Prince Bonaparte reviews
Went for a great meal in the Prince Bonaparte last night. The food was awesome (chefs clearly know what they are doing) and the staff were really friendly. All in all, we had a really nice evening. Definitely recommend it.
by noahmiles78, 20 Jul 2010
by noahmiles78, 20 Jul 2010
Where to begin? Appalling, shameful, unhygienic are but a few words that come to mind to describe our dining experience at the Prince Bonaparte a couple of weeks ago.
Although the front part of the pub remains a great watering hole patronized by 20-something locals and has a great pub-meets-bar feel, as for the 'gastro' part, it is closer to gastroenteritis than gastronomy. I had friends in from Paris who will go home and continue spreading the legend that English food is appallingly bad – and in this case they are right.
Food: we had a plate of roughly cut charcuterie which was OK but everything that followed, without exception, was a disgrace. The rib-eye was possibly the worst cut of beef I have seen since I went camping in Mongolia. 'Medium-rare' was cooked to a crisp. I ordered a piece of lamb that came basically raw and wrapped in more fat than there was meat. Any potatoes we were served, including the chips, had clearly spent more time in a freezer than your average ice-tray. Two orders of swordfish had to be sent back. The only thing of value in the entire meal was a decent bottle of Australian Shiraz.
Place: the entire dining area smelled of grit because of the open kitchen and bad ventilation. What's more, despite the odours of fried foods we could clearly distinguish the stench emanating from the toilets. The dining area is not nearly as nice as the front pub section.
Service: plates basically thrown down on the table, never a smile, almost no time to order, makes Parisian café waiters look like Mother Teresa.
I never – ever – post comments about places. But in this case, I felt it was my duty to warn people to avoid eating here at all costs. Go to the Thai place next door instead.
by alexfrette, 21 May 2010
Although the front part of the pub remains a great watering hole patronized by 20-something locals and has a great pub-meets-bar feel, as for the 'gastro' part, it is closer to gastroenteritis than gastronomy. I had friends in from Paris who will go home and continue spreading the legend that English food is appallingly bad – and in this case they are right.
Food: we had a plate of roughly cut charcuterie which was OK but everything that followed, without exception, was a disgrace. The rib-eye was possibly the worst cut of beef I have seen since I went camping in Mongolia. 'Medium-rare' was cooked to a crisp. I ordered a piece of lamb that came basically raw and wrapped in more fat than there was meat. Any potatoes we were served, including the chips, had clearly spent more time in a freezer than your average ice-tray. Two orders of swordfish had to be sent back. The only thing of value in the entire meal was a decent bottle of Australian Shiraz.
Place: the entire dining area smelled of grit because of the open kitchen and bad ventilation. What's more, despite the odours of fried foods we could clearly distinguish the stench emanating from the toilets. The dining area is not nearly as nice as the front pub section.
Service: plates basically thrown down on the table, never a smile, almost no time to order, makes Parisian café waiters look like Mother Teresa.
I never – ever – post comments about places. But in this case, I felt it was my duty to warn people to avoid eating here at all costs. Go to the Thai place next door instead.
by alexfrette, 21 May 2010
Ever since they done it up last year it has changed bigtime. It feels like it used to be - a good local with great Sunday lunches. Good stuff.
by dennisreus, 26 Jan 2009
by dennisreus, 26 Jan 2009
The service in this place is awful. The waitresses are a law unto themselves. I was part of a party of 10 people. One of us actually went to the trouble of writing down the order and giving it to one of the waitresses. About half an hour later only 8 meals were served. When asked about the other 2, the waitress who took the order blamed another waitress. When a firm complaint was made to her (which was not in the least aggressive) we suffered an OTT rude reaction. After a further half hour of waiting, the manager eventually held his hands up and agreed to take a significant sum off the bill. The food, when it arrived, was OK and reasonably priced. The service, however, lets this place down so much. Pity.
by pit, 25 Aug 2007
by pit, 25 Aug 2007
Used to be the best pub in West London till new management had a go at it: 'restaurant' out back, bad lighting, frilly lampshades, horrendous shelving in the middle aisle behind the bar, no DJ, lousy music... This place will always be local, but the Metropolitan pub is now my spot. Great job, thanks for ruining a great pub.
by Blownapart, 01 Aug 2007
by Blownapart, 01 Aug 2007
Used to have great food and atmosphere. They've now sectioned the back area off to use as a restaurant and the food is appalling.
by Zeat, 28 May 2007
by Zeat, 28 May 2007
Food has really gone down hill. I don't even think the people they've got cooking there are real chefs! As for the toilets, they look like they haven't been cleaned for weeks... Still a good bar though.
by Anonymous, 02 Feb 2007
by Anonymous, 02 Feb 2007
Good atmosphere, good food and service seemed to be fine when I went there in March 05.
by Anonymous, 01 Apr 2005
by Anonymous, 01 Apr 2005
Nice atmosphere, fantastic food, disappointing continual shocking service.
by Anonymous, 26 Jul 2004
by Anonymous, 26 Jul 2004
Newly re-opened and looking much better for it. Great range of drinks, friendly staff and cool interiors, also plenty of seats which is also handy.
by Anonymous, 06 Jul 2004
by Anonymous, 06 Jul 2004
Have we missed a great pub in London? Let us know.
