3 /5 Y M: We made a booking via the restaurant’s website to celebrate a birthday. As part of the booking process, we were asked to upload a photo so the team could greet the birthday guest personally. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen — the lady who welcomed us had no idea whose birthday it was, which was disappointing.
We were shown to our table by our waiter, who was professional and courteous, though rather serious and without a smile. Alex, the owner and chef, later came over to say hello, as did Domenico, the restaurant manager — both were charming and welcoming.
To drink, I ordered a bottle of Lanson champagne. To start, we shared the lobster and prawn toast, which unfortunately had an overwhelming flavour of oil. The pig cheek was fine and enjoyable, though it came with gravy and no spoon was provided, so I had to request one.
For mains, the cod fillet lacked any real depth of flavour, while the Dover sole was on the dry side. On the positive side, the butter potatoes were excellent, but the mixed greens were bitter and overly coated in butter.
Desserts were a highlight: the passion fruit parfait was delicious, as was the rhubarb. The restaurant kindly provided the desserts and a “Happy Birthday” chocolate free of charge, which was a thoughtful and appreciated gesture.
Domenico returned to our table to check on the meal, and we shared our feedback openly. The restaurant itself is quite small, and the table next to us felt uncomfortably close.
In summary, this is a new restaurant with clear potential to become somewhere one could visit regularly — but the standards need to be raised, and quickly. Prices are in line with West End restaurants, but the food does not yet justify them.
That said, we will return to give it another chance.
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