Savoy Grill at The Savoy

Wonderful experience! Everything was perfect, steaks were amazing.

Hard to know where to start. We had looked forward to this evening for a couple of weeks. Reputation and prices create a certain level of expectation. The Chablis when it arrived was not properly chilled and plonked in the glass without asking us to check it. The starters were very average. It's hard to make snails dull but they managed.

The main courses were ok. My friend loved her Dover sole but the side orders were mediocre. Average pommes dauphinoise and creamed spinach that was gritty and far from creamed.
The real disappointment was the wine list and the serving staff. The sommelier was poor. Recommended an expensive and then a bad wine. He also didn't ask what we were eating. Presumably this is basic stuff. An indifferent wine waiter finished things off nicely.
Our complaint was very well dealt with by our waitress and we got the feeling that this was not the first time she had had to deal with such complaints. All in all I would say that if you want a great meal in London and you are thinking of the savoy grill, don't bother.

For a “proper” lunch (i.e. no return to the office!) it just had to be the Savoy, a place neither of us had been to for many a year. The renovation is just gorgeous, akin to being wrapped and cossetted in luxury on leaving a positvely Artic London, for the warmth and luxury that is just the foyer. Headed straight to the American bar for a pre-lunch glass of fizz. Was ok but I'm not entirely sure the waiters armed with electronic order pads is in keeping with the 1920's ambience. On asking for the bill, we were unnecessarily informed that they could not transfer our bill to the Grill as it was “under separate ownership” – did I detect an element of disdain in such a comment…?

To the Grill – very buzzy and alive after the somewhat hushed tones of the bar, but predominantly full of suits on expense accounts with the odd inappropriately dressed tourist to add a bit of colour. We were seated at what initially seemed to be a good table, allowing good vantage of most of the room, but over the course of the afternoon, the somewhat low banquette began to cause lower limb ache – as I'm just 5' 3″ you can imagine how low the seat is to have such an effect on someone relatively short…

We did have every intention of opting for the bargain chef's lunch but the lure, or perhaps the aroma of the suckling pig on the trolley captured us both; and it was absolutely delicious with crackling to die for. Portions were generally good, two very thick slices of pork, but the accompanying dishes were a bit stingy especially the roast potatoes. To start I had the omlette Arnold Bennet, simply because I had never had it on previous visits and would definitely order it again. Himself had mussels, which were fresh, tasty and plentiful. Neither of us found room for dessert, which as expected, are on the traditional and heavy side.

Our only “complaint” is that the service, whilst friendly and helpful, was not terribly attentive even as the room began to thin out. Our wine was located well beyond arm's reach which is fine if the waiting staff are alert to when refills are required but we did have to ask for this a couple of times. That said, it did mean we only drank one bottle so kept the wallet and the liver happy!! We also had to ask for the bill twice. That said, it is definitely on the return visit list – a wonderful place to spend a very leisurely afternoon…

Keen to see the newly renovated interior we opted for lunch at the Savoy grill, which now has very beautiful and opulent surroundings.

As the name would suggest it is very meat/ steak orientated which should delight us carnivores. I opted for the steak, which was very good, well cooked piece of meat, which ticked many boxes.

Where they tripped up though was with dessert, forewarned of the 20 minute wait I opted for the soufflé, after half an hour there was still no sign and waiter had long since stopped making eye contact! Eventually a waiter arrived with an apology and 40 minutes from ordering a ‘soufflé’ arrive, which promptly sagged and resembled scrambled eggs more. I presume they messed the 1st attempt and quite frankly the 2nd attempt too.

The Savoy grill is a little of a it does what it says in the tin sort of place, it does what it does well, just maybe careful with your dessert choice!

Most disappointing, last time I visited the food was exciting & delicious & the staff were courteous & charming. This time whilst the staff were still very friendly my wine waiter (not the sommelier) was pretty rubbish & 2 out of a table of 6 had to send our food back (mine cold the steak cremated instead of medium rare) & when returned my friends fillet had become a sirloin! We didn't bother sending that back as we weren't sure what would turn up this time.

Atmosphere was great, really buzzy, lots of laughter.

Service I have to say wasn't amazing…we got ignored on quite a few occasions and its so embarassing trying to catch the waiters eye and failing!

We were a party of 6 and were sat on one of the round tables in the middle and were constantly jogged in our chairs by busy staff…I would much prefer next time to sit around the outside.

Food was lovely and I was lucky enough that Stuart came out and recommended a few bits so I was not disappointed with what I had…

The Chefs table looked great fun – one of the best I've seen (apart from Petrus!)

The great and the good of the City have got their canteen of choice back – more comfortable, more cosseting, and more opulent than ever before. The room has good tables in every direction and on our lunchtime service the hum of contentment was palpable. Staff, as you might expect, are thoroughly well trained but (perhaps surpisingly) enagaging too – a perfect balance of professionalism and friendliness. Cutting edge the food is not, rather it delivers the best in simple tradition, the lightness of touch in the kitchen making a river trout ‘special’ melt-in-mouth delicious and, cooked in its own stock, flavoursome too. Smoked salmon was simple and generously served. A beetroot tarte was so-so (a bit dry). But generally right back to where it should be.

We booked a Saturday lunch at the Savoy Grill for my father's 70th birthday having watched last year's TV programme on the refurbishment of the Savoy, and as he had been there some 20 years ago. But after subsequently reading a lot of reviews complaining about poor service, lost bookings, tight table arrangement, and the new casual dress code spoiling the atmosphere, we arrived with some trepidation.

We were very pleasantly surprised. Being Saturday lunchtime it was fairly quiet in the restaurant (saying that, we have been to Scotts several times on a Saturday lunchtime and it has never been quiet, always looking fully booked). The service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive (unlike at Le Gavroche where I found the service definitely on the intrusive side when we went a few years ago – there was always a waiter at our table pouring wine, taking empty glasses, fluffing napkins – but not so at the Savoy Grill).

The restaurant layout was surprisingly spaced out with mostly round tables throughout and just one row of square tables under the windows. Even if the restaurant had been full it didn't feel as though we would have felt ‘crammed in’ or too close to neighbouring tables (it would be worth requesting a round table when you book to make sure though).

The menu offered plenty of choice, both meat and fish. All four of us had the omelette Arnold Bennett which was created at the Savoy and is a delicious mix of scrambled eggs, haddock, hollandaise and bechamel sauces. We can all highly recommend it. For mains, I had the veal mixed grill which came with kidney, liver, sweetbread, sausage and cutlet, also half a roasted garlic, and was delicious. I ordered chips and creamed spinach to go with it and couldn't finish them, sharing would have been better. My father had the halibut which he said he thoroughly enjoyed and would have again, my mother had scallops which were tasty and tender (not chewy) and my sister had the calves liver which she said was extremely tender too. For dessert my parents shared the tarte tatin with its sweet caramelised apples, I had a passion fruit souffle (well worth waiting for, and so delicate), and my sister's baked alaska flambe was a sight to behold as they lit it at the table. However whilst the flame was impressive, it did leave the peaks somewhat burnt to the taste so I would recommend blowing it out quickly.

We found a reasonably priced bottle of Muscadet (£31) to go with our meal and rather splashed out on dessert wine at £13-£15 a glass which the waiter recommended to go with our chosen dishes. We also started the meal with G&Ts and Kir Royales and finished with coffees. All in all the meal came to around £85 a head including service which we commented was less than we have paid at restaurants of a similar calibre.

I had mentioned when I booked that it was my father's birthday and while we were waiting for the deserts to arrive our friendly waiter arrived at the table with what they call a birthday plate – a plate with happy birthday iced on it with a little bowl of ice cream and a lit candle, which was a nice gesture.

We enjoyed our dining experience at the Savoy and I was keen to write a review to balance out all the negative ones. Perhaps service is better on a Saturday lunchtime due to the lack of business lunches at the weekend or perhaps it was quiet being the day after the Royal Wedding/bank holiday weekend? Either way we were able to relax and enjoy the food and ambience and then had a wander round the hotel to admire the refurbishment. My only slight caveat it that when I rang to check the booking, they had us down for 1pm instead of 1.30pm and I notice their terms say they give away tables after 20 minutes – so just as well to check.

At a restaurant of this type, expense, fame etc you expect (and are quite entitled to expect) everything to be on the money. It wasn't. We were seated for well over five minutes before any of the waiting staff appeared to notice us. Thereafter service OK except I had to flag down a passing waiter and ask for the wine to be poured – ridiculous.

Food was OK without being an any way exceptional. Mackerel pate pleasant enough but I think I could have done as well at home. Warm beetroot salad OK according to my wife but a fairly small portion. We shared the lemon chicken which was intense (perhaps too so) with a seriously reduced lemony gravy.

Only one pud – rice pudding with rhubarb – again nice enough but not memorable.

Major fault – bizarrely low banquette type seats which are quite simply the wrong height as the table was almost mid chest level and it forced (me at least – 5'10″ so not an unusual height) into an uncomfortable seating position. I can't be the only one to experience this – surely height of tables / seats is a fairly basic design issue?

Earlier we had tried to get into the American Bar. The advertised ‘no reservation’ policy is clearly a load of baloney as the snooty girl guarding the entrance had a book in front of her covered with names and table numbers. Just dishonest. The punters who can't get in are encouraged into a nasty little offshoot bar that only sells beer and champagne. I was asked for £37.13 for two glasses of champagne. The American Bar sells exactly the same for £33. So why did I have to pay £4.13 extra in a second rate bar that doesn't even have seats. Savoy management should be ashamed of this.

My scores are just for the restaurant. The pre dinner drinks experience wouldn't even score a nought.

As we were deliberately 45 minutes early for our table, having intended to grab a drink beforehand, we tried to get into one of the bars. In the American Bar the queue for a table actually led out of the door, and in the Beaufort Bar, there was a 30 minute wait for a table. What was going on? There were people coming in off the street to gawp at the elaborate bird cage contraption in the lower lobby, and people taking photos of the decorations. Oh no – the Savoy has turned into a tourist destination… It was time to take a chance and hope our table was ready early.

The staff in the Grill confirmed we could have our table momentarily, and we sat in their little bar having a glass of champagne. We drank it. People re-shuffled the bottles, topped up the ice in the ice buckets, and ignored us. There was no further interaction. We looked at each other hoping that things would improve. The wait gave us an opportunity to look at the room, which I have to say I rather liked – the chandeliers were unusual and rather lovely, the faux tortoiseshell panels made the room look rich and warm… But… what was that… smell…? It smelled like an old carvery – all gravy and roast meat? It's only been open a month, surely that smell is wrong?

40 minutes later our table, which had clearly been empty and in plain sight, was declared ready. Really? The restaurant was half empty – it was 7'ish – they couldn't cope with two early diners? Or at least check that they wanted another drink?

Finally seated, the waiter arrived and asked us to order – we pointed out that we hadn't actually seen a menu. He seem baffled, but immediately retrieved one. Now, it may be a petty point, but I cannot abide establishments who can't be bothered to separate their lunch and dinner menu's if they have different offerings. Especially at this standard – who wants to be told this whole section here that only applies to lunchtime?

The menu is long on meat… Very, very long on meat. Fair enough – it is a grill – but even by my standards there was a lot of meat. And personally, whilst I love steak, I don't really want to eat my way through a fillet steak still on the bone – I'm not in NewYork after all – this is the Savoy! It also became perfectly apparent why the restaurant smelled of gravy and Sunday lunch – all that meat took up most of the menu…

We ordered a bottle of Cervaro della Sala, my favourite from the Antinori estate (more expensive here that typical in London) and had a little chat with the somelier, who we'd last seen at Koffman's. He was engaging, charming, and perhaps the only person we dealt with with any personality. We talked about Koffman's pistachio souffle, and he mentioned that the Grill had rather a good passion fruit souffle. That determined that I wasn't going to eat the side of a cow, so I ordered the scallops, the dover sole and a winter salad. The Hubby had the fois gras and the veal mixed grill, with a side order of cauliflower cheese (?) and chips.

The scallops arrived in their shells on a bed of sea salt, and with an apple and butter dressing. The dressing was lovely, but one of the four scallops was slightly strange. These days I leave anything that doesn't taste right! The Hubby's foie gras was presented with a little brioche loaf, and nicely turned out from it's timbale, but he didn't think it was especially nice. I have to say, we were quite unimpressed, and no-one questioned my half-eaten plate.

The cutlery for the next course arrived and we were given each others'. We swapped them over without comment, now intent on seeing just how much more they would get wrong.

My sole arrived and I asked for them to remove it from the bone. Now in Sheekey's this is a two minute affair at max, and they arrive back quite promptly. However here the Hubby had his mixed grill cooling rapidly in front of him, and in the end I encouraged him to start. He wouldn't until my fish had been returned. It was cooked nicely – perhaps a little overdone – but I couldn't help remarking that perhaps all the better fish in London went to places like Sheekey's and Scotts, because this looked a little odd? Then I realised it had just been butchered when they took it off the bone, and reduced to two thin lines of fish… And the Hubby didn't have his sauce – we asked for it, and waited again. When it arrived (it was Bernaise), is was a little gloopy, and we had to give it a quick whisk, but the tarragon flavour was actually very good. The Hubby's mixed grill was by now luke warm, and he thought it over cooked. The cauliflower cheese was too sticky, the chips left uneaten, soggy and bent, and the winter salad was long on frise and endive – too bitter to serve with the rich and delicate sole.

By this stage and knowing that we were going to be there for the long-haul, we ordered a second bottle. It wasn't chilled, so the lovely sommelier put it on ice. A minute later the waitress wandered over, picked up the bottle, and proceeded it pour it into our existing glasses without checking. Oh no. This is a particular bug bear of ours. Two minutes later the sommelier appeared with a clean glass, and went to offer it to the Hubby to taste – 'don't bother' he said, 'it's too late'. The sommelier was genuinely aghast and apologised, but it just highlights how ill-trained and inexperienced some of the staff are…

Having said that, when it arrived, my passion fruit souffle was absolutely delicious and went surprising well with the chocolate sorbet. Not a combination I would have put together, but the combined aromas were actually so fragrant and yummy that I wanted to eat the whole thing immediately. The Hubby had a baked alaska flambe which looked very pretty, and judging by the speed it went down, appeared very good.

Finally happy with something, we asked for the bill. Which didn't arrive. We asked someone else. It didn't arrive. Ten minutes later, after I had very pointedly looked at my watch, the Hubby finally grabbed one of the managers (for those who've been – the one who looks like he used to follow ‘A Flock of Seagulls’) and asked again. This time it was given back immediately, so had obviously been sitting there all along.

I'm really not sure what to say. Some of the service was very good – some diabolical. Some of the dishes were good – some really very mediocre. Parts of the room are lovely – but the smell is actually quite overwhelming – you don't expect to leave smelling like you've been in a ‘Harvester’. Would I go back? Absolutely not. The wine list is overpriced, I think the menu is quite unbalanced, and really lacks any of the touches of the Boxwood Cafe, who's chef is supposed to now be at the Grill. I'd really looked forward to catching up with the old team again, but in this room, the previous light touches were unrecognisable. What a shame.

had an excellent leisurely lunch at the savoy grill…could not fault the food, mains were , lamb from the trolley and monkfish in parma ham with parsnip puree. deserts, hot passion fruit souffle with chocolate sorbet and
a baked alsaska which was flamed at the table. the service was excellent and the staff very friendly…

3 courses, with coffee, and a bottle of wine at £24 with service, averaged out between 3 of us at around £70, each so think your estimate is somewhat optimistic…but would return…

Head Chef Andy Cook presides over a supremely efficient and accomplished kitchen with the calm confidence of a five-star General. As someone who knew the former Grill well, I was curious to see whether the culinary standards would be maintained. They have been surpassed. I started with an old favourite, oeufs en cocotte (better than ever), and followed it by an outstanding braised halibut with curly kale, anchovies and fingerling potatoes in beurre blanc. Superb. The halibut was perfectly cooked, moist and succulent with the kale adding a judicious tang. I ended with a custard millefeuille with mango that was perfect in every respect. The patisserie was crisp, the custard exquisite and the mango of a flavour and consistency that impressed even someone who grew up in the tropics. The wine list is almost as good as in the old days although there aren't as many good bottles under fifty pounds as there used to be. One cannot simply blame inflation, so I recommend that the sommelier make a heartier effort. I also missed the old bound wine list that made such delightful reading. The current list is presented on a large card, which I found way below former standards although the selections were well described if a bit dumbed down for clients who should know their wines.

The staff is unflappable, wreathed with friendly smiles and overseen with great competence by the outstanding Restaurant Manager, David Carter. David deserves great credit for maintaining a touch of class while adding a spadeful of youthful enthusiasm. He is not just a manager but an impressario who can conjure the special occasion with a sense of theatre that is nevertheless filled with warmth and natural charm.

So much accomplishment must be accompanied by a suitable environment and this is sadly where the new Grill seriously disappoints. The decor is effective despite touches of the Gatwick Travelodge (lacquered walls) with a hint of the Holiday Inn in Dubai (sumptuously ugly light fixtures). There is a more open feel and a view out of the windows, both of which are great improvements. The worst detriment, however, comes from the diners who were generally badly dressed at dinner with most of the men in shirtsleeves and without a tie. This would have been unthinkable in the former Grill and is seriously detrimental to the atmosphere. The superlative cuisine and the outstanding caliber of the restaurant staff deserve the highest praise but also respect. It is therefore sad to see such caliber taken so lightly by a dressed-down clientele. They demean the efforts of these professional men and women and besmirch the traditions of a world-class institution. A well-enforced dress code is sorely needed before the Grill gets the feel of Quaglino's on a Saturday night.

Snagged a last minute invite to Gordon's latest venture… Operated by Stuart Gillies, I haven't eaten at the Savoy Grill since I was a child. The hotel itself has undergone a £220 million refurbishment and although the lobby is still breathtaking and very authentic in style, the River Restaurant and the American Bar have lost their classic Savoy character. I am, however, pleased to say that the Grill Room has retained much of it's original splendour with the same vintage mirrors and a very traditional ‘old-school’ vibe.

We had a late meal and were on a large table, so I was worried that service may be patchy but it was impeccable. There is only one starter I could have chosen on my first visit back and that was the Omelette Arnold Bennett that was created onsite at the Savoy especially for the novelist, made with eggs, cream and smoked haddock… and there wasn't an ounce of disappointment. The omelette was delicate and creamy with the wonderful salty smoked haddock. What a wonderful dish!

For main course I chose the Veal, that was beautifully cooked and seasoned and I couldn't fault it at all. Sadly I didn't have enough time (or room) to eat dessert but had I been able, the passion fruit souffle with chocolate sorbet was winking at me and pleading with me to choose it. Never mind… I guess I have a legitimate reason to come back now! Overall very impressed and didn't expect the experience to be quite so good!

after visiting this restaurant today, i can now write a short review. This was the first of the sunday lunch bookings and our choice for lunch was the sunday Roast Rib of beef. The meat was hacked at and badly carved. There was one slice of beef !! Badly displayed. The seasonal vegetables were two potatoes and cabbage drowned in butter and enough for a small child. It was something that i would expect to see in a hospital !!. We cancelled the lunch and went to Marks and Spencers to find some lunch. A very poor lunch, and bad attitude from the staff.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the dry run early this week and my first impressions were positive.

It's difficult to review a restaurant before it's really open and I'm sure the experience will be even better in a few months when the front of house staff and the brigade are more familiar with their surroundings.

The room is beautiful. A little ostentatious for my needs but hotel guests will love it and it certainly feels like a special occasion room. It's also a nice change from the magnolia and grey blandoramas that have become so popular in recent years. The door staff were charming as were the waiting staff (a little hesitant but that's to be expected)! The food was suprisingly simple, the presentation interesting without being fussy and big bistro portions. I really enjoyed my scallop and leek starter and the hot smoked salmon with horseradish sauce and colcannon. I was also pleasantly suprised by the prices.

I had a tour round the kitchens as I wanted to see the chefs table and briefly met Stuart who was very welcoming and friendly. The chefs table (seats 8) is in the heart of their enormous kitchen and would be a fantastic experience for passionate foodies.