretty good. Next stop, Wild Honey I think, which I hope will live up to expectations after such a great meal here.
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Pete
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Friday, April 25, 2008