Brasserie Joël at Park Plaza

The restaurant was hosting 2 large Christmas parties on the evening of our dinner, This meant that the table service was very slow and we waited a long time to be able to give our orders, to receive our food and to get our bill. To cap it all one our guests got food poisoning from the poached egg salad that he had as a starter! Not exactly the best of dinners out in London

From greeting to departure, the staff were attentive and helpful. The choices for the set menu were good and the food tasty and well-prepared. The smoked salmon starter could have done with a little more dill, but the main courses of scallops and wood pigeon were cooked well and had delicious side vegetables. All the food was presented well and looked attractive on the plate. The selection of breads weer excellent, particularly the lemon roll. Well done, Brasserie Joel. We'd certainly like to go again!

We went to Brasserie Joel for a pre-Christmas get together and got the Unlimited drinks menu which was £32 for a 3 course meal and unlimited drinks – softs (we had water and tea/coffee after) and house wine/beer (only during starter/main – we had wine throughout). The atmosphere was very nice, the restaurant was pretty full but didnt feel too crowded nor loud. The service was good, our glasses were regularly refilled, the food didnt take too long to arrive but had some intervals between the courses so it didnt feel rushed (considering we were on a drinks package). The food itself was pretty average though – starters of hoisin beef salad and turkey/orange salad were nice, the mains of beef onglet steak and coq au vin were so so – beef being too chewy and coq didnt seem to even smell of vin at all (despite being called Traditional coq au vin) and we had to ask for extra gravy as it was too dry otherwise. Dessert selection also wasnt very inspiring with French toast and chocolate cake and cheese as options. So overall I'd say it was a good night out – for the atmosphere and the value (only owing to unlimited drinks menu – considering we had almost a bottle of wine each) but wouldn't recommend or go back there for the food.

My wife and I wanted a quiet dinner after work last Tuesday so I chose Joel's Brasserie having visited before and enjoyed it. Situated amongst the glamorous colour, space and bustle of the Park Plaza Hotel at Westminster Bridge, Joel's is located just off the main reception area on the 1st floor and offers a peaceful setting. We were booked for 6:45pm so the restaurant was fairly empty but it soon filled up with a mixture of families (presumably staying at the hotel) and couples. We were shown to a table for two but the banquette seating was too low which resulted in one of us literally looking down on the other ( I am not saying which of us in case my wife reads this ! ). We explained this to the waiter and he re-seated us at a table with normal upright chairs. The service throughout was good with 3 waiters attending to us. The food is essentially French/European and is high quality. We opted for the pre-theatre menu (2 courses for £16.95) which had a nice choice of starters and mains. I opted for the Cauliflower Veloute which was smooth and flavoursome with a neat addition of Sesame Oil. My main was Gilthead Bream Filet on Celeriac Mash which was beautifully cooked with succulent fish and crispy skin. My wife was equally pleased with her Smoked Salmon followed by Piglet Belly. We also ordered sides of sautéed spinach and french fries which, to be honest, we could have done without as the mains came with plenty of their own vegetable additions. Also they included a selection of warm breads with d'Issigny butter which were too delicious to be ignored. The half carafe (500ml) of Touraine Sauvignon was elegant but perhaps a tad pricey at £24.95. The total bill including wine and service was £74 which is reasonable for the quality of food and service and could be reduced if you cut down on sides and wine choices.

We used to dine at Brasserie when it first opened under the original Joel and it was a great find in Waterloo given lack of good restaurants. Sadly he left and with it went the creativity and flair of his cooking. Last night we booked using the £19.95 summer menu which was a real disappointment – no flair or imagination – a very standard run of the mill offering. Not tempted to revisit.

We were staying at the hotel, and ate the Braserie for convenience. The food also sounded great and we took advantage of the set menu deal which allowed for a three course menu with unlimited drinks. Value for money was definitely a plus point. To begin, my wife had the caesar salad and she really enjoyed, in fact, saying it was the best she had ever had! I had fresh prawns which were simple, huge and fresh. For main course, I had the fishermans' pie done in a french style, according to the waiter. It was creamy and moreish, with a finesse that the made it a cut above the standard fair. The side salad was beautifully simple, with a good, punchy dressing. My wife had Homemade Crab Rolls, but these were not so enjoyable; they were way too salty which ruined an other wise interesting dish (although the name didn't do it any favours either). The desserts, a blueberry macaroon and Semi Freddo respectively were a charming end. The atmosphere was a little dry, although it can be difficult in a hotel restaurant, especially with grumpy lone diner nearby. Staff were happy and attentive. An enjoyable god value experience let down by a poor main course dish.

Popped in for breakfast last Sunday, eat out for breakfast most weekends and like to try new places. We walked into the hotel, very nice, but then arrived at the restaurant; it was noisy, packed and had we not paid £10 to park would have left then – no brainer, but we stayed. The only option was breakfast for £21.50, tempered by all you can eat and the phrase I hate to see most in a restaurant ‘serve yourself ‘ or, we are too tight to serve you. Now had this been a £4.99 deal I would have accepted, but the noise, the crowds, the painfully inexperienced staff and the food made me want weep, knowing I could have been sitting in London’s finest for a similar price.