Harden's survey result
Summary
“A wonderful room that’s very light and with well-spaced tables” – this “quintessential” traditional hotel dining room, just around the corner from Buckingham Palace, is well-suited to a special occasion and is popular for business, romance or “a pricey family treat”. Opened in 1910 by Otto Goring, it is part of the only five star hotel in London still to be run by the family who opened it (Jeremy Goring is the current CEO), which has always lent the whole establishment a more personal style than its corporate competitors. Historically, the dining room’s British fare has been more notable for its traditional values than its finesse, and diners in our survey acclaim it as “reliable” if rather “undemanding”: perfect for traditionalists, but less ‘haute’ than its Michelin star might suggest. Breakfast, for example, is a big attraction here, as is one of the “best afternoon teas in the UK”. When it comes to lunch and dinner service, dishes like “first class lobster” excel. The old school service is well-rated but “not what it was” a few years ago, in the opinion of some regular guests. In May 2024 the space reopened, complete with an opulent new interior, care of Russell Sage Studio and a new kitchen for Executive Chef Graham Squire: hopefully all the new kit for the kitchen will mean this year’s food rating is on the cautious side.
Summary
Very often recommended as an “expensive but reliable” venue for a “perfect business lunch”, this “decorous”, family-run hotel near Buck House (where the Middletons stayed before Kate & Will’s big day) has won renown as a “very classy”, traditionally British affair, where “everything is done perfectly”. Post-Covid, however, its dining room’s performance seems to have been on the slide and the downward trend noted last year continued in this year’s poll amidst gripes that it was “not as good as previously”, serving “bland food” and with “too many high expectations dashed”. Top Tip – “a quintessential English afternoon tea” in the lounges here is still a popular event.
Summary
“Hooray for The Goring!” – this “enormously charming” and “quintessentially English” hotel, just behind Buck House, remains, for most reporters, one of London’s most treasured bastions. Built by Otto Goring in 1910, Jeremy Goring is currently at the helm, and its unchanging style and popularity with royalty have done nothing to harm its following over the years. For a business occasion in particular, the “delightful” dining room complete with “old-style, classy, traditional fare” is ideal and “never fails to impress a first-timer”; and for “afternoon tea done to perfection” look no further than its “lovely and calming” lounges. “The pandemic seems to have hit them hard, though, including the loss of their Michelin star chef”. To be honest, it always seemed a slightly strange idea that fancy haute cuisine was key to its success, so no immediate need for panic there. What is more concerning, though, is the decline in rating for what has always been a benchmark level of “discreet and professional” service: “it has sometimes been rather offhand lately – an unwelcome development they would do well to reverse…”
Summary
Just behind Buckingham Palace (and where the Middleton family stayed before Wills and Kate were wed) – this posh five-star was built by Otto Goring in 1910 and has been run since 2005 by his great grandson Jeremy Goring. With its peerless service and “very well spaced” tables, it’s the perfect bastion for traditionalists and an excellent choice for a “pricey but classy” old-school experience. The main dining room’s cuisine has moved with the times, but is still in a fairly traditional mould well-suited to “formal family lunches or business”. Another attraction is one of the best breakfasts in town. Head to the adjoining lounges for “afternoon tea at its best”: “beautifully made cakes and sandwiches, and just a special and lovely experience”.
For 33 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 Goring Hotel, Dining Room?
15 Beeston Pl, London, SW1W 0JW
Restaurant details
The Goring Hotel, Dining Room Restaurant Diner Reviews
"The dining room is a rarity in London - incredibly light filled elegant room with huge windows. Tables well spaced - ideal for private conversations. Food only managed good as it somehow misses the mark but it is well above average. Service is mainly very good but a bit slow and a tiny bit odd - and therefore it’s a good. The management should go to the Ritz and learn a few things to get them to 445. "
"Luke warm food served on almost cold plates - an unpleasant experience. Portion sizes reduced - for example the signature lobster omelette. Food and service not as good as they used to be; easily fixed but no-one seems to be in charge. Lighting in room much improved."
"Wonderful dining room. Best in London - food very good and imaginative take on British Ingredients - problem is perennially slow service - seems the team at Goring are culturally unable to deliver swift , efficient service"
"Fine dining in a wonderful room - very light and well spaced tables. I think the best dining room in London for business - a treat. Service sometimes slow - unacceptably so in one of their private dining rooms "
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £50.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £6.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
15 Beeston Pl, London, SW1W 0JW
Opening hours
| Monday | 7 am‑2:45 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:45 pm |
| Tuesday | 7 am‑2:45 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:45 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 am‑2:45 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:45 pm |
| Thursday | 7 am‑2:45 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:45 pm |
| Friday | 7 am‑2:45 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:45 pm |
| Saturday | 7 am‑3:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:45 pm |
| Sunday | 7:30 am‑2:45 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:45 pm |
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