Launceston Place

We were really looking forward to our meal at this restaurant as we are all fans of Master Chef. It was a work lunch with clients and we are all under the age of 35. There were 5 of us.

The waitress was the most surly, rude waitress we have ever had the misfortune to come across.

We were given the wrong wine, which we had to wait for a considerable time to receive. We got the wrong bill and then that was changed (increased) with no apology. We were charged for 2 courses even though we only chose to have a main dish each as we were up against time.

We were ignored and then when we were served we were made to feel very awkward and all the staff were very cold to us for the whole time we were there.

Our coats were muddled with other diner's coats and again no apology was made for this.

The food was good, but not substantial – but the service really let down these gifted chefs.

Very disappointed and so I cannot recommend this restaurant from our experience sadly.

I took my family to Launceston Place for my Grandmothers Birthday and whilst it was not quite what I expected (as I did the booking in a rush) it turned out to be one of the finest experiences in London I have had.

The food was very good indeed. In particular the Freshwater Fish Pie was fantastic…the sauce was rich, tasty and a delight. Desserts were also mini works of art, packed with mouthwatering flavours.

What makes this restaurant so special however is the service, both front of house and within the restaurant.

The staff at Launceston Place are quite simply fantastic. Attentive, helpful and trying to go the extra mile. In particular, without asking them they overheard us toasting my grandmother and at the end of the meal a small cake with a candle arrived! She was thrilled.

They also coped with all requests very well. A person at the dinner wasnt feeling well so didnt want all three courses. No problem at all, would you like a small green salad?

At the end, could we have the icecream without the remainder of the dessert (my Grandmother is a little… More

After delighting in watching Tristan Welch beat his former teacher/ mentor Mark Sergeant on Great British Menu I knew that this was for sure a place to try, and was by no means disappointed that I did.

We opted for the tasting menu, which started extremely well, a cauliflower foam with a truffle oil drizzled on top. The menu also featured the devilled crab, potted shrimp with wild herbs alla the TV show; what were the judges thinking not voting for that one, the sea side on a plate for sure. Not normally a salmon fan, but the champagne poached salmon was cooked perfectly and the infused champagne taste made for another perfect dish. Opting for the suckling pig for the main course, whilst on the whole excellent, it was a bit of a let down that crackling of the belly pork wasn’t crisp. My other gripes would be a couple of occasional blips in service where we had to wait a little too long and the hot chocolate drink that was served with coffee instead of petit fours, which didn’t sit right, as in a hot drink to compliment another hot drink.

The sommelier is worth… More

Booked on a whim after watching the Great British Menu and being close to my girlfriend's office , we embarked to Lauceston Place. I booked a table via the web (very efficient) and got a text giving me a booking reference – which was very helpful.

We arrived a little early but were shown to our seats by the very polite waiting staff. Nibbles were provided (posh crisps – think Kettle chips, but thinner and freshly cooked!) and drinks ordered. We decided on the £42, 3 course menu.

Before our starters we had the amuse bouche – Cauliflower Soup, with a foam and truffle oil which was excellent. Our starters of scallops and the truffle risotto were also top notch (even if we paid a premium for the risotto) and presented beautifully (as were all the courses).

For the main course the Suckling Pig and Lamb were chosen, with the girlfriend able to choose which cut of the lamb she would like (a nice touch!) – again both were extremely tasty, and the staff flexible enough to offer “extra” side dishes to my somewhat fussy companion!

Pre desert “extra” was the rhubarb… More

Congratulations to the whole team at Launceston Place. They were fantastic and turned an ordinary Thursday evening into a spectacular one. Service and food were exceptional with a great atmosphere – my only regrets were that I did not order the Suckling Pig and had to watch it be devoured by my companion and that I could not eat/ order more- we will be going back. A real gem.