The Larder
Restaurant - Mediterranean in London
91-93 St. John Street
Clerkenwell
London
Greater London
EC1M 4NU
Contact Numbers
Reviews
Shocking!
I have to say that this was one of the worst restaurants that I have ever, ever has the displeasure of visiting.We arrived at 8pm for our booking and the place did seem very nice. However, the service was appalling. It took an hour for us to get our first drink and even then they arrived sporadically. We asked for some water and this then took another 15 minutes. So, just to re-cap we had been in the restaurant for 1 hour and 15 minutes and only just got our drinks.When we finally ordered, there was a sense of relief around the table, given that it was now 9.30pm. However the staff then came to inform us that they did not have all of the starters we had ordered.....then some 15 minutes later we were told that some of our main courses had run out. Shocked - yes we were.Needless to say, we demanded the bill and paid for the drinks and promptly left at about 10pm. The manager was applogectic, but to be honest, it was too little and too late, especially having not eaten a thing. Absolutely shocking restaurant. From what I saw, the food did look lovely, we were just not prepared to wait 2 or more hours for it!!!!Would not return.
A User - 10/08/2009 | report this review
A great place to go with friends
This place almost gets 5 stars except for the fact that it is such a large and cavernous place, it is difficult to attain that intimate atmosphere you would expect from your "favourite restaurant". It has that Conran Chop House feel about it in terms of the size and upmarket canteen styling, but with darker tones and huge glass windows.The service was excellent, and entertaining, falling down initially by the level of knowledge of the wine list and then adequately made up for when the waitress brought out a selection of bottles from our choice (plus a sensible recommendation) to try first. This was also proceeded by a simply classic one-liner from the waitress "this wine is ok, it won't feel like someone has thrown acid in your face", relayed in a wonderfully sincere Eastern European accent, I thought I was in a sketch from the Harry & Paul show!It is a big restaurant and it wasn't that busy (though not empty) when we went on a Wednesday night so it is difficult to say whether this standard of service could be maintained if they were full, but regardless, on this evening we felt extremely well looked after and it was a highlight of our visit. And the food?...was simply first class, the sort of dishes you would expect to get at say Pont de la Tour, but for a fraction of the price and in my opinion of a far higher standard. Of particular note, my main of pork belly with black pudding and scallops was perfectly cooked and tasted fantastic. A rich gravy managed to stand out against the other strong flavours without overpowering the dish, and the scallops provided a perfect accompaniment to the pork, as did the black pudding. My chicken liver parfait starter tasted good, was well presented and perfectly chilled.We didn't try the deserts on this occasion, but will look forward to that next time.And now for the clincher. By booking through a popular but inferior online restaurant website, toptable (and alas not trustedplaces, which I am a huge fan of but don't seem to be encouraging the same level of integration they offer their users with the restaurants themselves) and possibly even by booking with them directly, you get two courses and a glass of prosecco for £19.99! With the wine, sides, coffees and service it came in at about £40 a head, which for the quality was still outstanding.A great place to go with friends to enjoy first class food in a relaxed environment.
A User - 10/11/2008 | report this review
Safe bet for any occasion
The food at the larder is quite traditional and unfussy. However, it is cooked REALLY well. All the bread is baked on site and everything is fresh and nicely thought through. The interior is simply furnished in a "could be seen as posh could be chilled" way so it is a good place for a fairly relaxed client lunch. Service is excellent.
A User - 03/06/2008 | report this review
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