The Wolseley City

Summary

“A welcome and stylish addition to the City” – this vast newcomer has a Manhattan-esque exterior at the foot of a huge 1920s block facing onto London Bridge (the ground floor of the old House of Fraser building). Inside, it‘s “a mimic of the original” near the Ritz, with its high ceilings, monochrome tiled floor, and cream and chestnut colour scheme: “it may not have quite the same buzz as Piccadilly”, but looks-wise “does the job well”. It serves a similar “brasserie-plus” menu, and although results can be “mediocre”, then firstly, this is also true of the original; and secondly, “as you would expect, the trade is mostly business lunchers” whose expectations tend to be modest. In fact, many reports rate it as “almost identical to its namesake” and often compliment its service too. Overall, though, ratings are dragged down by too many middling and poor reviews. No particular themes emerge as to where the main faults lie, but with a venue this big consistency is key and still seems to need work. Top Tip – as at the original, “breakfast is superb” and already popular with the local suits, with “duck egg and haggis particularly recommended”.