Villandry (170 Great Portland Street, London, London, W1W 5QB) Sadly, a very unpleasant experience overall! I ordered the prawn and mango salsa starter; the prawns were overcooked and chewy, which is unacceptable from restaurants of this calibre. The salsa was bland – it takes a real skill to render mango and chilli bland – and the cashews strewn over the dish were too bitter due to over-toasting. My main (haddock and prawn fishcakes) had no identifiable prawn in it, and was probably about 70% potato. Very disappointing for a dish priced upwards of £12.00. The waiter, well, where should I begin: he stepped on my friend twice; twice he towered and leaned over me to the point I had to shift my chair to make it clear that he was too close for comfort; he snapped back to another friend who asked whether her pudding was on its way; and when he came to take our afters order, he reeked of cigarette smoke – clearly this had not been his shining day. Regrettably, nothing redeeming about him: rushed, surly, and inattentive. I'd avoid given that the competition out there regarding similarly prices restaurants offers more.
Link to this review9 August 2011 |