Automat

I've been there a few times. On Sunday brunch the place was packed but we managed to get a table although we had to wait for 10mins. I had eggs norwegian which was lovely and was surprised that it arrived with a side of home fries, and my friend had pancakes with strawberries which looked very attractive. the place was very noisy, was full of families with babies and kids, do not go if you expect to have a quiet lunch.
the second time i went there for an early dinner. was totally different. intimate atmosphere, no crying and screaming babies, and we could here the music.. loved mac & cheese, we ordered a small portion to share as a starter but felt so full that we didn't think we will be able to finish the mains. would recommend grilled chicken breast with salads on the top, massive portion, and my friend was satisfied about her burger too. to finish, new york cheesecake is definitively for two people and especially after having a starter and a main, will pop in one time just to have it again.
overall, the service was good both times, attentive and friendly, however, i wouldn't say the highest standards but at the end it's a brasserie not a fine dinning restaurant.. love the decor.. the prices – high, feels like paying for the area. however, will come back again definitively and would recommend for those who are looking for a lovely atmosphere especially for dinner and a big variety of food.

I called Automat today to make a reservation for later in the week. Bizarrely I was connected to an automated service wherein I had to navigate a medley of options (press 1 for this; press 2 for that, etc) until, eventually, I was passed to the reservations department. At this point someone answered the phone with “Automat, please hold”. That was it. Not “Hello, Automat, would you mind holding for me?” which would have given me the option to say “No, thanks, I will call back when you're less busy”; I was just unceremoniously placed on hold for four minutes, at which point I got bored and hung up.

I called back some time later and had the very same experience.Clearly the reservation team are too busy to talk to the customers who call in to make a booking. That's fine, but don't place them on hold for an indeterminate amount of time, particularly without even bothering to speak to them properly first or enquire as to whether they are happy to hold.

The arrogance and temerity of the staff in the reservations team means that I definitely won't be making a booking with this restaurant. Automated telephone services are a necessary evil when you call a huge organisation like BT, but I don't expect to have to navigate several rounds of questions before I am even allowed to speak to someone when I am calling a restaurant.

Decided on reviews and recommendation to come to Automat for our breakfast. We were in London for our 4th anniversary and wanted a special breakfast together. Food came out cold, which was changed. I asked for very hard poached eggs, after the 3rd attempt I gave up on my breakfast! Was told the chef didn't know how to cook them. Absolutely discusted with the attitude, and certainly not American in it's behaviours or cooking, or staff. If you want a nice relaxed breakfast then don't go to Automat!

I love the place's setting as it remembers me of NYC. sadly the steaks don't match big apple's… they are small and very expensive for the size. service could be a little bit more courteous, especially during the week when the place is not busy at all. the food arrived rapidly tho and the cooking was as requested. overall i like it and even tho i haven't been overly impressed, i will go back.

Oh dear. Really, oh dear. I was desperately hoping to be able to write a different review to the two immediately below this, but sadly I just can't find the words, or way, to make this sound anything other than woefully disappointing with the most god awful service I have experienced anywhere.

It used to be that Automat did great burgers, a decent steak, baked halibut and a mean steak tartare. They also used to have a brilliant team of staff who were attentive, hard working, dedicated and very friendly and courteous. How big a change is it then that now the staff are just simply the rudest people I've encountered in a restaurant. Totally uncaring, verbally rude and offensive in the way they simply talk over you, talk down at you and dismiss any query you might have with a shrug of the shoulders, a shake of the head, a scowl and a turn of the back, despite you being mid-sentence. Unbelievably rude.

Obviously with such a poor experience already last week, I was probably not in the mood for things to go wrong. So when the burger turns up the cremated side of crispy, rather than medium rare as I had requested, I was not amused. Even less amused when the manageress turned up and said “Well what do you want us to do about it?” in the rudest, most disgusting tone I've heard.

My answer? “Take it back, before I throw it on the floor because of your disgusting attitude. I'm leaving”

The funny thing is the manageress didn't even care. She just said to another waiter, whilst standing in front of me, “Get him his bill”.

All I could do was laugh, and all this in front of other bemused customers in a packed restaurant. Needless to say I didn't pay – the first time ever I've refused.

Says it all really.

Although I have been a Londoner for over three decades, I grew up in the United States. I occasionally get a longing for the food from my childhood and today was one such day. A colleague suggested that we go to Automat.

We each had a cheeseburger with fries and two shakes. My cheeseburger was rather small and although I had asked for it to be done medium rare it came just this side of burnt shoe leather. The fries were perfectly ordinary. My chocolate shake was not large but it was delicious. It was not at all like most shakes back home as it was made with Belgian chocolate. I was pleasantly reminded of the (much larger) chocolate shakes from Godiva on Connecticut Avenue in Washington although it was nowhere near as good. It is odd that Belgian chocolate shakes should be so much better so far from their native land. They are also better value for money. This rather small shake cost six pounds.

We both had an espresso, my friend a double and I a single. This was a source of relief as it ranked among the worst espressos that I have ever had. It was bitter yet tasteless and grainy with stale coffee grinds.

Automat's decor is unexceptional. There is a self-seating area in the front that has no decoration on the walls except for white tiles going up to a three quarter height. Rather like an abattoir. The main dining area takes reserved seating in rows of banquettes and has an attractive wooden vaulted ceiling. Service was good. We had an attractive Spanish waitress who was overworked but had the charming habit of giving a wink to show that she'd seen us asking for her attention. She invariably came quickly thereafter.

Now for the worst bit. Please remember that I am talking about two cheeseburgers with fries, two milk shakes and two espressos. The bill came to fifty two pounds sterling and sixty seven pence. At the current conversion rate, that is $85.32. Yes, eighty five U.S. dollars. For those of you who might be reading this and who are American tourists, PLEASE take note. Eighty five greenbacks for two hamburgers with fries and two milkshakes. And not particularly good ones at that. And followed by two abysmal espressos.

The surprise is that the place was full. WHY? Are there so many people in Mayfair who have more money than taste buds, let alone sense?? There must be.

My heartfelt advice to any American visitors who may be tempted to go to Automat is, simply, DON'T. Wait until you get home. As to my fellow expatriates, you might find it cheaper to fly back. And when you do go, please remember those shakes on Connecticut Avenue at twice the size and less than half the cost.

Utterly Rude Manager – DO NOT GO!!! RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE

I wished I had read these reviews before going. I went for a 730 reservation, found the food to be ok, nothing special, the service was a bit annoying, as they were rushing us a tiny bit, giving 2 minutes between asking for our order on two occasions.. but nothing to come home and write a scathing review about…

So the meal comes to an end and I pay.. We were lingering for a few minutes and about to leave when the manager came by our table to ask if she needed to attend to the bill, upon which I respond, “oh no, we have just paid”.. She instantaneously said “then I have to ask you to leave as we have another group” in a dismissive tone. This somewhat irked me, if I said “no”, she would have had to get our payment, however the moment she knew we had paid, she jumped to kick us off the table. Giving her the benefit of the doubt I mentioned two her two things, I wasn't informed or reminded (which is normally the case on entry to restaurants who give time slots) of the 2 hour slot (I didn't even realize it was 930), and that she came across as rudely kicking us off the table immediately.. Her chance to explain he rude comment, now you would think that she would apologies or something along those lines, however she started an argument with me, insisting she wasn't rude and started to say that I was wrong! She continued to talk over me and insist I was wrong and knew I had to leave at 930.. I have eaten at many good restaurants and have never been treated in such an utterly distasteful manner, it was unprofessional and just all out rude… I actually tried again in a very calm fashion to point out why she came across as being rude, mentioning that if she had gently and respectfully reminded us we would have kindly left as we were almost ready to leave anyway… She instead talked over me and raised her voice at me and continued an utterly ridiculous and rude argument, mentioning “its your word against mine”.. OMG what a rude and clueless person..

SPEND YOUR MONEY ELSEWHERE!! Half the reason why you go to a restaurant and spend significant amounts of money you expect good service… well not from this manager.. RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE

Lacklustre welcome from what appeared to be the manager, great example for the staff, waiter redeemed the situation marginally, although mumbled when giving over the menus and never came back to ask if everything was ok after delivering the food. Portion might be large but the food is mediocre at best, personally prefer quality over quantity, only highlight was the smoothie. Then presented with bill for £50 for two burgers, coke and smoothie. Frankly it was worth about half the price. Will not be returning and I would not recommend. We've been before and I've got a feeling the first time we said it was overrated.

Automat takes American brasserie to a nice upscale level. Decor is sleek and looks the part.

Food is reliable & American styled portions, so you won't walk away hungry or wanting for dessert.

Great choice for lunches in Mayfair, team lunches. I wouldn't necessarily go for an evening dinner, but a great lunch time choice in a nice location.

Today I met a friend for breakfast at Automat in Dover Street, Mayfair. I think American breakfasts are the best in the world so was looking forward to visiting the diner and catching up with my friend.

I booked a table in advance. The booking system is simple and straightforward and the girl I spoke to was polite.

We were running late so I rang in advance to change the booking, pushing it back a little. All good although I was told I needed to vacate the table by 12pm from a 10.30am booking, no worries.

The greeting was good. The restaurant was on the quiet side but it did pick up throughout brunch. We managed to get a booth which was great, lots of room and comfortable seats.

I ordered a coffee and looked over the menu. The classics are on there as well as other dishes. Not as American as I would have liked. It's actually quite a large menu for breakfast / brunch. We both decided to order pancakes, one with strawberries and one with blueberries. Both pancakes would come with maple syrup.

No sooner had we ordered than our pancakes arrived. It was speedy… and I'll tell you why. I assumed the pancakes would be made fresh to order but instead the kitchen had pre-cooked a batch and heated them up. The pancakes that arrived looked good but were luke warm… not nice. I really don't like it when food is not cooked properly. The chef should have checked to make sure they were sufficiently cooked. In fact they should have been cooked from fresh. The maple syrup was already all over the pancakes. Again not good. I guess I should have checked as I prefer to add my own and just assumed it would be served separately. The blueberries came with a hideous compote on top of the pancakes.

So in a nutshell I didn't enjoy breakfast this morning. Personally I'd cut the menu in half and cook fresh to order. Better to do five things right than reheat and serve just warm.

Would I go back to Automat? I liked the decor and menu reads well. The staff are a little cold and robotic. We had one fab waitress, the rest including the manager were brisk.

For an American diner I was disappointed. I love American breakfasts so much and Automat just didn't deliver.

Breakfast came to just under £30. So two pancakes, one coffee, one juice and service. Perhaps we'll try a greasy spoon next time.

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As a big fan of America and an even bigger fan of brunch I am always pleased when I stumble across a diner which claims to cater to both of these loves. Walking into Automat I was certainly not disappointed – it was busy, it was loud and I saw burgers and pancakes everywhere I looked. My party was shown through to the second room, a mock railway carriage with booths all along both sides. This was somehow not tacky and I only got more excited when I walked through to the loos to find another room three times the size and filled with natural light and big tables of brushed aluminium.

Having started the day with a healthy breakfast of German sausage and sauerkraut I felt the age old dilemma of ‘sweet versus savoury’ had been decided for me, and my anticipation started to build when the waiter cut off my question on the merits of various dishes with a very affirmative “Waffles”. After working myself up into such a state one can imagine the disappointment when I bit into said waffles to find them dry and bland; and although the blueberries, cream and maple syrup went a long way to solving this, I was out of the lot by half way through. Now I probably could have asked for more of all three but despite being an Americophile, I am still English, and I feel a bit awkward in those situations – have they factored in the cost of extra blueberries? Will I pay a surcharge for a single portion of maple syrup? Besides, I was being taken out by some friends and I did not want to seem ungrateful. Fortunately, my belated banana milkshake arrived and pulled me through the final two waffles with a healthy dose of dairy and a deliciously fresh taste of bananas.

This is a restaurant that I want to love, and based on the quality of the milkshakes and my friend’s scrambled eggs I think the possibility is still there. My only mistake was expecting New York waffles in central London – it just isn’t going to happen.

Staff who give you daggers as you enter, dump menus on the tables and walk off is a lovely start to the day!
Automat keeps appearing on many ‘Best Breakfasts in London’ lists and I can only guess that they are totally out of date.

Mediocre food is one thing but staff surly to the point I thought they were going to fight me is something else.

Cecconis is round the corner, go there instead.

One of the worst meals to be had in the Mayfair area. I would not recommend.

Undoubtedly the worst, rudest service I have receved from any restaurant or, in fact, any human being. Do not eat here under any circumstances – the food is no better than average and they do not deserve your money.

this has all the signs of somewhere that just doesn't care anymore. i've been here a few times and the service is always variable and the food bland. for some reason, i keep forgetting so return from time to time. i hope never to go again.

Average food and terrible service. e.g waited an age for peppermint tea to be given lukewarm green tea.

Staff have a poor command of English generally, 2 out of the four of us did not get the food we ordered, having waited an age we ate it anyway. 12.5% service charge – again couldn't be bothered to wait and argue over this.

Food is OK – absolutely nowhere near a proper US diner in terms or portions or choice.

Went here on a saturday night with a friend. Smart place and high prices but this establishment didnt wow me. I had a lovely vegie burger with amazing fries, and a nice salsa which probably was worth the price. The service was cold and unfriendly, and for an American place the beer choices were poor with no Coors or Miller on offer.

Great location, good atmosphere, and a sensible menu with lots of good vegetarian options. Major surliness from some of the waiters, total lack of customer service

Great, fun atmosphere. Food was excellent. Streets ahead of places like Galvin's on Baker St

I remember when not so long ago going to Automat was an automatic guarantee for great food in a nice buzzy place, complimented by efficient service. How times have changed.
My last visit there was somewhat painful. Upon our arrival we were reminded of our 1 and a half hour time slot, which would have been ok, since it was only brunch. We did not take into account that we would have been kept waiting for over one hour for eggs! When they finally arrived, the hollandaise sauce was not on the side, as specifically requested, and when we pointed it out to our waiter, he coldly removed the plate without a single word. Ten minutes later another plate of eggs was pratically thrown at us – no sauce in sight, not even on the side.
We quickly ate our average breakfast, got out of there and vowed never to return again.

If you're thinking of coming for the famous brunch then best to book a table as it can get filled up pretty quickly, although sometimes you can get squeezed in at the bar at the back if you're lucky.

I've always loved the food here, simple American diner style food, but cooked well with quality ingredients. I’m always on the lookout for the perfect poached egg and the Egg Royale here is a definite contender, cooked to perfection with the perfect balance of fresh salmon and flavourful hollandaise sauce is a must have on the brunch menu.

If you’re considering pudding – which you should! Then you can’t go wrong with the pecan pie; crumbly pastry with gooey toffee filling, topped with pecans and served hot with cold vanilla ice-cream.

The atmosphere varies depending on which part of the restaurant you are sat in. At the front the décor is darker, with leather seated individual booths, lit by candle light at night makes it a nicer area for a more romantic evening meal. Whereas if you go for brunch it’s nice to sit at the back of the restaurant which is deceptively large, and a lot lighter and airier.

I’ve always found the service to be acceptable here; it’s definitely not the smiling friendly American diner style you might get at other cheesier places, it’s more in fitting with the stuffy Mayfair vibe, however I’ve always found the staff to be helpful at finding tables etc. and once when we were cold they switched the air-con off for us without any problems.

Went for breakfast – they couldn't even toast the bread!!

Automat is plain awful – the food isn't great, and made worse by the fact that we waited a really long time for it (despite the restaurant being almost empty). And when it arrived, it was cold. When we brought this to the attention of the wait staff, they were not helpful at all, and eventually we had to ask for the food to be taken back in to be heated up. We were also looking forward to a great atmosphere, but were sorely disappointed as there were only 2 other tables occupied throughout our entire meal (which lasted 2.5 hours). Definitely not worth the time and money.

This place displays the worst characteristics of restaurants in Mayfair- poor food, expensive, bad attitude.

On phoning for a reservation I was told they were very busy but they can squeeze us in. We turn up and the place is empty. We ask to sit at a booth which are all empty and are told we can't. They remain empty throughout our stay. The waiters were rude. 10 minutes after ordering we are told that they can't do what we asked for. The food is passable- the muffins in the eggs Benedict were burnt, the hollandaise had split and all overpriced. Avoid.

This is my brunch venue of choice if I am in the area – great little diner. American/nautical feel with a light and airy conservatory at the rear of the restaurant, high bar stools and black and white tiled floors. Good menu for brunch, though they reduced the portion sizes of late (hasn't everywhere?!), with traditional pancakes and eggs ‘any way’ as well as the usual burgers and ‘fries’. My other half often orders his take away supper from Automat when working late and he assures me that the food is always well put together and satisfying. Not too pricey, enjoyable comfort food in a lovely environment. Try and get seating at the back of the restaurant and if you do visit the bathroom – the doors are rather narrow so leave your handbag at the table… Oh and you must try one of their chocolate milkshakes, such a sinful treat!