Oliver's review of The Yellow House

I live around the corner from the old Yellow House mentioned here, and the restaurant has now relaunched itself a few hundred yards away. There were a few major teething problems when first launched however it now seems to have settled in quite nicely.

The new decor is a little bland yet manages to maintain a warm and pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant is a little schizophrenic and unsure of what it offers with an A La carte, Bistro and Pizza menu in combination with an odd sectioning within the restaurant however the food usually delivers. The menu has a heavy French influence and the Pizzas are probably the restaurants most reliable and redeming feature with a traditional log fired Pizza Oven. The A La Carte and bistro menu offer an interesting variety and regularly changing list of modern and unique interpretations of old classics. Sometimes the dishes sound strange and unfortunately a few times they completely miss the mark however one occasionally encounters a truely magnificent plate of food. It is a shame there is not much consistency, the formula is there but it is almost as though they are trying too hard. One feature where the Yellow House truely excels is its desserts. The co-owner and Pastrie Chef Jamie creates some of the most fabulous home-cooked baking I have tasted anywhere in the world. The meringue, the chocolate brownies, the chocolate cakes, the home-made icecream – its is all to die for and a reason alone to visit.

Sadly the service can fall flat at times. If quiet the staff are charming and attentive however when busy the restaurant continues to suffer as it did in its old location with very slow service. It is not uncommon to wait over half an hour from ordering and betwen courses when the restaurant is full and this is a real shame because it can really spoil what would be a lovely experience. At the end of the day this is a young restaurant still in its early years and its popularity is growing fast. Certainly for Surrey Quays it is s breath of fresh air and there is nothing else in the post-code that comes close. 10/10 for effort, but perhaps it should be aiming for an 8/10 and getting smaller things correct. Still, if looking for somwhere nice to eat in Surrey Quays it should be top of the list.