The Square reviews
I must have visited another restaurant tonight, comparing my experience against the reviewer's below! I took my parents and my partner to The Square to revisit a restaurant that they frequented some years before. Sadly, the experience was not a happy one.
Starters were decidedly average on the whole - langoustine (which was tasteless), foie Gois (very good), and a mushroom salad. For the main course I shared lamb with my partner, which we were presented with and which was then taken back to the kitchen to be carved. 15 minutes later the lamb arrived with the other main courses - both lamb courses were cold. I immediately called our waiter back, who said we would have to wait as his head waiter was dealing with a big problem! 5 minutes passed and eventually the head waiter came to our table. I told her that both our dishes were cold. She offered us another course but said it would be a further hour until it would be ready!! We declined. My parent's sea bass was apparently good but nothing out of the ordinary. We passed on dessert.
The bill arrived - £450 for a bottle of wine + 4 full meals, with no reduction for the main courses that we returned. The maitre 'd was called and I queried the bill. Here's the reply: "We offered to cook you another lamb, so it's your problem that you refused [by now it was 11.15pm]." They refused to give us any refund until I dug my heels in and refused to pay the bill. Eventually they removed the charges for the 2 main courses that we never had but - in French - called me a "f**king a**hole" and various other comments in the same vein. I speak perfect French and understood every word they said about me.
I have never had a more disappointing meal, nor have I ever experienced worse service than I experienced tonight. If you are looking to impress a business client, take them to Nobu or Sketch or Le Gavroche (a true 2-star restaurant). If you're looking to impress a partner, take them to Nobu or Locatelli's.
How this restaurant got 2 stars, I have no idea. A bad meal is excusable, but the way they treated us is totally unacceptable. I've had meals in the past at the very best restaurants in the world and occasionally something isn't quite right and there's never a question about it - either a reduction in the bill or an acceptable alternative is supplied.
The Square was our first 2-star Michelin restaurant. We went for the tasting menu with wines and it was just phenomenal. I wholeheartedly recommend the experience. A tip: share one order of wine and cheese between two people and the cost comes down a bit.
by baiji, 06 Mar 2008I'm a French wine waiter, and The Square is my favourite restaurant in London... in England, in fact!
by fernando51, 20 Jul 2007Great restaurant. The best of modern French cuisine. Friendly service, right balance. Extensive wine list with some very good value choices. Very comfortable dining room with agreeable ambience. Fully deserves 2 rosettes.
by martinidoc (4 reviews), 14 May 2007Absolutely fabulous! Food was excellent, service was good and the atmosphere was great. Cheese-lovers, I certainly recommend having the cheese in place of dessert! Wow!Some real surprises in store for you.
by Anonymous, 27 Apr 2007Most definitely a restaurant to go to. The food was excellent, the room temperature was perfect, and the service was absolutely flawless. The wine list seems to go on forever; however, I guess if you are a wine connoisseur this would be heaven!
by 5slice, 20 Mar 2007Amazing food, but go easy on the wine!Food at this Mayfair eatery is exceptional. The first course menu is to die for. I had trouble choosing but went for mousseline of smoked eel and horseradish. It was delightful - strong flavoured, and the mix of thin green bean and the delicate mousse worked well.
The main course menu I found less attractive but went for the roast saddle of hare with port glazed endive. Again this was exceptional - cooked to perfection, a strong gamey taste, the tarte fine of celeriac and pear that accompanied it was pleasant and not overpowering (it brought more out of the meat and took away nothing).
My only disappointment was my dessert:' Warm Vanilla Rice Pudding with Mandarin Jelly, Grapefruit Confit and Cranberry Juice' . It tasted like tinned ambrosia and crystallized lemon peel! It did not work for me - too bitter and without balance - a disappointing end that nearly took my score down to a 4. However, the level of service and attention to detail (e.g. refolding your napkin whilst you are away visiting the bathroom) made up for the disappointment of this final course.
The wine list is extensive and expensive - tread carefully. Our wine doubled the cost of this meal and incidentals like water and coffee also pushed up the cost considerably. But hey, you are in Mayfair, London in what I would class as an exceptional restaurant, so it is somewhat to be expected.
Overall: food and service - exceptional; ambience - refined; cost - I guarantee a little gasp when you get your bill.
Seriously impressive cooking and service to match. I've eaten here twice and found it hard to fault - some of the best food I've had at any restaurant, anywhere. Looking forward to visiting again soon.
by anonymous howard (3 reviews), 17 Aug 2005Simply the best - excellent food and immaculate service. Huge wine list. Go for dinner!
by ColBurns, 02 Jul 2005Hmm... They would not get two stars in France :) The menu is very good - I heartily recommend it - but the service is often somewhat erratic. It's a lovely restaurant, though.
by Anonymous, 20 Apr 2005Fantastic restaurant. One of my favourites. The food is perfect, not one mistake. I had basil lasagna of Cornish crab with frothy soup. Divine. The Maitre D was at my side the entire time with recommendations; he encouraged me to have the calves sweetbreads with crisp potato and savoy cabbage. He took the liberty of ordering it for me on the well done side as it was my first time. And for dessert the cheesecake with a terrine of citrus fruits (the tartness vs. richness was in perfect harmony). You can have a lunch menu for 30 pounds or a la carte for 60. Excellent value. Ok there were a lot of bald older men in suits as my fellow dinners but the Maitre D and the food made you blind to all that. Go for lunch!
by Suzan (6 reviews), 13 Feb 2005This is simply the best restaurant in London (and one of the best I've eaten in anywhere in the world). It provides an unparalleled combination of quality food and service. The service never ceases to amaze me - not only is there upwards of 15 waiting staff for a similar number of tables - but all the waiters are unfailingly courteous and friendly. The food hardly needs describing - suffice to say - it is as good as anything you will ever taste. Forget the Ivy, Fat Duck, Le Caprice, Locanda Locatelli, Cecconi's, L'Escargot, Mirabelle, etc - The Square leaves them in its wake.
by Anonymous, 26 Nov 2004Have we missed a great restaurant in London? Let us know.
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