Kettner's

I've now been 4 times to Kettners since it re-opened and it keeps getting better and judging by how busy its getting I don't think I'm the only one to think that. Although the place has been given a make over it still retains that feeling of somewhere very special but in a relaxed sort of way. Last week we went before going to the theatre. The food was amazing – crab on toast was fresh and tasty, confit of duck with cherries perfectly balanced. The staff were great at making sure we were looked after and out on time. After the theatre we returned to the champagne bar for our desserts – we had difficulty choosing from the amazing array of funky and traditional cakes and tarts. This isn't any old restaurant – this is Kettners.

Kettners used to be a key Soho landmark. A great place to meet friends for a glass of champagne or several, with a joyous, friendly atmosphere and jazz pianist tinkling in the background. The comfy chairs and cross-section of Londoners and visiters passing through made you feel at home. The menu was great value for money, the service was characterful and efficient and it really felt as if it had been there for ever and would continue to be there for ever. I knew trouble was on the way when the ‘refurbishers’ moved in to help it ‘regain its Soho identity’. Clearly to them this meant stripping out all the character of the place, even the piano, and giving it a big, empty minimalist feel, just like all those London drinking barns with clever names like Slug and Lettuce and All Bar One. Just like them there are silly stools to perch on and big bare floors to ensure that all the noise bounces and echoes from wall to ceiling. This is not the Soho I recognise. What makes me weep is that the Kettners many of us knew and loved, which was sensitively restored only a few years ago, has now gone forever and has become just another casuality of the current fad for bland, neutral, impersonal design. As for the… More

what a shame

its a disaster too upset to speak
for ten minutes when we got there

tacky yucky decor
food awful
staff confused
empty at christmas
apart from drunks from the provinces

what a shame

i met up with a gang of friends, having travelled down from the East Midlands. I heard that the place had re-opened following a refurb and we wanted to be one of the first to try it out. The atmosphere was lively, as you would expect for Soho, but the staff were really friendly and not at all snooty, unlike some places. Plate sharing was the order of the day as there were so many of us, so we got to try out different things from the menu. I was happy tucking into everyone else's plate, but was also content with my steak tartare. I eyed up my friend's lobster shepherd's pie (odd name), but I didn't get a look in. So, I guess that means it was good. I'll order it next time. The rabbit tagliatelle was tasty but too big. I normally leave my plate clean, so that says a lot. We didn't have champagne, but a decent bottle of red that slipped down well. Puddings: I had the lemon tart; a thick tart rather than a flat one, which I'd never had before and persuaded the staff to give it to me with raspberry sorbet. It cleaned the palate. Job done. I didn't get to look around after desserts, as everyone had to chip off for the babysitters. Next time I'll try out the champagne bar.