Ambassade de I'Ile
our review
From the outside it looks like no other restaurant in London, housed as it is in a building that began life as a library back when the locals presumably couldn’t afford to buy books. Inside the ‘aubergine’ colour scheme and woolly carpet floor are reminiscent of my aunty’s council flat in the 70’s, except my aunt didn’t have plasma screens showing views of her kitchen. It is both terrible and lovely all at once because it dares to be different, and so few restaurants do that these days.
By now many of you will already know that this is the London outpost of Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex who has two stars at his French HQ. People have been unkind to J-C since this place opened, even being rude about the fact he only has one arm. I bet they wouldn’t do that to the drummer in Def Leppard. So okay you can have a little laugh at the décor, although who among us doesn’t have a style faux pas in the closet? You can’t laugh about the food though, except perhaps giggle nervously when you look at the a la carte prices as you nibble some rather tasty root vegetable chips and herbs in tempura batter. Yes perhaps £22 for a starter of Watermelon Gazpacho, Avocado purée and Scottish Langoustines seems a bit steep but you should have been there. It was sublime, the best thing I’ve eaten all year. The gazpacho was intense and deeply flavoured; the plump langoustines were cosily warm to blend with the room temperature gazpacho, and the creamy avocado a silky contrast to both. It was the sort of dish that did one of those crash –zooms you see in films; the camera rushing across the floor to close in on my face as the sounds of the restaurant faded away to a murmur. I wanted to grab the bowl and hurry off to a secret place and consume it privately, growling viciously at anyone who came near, like a feral child given a steak. Suddenly £22 seemed a bargain and I realized that not having the £65 tasting menu had been a big mistake.
I’d heard the Line caught Cod, Marmalade Ravioli Almond Milk was special and certainly you don’t see cod that much now, so if you’re going to have it at all, best to have it in style eh? This came as a perfect cube of cod sitting on the raviolo, its golden skin catching the light while the waitress poured the almond milk around. It was another stunning dish, the cod flaking perfectly to the fork, or to be accurate the semi-spoon with an edge to allow cutting. The almond milk tasted like a liquidized macaroon and this, with the tang of the marmalade and the simple pure flavour of the cod, made for exciting mouthfuls.
The cheese board came as two boards, one of which had a craggy selection of hard cheeses. Oh I do love cheese and it’s not fair to put so much in front of me. I had a superb Comte, one of my favourites, and a gooey pungent and perfect Stinking Bishop that did indeed whiff wonderfully. Left to myself I’d have probably cleared both boards, but the waiter sensibly moved them out of reach. One has to leave room for dessert after all, especially when the restaurant has a renowned patisserie chef downstairs. His puff pastry with fromage blanc mousse, wild fruits and vanilla sorbet was elegant and light, the pastry threatening to blow away any second in the breeze from the air-con. Just right. All the time J-C himself could be seen vaguely drifting about filling diners’ glasses and asking questions, showing no distinction between those eating the full five courses and those having the humbler priced £30 lunch deal. I suppose having CCTV of the kitchen means chef can always keep an eye on the pass wherever he is.
Ambassade is cheaper than Ducasse and double the quality, the dishes quite masterly the décor quite dodgy. Take a taster with the well-priced lunch and you’ll be back for the a la carte.
N.H - August 2008
what the critics say
Marina O'Loughlin - 4/5
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
I think people are being most unfair! This restaurant is fabulous - the food is some of the best I have tasted in London for years and if you read the reviews, you will see that the food scores very highly, while the decor may not be to everyone's taste (but actually I think it is rather nice to be so different and there's nothing at all offensive about it).
The chef has two Michelin stars at his Lyon restaurant, so obviously knows what he is doing. Unlike some chefs, he is very much around, and even comes to the table to say hello to his customers.
Service is faultless, the wine list is extensive but good, and there are some 40 wines for under £40 and lots by the glass so I don't understand what the fuss is about.
Go for the tasting menu at £65, which changes monthly. You don't have to spend a fortune here to have a great evening, but you can if you want to!
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Alistair
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, December 05, 2008
Went to the pre-opening week for lunch. Expensive rip-off. Very disappointed.
The decoration?...very strange, dark purple and white squares....looked like a 1970's office. Hated the walk-in telephone. The plasma screen looking into the kitchen was, in my opinion, pretentious.
Food unremarkable. It took 45 minutes for the first course and there were only 2 other tables at the time. The line caught cod with marmalade ravioli was very odd and did not go together, but I did like the vegetable tart. All in all it took about 2 hours to eat lunch, which is ridiculous.
I completely disagree with the review that it was better and cheaper than Ducasse. Ducasse is far more superior in food and service. You are made very welcome and the service is professional and "quick". You feel as if you have been fed and you can leave with a doggie bag of chocolates should you so wish.
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Overall rating 
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
We had a fabulous meal at Ambassade last night. I think the decor is really quite sharp and chic athough the studio lighting is too bright. The food and staff are excellent. The foie gras starter is among the best in London. The sole is a piece of art and my red mullet with new-style bouillabaise was a sheer delight. We drank two bottles of Haut Bages 2005 and a complimentary nightcap of armagnac from Frederick the maitre d' was a perfect finish to a perfect experience. Love the place, I hope it does very well (it was not full.....) It's expensive but so is every top tier restaurant in London.
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Salman
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, August 23, 2008
I think people are being a bit hard on the place. Ok, so we did pay £380 for 2, and it probably wasn't worth it, but I don't think expensive restaurants are ever "worth" what they charge.
I liked the service and had no problem with the timing of the dishes or with going outside. The smoking area outside was very nicely done, in fact it was so comfortable I think they started worrying we'd done a runner!
The food was accomplished and well presented. We had foie gras and beef. Beef cooked as expected. Foie gras a bit odd, it came with vinegar cherries, interesting but the vinegar was so strong it gave me heartburn.
I do think the wine list is a bit of a joke though. Given the absolutely gobsmacking wines they sell, they really could go a bit easy on the mark-up for the more expensive ones - it looked like it was 200% across the board.
Guess the men are probably not over the moon about the virtually public urinals. Oh, and I *loved* the shagpile, hilarious!!
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Freya
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Just two words for the experience: Disappointing and Expensive.
Forget the average prices mentioned on this site of 35 - 44 GBP as you will be much more likely to spend around 100 GBP per person and that is only if you are very careful in your wine selection... We spent 212 GBP for two, with just 2 glasses of wine.
No real complaints about the food. Perhaps not to everybody's liking but It is good and well presented. It is however not the kind of food one would praise in superlatives and in no way it justifies the exhubrant prices charged for it.
Decor is a matter of taste and can be debated, To us it felt more like a modern office surrounding than a restaurant, but that is a personal note. One positive thing is that the tables stand well apart and are large compared to other London restaurants, making a private conversation possible and seating comfortable.
Service was not rude but in not at all personal nor pleasant and somehow we were not left with the feeling of being very welcome, even if the place was half empty. After having asked fr the bill twice, it still took over 30 minutes before it was delivered to our table, with a simple "Sorry" it was placed in front of me.
This place apparently started with the idea that "rich" Londoners will pay anything for a name.... what they have forgotten however is that this name has to prove itself here first and "earn" its customers, as there are plenty of altermatives around.
Lundum's was a nice place with a friendly and competent staff and kitchen at reasonable prices. Not two star, but a far better experience than this one. We will not be back.
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Johan P.
Overall rating 
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The place is a nightmare. Went there for a special occasion expecting something expensive but worth it. Expensive it was.
The decor is a nightmare, down to the washrooms which are indiscreet and with a "cave of Dracula decor" in horrible taste.
The food is expensive but not worth it. My steak was cooked very unevenly: part bleeding part toast. The dessert was minuscule and horrible. The wine list was designed with high-bonus but low taste bankers ... before the credit crunch. One is hard pressed to find a decent bottle.
Last, service was despicable and horribly slow.
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Giorgio S.
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, August 02, 2008
The food was superb but the waiters may as well be serving prison food as they are so arrogant and rude that you forget that the chef is one of the best in the world. The sommelier was so rude to me that frankly I am thinking of asking for my money back.
The booking which was for a special intimate anniversary occasion, I specifically asked for a romantic table, was booked for 3! I was told that I had made a mistake....I felt sorry for the only guy that was polite and professional and gave an air of working somewhere luxurious - he was the maitre'd from Lundum's time. I predict that there are not enough people prepared to spend £400 for 2 and be subjected to arrogance. I give Ambasade de I'lle a year before it closes down.....but maybe that would be arrogant of me.
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frankie
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, August 01, 2008
To be frank, one of the biggest disappointments I have had in a very long time.
As par for the course, the hype far out weighs the content. I certainly don't mind paying top dollar for a great experience but this place fell well short. The waiting staff seem all over the place. Taking a drink outside is a joke. There are no tables to put anything and everything is very awkward to deal with. Without sounding snooty, you don't expect to have to carry your drinks, menu's and wine menu's to your table, whilst the waitress just looks on! at these prices. Also having to watch the chef / owner smoking next to us, chatting with his buddies left a lot to be desired. Theres a time and a place for that. Im sorry to say it was pretty much downhill from there on.
The amuse was a total joke, a massive, rock hard radish on a stick, with a bit of veal stuck round it. Wondered if I was missing something here! Our starters were mixed up. These came before any of our wine selections, which were made twenty minutes previous. The main course of veal was, I don't know, a main course of veal. (Had a lovely piece of veal the day before at Lindsay House).
Didn't bother with dessert or coffee as by this time I was totally fed up. There again, who wants to pay nineteen pounds for a solitary souffle? We were in and out of the restaurant in less than seventy minutes and two hundred and forty pounds lighter. Rushed and totally ripped off. Doubtless the Michelin Guide will be falling over themselves as the chef is a two star in France. If this is their game plan, I can't see the place lasting, in view of the tremendous competition it faces in London. In conclusion, don't bother, spend your hard earnt money else where.
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rich - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 1
Thursday, July 31, 2008
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