Top British restaurants in London, United Kingdom

A few issues with our experience last night.

Firstly, we booked and paid for a show called Erotica at Proud London. The show we actually got was called a 'speakeasy' and in no way did it live up to our expectations. We were both very disappointed. It was billed as a Kink and Fetish show but was nothing more than a bottom-drawer cabaret with bog-standard performances.

Secondly, I was charged £59.93 - for 1 glass of coke and 1 glass of red wine. I don't think this can possibly be correct, even at London prices.

Thirdly, we arrived at the venue at 6pm which was the advertised ticket time, but were completely unaware that the show didn't actually begin until nearer 8pm. Had we known, we wouldn't have got there so early. You really need to improve your comms around what time the show actually starts. People were still walking in at 7:45, so clearly they knew that the show didn't start at 6!!! By the time the food came out we were almost passing out with hunger.

And finally, although we were sent a menu and requested special dietary needs for my wife prior to the event, there seemed to be no awareness of this on the night. Our waiter was not aware of whether the food we were served had any gluten in it or not, and when I asked him he just shrugged and said "it's fine".

We left the venue early and were really disappointed with our whole experience.

I certainly wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

A review of two halves! The show was incredible, outstanding performers, great acts and the host was brill. The venue is smaller than i thought but well decorated and on 'theme'.
We paid for a 5 course VIP ticket - these were £139 each. We had fantastic seats, the other guests around us were great which made the atmosphere even better. We loved the audience participation and having the option to turn your light to another colour if you don't want to join in was a great idea.
The food was nice - not amazing but OK. Service seemed good to start then we were a bit forgotten about. The billing thing with the service charge is confusing, adding a service charge to the bill for the drinks we had that night I have no problem with at all, but adding 15% on to the ticket price and the drinks seems a strange way of doing things. The ticket price should be inclusive. Subsequently our service charge alone was close to £80.
All of that aside I would come here again - because the acts were sooooooo good.

My concert should started at 23:00 but it didn’t I waited one hour and 30 minutes and no changes. Really disappointed I am paying money to come to concert and it should start at list 5-10 minutes late .
And that’s not for the first time.

It didn’t compare to the last venue! Huge let down..
We have been to proud on a few occasions now, this was the first time since changing venues, we could not fault the other venue, always had the best time, the acts were incredible and went on all night followed by an after party, the food was lovely and plenty of room which made it lovely for you to have dinner and enjoy the show the atmosphere was unreal with such a huge stage and a wide variety of jaw dropping performance's this is why we were excited to be back again to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary.. However, unfortunately we were left really disappointed as the venue change seemed to have a huge impact on everything else, firstly when we arrived our table was given to someone else and we were moved, we had to then ask to be moved again as they put us to the back because they gave our table to the couple infront of us, we felt like so many people had been rammed into tiny tables in a nightclub the waiters couldn’t get passed without knocking your or something off the table, same for the persons next to us apologising all night, you can hear the people’s conversations right next to you, the 5 course meal wasn't great the chicken skewers were lovely but did not enjoy the rest, the bread was so dry, no butter came out with it and portions were smaller than previously.
The performances were yet again amazing but very small space only a couple of feet infront of you, unfortunately it didn’t seem to last as long and there didn’t seem to be anywhere near as much as previously.. we were told Charlotte would look after us and do something special for us but this did not happen either, Alex and the staff have always been fantastic but this wasn’t a pleasant experience this time round, very very overpriced so just bare than in mind we couldn’t believe how much extra we paid on the night and didn’t order loads of drinks either.
We are absolutely gutted and unfortunately won’t be returning anymore, it’s a huge shame but wish Alex and the staff the very best.

We went for a pre-theatre meal and everything served to us was just delicious- from the bread to the starters through to mains, wine and dessert. The eel sandwich is a must-try of course (it was much better than I was expecting- probably one of the best starters I've had in the capital). The pie was packed full of deliciousness and was quite hearty. The other mains and sides were all expertly handled and thoroughly enjoyable. Service was friendly, unpretentious and relaxed and the general atmosphere was altogether comfortable and charming, reflecting the character and history of the place rather nicely. We left the restaurant feeling very satisfied, well looked-after and wanting to come back for more. What more could one ask for in a restaurant?

OMG possibly the best meal I've had all year.

Always feels a bit strong to come out with such a statement, but the rabbit main was just immensely delicious, perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned - one of those rare moments were I could close my eyes and enjoy every mouthful.

I liked the eel sandwich too, not sure I'd order it again but it really was a wow in terms of flavour once more.

Service good, wine fabulous. I was very impressed.

The entertainment and show are great. Limited menu but the food that came was tasty. Small portions but understandable as you’re paying for the show more than anything. Great performers.

Drawbacks:
Compulsory high service charge but poor service. Pre paid for desserts which never received despite reminding waiters twice and left waiting over half an hour for desserts which never came. Instead of offering us a refund they offered us more drinks. Not willing to give money back until we asked to speak to manager.

The service charge and other charges on the day came to £65 for the 3 of us girls (this was on top of our pre-paid tickets and dinner). Lots of hidden charges.

Overall great entertainment. Enjoyable hen do. Poor service.

We purchased the 2 course set menu and show package. Priced at £60 pp. Luckily there was a summer offer for 50% off, but still £30 pp.

Upon arrival they didn't have a record of our booking (which we'd prepaid for, and sent our advance menu selection, which was veggie or meat, no other options) they sent us in anyway even though we werent on the list, and put us at the bar table furthest back from the stage, on bar stools. Not on an actual table, but a long bar island. Very limited view of the stage. Which was further obscured when they seated a group in front of us. Couldn't see any of the performances when the dancers were on the floor.

The performances (when I could get a glimpse) were well choreographed but was extremely frustrating trying to gain a view.

We weren't the only patrons with the same complaint; I saw over five different groups on the night, complaining about their view. We didn't bother complaining on the night; we had the cheapest tickets, there was no way they were going to move us, when I could hear VIP patrons complaining about their view!

The food was tasty, but no choice about what you could order.

Drinks are pathetic. I mean ridiculous prices. Impossible to order. Service was non existent.

There was a mandatory 15% service charge and £2 pp cover charge. We paid for our tickets in advance, and ordered one cocktail each. Our bill on the night came to £46. For 2 cocktails; that's how over inflated the the service charge is. For non existent service. unbelievable.

I would not return, and wouldn't recommend the show.

The charges were over inflated, service non existent, view so obscured it was worthless. Not worth the visit.

This is a hard one as the show itself was amazing but the organisation, prices and food were not. The host and performers were top notch and performed brilliant acts - the host really knew how to work the audience 👏 There were regular intervals and a good gap inbetween each course of food. Just be aware you may have to flag the servers down as it's quite dark and they are busy.

Now onto my moaning. We booked the VIP 3 course dinner (£150 per persom FYI) for a birthday and received an email asking us to complete a mandatory pre-order form. Fine, not a problem. Opened the link in the email to pre-order. Took me to a 2 course spring menu with dessert and sides at an extra cost... Having read that the pre-order was mandatory, I emailed them to ask if they could send the link to the VIP 3 course meal pre-order page. I got nothing back but maybe I'd left it too late. I figured we would sort it at the place.

Arrived at the venue and was seated at the front (VIP included up front tables) but the chairs were set up so one person at the table for 2 had their back to the stage... there were a few tables like that. Odd considering you're there to watch the show, not stare at the audience.

The server asked if we had pre-ordered and I explained why we hadn't. He then gave us the 5 course menu and told us what 3 options we could have... which was basically a meat option (ironically with a vegetarian starter) or a vegetarian selection. We chose meat and had no other choice in what food we got served. Fine, it's basically a set menu, I can handle that.

I asked about the bubbles we were supposed to have upon arrival (part of the VIP package along with half a bottle of wine). To be fair, the server said he'd give us the full bottle of wine instead of half as he couldn't give us bubbles... I didnt question as to why not because I like wine.

The food came out and the starter was pretty good (chopped tomatoes with some torn mozarella and dressing, basic but tasty). It built up my expectations for the main course. As it was sold as VIP, I had high (maybe too high?) expectations. The main dish came and it was a small dry chicken skewer on a bed of rice, some yoghurt (luckily this helped with the dry chicken) and half a pitta.... suffice to say, I was pretty hungry after and not impressed! Thank god there was dessert.... a gooey chocolate bomb.

We ordered one extra bottle of wine and 3 bottles of still water... with service charge it was over £120. I'm all for a service charge and I like to tip regularly but for there to be a manadwtory cover charge when you have to have table service... so surely that's part of the job in general? It's not an extra cover because you fancy chilling at your table... you cannot physically go to the bar...

The service wasn't actually anything special - bog standard. Actually, I'd say it was sub-par. You had to constantly flag down the server if you needed anything. There was no "how is your meal?" or "can I get you anything else?" etc. So a mandatory service charge felt out of line considering the service wasn't anything to write home about.

The wine itself wasn't anything special (you got a choice of white or red, no actual wine choice). Let's say it was no Sancerre but it went down... even if it was extortionately priced.

I was juggling between here and The London Cabaret Club - I feel I made an error in judgement booking this one. However we really enjoyed the acts and performers, they were absolutely fantastic and cannot fault them one bit. All the periphery things around the show however... it needs a LOT of improvement to boast being the best cabaret club serving VIP packages... if that's VIP, god knows what the standard tickets got you!!

This place had been on the list for a while. We went for a lunch on the weekend, booked on the day.

The restaurant is beautifully fitted, and spacious enough you don’t feel too close to your fellow diners.

The eel sandwich was delicious, as well as the salted trout. Their martini menu was also interesting, offering a few variations on the classics. Very friendly and prompt service. Would happily go again!

What an evening! It was so fantastic that I ended up here twice in one week!
As you descend the stairs into the dark, red-lit venue, you can feel on your skin that this place is something special. It's a place where you can indulge in what daylight forbids, giving space to your deepest fantasies. I felt like I was at Fangtasia from the TV series True Blood.
A big shoutout to all the performers. The singer's incredible voice gives you goosebumps, and the fire artist and dancers are exceptionally talented. Although the set menu is not very filling, with portions being quite small and light, the overall experience is a must-try if you're in the area. My friends and I had the best time. Also, thanks to our waiter (Mark, if I remember correctly), who was really friendly and attentive. Highly recommended!

Good meal. The recommendations for the eel sandwich is justified. It is very good.

Really like the bourride hake with mussels.

Imagine refined British cuisine in a quiet place in Central London. I was surprised at how elegant this restaurant was despite its location. Outside, the restaurant is quite loud and lively from the neighbouring bars, but inside the restaurant, it feels like you've popped yourself over to Mayfair.

The first thing I noticed was how decorative the menu is. They have a variety of options for all diets. We chose a mixture of fish and meat. Their seafood was delicious. The meats were seasoned well, but the smoked eel sandwich was my favorite.

Overall, it's a high-quality London restaurant. All the dishes were up to par, but I didn't quite find anything that would urge me to come back quickly.

Old school legendary place with hearty food, some modern takes on traditional British food, with an extensive (and not cheap) wine list. Food was top notch, loved the pie of the day (game). Service was good but not exceptional, for example when we went to the loo between courses they brought out the next course and left it on the table rather than waiting till we were both sat down. Sommelier was very knowledgeable.

The new refurb seems to have done away with the stained glass windows which is a shame. There is much more space though and it’s very comfortable, just lacks some of the old character. Serving staff were uniformly excellent and pleasant. Chef even shook hands! The main problem is that the two hour turnaround for tables is too short to enjoy a relaxed meal. We arrived 20 mins early but were reminded several times that the table was needed back. No time for coffees and liquors! Food was tasty and most enjoyable without any fiddly fine dining pretensions. If only we’d had longer to eat it!

Conveniently located in Soho, this place is a great find if you fancy Modern British cuisine. We tried a few starters, and they are all very good. We had pie and skate for the main course they were a bit underwhelming. The pie crust came a tad too hard. I appreciate the generous portion of the capers that came with the skate, but the fish was pretty much soaked in the oil.
Overall good experience though.