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Harden's survey result
Summary
“For a reasonable pre-theatre/concert meal” on the South Bank, the SE1 branch of this Gallic brasserie chain is “a useful option behind the Royal Festival Hall”; its City and Legal-land outlets are serviceable for a working lunch; and its W6 branch has a “classy” position on the river. Over time, though, it has “declined from being one of the better multiples” and is nowadays “very, very average indeed” – with the possible exception of Hammersmith, you wouldn’t make them a destination in their own right. BREAKING NEWS. In October 2023, a third branch was announced on the South Kensington site that – appropriately – traded for yonks in time gone by as La Brasserie (long RIP).
Summary
“A perfect location opposite the National Theatre and Festival Hall and good pre-theatre set-menu” win particular nominations for the SE1 branch of this well-known national group. Even some fans “wish there were more adventurous choices on the menu”, but they still recommend the “French-influenced” brasserie cooking as “better quality than many rivals even if it is very much chain fare”. The overall verdict, though, is that it’s “just OK, especially bearing in mind the prestigious name under which they trade”.
Summary
“Classic French cuisine at reasonable prices” sums up the aim of superchef Raymond Blanc’s “jolly” mid-market brasseries (which sometimes suffer by comparison with his temple to haute cuisine, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons). At their best, they provide “an overall pleasant dining experience” that’s “solid and dependable”. At their worst, the experience is “middle-of-the-road” going on “mass-produced”. The South Bank branch opposite the Festival Hall is “a great place”, while venues in the City, Chancery Lane and riverside Hammersmith are also usefully located. Another 10 are scattered across other English cities.
Summary
“Fair all-round, if by no means special” is a justifiable, if slightly harsh verdict on Raymond Blanc’s contemporary brasserie chain, whose branches are generally handy and well-appointed, and whose EC2 and SE1 outlets are often voted as “a decent place for a business meet up/dinner”. If it were not “trading on the name” of one of the country’s most famous chefs, its “reasonable” level of cooking might seem more laudable and less “formulaic”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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