The Wolseley

I have been to the Wolseley a few times for lunch and afternoon tea and enjoyed every time! Good food, the atmosphere is lovely and especially of you just viewed a wonderful exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts or went shopping on Regent Street this is the perfect place to relax and chat with your friends or family about your day.. I just applied for membership on Gourmeo today and fingers crossed they have it on their list of partners! (I'm still on the waiting list..)

I came here for afternoon tea with a couple of University friends I hadn't seen in awhile. The room for tea was absolutely lovely, and the trays for cakes and other treats just added to making this a wonderful and memorable afternoon. The price was very standard for high-end cream teas inthe Westend, and the service was very attentive.

A day after the afternoon tea, I could not be stopped and came with my husband to have dinner. After spending a ridiculous amount of time deciding and feeling guilty by being tempted with the most expensive item. I ordered the Roast Lobster, Scallops and King Prawns with Oysters Rockefeller and my husband had the Venison with red currant and port sauce.

Oysters Rockefeller are my absolute favourite, and these were the top of the top. The venison was so lovely, and the sauce was nicely balaced against the meat.

We alas had no room for dessert nor a starter, and left smiling, full, and pleasantly happy with the price. Definitely going back.

Very disapointing experience. We arrived at 11:15pm, but had to wait for a while before the menu was brought. Quite surprising as at this time the restaurant was less busy. Then it took 45 minutes to be served. The Sirloin steak was cooked well done, although it was requested rare. We were warned that they could not serve French fries (issue in the kitchen) but it would be replaced by another side dish. It never came.
I asked for the bill and we left. Although they didn't charge my main course, I won't come back. t is a pity as the place is great, past experiences were good but I had already noticed their slow service

I had never been before but I had in fact made many reservations for other people. From the moment I arrived until the moment I left I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening. The food was first class the eggs benedict was delicious and my partner had the halibut which melted in your mouth. The vegetables were amazing! The staff were excellent very polite and attentive they topped up our drinks regularly and nothing was too much trouble yet we didnt feel we were being watched either. I will definately go again and again!

The Wolesley is like a pair of old slippers- comfortable ,reliable and a favourite. The food is of a consistent quality whether it is breakfast, lunch, tea or dinner. It is definitely the best venue in London for breakfast that is for sure. Their kippers are first class. As for other meals their Schnitzel is simply the best. And I should know, my mother was Viennese. I also highly recommend their Steak Pie which is a special in the winter months. Their roast beef on Sunday exceptional- I know Michael Winner has said it is the best in London and he is probably right. Desserts and pastries are very tasty and their chocolate and raspberry slice is to die for. They are welcoming and the service is efficient. And talking of welcoming, unlike Gordon Ramsay whom I mentioned in a previous post, you will generally find Mr. Corbin or Mr. King there checking up that all is well. The location was my bank years ago- I definitely prefer it as it is now!

We were staying at the May Fair Hotel and were about to leave for airport in late afternoon and were looking for an early dinner. We were sent to two different restaurants that do not serve dinner at that hour (only tea time). We happened across this restaurant walking back to our hotel and were pleasantly surprised. We were able to order dinner and the food was good, the service quick after staff were told we needed to make a flight and we found the dining room to be most interesting.

The Wolseley is like my Tiffany's of the restaurant world- nothing bad can happen in there!

By far, my favourite restaurant in London because of the food and the ambiance, plus attentive service. The ambiance is really unrivalled in my mind- expansive, expensive and yet buzzy and welcoming. I love the feel of dinner there, fellow diners well dressed & jovial. I think that strikes me as a winning combination about the Wolseley, the sense of jovialness and yet refinement. So many restaurants of this caliber tend to be sedate, but not the Wolseley!

I've had dinner & drinks here. Drinks was a tiny, cramped little area, in contrast to the dinner. But the overall experience is wonderful. Food was wonderful and the service was very attentive, but discreet.

Many celebrities dotted the room on my visit, but no heads were turning, all in a day at the Wolseley!

This falls under the category “Best in London” & “Best upscale choice”.

Twice in a week and, after many visits, thought it is worth a brief review. Still feels like a place to be and the drama of the space never fails to impress. The kitchen is robust and turns out solid courses with a brisk correctness that is to be applauded. Never disappoints and always fun. Not much wrong and much to applaud.

I went with my some friend for breakfast, it was really lovely, breakfast was great and good value, with a lovely buzy atmosphere, service is a little slow but who's rushing on a saturday morning! Worth a visit

I wrote the review below last year and every time I've been back since the service has not been right on any occasion.

I've had two breakfasts and a lunch where I was ignored for huge sections of the meal on all three occasions. When I went for lunch I actually had to get up and ask a waiter at a station for some sauces as he'd brought our burgers and not returned so we had no mustard etc. Sloppy. Our butter wasn't replenished and I had to get up and get our wine as we'd been left with empty glasses for 10 minutes.

I won't go back in a rush that's for sure.

Last year's review:

I normally go for breakfast which is where The Wolsely shines in my experience. The eggs benedict are fabulous and you feel a million dollars eating in such grand surroundings, a great way to start the day! The service can often be patchy though and the table turning is a nightmare.

I wouldn't choose the Wolsely for a dinner or lunch as I just don't think the menu is up to it, it's also too noisy and cramped for a relaxed lazy dinner. I'll stick with brunches and afternoon teas which are always great.

A lovely place

I have been to The Wolseley quite a few times now, once for dinner and a LOT for breakfast. The dinner was a disappointment – we were seated in one of the private “upstairs” booths and it is like you are the forgotten entity – especialy even after pressing the bell and no-one coming to take another order for wine – in the end we were literally hanging over the rail to get someone to come up to us. The food was reasonable for dinner however breakfast is completely different!! There is no better way to cure a hangover than with a Wolseley full english (and if you are still munching away after 9.30am then “hair of the dog” with a glass of champers) – the only word I can sum this up with is YUM!!! They are very accomodating for breakfast – each time I've been we always have a few straglers who pitch up after the rest of us have ordered and squeeze in at the table. While I cannot reccommend this place for dinner I believe everyone should give breakfast a go – you really won't regret it!

Dinner at The Wolseley can be mediocre, lunches are a bit stiff, I have not yet had breakfast there (which I know is the best meal to have at The Wolseley) – But on this occasion, it is Afternoon Tea that brings me to here. Annoyingly it is absolutely packed and the accoustics aren't great as every laugh, shriek or bellow from fellow diners just bounces off the ceiling and dives straight into ones ear.

I despise the fact that AA Gill had to go and write a book about how damn fabulous The Wolseley is, which has now sent it rocketing into the orbits of super stardom, but I think Afternoon Tea should be a down-to-earth affair and priced very reasonably at £19.50, which technically still isnt cheap for a few finger sarnies and a couple of scones – it is a damn sight better value than the ludicrous Afternoon tea prices at hotels these days.

This particular afternoon on a sunny Sunday of a Bank Holiday weekend seems to have attracted an eclectic mix of patrons from all walks of life… Tourist, chavs and Londoners alike. Luckily, the nauseatingly gobby table of shrill lady-chavs have already paid their bill and are leaving shortly… and in good time too, as one of my guests is a toddler, who is better off without the ‘colourful’ language of the soon-to-be-departed neighbouring table.

The Tea itself is pretty simple and this is where the price point shows… 2 fat scones, nice and warm and I cannot tell you how fluffy and light they are, really quite remarkable, considering they held their shape so well. The finger sandwiches are classic cucumber, chicken and tarragon, egg mayonnaise and cream cheese and celery… With the crusts cut off, of course! A mini coffee eclair, raspberry tartlette and bright yellow macaroon enrobed in dark chocolate finish off the 3-tiered serving platter. I chose Darjeeling to accompany it all and I must say, it all makes for very good value at £19.50. It's not a flashy, incredible, elaborate Afternoon Tea, but it does the trick and is very good quality and in a great venue too, if not a tad too loud for my liking.

I shall definitely go back for Afternoon Tea again… But I feel I need to go for a nice long breakfast first and really experience the infamous Vienoisserie that this now cult-like famous restaurant is renowned for.

VERY, VERY POOR – the sauce on the duck livers (which was used for other dishes) was far too salty (way too over reduced), the salad was ‘cooked’ after being left in dressing too long, the mayonnaise was partly congealed and the ‘chef’ over uses lemon to keep food looking bright and fresh. Is the chef a heavy smoker? Or does he /she not taste the food? And why is there no quality control in place?

Avoid, avoid…please just avoid!

I love nothing more than the feeling of walking through the doors of restaurant and being wowed by the decor and the buzzy atmosphere, although these first impressions do set a precedence of what I expect from the food and the service. Unfortunately this is where I am sorely disappointed on, both times I have visited. I think the food is very average and the service is way too fussy, the waiters (as pleasant as they are) feel the need to constantly hover around your table, waiting, anticipating each sip I take from my drink, so they can be right there to fill it back up, this makes me feel ‘drink faster, drink faster, we want you to order another bottle of wine’…in the 2hr table back policy they have – why, the more expensive restaurant you go to the quicker they want the table back?!

The Wolseley is a very special place. Apart from the acoustics there is very little wrong with it, even the price tags are acceptable given the location and standards. Food is seasonal and ususally very well executed, but in recent times a fault or two have occured. Still a dependable option and one which should be considered for a special dinner. The opening times make it all the better for post-theatre or post-Opera dinners.

More a review of reviews… having been to the Wolseley several times now…always as a guest of another.

Frankly, I wouldn't choose it for myself. The most negative aspect is that it is almost impossible to carry on a conversation without shouting. An incredibly beautiful room, but the acoustics are entirely unsuitable for a restaurant (especially if it's busy, and it always is). Depending on your table, it's easier to listen in to conversations at an adjacent table than at your own – which might, of course, be a plus for some. if you do want to converse with your fellow dinners, don't under any circumstances accept a table in the centre area – and be grateful if you're shunted off to a corner!

Yes, the food is (generally) pretty good – but so it should be, as it's not cheap. Menu is a little uninspiring, unless you are happy with a brasserie approach. Service a little on the brusque side. The bill always seems to end up a lot higher than you'd expect.

I have the feeling that regulars get better treatment than those who are presumably regarded as tourists (or dependent on restaurant guides!). Don't we all resent the next table being fawned over, while we struggle to get the minimum of attention?

Probably a place to go if there are just two of you, and you're as interested in the decor and your fellow diners, than you are in each other.

One of the few places in London where I would give a consistent “10”. The quality of service is particularly impressive for a place that is almost invariably packed. It is friendly, attentive, but never rushed. The only problem with The Wolseley, in fact, is it's popularity. It is not the easiest place in which to get a table and it does require forward planning. It is, however, well worth it.

Having only been to the Wolsley once (and having been hugely disappointed the first time), I trusted that my second visit would remove any doubt in my mind that this was to be one of London's finer restaurants. Where do I begin…

Having seated my party of 8 on two different tables (again), we were served soup for starter which, if the menu had not said otherwise, I would have assumed to be salt flavour. While I can cope with slightly salty food, this was somewhat vulgar, and the dry bread helped very little.

My main, a “rare” fillet came out without the slightest hint of pink, which I was then told by two waiters was rare and that I was wrong. Eventually, having finally spoken to the Manager, I received a nicely rare steak which, second time round, was actually very nice.

My companions were however less fortunate than me. Having complained about the starters, they were in no mind to stir up a fuss over their own mains, but to the last, each was highly disappointed. Three had opted for a beef sandwich which looked like it was fresh out of a tin and highly unappetising.

Needless to say we did not hang around for desert, but sadly the food was not actually my biggest problem. The rudeness of seemingly every member of staff was outrageous. I believe the term, ‘the customer is always right’ had been misconstrued, and a simple apology over the travesty of a dish they served for starter and main was too much to ask for.

I will never return.

Scrambled eggs, brioche, good company for breakfast. What more do you need for days like these!

We had Sunday lunch at the Wolseley on Easter Day 12th April 2009. This was the 3rd year in succession that we had done this. It is becoming something of a tradition.

The service was very good and our particular waiter was attentive and knowledgeble. A very good bottle of Gevery Chambertin was thoroughly enjoyed by both of us.

My starter was a tart of Reblechon and Tomato. The pastry was wonderful and the flavour of the cheese mixed superbly with the cherry tomato topping.

As always, the Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding was beautifully presented. The Yorkshire Pudding was a beautiful colour and not over cooked as can happen in some restaurants.

The really nice thing about the Wolseley is that it manages to maintain it's standards in both service and food quality and presentation. It is always a pleasure to dine there.

This impressive venue first sprang to life as a showroom in the 1920s for Wolseley Motors and was then commandeered by Barclays Bank for the next 72 years. In 2003, the restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the duo behind such icons as The Ivy and J. Sheekey, restored the place to its former Art Deco glory and turned it into an all-day dining venue.

Opting to visit them for a busy midweek lunchtime service, I walked into the grand dining room and gawped at the gigantic space; it really is quite breathtaking. It’s a bit like stepping into the cavernous foyer of the Natural History Museum, with quadruple-height ceilings, huge pillars and chandeliers, black and white tiled floors and polished brass rails; it’s the type of restaurant you would find Hercule Poirot dining in.

The menu is somewhat less inspiring. Very similar to a French brasserie, you can dine here for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea (okay, that’s not so French) and dinner, from 7am to midnight. On the day, I wasn’t feeling all that adventurous, so I chose the chicken soup with dumplings, and a main of rib eye steak with chips. Both courses were nicely done but nothing remarkable, and the moderate prices reflect this; you get what you pay for.

Service was brisk and in a constant state of controlled panic, but not impolite. Yet the most notable thing was the room itself. The height of the ceilings makes it a rather noisy, airy place to eat, but you really do feel as if you’ve been transported back to the roaring 1920s into the hub of London’s cocktail-drinking society. I wanted to utter remarks like, “What ho! Bring me a G and T old bean, easy on the T. There’s a good chap”.

For some reason celebrities love Corbin and King’s restaurants, and on this particular day we had John Hurt sitting at the table next to us. I couldn’t help amusing myself with the thought of an alien bursting out of his chest and running amok under the tables. Ronnie Corbett was sat at the other side of the dining room, the alien’s first port of call for its hors d’oeuvres.

It’s notoriously hard to secure a table here at a ‘normal’ dining hour unless you are one of the glitterati, but I would recommend a visit just to sample the atmosphere of such an unusual space. It’s also one of London’s most popular venues for afternoon tea, after The Ritz next door and Claridge’s. Don’t expect anything dazzling from the kitchen or to be treated like royalty by the staff, but the moderately priced menu and the extravagance of the interior are good reasons to pop in for a bite.

Virtuoso decor. A very welcoming Sunday brunch/lunch… perfect Eggs Benedict.

The room and setting are sensational. Staff are the best in town and the atmosphere is always buzzy. Food is reliable – never sensational, but always good. The only place in town where I think you would feel equally comfortable having breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. It is unique.

I arrived a couple of minutes before the booked time, 7pm, to a friendly welcome from the doorman and a confusion of people just inside the door. However, I was soon shown to our table, to find that I was the first to arrive. However, my host and the other guest arrived within a few minutes. I had ordered a bottle of sparkling water on my arrival, and this turned up shortly after the rest had seated and was distributed among us.

The room is enormous, rather grand, and, I believe, has further seating upstairs at one end. We were seated on a small table, just big enough for 3, in close proximity to our neighbours on my left. The room was fairly noisy and very, very crowded. The tables, as is too common in London, were crammed together, to make the most of very expensive floor space.

Throughout the meal, the service was correct and professional, but not friendly. However, it is to his credit that the waiter who took orders, on a couple of occasions, came up to the table primed to do so and, seeing us deep in conversation, silently went away.

Two of us each started with a Kir Royale, and the other had a lager. The Kir Royale was well made without the usual excess of cassis. We then went on to bottle of Haut Medoc, which I believe is the 2003 Château Liversan, on the list at £29.50, and very pleasant. We had at least one further bottle of this.

The menu is enormous, covering a wide range of food types from soup and sandwich to a full scale meal. I started with roast quail and lentils. This seemed to be a whole bird cut into 4 pieces in a sea of lentils. The quail was somewhat lacking in taste, but the broth in which the lentils were swimming made up for it. However, in the end, a rather unsatisfying dish.

My main was the Thursday dish of the day, duck parmentier. This was a small round of shredded duck flesh, very thoroughly cooked, and surmounted by mashed potato – a duck version of shepherd’s pie. There was also a meaty gravy, which was really needed, as the duck and potato were otherwise a little on the dry side. At the suggestion of the waiter, I also ordered some minted peas, a small dish, for which, of course, there was a supplement. On the whole, I enjoyed the duck, and, whilst it seemed a rather mean portion when I looked at it marooned in the middle of the plate, in fact, there was plenty of duck and a sufficiency of potato.

By this time, the wine was finished, and so my companions chose a glass each of a sticky (an Austrian Beerenauslese at £11.75 per glass) to go with their desserts, while I had a glass of calvados (£10) to go with cheese. The cheese consisted of one piece each of Blue Vinny, Lincolnshire Poacher and a goats, Tovey. All were in good condition, and I was pleased to see the Poacher in a restaurant.

We were enjoying the last of our drinks and contemplating another when a short bearded gentleman turned up to announce that we had outstayed our welcome. In fact, he said that we had been allowed the table until 9pm (it was then 9.37pm) and it was now needed; would we like the bill. My host had no memory of being told on booking that there was a 2 hour limit, and I, for one, would not normally book a restaurant with such a policy. Not knowing how the booking was made, I cannot say if the restaurant was at fault, but it made for an unpleasant end to an otherwise pleasant evening.

I understand that my companions enjoyed their food, as did I, although there was nothing outstanding. The wine was decent and not grossly over-priced. Service was professional, but unmemorable. There are many other restaurants where you can get a meal at least as good and not get thrown out at the end (Racine, for one). If you want decent, fast food, fast service, fine. If you want to enjoy a leisurely dinner, then forget it, and that’s just what I will do – forget it.