Apsleys

We ate at Apsleys last Saturday and had a superb meal, in lovely setting.

This place has good service and looks great. It's ideal for a romantic meal, with the tables well spread out (ask for one of the tables round the outside, which are slighly raised from the main floor and quieter). However, it wasn't overly busy, for a Saturday and may be quiet midweek.

The food was excellent, with the first courses of Pheasant parcels and the Ravioli being superb. My only complaint was that the Sea Bass didn't come with veg, but the only potato option on the extras were roast potatoes, which don't go with light fish! Apart from that minor blip, the food was very tasty and well presented.

There are some reasonably priced wines amongst the expensive wine list, especially a lovely New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Overall, a very pleasant dining experience.
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PJE
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

With its luxurious interior that recalls more elegant and decadent times, The Lanesborough ought to be home to a restaurant that is aligned with the hotel's five star status.

The dining room has been recently relaunched as an Italian, and given a rather un-Italian name: Apsleys. We visited as part of a group on what would have otherwise been a rather quiet evening for the restaurant. It was clear that the staff were happy to have something to do as the service was charming and very efficient.

The bread and parmesan appetisers were fresh and came with good olive oil. My starter of succelent pink veal with tuna paste and capers was tasty. However, the main courses were simply a let down. My friend's chicken breast was apparently dry, surely classic mistake no.1 in chicken cooking. My own shrimp risotto was undercooked and crunchy, while the shrimp was badly burnt, giving the risotto a strong bitter note. The surprising thing was that the waiter obviously knew it wasn't up to scratch, as he enquired specifically whether the risotto was satisfactory.

Tiramisu was better, but by that stage I had had too much wine to properly appraise it.

Although we didn't let the food detract from a very enjoyable evening, Apsleys didn't meet the standards set by the rest of the hotel, which is a shame.
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Forth Bridge
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, August 13, 2008

I was there with my friend for afternoon tea. Finger sandwiches were very nice and fresh, wide selection, not only boring smoked salmon and cucumber... There was also mini quiche! Yummy!

Very wide range of teas available, and the service was very respectful, friendly and quick. Maybe because they have a lot of waiters... The piano was playing live and the atmosphere was a bit too formal, but I like it for a change. And what I didn’t like: price.
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Hirosima
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Friday, August 01, 2008

I suppose that this place embodies everything that is wrong with dining out in London high-end restaurants.A fortune has been spent on decor (like the Dorchester), but there seems to have been no one in charge of good taste.The decor is awful.The service is very good with lots(too many) staff,well drilled and eager to please.The food reads well on the menu,but the execution is very poor.For those of us who have eaten in Italy,the food here does not measure up to a reasonable restaurant in Italy.While the ingredients are all present,it is as though someone has been following a recipe or TV show,who has never actually developed any real idea of what the food should taste like and look like.We left a lot of it and the prices are excrutiatingly expensive.Reduce the staff numbers,get a new chef,and redecorate the room.Seems they have got this all totally wrong.Fire the person who was in charge of this project too for wasting all this money.And calling an Italian restaurant Apsleys...that should have set off all kinds of sirens!

Maybe restaurants in hotels don't work so well.Are there any that are successful?
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C.Elder
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Service was second to none, food fantastic and prices reasonable for the location. Will use again.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, March 20, 2008

The Conservatory Restaurant is a real old-fashioned high-end dining experience in the premises of the Lanesborough hotel. The classic decor is simply magnificent and the service impeccable. The pianist plays on the backround adding to the atmosphere that almost makes you think you have performed a time journey somewhere to the 1930's.

We were in for the unlimited champagne dinner offer (for £40) and were not disappointed. Champagne had the characteristicts of the appellation and was enjoyable, although not grand, just as one could expect. And there is no need to suspect that one would need to call the waiter wthen the glass is empty - actually, we never managed to get our glasses empty during our dinner.

Portions were beautiful and pursue some original ideas, but still they remain a bit unimpressive. Part of this could be due to the fact that we were ordering from a short menu that clearly avoided the most exquisite (and expensive) lobster and foie gras -type delicacies the restaurant naturally has to offer. Still, a bit more could be expected of a restaurant with this price level and reputation even on the less expensive side of the menu.

All in all, the treat was well worth the money and we had a most memorable anniversary dinner. The rumour has it that the Conservatory is to be renovated and changed to a modern italian restaurant so anyone wishing to make the time travel to the present interior and atmosphere shoud go soon.
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Erkki Nurminen
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Cheap, its not. But the setting, the food and the service are definitely worth the money.

I was taken there for a birthday present and after a drink in the Library Bar we we shown to our table. As a vegetarian, I was keen to see if Paul Gaylor's dishes would live up to my expectations. Oh, and they did. Wonderfully imaginative dishes that tasted great and were presented beautifully. It's so nice to find a restaurant where the vegetarian dishes are treated with equal respect as the meat and fish.

The atmosphere of the restaurant with its greenery and running waterfeatures along with the music and dancing (if you want to) just added to what was a perfect evening.

The service was impeccable, the waiters were very knowledgable and were there when you wanted them and weren't when you didn't - which is just the way it should be.

Perfect and highly recommended.
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Gaz
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, September 25, 2006

We ate at the Landesborough on Sunday night. We booked a special deal using a

rival site, and were embarrassed to find out that the special had ceased to exist! Luckily the staff had experienced the same problem in the past and they were more than happy to accommodate us at the rate we expected (3 course + 1 glass of wine for £30). As it was the Easter wkd, the restaurant was 20% full, so that might be a factor which helped our cause.

The bar area is very nice – old school British Hotel posh, though it works very nicely. Too much cigar

smoke in the bar itself, but the room adjoining did just fine.

Restaurant itself is incredible. Lavish, open and a real treat. We were given a great table in the middle of the room which allowed us to enjoy the effect of a great big stately conservatory. Staff were very attentive and keen, if a little overbearing. I had the chicken liver starter which was the best I’ve ever had, and my wife enjoyed her dish (I forget what it was!) as well. Steaks were a little disappointing,. That’s not to say they were bad, just a little thin and un-inspiring. Deserts were very good.

We were given complimentary sorbets, and free appetizers, which was a great touch.

Bill incl 3 extra drinks came to £95 incl a £10 tip(not included).

All in all I’d say it was a highly enjoyable occasion. I am sure that when there is dancing on a Fri/Sat night the place will be a lot more atmospheric – however be warned, the ala carte menu is very expensive!
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J & Dee
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Thursday, April 20, 2006

I booked the Conservatory Restaurant midweek on the "dinner deals"to celebrate my wifes birthday.

Entering the Restaurant through the Hotel which has an unmistakable opulence is certainly impressive. We were greeted by a friendly smiling front of house young lady who showed us to what I would have said was one of the best tables in the Restaurant.

This must be in my opinnion one of the most impressive Restaurant settings certainly in the whole of London.

The Decoration can only be described as magnificent. Think of one of the impressive Chinoiserie influenced State rooms in the Brighton Pavillion under a conservatory roof and this will give you some indication of what has been created here. Two Massive urns with beautiful palms flank the main part of the Restaurant while two wall fountains on the back wall offer the soothing sound of gentle running water. A pianist played an appropriate mix of old standards during the evening.

The waiting staff were polite and attentive possibly with the exception of the wine waiter who seemed rather preoccupied with a large table in the corner of the restaurant.

The "dinner deals" offer allows you to chose from the "Du Jour" menu which of course is small but quite accebtable.

We were offered the usual bread roll to begin with,but the waiter then brought a complimentary plate of Foccacia with a small kilner jar which contailed a small mild goats cheese in olive oil. This was delicious.

Both my wife and I started with a warm salad of artichoke and chicken livers in a light dressing, again very nice and beautifully presented. For main course my wife chose a Vegetable Pasta dish and I a Cod and Chorizzo combination. These again were nicely presented but I felt slightly dissapointed with mine, I felt that the Cod was possibly not the freshest, but certainly acceptable.

We both chose Rhubarb Crumble with ginger ice cream for pudding. This was preceded by another complimentary tiny medley of citrus salad with lemon sorbet.

We both thought the crumble was great and just the right size portion.

We ended with coffee and a great selection of petit fours.

The "Dinner deals" comes with a glass of wine and is a truly Fantastic deal for £30 a head. We added a half bottle of Chablis at £22. The same meal without the "deal" and the glass of wine would normally be £38 on weekdays, still in my oppinion extremely good value when one considers the lovely surroundings.

I have no hesitation in reccomending this restaurant.
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Robert Malston
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, March 16, 2006

I was taken to the Lanesborough on a date and it has to be the most amazing restaurant i have ever been to. I am a true romantic, we went on a Friday night, the band was playing, couples were dancing, excellant wine, fantastic food, what more could a girl want? I was more than impressed. The band especially made the place, when the stopped it was very quiet! The staff also were perfect!
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Charlotte
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, March 09, 2006