Mon Plaisir

I think this might have been the worst meal I have ever had in a London restaurant and I have had my fair share of disappointments.

The menu reads well, is nice and short leading the diner to think that if they only do a few dishes they are masters of them rather than a jack of all trades. Prices seem reasonable.

My soupe a l'oignon was tepid and a bit tasteless, unremarkable in every way but streets ahead of the main course of coq au vin. You would expect the oldest french restaurant in London to do a very capable classic dish like this. Served in an attractive cocotte there was hardly any sauce and the chicken was incredibly dry and overcooked leading me to believe it had been put in the oven the day the restaurant opened 50 years ago.

3 of us had that dish and it was equally poor. On informing the waitress I got a sullen, “Ok, I tell the chef.” It wasn't ok – a verbal tic and an innappropriate one.

My sister had steak tartare which she said at least that couldn't be overcooked and it looked fine.

Maybe we caught the chef on an off day but it is difficult to imagine how a restaurant can serve food this poorly and survive for 50 years.

It was my worst experience in London

I was expecting a typical French restaurant and it was pretty much the opposite.

We were 3 people on a Monday evening dinner.

Two of us took culin meat (onglet). We were astonished by the number of nerves in our plates, honestly we never saw so many nerves!

We ask to the waiter to acknowledge it, he politely pass the message to his manager who told him in French “what can they expect with this sort of meat” (unfortunately for her I speak French), a meat at £17 + £3 side dish because there was barely a small potato coming with the meat.

We were disgusted and decided to leave without taking a dessert. They gave us the bill with no discount and we had to pay for the service charge.

This is the last time I step a foot in this restaurant and I strongly recommend to avoid it.