Bleeding Heart

Favourite for Business lunches and coffee

I often book for my boss to eat and drink here, the food is always fantastic, the atmosphere chilled and relaxed without being too noisy and the friendly staff make it somewhere you can always come back to. A definate favourite for me.

We were a small group having our annual Christmas get together. The service was excellent, as was the food and it was really atmospheric. Considering it was the run up to Christmas it was a very good evening – the only slight irritant is the wine list which starts at quite a pricey level.

Maybe I am becoming harder to please in my expectations from restaurants and indeed it would be fair to say that I came away from the Bleeding Heart having enjoyed a good meal, fine wines (perhaps too much) and very pleasant company. However, I couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed by the whole experience. When I sought to reflect on it, two things occurred to me: first, there was a tangible absence of a ‘wow factor’ or a ‘buzz’, the place felt somewhat sleepy, perhaps trading on past glories and certainly without the energy of many newer restaurants (such as the recently again-visited Pollen Street). Second, and perhaps more egregious was the diffident service. Per the above, one got the impression that the waiters were really not that bothered about the job they were doing. There was a wine spillage on a nearby table that we witnessed and the word sorry was not part of the vocabulary used. In terms of the food and wine, I would undoubtedly be more praiseworthy and in particular the main of maize-fed chicken, baby artichokes, spring onion risotto and red wine sauce was superb, both in terms of presentation and execution. The wine list also deserves favourable mention, not just for traditional French, but also interesting (and perhaps better value) options are available from countries such as Italy and New Zealand.

Went there yesterday lunchtime: rainy autumn day. The cosy, warm, subterranean, low-ceilinged room is a great place to get away from the cold and rain, comes into its own when the weather is bad. I have been here quite a lot over the years, and in my view anyone who classifies this as a “bistro” is sadly mistaken, it is a proper restaurant, with proper restaurant prices and pretentions which, sadly, it failed to be reflected in the delivery. I do agree that the Tinity Hill wines (not at all cheap) are the best value, especially the Pinot Noir. I also like the atmosphere very much – discreet, quite smart, warm tones, the odd familiar face. The food, however, is ordinary and rather meanly portioned. The lamb rump was ok but undistinguished, and the same can be said of the foie gras terrine. Each was under-seasoned and the starter failed to taste of much at all. Worst though, was the service from a “faux French” waitress who had no delicacy of manner, plonked plates before us reaching over the middle of the table, what a joke ! No Bistro, let alone restaurant with a name to protect, should allow untrained waiting staff loose on customers expecting (and paying) for something a bit less at odds with the rest of what the place is trying to achieve. Seems to me, though I don't mean to be mean or unfair, that standards are slipping -whether through hubris or because times are tough, I just do not know. I would love to be wrong, though.

Don't be fooled by the Bleeding Heat, it's a French Bistro of average quality masquerading masterfully as "arguably the best French in the City. I would argue that It isn't.
I have been on two occasions, the first time I was unimpressed and to give it the benefit of doubt I went back and was again unimpressed.
The best thing about this place is not the overpriced food or the oppressive dining room or the braying drunk barristers occupying almost every table, it is in fact the history of how it got its name. Lady Hatton was torn limb from limb by a jealous lover in the courtyard with her heart still pumping ie Bleeding Heart. It’s a macabre and fascinating tale, it’s just a shame that they built a restaurant around it.

This really is a hidden gem and has quickly become one of my favourite restaurants in London. The restaurant , due to its many rooms, is perfect for any occasion from a romantic dinner to a business lunch.

The food is always of a high standard and has a broad menu to cover most tastes.
On this occasion I started with the scallops, perfectly cooked and displayed in the shell. For main I had beef cheeks in a red wine jus – tender and flavoursome.
The cheese board is as extensive as I have ever seen. My partner had the fondant. This means you will need to wait around 20 minutes as they are cooked to order but it is definitely worth the wait.

Service is attentive but not obtrusive and you are allowed to move at you own place.

If you haven’t been – go !!!

For a more casual experience try the bistro or tavern. They all deliver quality food in a great atmosphere.

My wife and I went to Friday night dinner – our first visit to this restaurant.

The previous reviews below are accurate in our view i.e

• the location is cosy and ideal for a chilly winter's evening
• the menu is attractive in its range and the wine list interesting (26% off their New Zealand Trinity Hill wines when we were there)
• the quality of the food was very good.
• we strongly recommend the Trinity Hill Homage Chardonnay 2002 which was well priced, with the 26% discount, at £75. Every bit as good as a high quality white burgundy
• the atmosphere was quite ‘buzzy’ as the restaurant was virtually full (as far as we could see) and the numerous small rooms makes it feel cosy
• and then there is the service! The best way of describing it is ‘quixotic’. It is informal and the multiple staff coming to our table were all very ‘French’. There were moments of confusion during the evening and some of the staff seemed uncertain about what they should be doing and service was not rapid but it was Ok given we were happy to have a leisurely dinner. Nevertheless the result was we had to stop sparking water being poured on top of tap water and visa versa, we had to ask for more bread and after a longish wait for our main course (whole seabass – delicious!) we were approached to be told we were being given an extra course because the chef had forgotten to put our seabass in the oven. We had some rather delicious scallops! We prefered the fact that they didn't try and ‘bullshit’ us about the delay and the offer of an extra course which came immediately was a good gesture.
  

Overall we felt the food quality was high, the location good, particularly for small groups of say 2 -4 people and the service acceptable but I wouldnt want to have the same experience again when we go there because it could get rather irritating!

We will try it again.

Just go, it is fabulous, intimate, amazing food and service and the cheese trolley is to die for. We have been going for years, on special occasions and it is always the perfect night out.

Having heard lots of good things about the Bleeding Heart, I was pleased to be able to visit it this week. The basement restaurant is quite a dark space with deep mahogany panelled interiors, so not ideal for summer days but your eyes soon get used to the light and I can imagine its a welcome cave in the winter months. It is without doubt the sort of eaterie where you go in and emerge several hours later having to loosen your braces and belt (for ladies suggest you wear slightly loose attire), heavily laden with delicious and fancily plated food and at least two bottles worth of good chablis or pinot noir.

Food is decidedly French and the menu is not wholly surprising given the cuisine, with all the favourite ingredients from goats cheese to fois gras. When going to a restaurant of this kind, I always find it silly to complain about trivialities as you are more often than not paying for the privilege and experience rather than a serious technical creation, however Bleeding Heart can maintain both with only a few discrepancies.

For those who want the dirt… the starter of goats cheese beignet and cherry tomato salad was quite average, in that there was only one tomato in it and the salad tasted like it wasn't completely washed, with the muddy nutty flavour still present. But it's a french restaurant , so that is ok because they are apparently the authority on cooking ;) . The scrumptious main of sauteed fillet of salmon with cauliflower puree and pea and mint vinegarette however was without fault, though did take some time to arrive and one diner had to wait five more minutes after we all got our dishes, which was a bit of a shame.

Overall a great place to go if your not fussed for time and you do see a glimpse of that famous French technical expertise in at least one dish if not all, not for fussy or particular diners though.

Had a business dinner at Bleeding Heart restaurant end April 09. I've been there several times in the past and always been very impressed with virtually every aspect of the place. As usual the place was nearly full, it seemed with similar groups of business types.

The atmosphere was good, if a little loud, as we were seated next to a table of 12. The downstairs setting is superb and really sets the scene for a great meal. It was a strange night for service, however. We arrived early at around 6.40 before the place filled up and no-one seemed to know who was serving us. We were asked by two different waitresses if we wanted an aperitif and then by a different 2 waitresses if we wanted water! At several times during the meal the waitresses misunderstood what we were asking for and we had to repeat ourselves several times. Despite this they seemed to speak decent English (they were all French) and maybe it was the loud atmosphere which was the problem. It's certainly better to be over-serviced than not to be able to catch a waiter's eye. So I'd give them the benefit of the doubt as they were friendly.

The menu looked impressive as always but the food, when it came was disappointing. Service was suprisingly quick (not necessarily a complaint and as I said we were ahead of the rush). My rabbit and fois gras boudin with green peas was bland and not particularly appetising to look at. Disappointing. My colleagues both had Goat’s Cheese Beignets on Confit Baby Fennel and Roast Cherry Tomato and seemed satisfied.

For mains, I had Assiette of Suckling Pig: Roast Loin, Confit Shoulder en Kromeski and Faggot with Potato Blinis. At £18.95 it was again disappointing. The confit was OK but very dry, the faggot was probably the best bit, although very small and the roast loin a bit tasteless. The potato blinis were very oniony and didn't go with the pork. I left most of it. My colleagues had the steak and were happy with their choices so maybe I just chose badly. However, the pig is supposed to be a signature dish of the house.

Happily the cheese board was up to its usually high standards – particularly the runny smelly cheeses!

The wine list was also to its usual high standard and we had a couple of bottles of very good Rhone.

So in summary a disappointing return to the Bleeding Heart. I wouldn't rush back but will give it another try at some point. Much prefer Cafe du Marche which is nearby on current form.