Bistro One Ninety at The Gore Hotel

Better than we expected. Would go again

After having used Bar 190 at the Gore for pre theatre drinks and nibbles we decided to try the Bistro on our next visit. What a mistake that was! The tables were cramped with barely enough room to sit without touching another table's chairs let alone allow the waiting staff to pass between them, the service was poor (due to understaffing and an over filled restaurant), the food was almost cold when it arrived, and for the price paid was well below the standard expected. In addition we were not informed, nor was it advertised when ordering from the set menu, that vegetables were extra. Finally to cap it all, when we did leave the restaurant, our coats were so buried under the mass of others by the door, that it took a full five minutes to locate them. Would we recommend it – definitely not. Will we return – most assuredly no!

A very disappointing visit and for those going to the Royal Albert Hall make sure you have enough time. Our main courses took an hour to arrive and we were told that one pudding would take 15 minutes when it took 25minutes. Too many front staff with a kitchen which couldn't cope and the restaurant was less than half full. Over-priced for what we had, a pity given its location. On the hotel website it says ‘new to the neighbourhood is Westfield Shopping Centre’ which I would take issue with too.

Despite having a confirmed reservation through Square Meal, Bistro 190 didn't have us on their table list when we arrived. Looked at me as if I was about to burgle the place when I still insisted on being dined, and took five minutes to decide what table we could have before offering us the worst one in the place – despite the fact the restaurant only had two others sets of diners in at the time. When I joked with the waitress that it must have been hard to find us a good table when they were so busy she turned her nose up at me and said haughtily “we'll be busy in ten minutes, you'll see..”

Sure enough when the RAH around the corner emptied at 9.30pm the place ‘filled up’. Five more tables were taken, yielding at least 50% occupancy…at least it improved the deathly atmosphere even if our waitress's humour and bustling took a turn for the (even) worse.

Ate from the set option which came recommended on here (even if we had to ask for its particular menu – they try and get you to choose from the much more expensive a'la carte menu first, bless 'em.) I had pepper soup which arrived swimming in oil and served with a runt of a bread roll, followed by an overcooked piece of red mullet on a bed of overpoweringly lemoned risotto. My partner had salmon tartare which was ok, but looked like a war-zone on her plate and some minute, insipid chicken number to follow. We both decided to eschew the afterthought that was the two-choice dessert menu. And all was delivered to us quicker than a meal in Pizza Express – other than the water refills, which never materialised. A half decent, well-chilled and well priced Sauvignon Blanc delayed the staff's rush and numbed the pain of the bill (service was included in this part of the experience) which was presented to me before I asked for it.

In short, absolutely dreadful. It's a shame too because there is a shortage of restaurants at this end of SW7 and the hotel building in which the restaurant is housed and the dining room itself are wonderful. In theory, when you are offering such basic fare in such a great location, it should be really hard to screw things up so badly, but that is exactly what Bistro 190 managed to achieved for our visit. I didn't need their arrogance and inefficiency, I didn't need their bland, unimaginative food and I definitely didn't need to junk nearly a £100 of my money on such a poor overall eating experience.

I won't be back. Not for all the cake in Kensington.