Orrery review by Kate Apenteng
So first things first, I have to agree with FL and say that no Conran restaurant has ever blown me away, but 'til Sunday I hadn't visited Orrery, so I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. A girlfriend and I were persuaded by the £25 set lunch and figured that a pleasant Sunday was thus to be spent
Our problems set in when offered an aperitif and given the champagne "menu". As the cheapest glass was £13.65, yep, that's right.... we handed it back and asked for "just the house champagne". I'll come back to this in a mo.
The set menu wasn't actually that inspiring so we asked if we could order a starter from the A la Carte and return to the set for main etc, which was accepted without demur. The food was perfectly OK, though I'm astonished to find on reading the other reviews that it's Michelin starred; disappointingly, it appears that the cheap seats receive a rather lesser quality of cooking....
Service was, though exemplary, and it was just as well as we nearly fainted on being presented with a bill for £186 for two set menus @ £25 (albeit ordering "off"), a bottle of £29 wine, two glasses of champagne and two coffees...
We queried it only to be told first that the £13.65 champagne was indeed "house" and worse, that rather than the ordering of our starters from the A la Carte menu resulting in a "supplement" to the £25 menu, were actually charged for the whole meal as if we'd eaten A la Carte. Had this been made clear at the outset, we'd have made do with the £25 menu; not finding out till the bill arrived was embarassing and frankly, irritating
The Maitre D handled things well and recognised our complaint but the amended bill still came to £75 each for a meal that wasn't outstanding in any way. This is a typical example of a "deal" that is far from being what it seems; I suppose it's just another of those caveat emptor scenarios. I'll certainly check the small print from now on (oh and by the way the same menu is offered at £38 per person inclusive of a sommelier's choice wine; this also sounds like a deal until you realise that they're about to sting two of you for £26 for 375ml of wine NOT a bottle....)
The bottom line is that for that kind of money, you could have a wonderful time at Petrus and for less, Pattersons is fab. I won't be rushing back....
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Overall rating 
Food 6 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
review comments
So, rather than order the set price meal, you ordered A la carte, and then you are surprised that bill is priced as if you hadn't ordered the set meal? Sorry but I think you are way out of line. The restaurant offers a set price meal and to expect to be able to chop and change and still pay the set price is, frankly, audacious.
wayno - Tuesday, March 11, 2008
So, rather than order the set price meal, you ordered A la carte, and then you are surprised that bill is priced as if you had ordered the set meal? Sorry but I think you are way out of line. The restaurant offers a set price meal and to expect to be able to chop and change and still pay the set price is, frankly, audacious.
wayno - Tuesday, March 11, 2008
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