Mike's review of Savoy Grill at The Savoy

At a restaurant of this type, expense, fame etc you expect (and are quite entitled to expect) everything to be on the money. It wasn't. We were seated for well over five minutes before any of the waiting staff appeared to notice us. Thereafter service OK except I had to flag down a passing waiter and ask for the wine to be poured – ridiculous.

Food was OK without being an any way exceptional. Mackerel pate pleasant enough but I think I could have done as well at home. Warm beetroot salad OK according to my wife but a fairly small portion. We shared the lemon chicken which was intense (perhaps too so) with a seriously reduced lemony gravy.

Only one pud – rice pudding with rhubarb – again nice enough but not memorable.

Major fault – bizarrely low banquette type seats which are quite simply the wrong height as the table was almost mid chest level and it forced (me at least – 5'10″ so not an unusual height) into an uncomfortable seating position. I can't be the only one to experience this – surely height of tables / seats is a fairly basic design issue?

Earlier we had tried to get into the American Bar. The advertised ‘no reservation’ policy is clearly a load of baloney as the snooty girl guarding the entrance had a book in front of her covered with names and table numbers. Just dishonest. The punters who can't get in are encouraged into a nasty little offshoot bar that only sells beer and champagne. I was asked for £37.13 for two glasses of champagne. The American Bar sells exactly the same for £33. So why did I have to pay £4.13 extra in a second rate bar that doesn't even have seats. Savoy management should be ashamed of this.

My scores are just for the restaurant. The pre dinner drinks experience wouldn't even score a nought.