Colbert

Nice and very busy

Colbert, while not flawless, is a great addition to the Chelsea dining – and especially lunching – scene. So much so that it is always jam packed with locals, tourists, theatere goers shoppers and what seems another 10,000 or so people. If you do sneak a table the food is dependable without being genre defining, my only quibble is the ambient noise which is well beyond “buzzling” and a wine list which does not match the food offering very well. But compared to the pieces of plastic in my last main course at the old and towards its end vile “Oriels” at the same premises it is light years of improvement! Let us hope Colbert does not fall pray to its own success.

Overpriced and not worth the hype. Such a shame that the food is so mediocre when everything else is ok or great. If you are on Sloane Square, Cote is much better value for food and The Botanist is better value all round.

Today I called the restaurant to make a reservation for 2 for breakfast…for a wednesday. After welcoming me by telling me that they needed the table back by 11am, they proceeded to take my name. I then told them that I was coming with a small pram. At that point, the girl on the phone tells me that the new rule by the owners is that under no circumstance prams are allowed neither in the restaurant nor in the side bar any time of the day (these were her literal words).
You decide whether you think this place is heaven or not but I find people who make such rules not worthy of a visit (with or without pram).

Messrs Corbin and King have given this venue their typical stylish middle european flavour. Like their other sites the site trades breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. My impression was that it serves it's purpose rather better for the first three than the latter or perhaps that's because I prefer a leisurely dinner in convivial surroundings. Here service is rather too rushed with an obvious emphasis on speed of service, presumably to ensure a fast turn of the tables. Nonetheless the food is good and fits with expectations and fits perfectly if you're in a rush.