Chicory Salad
Searcy's Champagne

Searcy's Champagne

Upper Concourse, Camden, United Kingdom, N1C 4

Full • Steak • British • High Tea


"Went for the Sunday Jazz Feast bottomless brunch. We don’t drink so we enquired about non alcoholic options. Was pleasantly surprised that they offered a just bottomless food option where we could order drinks separately. Felt like this was a good start, but that was probably the only good surprise we experienced. We were quite disappointed that there were no oysters despite all the PR and reviews saying unlimited oysters. All over IG and Tik Tok it’s reviews about oysters, so that was disappointing. Felt that there were not a huge amount of options for seafood and starters/salads. The roasts looked good but found the meat was seasoned very heavily with salt. The gravy/jus was very watery. Must say the carver was very friendly though! Most of the other hot food (sausages with mash, chicken, risotto) were cold and looked unappetising due to looking dry and congealed. I understand it’s difficult on a buffet to keep things looking fresh but the temperature of the hot food was just too cold. Also not sure why they felt the need to slice the sausages in half? Dessert selection was also very limited and the cheese selection placed on the same table which had a very overwhelming smell. Definitely put me off, I didn’t eat any desserts. Service wise I noticed the tables around us were getting a good level of service, having their bottomless drinks topped up regularly. Maybe it was because we were just ordering our drinks separately and were not consuming alcohol I felt like we didn’t get the same attentive service. Waiters were having conversations with other guests and tables and we barely got a sideways glance. Took ages for us to get someone’s attention to order more drinks, get a top up of water etc. I was tempted to try to ask if I could order oysters but couldn’t get the attention of a waiter so just gave up. Even asking for the bill took longer than needed. Being busy we wanted to free up our table promptly for them. On our departure we barely got a thank you for paying nor a goodbye. Overall feel a bit underwhelmed and slightly cheated that one of the star attractions of this brunch buffet was oysters that weren’t even there. But the contrast in service to other tables and us was what really made this a sour experience. Although vastly more expensive, will probably stick to The Ned or even something like Nobu Shoreditch bottomless brunch."

Café Murano – Covent Garden Dining Counter

Café Murano – Covent Garden Dining Counter

36 Tavistock Street London, WC2E 7PB, United Kingdom

Fish • Greek • Italian • Desserts


"Disappointing experience after deciding to book here having read many great recent reviews. Maybe just caught them on a poor night. Arrived 8.45 for pre booked 8.45 table which wasn't quite ready. Front of House advised table not quite ready. Didn't offer any drink or menu to look at. Came back 10 mins later said if wouldn't be long, this time no drink offered but menus were provided. It felt a bit awkward waiting at entrance. Sat at table and ordered Oysters which were good, scallops and mini Moules which were good. A new waitress looked after us who although quite inexperienced was good fun and very pleasant. No issue at all with her service Ordered Monkfish and Lobster Thermidore and 2 sides. Monkfish was very average (i was asked if i was happy to have on the bone and it felt like they were low on stock, very little fish arrived and felt like they would have been better saying monk fish was off menu than trying to sell a portion that was inadequate) and the Lobster was rubbery and very chewy, the sides were forgotten and we had to ask for them. Complained to the manager and she offered a refund on the mains and sides which we accepted. Had to push to get the service charge removed which was pretty cheeky I would say. In summary the food quality of mains wasn't good, the welcome was poor but they did handle the complaint ok and were very forthcoming with amending bill to keep us happy which suggests to me they knew it was poor."

The Den At St Martins Lane London

The Den At St Martins Lane London

45 St. Martin's Lane, London, United Kingdom

Cafe • Healthy • Cocktail • High Tea


"As it was a lovely sunny day in London we decided to try out The Terrace at St Martins Lane Hotel for dinner and take advantage of their outside space. Wow, we were not disappointed on either the space, food or drinks. They’ve cleverly maximised their outside space and created an oasis of calm – a great place to relax away from the craziness that is Covent Garden – with the added bonus of sitting in the sun. The large flowerpots and foliage screens shield you from people walking past so you don’t feel you’re on display. We ordered their signature drink – the Chandon Garden Spritz – which was the perfect drink to enjoy in the sun. It’s refreshing with a hint of orange served with dried orange slice and rosemary. Sounds weird with the rosemary but it really works. We decided to share a couple of starters and mains so we could try as many dishes as possible. The menu isn’t large, but we found we were spoilt for choice as everything sounded delicious. We had the salmon tartare which was refreshing and full of flavour. The burrata was so smooth and creamy – just melted in your mouth and the spiced melon puree was an inspired addition! We loved their twist on the classic Caesar salad – especially the tempura anchovies – could have eaten a bowl of them! The sumac trout with crab tabbouleh was a hit with us both as well. The level of service was spot on, we didn’t have to wait long or wave manically to get their attention. A shout out to James and Ottavia who were so welcoming and attentive. Highly recommend The Terrace – it’s now a firm fav and will be a regular haunt for us during the summer months."