L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

I can not believe for one minute that this is a two star michelin restaurant. 04/02/12
We had reasonable expectations, having had the good fortune to dine at some of the worlds finest restaurants during our 18 year gastronomic affair.
We were seated at the bar overlooking the kitchen on the ground floor, we had booked a table for 5.30 hoping to enjoy a fabulous dinner before the theatre. i decided to go al carte and chose the langoustine fritters followed by the Scallops on Fregola with Black Truffle from the Perigord…and? At £47 for the starter and £34 for the main i waited with great anticipation as to what i would be served. I can only describe the starter as outrageous! nothing more than four (rather tiny) langoustine individually wrapped in wonton wrappers with a bit of basil and chilli deep fried with a basil Pistou which was over oily and lacked flavour. Oh and two deep fried basil leaves, all came confusingly constructed by cocktail sticks which made the whole thing difficult to eat and highlighted the pools of oil on the plate. I muddled my way through thoroughly disappointed. I wondered were the skill was in making this dish, after all isn't that part of what i am paying for?The second course arrived and looked promising four scallops nicely presented with what looked like black truffle on them. I have to say that i am rather a truffle queen, i absolutely love them, so after my first mouthful i could not believe there was no truffle flavour. Is it me have i missed something? I tried the second one and no nothing not an iota of truffle flavour at all. I called the waitress and said, “these scallops have no truffle flavour at all”, “yes madam look there is the black truffle it is with onion compote”. “It very well may be but it tastes nothing like it”, “i am sorry i don't want it”, “you want to send it back”? Yes i do! “Would madame like to try something else on the menu”? No not really, “how about the Egg Cocotte it is a speciality, it is a very lovely dish” Oh ok i am actually still quite hungry and after all, i am here to eat. The Egg Cocotte came served in a martini glass it was a lightly cooked egg in a mushroom froth with bits of mushroom. The chef had purposely added large shavings of black truffle on top, at this point I felt only to make a point, “you have to eat it all together” said the waiter “you will get all the flavour then” he handed me a rather odd shaped spoon and i did what he suggested. What i got was a rather weak flavoured mushroom soup with barely cooked egg and bits of fake truffle which did nothing other that get stuck in my teeth! I pushed it away, a rather awkward looking waitress removed it and promptly asked if we would like to see the desert menu, NO thank you! "tea or coffee madame “NO”. The bill came to £155, my husband had the scottish Salmon with cucumber and wasabi cream, which he said was ok although lacked wasabi flavour, followed by the John dory with orange sauce again edible although quite sweet.
I was not charged for the scallops but the Egg Cocotte was billed at £11 and we were given a tube of chocolates each for the inconvenience and a business card by “The manager” i am guessing, who said “next time you visit ask for me i will look after you” I suggest you make a massive improvement to the food in this restaurant and concentrate on looking after the guests that visit you once cause if they have any sense they will not be back!!

I was taken here by my girlfriend as a birthday surprise, and the experience was terribly disappointing. We ate in “L'Atelier” on the ground floor; we, it would seem, were lucky in that we had a table, although this was small, high and cramped, which reflects the restaurant as a whole, which has a long line of diners sitting canteen-style at a counter on bar stools, and conversation is easily audible from table to table despite the background music.

The service was good in parts, but the descriptions of the dishes and their accompanying wines had already been delivered to neighbouring diners well within our earshot enough times that they were entirely superfluous by the time they were delivered to us, we were approached by the Sommelier with wines to accompany courses we had already finished, and the first glass of wine came with a floating moth.

The food was good rather than spectacular, and well-presented and delivered, but the dishes as a whole were simple and well-executed as opposed to a masterpiece of the chef's craft and art.

Had the occasion been different, I would have been disappointed, but knowing the effort which my girlfriend had made to try and arrange a genuinely memorable occasion, I left feeling angry at the experience, even more so because it was my girlfriend's money which had been wasted (though I hope that I was able to hide my disappointment from her).

Overall, I find it hard to understand the rating of this restaurant – I can't begin to see how it comes close in terms of atmosphere, quality of food or sense of occasion to other two starred restaurants such as Le Gavroche, Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons or Le Champignon Sauvage (each of which differs significantly from the others, but all of which are most definitely “special” places to eat with magnificent food).

I really hope we're not going back.

My wife and I went to L’Atelier at the end of the year. From start to finish it was an outstanding experience. We had mixed up the dates, we were 2 days early, but still they were able to accommodate. Whilst things were sorted out downstairs, we had a drink at the bar upstairs.
The atelier was like a bar where you could look and admire Joel and his team. The whole equipe was at full display, and the most surprising thing was the overall calm of how things were executed, even when the orders came flooding in. The whole crew was wearing black uniforms with red accents, a colour scheme repeated throughout the restaurant.
We settled for the European tasting menu, including the wines. The food, the sevice, the pacing (they even asked us if we wanted a little break, which was perfectly timed, were of the highest quality. Some very interesting wines (including a Burgenland from Austria and a Rivaner from Luxembourg) were served and they were all perfectly balanced with the food served. The Languedoc Mas Amiel desert wine with the chocolate desert was particularly good, and so was the Spanish Duerdo that came with the quail.
A good thing that we both love foie gras and truffles, they were given in abundance. Personal highlights were the foie gras with quince and clementine marmalade, where perhaps the lack of texture was more than compensated by the taste. The quail stuffed with foie gras was really fantastic and it worked on all senses, but also the truffle and chicory salad with apple worked really well as a refreshing, almost cleansing bite in the middle.
The staff was very attentative but not obtrusive, and even the chef took the time to chat to us. A fantastic culinary evening, can’t wait to get back to taste the razor clams that my neighbour ordered.

I had booked lunch at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon for myself and my best friend to catch up for my birthday over what we had anticipated would be a fully epicurean experience. It is therefore particularly unfortunate that this could not in fact have been further from the truth.

We ordered the set menu, at £36.00 for three courses which we felt offered good value for money at lunchtime in this reputably fine restaurant. With it's abundance of accolades and Michelin stars, we did not expect to receive a meal which honestly was average at best.

Two of the courses were just ok – by no means the gastronomic treat that we had been led to expect. The stand out course however, was the starter which was simply disgusting.

We ordered the starter of ‘oeuf cococte’ – a dish that neither myself or my friend could stomach. The white of this oeuf was presented in small bowls still translucent in appearance and viscous in texture – a clear indicator that the oeuf was uncooked. The effect was a strange mix of glutinous and mildly congealed egg, coupled with mushroom foam alongside sporadically placed pieces of solid wild mushroom. It really was undeniably vile and after sampling a few mouthfuls decided that the starter was unedible.

I feel it is pertinent to add at this point that the inability to eat something is for me wholly uncharacteristic. I love food and all things gastronomic.

One of the best french restaurant in London!

When one reads that Joel Robuchon has 26 Michelin stars to his name, expectations are raised VERY high. So when colleagues suggested lunch there, salivation started immediately.
We dined in the ground-floor space – a curious mélange of red roses, black laqueur and trailing greenery which says upscale Chinese to me rather than upscale French, but then I've never been entirely convinced by our Gallic friends' taste in interior design. (If you sit at the counter, you're confronted by a glass cabinet than runs round the back of the bar and is filled with seaside bits and bobs – most odd and curiously reminiscent of a fish-and-chippery with pretension.)
The menu offered a selection of small plates – very à la mode, à la carte, and a set lunch. We opted for the latter and went for the version with a couple of glasses of wine thrown in (£32 for two courses with a couple of decent wines).
The style of cooking is modern with a fusion twist: the cucumber soup had an undertone of curry and coconut (but done with great finesse and tact). The main of a lamb leg steak with tempura-ed vegetables was good but hardly set the pulse racing. My colleagues opted for fish and veal – both came with lashings of foam. A starter of mushrooms with a lightly poached egg – again adorned with foam – was, I hope, better to eat than it looked… Pudding was a tasting plate of five tiny slices of tart and each one was a delight.
The wait-staff was charming, keen to help and advise, and – in that typically French way – was determined that no nuance of the cooking should pass you by as they delivered their litany as the plates were delivered.
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is one of those places that demands a re-visit pretty swiftly – is this style over substance, or something altogether classier? I'm not sure…

I ate here on Saturday evening. I felt so strongly about the standard of dinner I have registered just to write a review on this place. Tables were too close together. The service was very sporadic and we had to ask for menus twice, request the bill twice and we waited a long time to order. The food was decidedly average. I have the Iberian ‘jamon’ to start. It was proper ‘pata negra’ (I live in Madrid so should know) but it was sliced so poorly. It should be served thinly and never with a garlic toasted tomato bread – tomato bread yes but garlic kills the whole wonderful flavour of the jamon. My main course was very average and the mashed potato they served was like pure fat with a dash of potato in it. I didn't bother with dessert but we elected the cheese board. What a shocker for a restaurant of this ‘so called’ calibre. Eight cheese in total. Cheeses you can get straight from a supermarket like Appenzeller and Beaufort. Very disappointing. I would most definitely not return to this restaurant.

Another of our “you don't have to be posh” Michelin * lunches that my friends and I attempt to do 3/4 times a year. The food is top qulaity here, but portions are small and prices are steep.
We were located towards the back of the restaurant (it appears bigger with the mirrors and black) so unfortunately no witnessing of the cooks doing their thing. I found the high tables and chairs a tad dis-orientating at first, but the sublime execution of the foie gras burger soon makes you forget that – and remembber they are small so its got to be good.
The langoustine tail (yes, one) with the basil was again brilliant, but leaves you wanting more. I guess this is the idea – to leave you frustrated and begging for another mouthful.
Like I typed, very good, but not cheap.

A very pleasant evening, one of the best Restaurant in London! It is a comfortable and soothing room. Food and service was fantastic!I went for dinner and recommend seating at the counter to take in the action. Had the beef tartare which was delicious. My partner had the cockerel. Both dishes were excellent!
Definitely recommend it & will certainly return!

Very disappointed. Being a michelin rated restaurant I had much higher expectations. The restaurant had a nice feel to it, however the chairs had no backs, so not the most comfortable.

We all ordered the meat (can't remember now the type – wasn't memorable!). It was probably the most chewy meat I have ever had.

Desert was the best of the lot, but not amazing.

Visited 14 February for lunch in L'Atelier. Sat just behind the row in front of the kitchen and could still see it in operation pretty well.

Chose four “starters” from the small dishes menu to share and a main and a pudding each. Half a bottle of house champagne and a small bottle (37.5cl) of moscato to accompany pudding.

Overall very pleasant – the choices are very good and can heartily recommend the crab and orange jelly starter along with the langoustine fried in rice paper (although it looks a bit sad at one item), plus a snails dish and some carpaccio of beef – all good.

Mains were St Jaques and Monkfish and again very flavoursome and well presented.

Overall a good experience, the atmosphere is interesting and the kitchen very active and makes for good viewing. The waiting staff are not too intrusive and don't rush you.

Only issue was a 45 minute wait for pudding as they messed up one souffle and had to make it again – we did get some amuse bouche lollipops to keep us busy, but for two stars that's a bit too long to forgive entirely and as the souffle, when it arrived was only competant, but not a wow it has brough the scores down overall.

The bill was £250 ish for two and not a surprise given the location and the star rating.

It would have been closer to perfect but for the issue with the pudding, but still recommended.

I have visited Atelier Joel Robuchon on three occasions, more times than any other fine dining restaurant to date. It is to be found in what is effectively an alley way on the edge of Soho. The decor is decidedly dark: You sit on bar stools either at a bar behind which the food is prepared in an atmosphere of Zen-like calm or at high tables; either way they are black as are most things in the room. The welcome is Parisian: You are welcomed to the privilege of dining at Robuchon. Nothing is too much trouble, but things may take an effort. You need to go to this restaurant with the attitude of a European not an American: you will have a nice day, but you absolutely wouldn't ever say those words in this establishment.

Downstairs the menu is “Les Plats en Petits Portions Degustation”, a tasting menu/tapas concept. There are a 20 small tasting dishes to choose from ranging from the simplest Iberico ham with toasted tomato bread, through the consciously ironic (Le Burger), the foams and jellies of modern cuisine (Cauliflower Jelly and tomato coulis) to the most French thing since losing a war or the Eifel Tower (Quail stuffed with foie gras and truffled mash potato). Any four will more than suffice. The food is sublime with exquisite precision and beautifully balanced flavours. “Le Burger's” simple beauty literally reduced my wife to tears of joy, something for which one can only be eternally grateful.

Choosing wine is for many of us a blind stab in the dark based on price and perhaps vague familiarity. Our waitress turned it into an almost sexual experience. It was very like being served by Catherine Deneuvre: This is not a comment on her looks; it is her demeanour as she caresses each name and teases you with a languid description of the inner beauty of each wine with a polite and studied indifference to your obvious ignorance. On one visit my client left having had a memorable meal and, I think, just a little bit in love with our waitress.

The true measure of fine dining is whether you can recall any dish a month or two later. I could probably accurately describe a third of the dishes I have eaten at Robuchon. That might sound low, but try and go back through the last few times you ate out and recall what you had and what it made you feel like. It's not easy. I reckon if you remember anything at all and you are doing really well.

Another measure is whether they remember you. I ate with my wife on Saturday lunchtime and remarked purely in passing as I left that I was coming back with a client on Thursday and would like to eat the dishes I hadn't tried that day. When I arrived on the Thursday, my client was shown to my “usual” table (on only my second visit). We were well away from a somewhat noisy American who turned out to be the Hollywood actor Jack Black (or as the waitress put it “An American actor, Messieur Blackjack – do you know him messieurs?”- a Michelin two star restaurant that isn’t star struck is a thing to cherish). My client was handed the menu and I was told that as they already had my order, all they needed to know was what order I would prefer to have the dishes that I hadn’t tried on my last visit served. This is service at a level I have never encountered before anywhere; Surprising, attentive and just the right side of arrogant to be called supremely confident.

In our family value is always measured by a simple test: Taking everything into account, guess the bill. If you guess above the actual it is good value, if you guess below it isn’t. We were over on each occasion, but added a hefty service charge to reflect the effort put in by the staff. It certainly isn’t cheap, but it is memorably good and well worth going down a dark alley near Soho to find.

We went to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon for a friends birthday in November 2010. I should have known this was going to be a night I wouldn't forget, but for all the wrong reasons. The moment the waitress arrived and her English was so poor none of our party of 4 could understand the specials and had immense difficulty ordering our cocktails…

…at this stage we were not perturbed and as 3 out of our party of 4 had not been before we decided to order the tasting menu at a cool £125 a person. It was a huge disappointment, after we ordered and had eaten our first dish we were advised that the blackened cod was being replaced by a scallop, and “was this ok”. When enquiring if we could still have the blackened cod we were told no – less of a question then…

..Overall the courses were poor, fois gras on some kind of citrus fruit was a let down, with the fois gras lacking flavour, a very plain, tough and chewy langoustine made up another underwelming course. The only dish I will say was in the “very good” (but not excellent) category was the quail stuffed with fois gras and truffel oil mash potatoes – it was good but by this time I had already made my mind up.

We had 2 bottles of wine with the meal, between 4 us, and drink each to start. The sommelier was atrociuos, I asked what wine would go well with the tasting menu and pointed him in the direction of the burgundies which he agreed would work. He then proceeded to point out the first 6 on the list and offered virtually no feedback on any of the wines.

When the bill came I felt physically sick – £1,078 for the 4 of us. Do not mis-understand, I knew it was going to be expensive, but the frustration at the poor service and below par food that had been building throughout the whole experience left me with no patience to pretend it had been a good meal and happily pay this extortionate bill.

I will not be going back.

I cannot opine on value for money – I was taken here to lunch. First the good news: the Spanish sommelier was an enthusiast who really knew how to tune into what wine we liked and made an excellent recommendation. Thank you. The ambience is all black lacquer with touches of crimson – felt smart and oriental, and I liked the raised tables and banquettes too. Here's the rub: this is a much hyped place to come to eat and I was expecting quite a lot from the experience. My host and I opted for the prix fixe £30 lunchtime menu. As this was a menu that was presented to us, I hoped it would be a chance to taste the cuisine without crippling my host (who I think made up for that on the delicious wines ordered). The starter was fine, I thought, though less than a week later I have diificulty in recalling it. The main course I chose was chicken sliced over vegetables and lentils (I think they were lentils !). The chicken was RAW and served as such in spite of being sliced ! Well, sometimes things go wrong and I didn't want to be horrid, so I apologised but asked for it to be cooked through… when the Maitre D' brought it back to me he said words along the lines of: “The chef has now cooked it through but asked me to point out to you that it is our recipe to serve the chicken under-done”. What does that say for arrogance and lack of respect for the customer, how stupid do they think their customers are ? I have to say that I would have had words – rather than laughed and suggested they should read-up on Salmonella, but I was a guest, and I lunch with my host is not a frequent event, I did not wish to cause him any embarrasment and we had serious bonding to achieve, so I let it go. Actually, the food was wonderfully seasoned and tasted just right. We had a good time and we achieved what we needed to. However, Joel, please come in sometime to give the chef and Maitre who represent you in your establishment a real good kicking. Don't take your customers for ignorant fools and don't serve chicken raw (or call raw chicken “under-done”, and on purpose).

Appealing by the creativity, and the combination of ingredients, but so disappointing in the service quality…how rude and unprofessional, especially with 2 stars where you can expect the best. I don’t understand how the difference can be so wide with the Paris version.

Will certainly go back when they change the staff.

I don’t get out so much these days, so was quite excited to visit L’atelier as it has been on my must do list for a while. While it was mostly delight there was also a little disappointment too.

The food was very good, we had the tasting menu, fois and parmesan foam, caviar & crab, butter nut squash soup, some big old prawns, quail and truffle potatoes, some more fois a cheese course and an ice cream lollipop and an ice cream chocolate crunchy thing for desert. All the dishes were absolutely superb; none disappointed and all the tastes and textures were wonderfully combined. The portion sizes were spot on too, as at the end you were left pleasantly stuffed, rather than with some tasting menus where you are afraid to have the ‘wafer thin mint’ at the end!

The service was good, although we did have to ask twice for water, but not so keen on waiters stretching over the counter to put plates down. I even got told off once when I tried to help, which is a little funny as later they were handing me hot plates, as they couldn’t reach past the large bowl full of faux ice cubes.

The ambience and décor were lovely, some nice albeit a little loud mood music in the background and the dark woods and dim lights provided a very convivial atmosphere.

But the real disappointment for me was the whole counter concept, it is almost like the whole restaurant has been turned into a chef’s table, where you sit around the kitchen and watch the chefs prepare food, which was all very professional and besides a few ‘yes Chef’ shouts you can almost forget they were there, no Ramsey tantrums here!.

The tall stools cramped together in a line wasn’t for me though, I am built more for comfort than style these days. To get out of your chair you had to shuffle it backwards to avoid hitting into the person next to you. The stools while well upholstered were comfy to a point, but far from letting you sit back and relax.

As we were just two the sitting in a row was no problem, but for larger groups the counter simply doesn’t work although I noticed they tended to put groups on the corners.

All in all it very good, if I was dating this would be the ideal place but for me next time I think I’ll go to the La Cuisine.

Went to treat a friend for his birthday. Sitting at the counter downstairs you can peer into the open plan kitchen, and watching the food being prepared was adding to the experience. The decor is rather dark and sultry, but it all fits together, and we came for the food anyway. It did not disappoint, with sensational starters and well executed main courses. Only the desserts did not quite overawe me, on the day we went they were a bit dry and uniform. Had a fabulous sherry from the well researched wine list and have since sourced it, with the help of the sommelier who I called back to ask what I drank. Service was fantastic, with an attentive and friendly waiter, who twigged that it was my friend's birthday and came out with an unexpected little treat. We went in the middle of the week, when the restaurant was not overly busy, so although we were asked if we wanted to take our drinks in the bar upstairs we just declined and remained where we were without further ado. Overall the food and service is well worth the money, we will come back for more.

We had booked a table for 4 to celebrate our son's 21st birthday. As we had been here before for another celebration we were really excited at the prospect of dinner (last time it was lunch). We had drinks upstairs for 15 and at 8.45 the Manageress came upstairs and told us that our table was not going to be available for at least 1/2 hour and asked us if that was a problem. As we had been drinking upstairs since 7.00 p.m. (they served some olives with the drinks) we had had barely anything to eat and were very hungry. We were offered the bar downstairs but we had specifically booked a table as it was more formal. We were offered their other restaurant but my husband insisted that we eat in L'Atelier. Finally at 9.05 we came downstairs for our coats (having managed to get a table at The Wolseley in Piccadilly) and I was told only then that they had managed to find us a table! It was too late… we left and will not be returning! What a disgraceful way to treat customers.

A bit of an odd experience – one of those where the venue scores higly on some aspects but falters on others, not quite delivering a rounded experience. The atmosphere is intensely dark, seductive and very stylish. Sleek red and black interiors with touches of greenery elegantly exude Japanese influence . The menu, ample and all encompassing, proved slightly confusing at first but was quickly clarified by our helpful waiter.

Once the dishes arrived we were anxiously and curiously awaiting the next, with each of the diners in our party experiencing a flavour explosion in each mouthful. Ingredients are innovatively combined to create contemporary dishes that live up to both the style and substance you expect from a Michelin starred restaurant, and go some way to putting a smile on your face. The scallop with kumquat emulsion, avocado and blood orange guacamole and pan fried mushrooms with parsley butter and rocket were particularly well thought out.

However, there’s an unfortunate side to our experience, which slowly wiped the pleasing and satisfied smile off our faces towards the end of the night and that is much the same as Michel P’s review below. We were offered a table at the Salon bar which we accepted, not quite realising they meant immediately, as opposed to after our desserts. Once it was clear we were to eat our desserts upstairs I had quickly caught on that they wanted to re-use the table and that was a little annoying as we were nowhere near our 2hour turnaround time . No matter I thought, this bar must be something special. A bar it was, something special it was not.

To disappoint further, in this unplanned move, the desserts came but without the matching dessert wines and the birthday extras for my husband, which I’d called and asked for, also went missing. I’m not even sure that they would have realised if I’d not brought it to their attention. To their credit, upon notification the birthday dessert complete with candle and a glass of champagne came to our table, along with profuse apologies from our waiter. The service charge was also knocked off in acknowledgment.

Not particularly a reason to not visit again, so not one to write off. Just a niggling annoyance you expect not to have at a restaurant of its kind, especially not at the price paid.

The best restaurant venue in London. The owners have actually thought as much about the ambience as the food (& that's saying something.) It felt to me like a beautifully intimate rose coloured Japanese flower garden. If this doesn't appeal,my dining companions loved it also but had no such similar view! Worth splashing out on for a special occasion.It stands out from the crowd.

Expensive, but well worth it for special occassions. Utterly faultless. Would recommend every time for those looking to go the extra mile for their loved ones or special guests.

Not sure about this place. Its good French food meets retro 70's disco.

If at the end of my meal we are asked if we would like to take coffee in the bar I would invariably say yes. I know that from their perspective its an early opportunity to get the table back into play but its not a problem. This particular punter though is a chubby 65 and looks it! They would have known when making the suggestion that the lift to the said fourth floor bar was out of order.

So when I got there and recovered sufficiently to check the place out I saw that I was sitting almost in the corridor down which I had just puffed my way, the bar being full. We had some how become disconnected from our coffee and I briefly though of making a run for it – I couldn't decide whether it was height above sea level or the noise of the pop music that was making my ears bleed. The occasional waitress emerged from the blackness and seemed to sense that we were not rich pickings and dissolved back into the gloom. The coffee arrived, we drank, paid the £270 bill for the four of us on the pre theatre menu, (OK two bottles of wine) and made our way out into the night.

Going back – probably not.

By far the best way to enjoy this restaurant is to sit at the counter and watch the theatre of the kitchen unfold. No sreaming Ramsay fits, but a group of people who genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves, and who are more than happy to take time out to chat with you about what they are doing.

The red and black, dimly lit decor isn't to everyone's taste, and the elevator music should have been left in the lift, but the staff are friendly, the service attentive and the food is supremely good. The tapas size plates are the most fun, with the ability for the kitchen to show what it can do. From simply sliced Iberica ham and basil infused pan con tomate, to foie gras stuffed quail every dish hits the spot, the highlight being pigs trotter on toast with parmesan. This has all the right ingredients: pork; check, cheese; check, bread; check, and the assembly is a small mouthfull or two of pure heaven.

Okay, so there is clearly a downside to the otherwise unending stream of superlatives; the price. Yes, the aforementioned pigs trotter is terrific, but at £12.00 (before 12.5% service) for a pre-starter size, is on the rich side (the tapas range from £9.00 through to a heafty £19.00!). This, however, is relatively sane when compared to the £100 for a main course of spaghetti with white truffle. A TON. For pasta. Here's my advice; get a Sleazyjet flight to Venice, go to Harry's Bar, have the same dish (with much more truffle), a bellini, get back on the plane and keep the change.

So get somebody else to pay, or splurge, but probably not the place to go for if your peckish and have a few quid to spend.

Set lunch menu available in the evening as well for Pretheatre.Nice selection.Fresh products,tasty but we could not resist to order some extra dishes from the a la carte menu.Nice staff, nice decor .Highly recomended.

What an experience.On my second visit I moved upstairs in La Cuisine where Iwas able to order from the small tasting dishes menu. I liked the decor and the wood fired oven.Once again food was great, delicate and full of flavours.The staff is very attentive, professional and I want to go again and again.L'Atelier and La Cuisine de Joel Robuchon are two great places to entertain your friends and play with their tastebuds!!!

Went to L'Atelier for lunch and try their set menu.Very good value for money and friendly and professional service.Might want to again and try their a la carte.The food is to die for.

This is one of the 2 star michelin in London, one which was awarded a new one from the original 1 star in 2009. Service was superb. Waiters were friendly and cheerful. The open kitchen environment and overall decor was really comfortable and provide a good dining ambience. Food was well presented and the texture and combination of food gives a very good layer of tasting for each delicate presentation.
Very satisfactory experience overall.

We went to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon for a special celebratory dinner and were surprised to get a booking on a Friday evening at such short notice. It was a late seating at 10pm but we thought this was fine as I was told the restaurant closes at midnight.

We arrived early (about 9pm) to have a drink in the bar, the cocktails there are sensational, a really intersting selection. The service in the bar was really lacking though, the staff were not attentive and when we were ready for dinner we asked the waiting staff twice whether our table was ready and each time we were left waiting with no answer, finally we stood by the bar to wait for an answer. We sat down for dinner at 10.30 – absolutely starving, it took another 15-20 minutes before we were able to order our dinner and wine.

The menu offers either small tasting plates or three courses. We decided to go with the tasting plates and thought we'd order a few and then more if we were still hungry. Before we recieved our first plate we were told if we wanted more we must order straight away as the kitchen was closing. They didn't seem to take into consideration that we had been seated 30 minutes late.

The food and presentation at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon are of a very high standard, but I was left unimpressed by the service – for a pricey restaurant it really leaves a lot to be desired.

I would not return to this restaurant, for the same money there are so many other better options in London.

Went there for dinner on a Saturday evening with my girlfriend. The food was overall fantastic. However, at the end, the whole experience was spoiled by a service which was less attentative than in a bad Parisian restaurant. Just to give you one example: both the bottle of water and wine was placed far away from us so that we couldn't serve ourselves. Fine, that's normal for a good restaurant. But it's simply not normal to wait for 5-10 minutes with an empty glass and call the waitor to fill it up. Not one single time did a waitor stop by to check that everything is fine. In summary: we spent a significant amount of money, but the overall experience was one of the most deceptive I had. Not coming back, although it is a real pity for the food, which is OUTSTANDING

January 25th, 2009

Just back from Brazil, having spent my birthday trudging around various sugar plantations and mills in Ribeirao Preto, 200 miles west of Sao Paolo. Warm Brazilian-style hospitality and phenomenal, basic, home-made Italian food at the home of the 7th generation Italian ‘lords’ of the region – The raviolis they managed to produce! Wow!

Back in London but keen to take out my babe and my cousin and his wife for a high-quality, innovative and fun belated birthday dinner at 'L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon'. The girls are young and love to party and Al and I have our standards. This would certainly make for a week marked by a variety of style and I have never failed to be impressed by the quality and style of the food at the great chef's ‘pret-a-porter’ outlet in London.

The decor had always been fun, the staff young and fairly eager to please and the food well executed and highly original. There are two styles of atmosphere and fare for one to choose between, the upstairs being referred to as ‘La Cuisine’ and the downstairs being somewhat younger and more ecclectic in style. I was well inspired to indulge on my 41st and, being well familiar with both sections of the restaurant, I went for the upstairs.

It was fairly evident from the moment I arrived with Vera that Joel Robuchon had not visited his London restaurant in a while; either that or his corporate management skills are nothing to compare to his world-celebrated culinary mastery. Two female receptionists were available to receive us and take our overcoats but both were busy flirting with four slovenly, untucked-shirt male guests who apparently required the attention of both receptionists. It further transpired, when our arrival was finally acknowledged, that my cousin and his wife had been installed at another table downstairs – quite contrary to our reservation at upstairs ‘La Cuisine’.

So far so bad but worse was yet to come when we had all finally been seated upstairs. Our girls were chirpy and happy as ever and they valiantly shrugged off the immediately apparent blase and downright snotty reception which was extended to us by the maitre d'. The latter flashed an extraordinarily insincere smile to his first guests of the evening and very soon demanded an order; when I kindly requested a few more minutes before deciding, he spun around on his heal and pranced over to the wall from where he eyed us in his by now markedly unfriendly and utterly snotty manner – "What do these local Londoners whom I have received so often before think this is? Are they not aware that this is no longer an overpaid banker's theme-park but a tourist attraction for Euro-packed foreign weekend shoppers?” I bit the bullet, perused the menu for another two minutes and ordered the £145 per person tasting menu for our table.

The food was beautiful as usual: fabulous sea-urchin concoctions and foie-gras accompanied by wines which were enthusiastically presented and served by an adequately knowledgeable and well-meaning Bulgar sommelier. His efforts were unfortunately overshadowed by our maitre d' who presented the courses with his finger almost in physical contact with the food and his enunciating speech organ leaned right over on top of the otherwise beautifully presented dishes. He was backed up by a waiter whose loud heal-clatter announced his every appearance at our table and I decided to call an end to the evening when this very Jerry Lewis chose to engage in inappropriate conversation with my fiancee while he leaned against the wall.

My abrupt demand for the bill after only our second course was perhaps too much too soon but it certainly woke up the maitre d’ who was by now visibly taken aback and ashamed but nonetheless unapologetic. Vera was in tears at my outrage and subsequent reaction and I chose to settle the bill as she and Yasmin whisked off to the washrooms to wipe away her tears. The maitre d’ stupidly asked if there was a problem with the food and if he could “do something about the bill”. I was, as you might imagine, very tempted to suggest exactly what he might do with the bill but restrained myself and answered that “no, the food was more than satisfactory”. The maitre d’ then enquired if perhaps there was “a problem with the restaurant?” to which I replied “yes, there certainly is a problem with the restaurant” upon which I settled the shameless £800 bill and vacated the premises.

A space on the end of the bar is probably not the best vantage point from which to sample what this place has to offer, for a start all the plates – there were two of us – wouldn't fit. The presentation of the food is fantastic: it demands that you turn the plate a full 360. The mix of textures and flavours challenge you in a way that few restaurants do. Service is attentive and efficient if a bit charmless. Atmosphere and lighting soft and seductive. Good for someone who you would like to sleep with, that said I was there on business, so it’s not a hard and fast rule.

I dined at L'Atelier and it was a very pleasant experience. The restaurants layout is unusual, the bar is very sexy with dark wood and deep reds surrounding a cosy fireplace. The dining rooms are casual-trendy with high sitting bars and tables and most decorations on walls, bars and tables are made out of food. We decided to have the tasting menu which was indeed very tasty. A combination of french classics, with the occasional spanish (jamon and pan y tomate) guest-dish or japanese ingredient (seaweed). The hot foie gras was most probably the most delicious I have ever had – slightly seared and smoky on the outside and creamy like butter on the inside. The lamb cutlets were too one of our favourites – tender, pink and juicy and the chocolate sensation dessert was scrumptious. The wines that came, were matched nicely with most courses and complimented them well, although I did not drink the dessert wine. Just make sure you do not eat anything that day because the dishes can be somewhat heavy.

I've eaten at both of the restaurants in the building, L'Atelier on the ground floor and La Cuisine on the first floor – both are very different in decor and cuisine but have two things in common – wherever you sit you can see the busy team of chefs buzzing around creating your delectable dishes. I love the counter concept of L'Atelier – very chic and cool – almost like a chic sushi bar without the sushi and instead a selection of cool little dishes to tempt such as Scottish lobster with a ‘mist’ of Hennessy and pig trotter served on parmesan toast. Upstairs the food is more mainstream but equally scrumptious with plenty of favourites on offer – the lamb and veal dishes particular favourites. As for dessert you must try the ‘boule suprise’, one of the most creative desserts I've ever had. I'd also tell you to make sure you check out the intimate little bar at the top of the building, one of London's best kept secret. Oops…

Going for the “Pre-Theatre” option can always be a little risky..I feared being seated in the back, with shoddy service and tiny proportions. However, was most pleased by L'atelier. Service was great, very friendly and the place had a cool, but relaxed vibe. Steering away from the amazing (but not in these credit-crunched time) a la carte menu, we were provided with a 3 courses for £25 bargain (2 options each course) and a plentiful bread basket. I had a langoustine bisque which was so deep in flavour that the the bread came in hand to mop the plate clean…not very classy but a sign of enjoyment! The dessert was also a highlight..a selection of 5 tarts..all very different, not overly sickly and beautiful to look at it.

Having succumbed to a couple of glasses of champagne, the end bill couldn't exactly be called bargain bucket cheap, but it's a fun place to go, with beautiful food and the great ability of being able to sit round and watch the chefs at work…

L'Atelier was recommended to me by Steve Bulmar, who at the time was Cookery School director at le Manoir. Following his advice we booked places at the Japanese style counter that overlooks the kitchen. Diners all sit shoulder to shoulder on high stools, but have a good view of the chefs and bar staff at work. Upon arrival we were initially concerned that this style of seating would be intrusive and lack privacy, however we were very pleasantly surprised. The atmospehere worked perfectly and it was fun to be able to watch and chat to the staff. The waiters worked unobtrusivley and were helpful and attentive. We chose to have the Menu Decouverte and elected the option to have wine to ‘match the dishes’. Each course was a ‘tasting size’ portion of the most marvellous food: crabmeat in tomato jelly and avocado: egg cocotte topped with light wild mushroom cream. I have rarely enjoyed a meal as much! The wines truly complemented the dishes to perfection and were served in generous proportions. At £130 plus 12.5% service charge (2007 prices) this can be fairly challenged as pricey, but wine was included in this price and more importantly, this was one of the most memorable dining experiences that my wife and I have ever experienced. Would I choose to go back? Yes, absolutely.

The ultimate foodie experience? Rich, indulgent dishes are based on solid flavour combinations and flawless technique and it's great fun to sit at the bar watching the skilful chefs at work. Pricy but worth it. If you're on a budget (and arrive early), you could pop in for a quick glass of wine and just a bite or two, then go elsewhere for a main course.