The Goring Restaurant

We arrived early for a table to discover that at 7.45 the kitchen had run out of game! Given that this was the reason for the booking the evident lack of planning cast a grim and bleak shadow over the meal. The wine list is extensive but grossly over-priced, with few bottles under £50. The food (starter Lobster Omelette and a rather bland fish dish, followed by equally bland chicken but a good Beef Wellington from the trolley) was acceptable but uninspired. The £36 claret was dull. Everything else was dull but unexceptional. Clearly the restaurant has become a destination for strident groups of squawking girls modelling themselves on the future queen. This looks like an institution in decline.

Booked a table here last night 27/9/2012 was very impressed by the reception i received at the desk,i was shown to my table and waited for my guest to arrive.
I found the atmosphere rather stuffy but charming .the staff were flying around the room even though only 5 people were at their tables eating .
When my guest arrived she was shown to the table and seated and the menu was given to us ,have to be truthful and say that i was not really that impressed with the menu ,i have eaten at some great restaurants in London and found this menu to be somewhat plain
In the end i opted for a whitebait starter ,followed by grilled Dover sole and vegetables .and for dessert two scoops of vanilla ice cream,my partner had the lobster omelette for starter and the romney marsh lamb with vegetables and rice pudding with caramlised pears for dessert.
My Dover sole was delicious and the lamb was succulent ,but somehow i just had the feeling it wasnt up to standards advertised in other reviews i had read .
I think this place is playing on the hype that Kate Middleton spent her pre wedding evening here and the general public are being made to pay for this little luxury.
I found this place Over rated, Over priced ,And after paying £161.72 for my meal i felt i should have at least had Kate and Pippa Middleton serving my meal too me .This is with out any wine as we do not drink alcohol .
This is how my bill read
1 LARGE SPARKLING WATER 4.25
1 GINGER BEER 3.00
2 DINNER @ £49.50 99.00
1 BEST END 8.50
1 DOVER SOLE 16.00
1 PEAS 4.25
1 PARSNIP 4.25
1 ORANGE @ LEMONADE 4.50 12.5% service charge 17.97 total £161.72

Went for a lunch in February 2009. Nice British food, properly cooked – although if you're not a great fan of British cuisine, you may just as well go spend your money anywhere else. Haggis was good (as good as a haggis can be), but pork shoulder was a bit elastic and chewy. Linley decor in the restaurant is ok but not outstanding.

Overall, a good choice if you want quintessentially British atmosphere and ambience together with some signature British dishes, but not particularly delicious or entertaining.

We go the The Goring Restaurant twice a year. Once in the summer for Sunday lunch and once for dinner just before Christmas. Although we tend to veer towards casual restaurants because we only go on the two occasions it retains its ‘special occasion’ for us.

Their Sunday roast is just the best, beef brought to the table on a trolley and carved for you, perfect roast potatoes, vegetable and gravy. Always a great choice of British Puddings if you have any room left.

The hotel is all decorated at Christmas and the blue twinkling Swarkovski lights in the dining room are at their best at this tinme of year. Favourites of ours to eat are Scottish lobster omelette, and Eggs Drumkilbo. For mains there is always a wide choice of variouse filleted fish as well as chicken or if you are really hungry steak and kidney pie.

Whatever you do and whatever you eat you absolutely must get as far as the cheeseboard, well actually its not really a board, it's a huge trolley of probably about 50 British cheeses. We have two cheese lovers in the family and it is always the higlight of dinner!