Harden's says
The new City outpost of The Wolseley in King William Street opened in autumn 2023. It's much larger than the Piccadilly original, with two private dining rooms and three bars serving the familiar menu featuring power breakfasts, schnitzels and crustacea. This is a vital opening for new owners Minor International, more than a year after taking control from The Wolseley's widely respected founders, Chris Corbin & Jeremy King.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“A useful addition to the Wolseley family” – the “impressive interior” of “the old House of Fraser building at the north end of London Bridge” provides “lovely rooms and architecture” to backdrop a meal at this year-old spinoff from the famous original near The Ritz, to which it’s “similar but not the same”. Like its sibling, it’s “very good for a business meal” and is highly popular for its “quick and efficient breakfast”. But while the original has never been a foodie destination, the cooking is even more “so-so” here (“such a pity, as it could be done so much better with a bit more care and attention”) and – though service is generally “attentive and friendly” – it can also be “patchy”. All in all, it’s a “a great option for the City dining scene” but will need work to fulfil its potential and capture a wider audience.
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”.
Summary
In Autumn 2023, the famous West End icon will start a new, ultimately global, roll-out. First stop is the City, with this conversion of the ground floor of the old House of Fraser building, near Monument tube and looking onto London Bridge. The site is considerably larger than that on Piccadilly and the website promise is of ‘a younger sister to the original, not a replica’.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Wolseley City?
68 King William Street, London, EC4N 7HR
The Wolseley City Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Carbon copy of the west end version. Visited at the weekend, so was relatively quiet by comparison, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Food was of the same high quality, service and ambience fine. Would visit again if in the City."
"Lovely place for a city lunch"
"Great for business as always but breakfast is very over priced for what it is. "
"A useful addition to the Wolseley family. The impressive Art Deco interior and jazz on a Sunday makes it worth a weekend trip to the City. Marmalade ice cream is a bonus. But with about a dozen (well behaved) children there for lunch, why is there no weekend children’s menu?"
"Very good for business lunch. Great decor. Patchy service. Food so-so at lunchtime."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £36.75 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.95 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
68 King William Street, London, EC4N 7HR
Opening hours
| Monday | 11:30 am‑3 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Tuesday | 11:30 am‑3 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 11:30 am‑3 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 11:30 am‑3 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 11:30 am‑3 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 11:30 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | 11 am‑5 pm |
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