The Wolseley (Modern European) – London, England (8.5/10)
Jan 15th, 2007 by admin
[UPDATE 05/12/07 - I revisited The Wolseley on 5/12/07, so please read review here. I've also visited in 2008, but have not written yet another review]
Located just across the street from The Ritz on Piccadilly, The Wolseley is extremely elegant with its high ceilings and art deco interior, but it’s not at all stuffy or overbearing. When I arranged to meet a friend here for dinner, I was the first to arrive, so I was offered a newspaper to read before being shown to a very good table. This was a simple but nice touch.
The tables were not placed too closely together, so there was no need to raise our voices in order to have a conversation. The service from various waiters and waitresses was superb throughout the evening, and not once were we reminded that we had to vacate the table after two hours.
Apart from lunch and dinner, breakfast and afternoon tea are also served here and there’s a large selection of food to choose from the All Day Menu, so if the budget doesn’t stretch to a la carte, it’s not a problem. And the Plat du Jour is a reasonable £15.75.
What we ordered:
Having had steak at Gaucho only a couple of days ago, I thought I’d have some fish instead, so after some deliberation, chose the Scottish Halibut – grilled rather than poached (£23.75) with a side order of mash. The other fish choices sounded just as delicious though – Roast Haddock, Grilled Blue Fin Tuna and Baked Whole Sea Bass, and there were some good meat options too, including Roast Rack of Lamb and Fillet Steak au Poivre. My friend opted for the Plat du Jour – bouillabaisse that day, which she confirmed to be excellent and on a par with what she has had in France.
I must confess that when my fish arrived, I tucked with such haste that I forgot to take a photo until I had eaten almost a quarter of it, which is an indication of how wonderful it was, as was the mash. What I liked most about it was that it was a large chunky portion and very satisfying, as I hate paying for minuscule portions of fish.
The verdict?
It can be expensive to eat here, but as I’ve mentioned, there is the All Day Menu which is available from 11.30 am to midnight, so you can still come here and enjoy the atmosphere without spending too much. I’d definitely return, as I want to try breakfast (from 7.30am to 11.30am) or afternoon tea (from 3.30 to 5.30 pm) at £19.50. Visitors to London will be particularly impressed.
10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average
All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide
Contact Details:
The Wolseley
160 Piccadilly
London W1J 9EB
Tel: 020 7499 6996
www.thewolseley.com
