The Ivy

Let’s face it; nobody really goes to the Ivy for the quality of the food, do they? They go for the atmosphere, the effortless service, the chance to bask in the (fake tanned) glow of a D list celebrity, although celebs were pretty thin on the ground this Friday eve.

Nonetheless, the Ivy has sailed through many decades of fads and fancies and remained solidly true to its roots. Or has it? Why would you want to have sashimi here? Or lamb Masala? I mean why bother even putting it on the menu? No, I want steak tartar; I want whole lemon sole, fish cakes, calves liver. In other words, I want comfort food, for it is this that has been done so adequately here over the years. It is there, but maybe the nod to the modern fripperies (gladly no foams) has dulled the focus of this once perfectly average restaurant.

The evening started badly – Chicago with Christine Brinkley. The things we do for love. The restaurant continued this theme where (and this has never happened to me before in all my years of dining) we had a Date Night moment. No, I don’t mean the scene where Tina Fey takes her braces out or (much to my wife’s chagrin) the one where Mark Wahlberg is dressed in just a towel – somebody stole our table! We walked in, presented ourselves to the maitre d’ and were informed that we had already arrived and been seated. I was all for going to find out who had the temerity to want to be me, but we were instead ushered to the bar and given menus. No free glass was proffered as a compensation for the restaurant mucking up, just a seat and a twenty minute wait.

At least this meant that we had the chance to look over the menus so that, when we were eventually seated (in the frozen wastelands by the maitre d’ station) we could order straight away. So why then did have to chase up on the wine that we had ordered but which had failed to materialise? People often complain about bad service. Generally this means rude waiters, snobby sommeliers and maitre d’s who look down their noses at you as they ostentatiously run their finger down the booking list to see if they will deign to allow you to grace their restaurant with your credit card. In my experience, London is an awful lot better than it used to be about this sort of service. The service at the Ivy wasn’t bad in this sense, it was just comically inept. Things didn’t arrive (the table, the wine), they were out of things (cauliflower gratin) and the whole effect was less professional than a Britain’s Got Talent contest.

When the food did arrive, it was actually alright: the duck egg was nicely cooked and came on a crunchy sourdough toast, with a smattering of girolles and a serious slab of bacon. The broad bean soup was a nice mixture of smooth soup and mashed bits of beans, although not a particularly strong taste. Mains too were comforting: whole lemon sole on the bone and a Vienna Schnitzel, with some anchovies and capers.

The cover charge is annoying, and it is far from cheap for the food, but the room is still magnificently oak panelled, the nieces still much younger, thinner and blonder than the uncles treating them to a nibble and there is always the chance to see actors who have taken out super injunctions (sorry, who allegedly have taken them out) at the table next to you.

What's happened to this once great restaurant!
The menu has changed and they have taken off such iconic ivy items like the crispy duck salad and the bangers and mash! Poor understaffed waiters running around like headless chickens and head waiters taking your order in a brisque and quite rude fashion!
Not the same anymore!

All great restaurants have their day, and the Ivy has done well to hold-on as long as it has. I've noticed however that it is getting noticeably easier to get a table here – and harder to celebrity spot (admit it, we all do it !).

I suspect that most of the celebrities have been tempted by membership of the Ivy Club round the corner, where the food is simillar to the expensive end of the Ivy menu, and people can be sure that the others spotting them are there to be spotted as well.

I've been to the Ivy “proper” many times over the years and a couple of times in recent weeks. The food is as good as ever – in other words good, not great. My tip: the duck salad, followed by the corned beef hash with a glass (or shared bottle) of one of the relatively inexpensive white wines available. That, or one of the simple pasta dishes with one of the lighter starters are perfect for a lively and surprisingly good value lunch with a friend or for schmoozing purposes. Just don't expect anyone to notice if you've been there many times or not, or whether you tip well or not: the reception staff will be equally (in)attentive and the service (good or bad depending on the day) unaffected. Sensitivity about which table you have been given will only spoil your enjoyment – I suggest you do as I do, be glad I haven't paid the sub to join the Club so as to pay even more for my meal. The room itself has great atmosphere, especially on a sunny day and I normally emerge happy and envigorated to face the afternoon's work, so I suppose it shows that if you approach the Ivy with the right expectations it rarely disappoints.

It's been some time since we at at The Ivy, and we'd remembered being distinctly unimpressed on previous occasions, but, you can get carried away with the hype of some restaurants and here we were again.

The doorman leapt to open our cab, but didn't really look at us and was on a mobile phone – perhaps someone inside the restaurant was giving him instructions? We encountered chatting staff at every stage until we reached our table. Little details like this niggle me – you don't get it in well-run restaurants.

We were actually given a decent table for The Ivy – I have often felt that there was a distinct division in the room – and this seemed less apparent last night. Gradually though it became apparent that there was no longer any division in the room, because most of the people in the room were food tourists… This is the second time in a month that I've been in a very well-known dining room and felt that I was part of some art installation – there were people in tracksuits (?), groups of girls who looked as though they were on a hen night (?), large Americans prodding their food, and random groups of business people openly talking about their deals… I distinctly remember the first time I went to The Ivy about 15 years ago – it really was full of luvvies. The food had been good, but we had been placed in Siberia and felt very much that we were on the outside looking in. Last night felt quite different. The atmosphere had really changed, there was no tinkling laughter, and chinking glass…

But enough of the room – how about the food? The staff knew that we were on a fairly tight schedule, and took our order promptly – we opted to go straight to mains, so that the 9yo could fit a dessert in. Drinks were ordered, some didn't arrive. The tables on either side of us managed to get through at least two of their courses and we sat patiently waiting for our main courses. After over 30 minutes, a member of staff said that dishes were just being plated up – now the 9yo had chargrilled chicken, the Hubby had a veal chop, and I had yellow-fin tuna – I could have turned this out in 30 minutes… Finally after over 45 minutes our food arrived… It was cooked proficiently, but it's difficult to say it was good when you've waited so long for it. It looked as though it could have come out of any kitchen.

The veal came with anchovies, capers and a fried egg on top – perhaps an unusual combination, but the Hubby said they went very well together. The 9yo's chargrilled chicken came with broadbeans and artichokes, and looked very nice. My tuna was actually a very large chunk – perhaps more reminiscent of a piece of fillet streak – and was medium-rare. It was served with bok-choy, and noodles – the noodles were undercooked and weren't slippery with the sauce, more a staccato counterpoint to the tender tuna. We also had a herb green salad, the parmesan courgettes, and the 9yo had a portion of chips. These arrived separately to the main course.

Main course over, we waited about 10 minutes for someone to clear the plates, despite indicating that we were finished. We ordered the 9yo a selection of sorbets (passion fruit, strawberry and lemonade), and I ordered a coffee. The sorbet came… We waited… No coffee… By now the Hubby was getting quite agitated. We considered abandoning it altogether, but it appeared just as we were signalling for the bill.

When it arrived the Hubby complained – the food had taken far to long to arrive – things had arrived in parcels, some items hadn't arrived until we had pointed out their absence… Given the reputation of The Ivy, and the prices they charge, it really wasn't acceptable. They apologised, but took no responsibility – we should have been told that if we didn't intend to eat a starter, our main course would be at least 30 minutes… We weren't told that, and frankly, for a restaurant of this repute I think that's utter rubbish. The kitchen can't cope with orders coming in randomly? When we arrived at 6.15 practically the whole restaurant was packed – most people were already on their first courses, and within minutes, their second courses. And why had someone apologised to us for the absence of food after 30 minutes, promising its imminent arrival? It really isn't good enough.

So, people – if you have been to The Ivy recently, I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about… If you haven't – foodies – please go to J Sheekey's – the food is better – the atmosphere is better – the staff are more efficient! If you do want to go the The Ivy, make sure it's to impress someone who really doesn't eat out in London. Rather damningly, the hubby compared it to Garfunkels, and it's got to be 20 years since we ate at one of those! I fear it's going to be as long before we'd eat at The Ivy again.

Sunday lunch… Very slow service, average but over priced food, and a down market clientèle. Won't be going back…

Coming back into The Ivy, stationed on Covent Garden's West Street for the last 90 years, is like sliding into a favourite chair, or pulling on ‘that’ pair of jeans. It's somewhere that makes you feel comfortable and cosseted. Whether you're going there weekly, or for your first visit, once you're on the other side of the stained glass panelled windows, you're treated like you belong.

The sense of history at the restaurant comes more from the staff than the decor. It's not a formula, they're all allowed to express their own personalities and behave like, well, human beings. Compared to some of the Michelin starred restaurants in town, with their robotic teams of perfectly drilled matched staff, that's got to be a positive. They keep their staff, and move them round within the Caprice Holdings Group (for of course it is they, along with Sheekeys, Scotts, Caprice and newer sibling the Dean Street Townhouse) and there are enough people on their board of directors who have been with the business for 20 years or more who worked their way up. Jesus Adorno (with Le Caprice since the day it opened in 1981), Fernando Piero (the formidably cultured director of The Ivy) and chief exec Des MacDonald are, for some, better known than most restauranteurs.

I used to be brought in here by suppliers and clients, when I worked more regularly in the theatre, and you could always spot those who didn't go there often. They would call you up with a time and date, clutched like a golden ticket, their voices quavering with excitement, two months out. The Ivy doesn't work like that. Like most top restaurants, they dress the room keeping back tables for nearer the time, to ensure that the right mix of people fill the space (a balance of industry, entertainment, old friends and the odd rubbernecker). It's more casual than many think, shhhh… they now take some (non peak) bookings online…

Warning signs should flash here. It's NOT somewhere for a special meal. It's a good, rising to great, local restaurant. So often do you see or hear people comparing unfavourably to Le Gavroche or Royal Hospital Road, but truth be told, it's not trying to compete. The food focusses on simple ingredients, cooked well, British cuisine with some (very loose) Med influences and a strong focus on matching seasonality with their old favourites. Yes they have a pasta list, but you could sample their expertly made gnocchi following a starter of caviar or tuna sashimi. The winelist is extensive, intelligent and full of enough surprises at all levels. A standout Douro and an aromatic Gavi di Gavi are highlights on a small list by the glass.

I go for a spicily perfect Steak Tartare that comes with fresh toast (seemlessly replaced when I run out), my guest's Beetroot and Goat's cheese salad comes studded with tiny blue edible flowers and a rapeseed oil dressing. I enschew the usual shepherd's pie (one of their more famed dishes, rightly so, along with an excellent burger and a surprisingly good, though inauthentic curry – see what I mean about it being simple food here?) and go for a meaty and thick monkfish tail (one of several daily, seasonal specials) served with saltily spiky coastal greens and a butter sauce. My guest had a Blythbourne Pork Belly with lentils, morcilla and peas. Sated, we skipped dessert, though I could recommend a slate of frozen Scandinavian Berries with a hot white chocolate sauce, another regular on a groaning dessert list. We take coffee and try to recover.

I have NEVER written a review before, but am so angry and disappointed by the entire experience we had at ‘the Ivy’, that i wanted to help prevent others from wasting their money!
I recently went to ‘the Ivy’ to celebrate my Mother's birthday for Sunday lunch, accompanied by my husband and my father. Having been to ‘the Ivy’ 2 years ago, I was very excited about going back as we had previously had exceptional food. Unfortunately, there are few words adequate to describe our disappointment.
Firstly, after we had checked our coats in, we were left loitering at the door without being greeted by anyone. We were then shown to our table and presented with some delicious sounding menus. We were then asked, ten minutes later, if we were ready to place our order, and we said yes, and were then promptly told in a non-apologetic manner, all the things that weren't available, which of course happened to be the things we wanted. Our drinks were delivered, Cosmopolitans in the smallest glasses available in western society, and 2 beers. Then … the assault of the food began … out of 4 starters, one was raw and cold, one was cold, one was a joke [autumnal salad … which consisted of a 70s-esque mess of limp leaves], and an adequate smoked salmon starter which cost £13 … must have been salmon royalty. All plonked on the plate and the starter of mushroom risotto [stone cold] looked like a dog had been sick on a plate.
The main courses, 2 roast beef, 1 pork belly and 1 partridge. Partridge was fine, pork belly was distinctly average and tepid, and the pile of fat masquerading as beef, enormous and cold wet flannel yorkshire pudding, reheated potatoes and soggy vegetables with a pile of tasteless horseradish was one of the most disgusting things i've ever been served.
The service overall was surly and unfriendly, there seemed to be a general opinion among the waiting staff that they are too good for their jobs and whoever the clientele are, they are beneath them and purely to be tolerated. The only good thing about the entire experience was the truffles at the end that we ordered with our coffees, again another order mistake and no apology.
Overall, an appalling experience. On my birthday 2 months ago we went to the Wolseley, and were treated like superstars, … complimentary champagne, delightful staff, and a birthday cake … perfect.
Please, don't waste your money, hard-earned or otherwise, by enduring terrible quality pub food, surly staff, and a chaotic atmosphere. Go anywhere instead.

I took my wife to the Ivy for our 10th Wedding Anniversary 08/07/2010, as a pre theatre treat and I have to say that it was superb. We were shown to our table upon arrival and served like we were film stars. The waiting staff were very attentive and pleasant. We each had a 3 course meal and drinks, could'nt believe my bill was under £100.

I do have to be a little critical of the Ivy's booking system. I was not allowed to book more than 8 weeks in advance, which I think is a nonsense, but still a very enjoyable experience.

I also think the outside could do with a coat of paint.

Ralph Anderson

We went to The Ivy for lunch as a treat for my 40th birthday. I have been a few times before, both for dinner and lunch, and would recommend it for lunch only. The restaurant itself is lovely and has a great lively atmosphere. I hate restaurants that are quiet and boring but The Ivy has life, laughter and a good vibe. We were shown to our table as soon as we arrived and the service was impeccable. We weren't rushed at all and this is similar to the others times we have dined here. The food is delicious and we have always come away full and staisfied with our choices. We also have a bottle of wine and the choice is very good. It's always a pleasure for us to go to The Ivy and we will be back. Price wise our luch cost £120 for 2 but worth every penny. For the celeb watchers we don't usually spot any but did see Joan Collins last time. It's kinda funny seeing these people but a novelty all the same.

you hear stories that it takes weeks even months to get in to this place…why!! we arrived on time 8pm and where told to wait at some crappy bar in the corner by reception for 15 mins we were shown in, retuararnt is nothing special at all, reminded me of a grotty east london pub. Food is nothing special, is posh pub food nothing more and very expensive, service was rushed and sloppy, like they doing me a favour, we left after an hour or so, i will never go back. These stupid celebrities up the anty, my wife saw Dale Winton, that was the donwer of the evening!! A truly awful experience.

I took my mother here for mothers day, and we had a stunning meal, we had all wanted to try out this fine dining experience after much celebrity hype and we were not disappointed, great selection of food, we chose the set menu which was delicious and the price was reasonable for six of us, we were seated in a fantastic round table near to the window.
The service was impeccable and to finish off our lunch we bumped into Melanie C of Spice Girls Fame in the Ladies!
We did book three months in advance but this was only because we knew mothering Sunday would be a fully booked affair, I hear other people have chanced it and have got lucky, also a lovely touch as the door staff have green bowler hats!

I took a friend here this week – he'd never been and had a few pre-conceptions “its very expensive, with flashy food and its so posh”. How wonderful it was to change his mind on this.

We turned up without a booking at 8pm on a Wednesday night, we were seated within 5minutes! Lucky to get in between the pre and post theatre crowds no doubt.

The menu is wonderfully simple – every comfort food you can imagine plus a few more refined options. Where else can you start with a tuna sashimi followed by a chicken curry!? Everything on the menu is so appealing. It is not a culinary experience, but more of a whole package experience – good food and a great atmosphere, with some celebrity spotting if that is your thing.

The bill was very reasonable: 2 aperitifs, 1 bottle wine, 1 half pudding wine and 3 courses for 2 was easily under £200.

A fun place for dinner, though don't go expecting to be knocked over by complicated pretentious food (there are plenty of places to do that in London) – more a place to sit back and enjoy a fun meal!

Could not have been more disappointing.

I'm sorry, but it is hard to think of a single thing to say in favour of the Ivy.

We went there really hoping and expecting that the occasion would be special, and it was only as the meal wore on that we had to stop pretending that it was even OK. We had a couple of decent gin and tonics, and after that it just went downhill.

Firstly, there is a difference between attentive service and obtrusive service: being asked to order literally one minute after being handed the menu is definitely the latter. The presentation was poor, with no attention to detail whatsoever. The bisque was OK, but nothing more, and slopping it out of a small pan at the table, if supposed to impress, should be done with more care. The spiced duck was dry. Both main courses arrived barely lukewarm, and the salmon fishcake was bland. But worst of all was the green curried lamb, and only my ‘Britishness’ stopped me sending it back. Barely warm, it was tough, gristly, and thoroughly unappetising. I tried to persevere, but gave up less than halfway through as I slowly accepted that yes, although we were in the famous ‘Ivy’, the food really was this bad.

A final mango tart was acceptable, but like the rest of the meal, not a patch on what we'd had the previous night at the unpretentious Café Rouge next to our hotel, the Grange St Paul.

Overall, the abiding feeling was that the Ivy is simply too famous for being the Ivy to care about its food, and perhaps we ‘non-famous’ diners are simply a nuisance to be fed and pushed out in the shortest time possible. The American ladies next to us must have been out of the door in about half an hour as the waiters rushed them through their grim-looking portions of shepherd's pie.

Sadly, a memorable meal for all the wrong reasons. There are so many, many better places to eat, please don't be another Ivy victim!

I have been going to The Ivy for a couple of years now and it's always a lovely experience. It's always a bonus if you spot a celebrity there, but even if you don't the food and service stand up by themselves. When you first arrive you are seated in a small bar area where you can select from a good wine list or have a rather nice cocktail made for you from the extensive list, before being moved into the main restaurant. I seem to have struggled finding a decent starter (I'm not as fond of the Bang-Bang Chicken as many seem to be), but in my two most recent visits I've had the Tiger Prawns and the Spaghetti with Atlantic Prawns, both of which were lovely, although in both cases I'm not sure how well they'd square up as a main. While there have been complaints that the food isn't something special, I can safely say the Bannockburn Rib Steak is one of the best steaks going, and the pomme allumettes (chips/fries for people who fear those words) are absolutely fantastic. Desert-wise you are spoilt for choice, my personal favourite is the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which is gorgeous. The service is stunning, I doubt you could find better anywhere. The staff are always polite and attentive, and while demand for a table is high you never feel rushed; it's very easy to spend well over 3 hours in the beautiful decorated restaurant, with it's coloured glass windows stopping the people walking past staring in at you and the celebrities at the next table. It is expensive, but you're not just paying for the fantastic food, you're paying for the experience, and in terms of an experience it is head and shoulders above its rivals. That said, while on a par with other restaurants of its ilk it's still very expensive. It's a restaurant that I no doubt will be returning to soon, I'd be back tomorrow if you didn't have to book a table so far in advance.

The Ivy has a nice dining room in a great location in Covent Garden. You do feel an air of something special when you arrive and there were a couple of B list celebs in attendance. The menu features British standards such as fish and chips and burgers and they are fine, but not exceptional. The service was a little clumsy, but without attitude. The doorman was friendly and helpful, but sadly as we were leaving, the paparazzi outside failed to recognise us. An average night at the Ivy all round.

Sadly, I have returned home from my first visit to The Ivy today bitterly disappointed. Being a regular at Le Caprice for the past 3 years and more recently sampling the delights of Scotts, I have to admit I was expecting great things. A casual leaving lunch for a work colleaue, I had effortlessly booked a table online for 4 only days ago and things were looking good.
On arrival today the doorman was delighful, however once inside the cloakroom assistant miserable and unable to find room to place my colleague's overnight case in the secure area and asked her to leave on the windowsill in the entrance area until there was room?
Making way to our table I was very aware that this can no longer be a lunchtime hang out for bright young things – no spring chicken myself at 33 but the average age must have been 65!
We decided to dive straight into a main course with a view to possibly having a dessert afterwards. I chose ‘The Ivy Burger’ which I asked for to be cooked ‘medium’ and recommended to my colleagues the ‘Fish Cake’ which I have lost count of devouring in Le Caprice in the past.
In fairness the girls' ‘Fish Cake’ had a pleasantly familiar look about them and they were all very satisfied on emptying their plates. I on the other hand, can only describe my ‘The Ivy Burger’ as dry, overcooked and slighly charred in places – I'm not sure what kind of ‘medium’ the chef was cooking to? Overdone??
I would have liked the opportunity to have expressed my disappointment with my food, but sadly the waiter in question didn't appear to be concerned with how satisfied we had been with our lunch decided instead to simply clear our plates and wander off. We then had menus thrust under our noses mid-conversation which I assume was cue for us to order dessert? Suffice to say we declined and headed back to the office.
I regret to say that I have been left convinced today that quite possibly The Ivy appears to have become the poor cousin of the Le Caprice Holdings family.
I appreciate I could have just been on the wrong table at the wrong time on the wrong day, however today's experience has just made me want to run straight back to the comforting arms of Le Caprice and never return to The Ivy again. Sorry.

Short and sweet, this is one of my top 5 restaurants in London. Fantastic food, not over fussy or flash despite the hype. Faultless service and honest great food!

The benchmark for many, and it still delivers. A great room, good if unremarkable food, wonderful staff and an atmosphere that lifts your mood as soon as you sit down. Have been fortunate enough to dine privately upstairs and I would recommend it to anyone looking to entertain 50 people.

Went with friends at the weekend for post theatre dinner, no booking but they were able to accomodate us, having whilled away 20 minutes in the bar with a very reasonably priced bottle of prosecco and some fabulous olives and nuts. Remains the benchmark for service and hospitality by which all others should be judged. Good for anyone and anytime.

For a lesson on standards a trip to The Ivy was in order. With solid menu choices, quality surroundings and attentive staff I was confident that my team would learn a trick or two and I wasn’t disappointed.
When shown to our corner table the waiter pulled it out with a flourish any magician would be proud of, causing more than just the table cloths to flutter. From then on in, their hearts were won, proving that first impressions go a long way.
Whilst the Ivy is no example of achingly trendy molecular gastronomy, it executes perfectly it intentions. Bangers and mash, Burgers and a beautifully buttery skate wing all hit the spot. The highlight, however of any Ivy experience is of course the Welsh Rarebit – superior to any dessert although the girls have been obsessed with all things rhubarb since having rhubarb.
So what did they learn? Know who you are, execute it faultlessly and first impressions always count.

I'm probably one of the few who find the Ivy overrated – It's pleasant, has a good buzz and the food is pretty good however I feel compared to it's siblings in Caprice Holdings it doesn't deliver. 45 minute waits for my table don't help and neither does feeling rushed through the meal as they are obviously expecting another table. I want to like it but quite simply find it to be very average. (I'll get my coat…)

The Ivy itself is an institution, fantastic reviews, some saying it's overrated but most raving about the quality. However, i always felt there existed that aura of stuffiness which has put me off going there in the past. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was posh inside but not in an intimidating way. Friendly staff guided us to our table where we proceeded to look hungrily at the very British menu provided. I started with Eggs Benedict, roast lamb for my main and ended with a chocolate pudding. Mr Foodie – fiend stuffed himself with gnocchi to start, skate for main and a sorbet for dessert (with ‘Happy Birthday’ written for added effect in chocolate). All those plus drinks came to just over £100. My food was near perfect. I half wanted it to be rubbish so that i could say it wasn't worth the money but it was actually very lovely and i left with a big smile on my face, well we both did.

Went to The Ivy last week after the theatre. It is the utlimate post theatre restaurant which delivers highly efficient service, simple dishes done extremely well (fish cakes, cod and chips, steak tartare, kegeree etc). and a heady mix of metropolitan chic mixed with A-rated celebrity atmosphere. It is, in a nut shell, one of the reasons to live in London and avoid the countryside.

The Ivy has always been good at delivering comfort food classics (calves’ liver, burgers & fishcakes) and that remains the case, but peppered amongst these stalwarts are a few judicious nods to more modern thinking: a zingy soy sauce infusion added real zest to a perfectly cooked sea bass. The clientele is a strange mix of genuine celebs, gastro tourists and shadowy agent types, though the former were conspicuous by their absence on my recent visit.