Find and book great restaurants
Book with us & collect points to spend on fantastic rewards. It is that simple.Learn more »
Do you find listings for chains such as Pizza Express, Strada and Zizzi's useful when looking for a restaurant on squaremeal.co.uk?
London’s most comprehensive guide to restaurants and bars
I've just seen the couple of negative recent reviews of Galvins and I thought I would weigh in.I guess that since it opened, I have eaten at this Galvins (Baker Street) at least 10 times. The first time I ate here, the whole experience was marred by a French dwarf masquerading as a Maitre D': the worst of Gallic condescension… However, I had enjoyed the place itself and, indeed, the food – so I tried again. Given the absence of said dwarf, the second experience made me want to come back a third, and so on. The last time I ate here was late August on a Monday night when although the place was not full, it was busy. There were six of us, me, my wife, my two grown-up sons (one lawyer, one writer) and my in-laws who I had invited to celebrate their wedding anniversary. First and foremost, my mother-in-law (not the easiest of persons…) was super-indulged by the people serving us, though as usual she was being just a little hard to please. My father-in-law thought the service was elegant and efficient as well as friendly. Although the menu seemed to lack a little variety, the food was very correct, in the formal sense of achieving the standards it should and, if anything were lacking in that department, it was that apart from my dish (I think I had a cassoulet) it lacked a little “heart”. The Champagne was, of course, ridiculously priced but had to be bought. The other two bottles of white wine we had were from the “value” end of the list and really excellent both in absolute terms and for value for money. The atmosphere, as always, was smart and “buzzy” but the actual place relaxed. The bill for the six of us was under £300 including service, which given what we'd consumed was a pleasant surprise. So, don't be put off – in my view – this is a restaurant which while not for “every day”, is well worth visiting when you want a bit of authentic good cooking and a touch of glamour.
Was this review helpful to you?