Seasonal Soup Seasonal Soup

A warm, comforting soup featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients, perfect for a cozy meal.

Joe Allen

Joe Allen

13 Exeter Street London, WC2E 7DT, WC2E 7PY, United Kingdom

Bars • Beer • Steak • American


"I arrived 10 mins early for our 8pm booking so, as my partner was running late, I sat at the bar to order 2 Dirty Martinis, so his would be ready on arrival. It is lucky the wall behind the bottles is mirrored, as I had to keep checking to make sure that at a chunky 185lbs, I wasnt suddenly invisible... Several barmen went about their duties and having served the guests to my right, then having a natter among themselves, they then asked the couple if they wanted another drink, while I again checked the mirror to make sure I hadn 't been the subject of some scientific experiment, but NO! I was definitely still there! By 8.12 my partner arrived and I still had not been served so we decided to go straight to the table. The Maitre-d ' didn 't seem surprised and told me our table waiter would be able to get our cocktails... Frankly, for me the cocktail moment had passed and I was ready to order a bottle of wine for the meal, but my partner took the opportunity to order the 2 Martinis. The shared charcuterie board came with 3 half slices of light toast .. 3 on a shared platter seemed strange but when requested more bread came quickly. The quality of meat and additions were excellent and it was a most enjoyable starter. There are some very decent wines at low cost, as well as the usual offerings around double the price. But our Nero D 'avola was just right. I had a succulent Chicken Milanese and my partner enjoyed his Macaroni Cheese. The service was excellent, the waiter was attentive and friendly, and we were not being rushed to leave so we ordered one desert to share. The Pecan pie was amazing. It wasn 't the usual sickly sweet offering elsewhere, and the salted caramel ice cream that accompanied it was superb. Again we were not being rushed, but encouraged instead to finish the last of our wine at leisure.. It was a very enjoyable evening and it reminded me of my first ever date at the old venue some 35 years ago. In those days my date knew a famous actress and soap star who was a frequent visitor to Joe Allen. We were often invited to join her table or take adjacent seats. Joe Allen has lost none of its charm, but I did much prefer the bigger bar and being able to hear the pianist, who apparently was playing while we were there. As Arnie said.... I 'll be back... though I may grab a Martini or Marguerita somewhere else, first."

The Hare and Billet

The Hare and Billet

1A Hare & Billet Road London, SE3 0QJ, United Kingdom

Fish • Steak • Pasta • British


"I had high hopes, a lovely looking building , great location, a warm welcome but all unfortunately undone by one individual. Looking back at previous reviews of the hare and billet it would appear that this is not the first time my experience has happened, that there is an issue and it is yet to be addressed. in hindsight I probably should have been more diplomatic and asked to speak to the restaurant manager, but when you are out for a relaxing evening with your loved one, you really don 't want to be ruining the evening any further by pursuing the issue in public, sometimes, and I 'm sure we are all guilty of this, we let it ride and try to restart our evening. But this is acceptable and no guest under any circumstances should be made feel this way. It is extremely unprofessional and distinctly shows a lack in skill and training. It 's by far the worst experience I have ever had as a paying guest in the catering industry. one individual, one very rude, aggressive and impatient male member of the bar/ restaurant team , more suited to doorwork than service it would appear. everything seemed to be a problem , service was invasive, rushed and impatient, not a smile. not one for the whole painful experience. I 'm sure the hare and billet have heard about smile training within their industry, it really works but clearly not here. The pinnacle of the whole miserable experience was been called out by this individually in a threading manner when ,I think, he finally noticed I was not entirely happy with his attitude and service, with the words what 's your problem ? unbelievable. To summarise, I get the impression that this does not happen all the time, but I bet it 's happening a lot more than people are prepared to say or post about. It seems to be an ongoing issue and until resolved. I 'm sure it will unfortunately most likely continue to the detriment of the business. I will not be returning and I would not recommend."