Harden's says
A fourth café-style spin-off of Covent Garden's iconic Ivy (there are sites in Marylebone, St John's Wood and Wimbledon already) has arrived in Richmond offering pretty late-night dining for the area, serving until midnight most days and 1 am at weekends.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“The dangers of overextending the brand are writ large at these places” – the sub-sub-brand derivatives from the Theatreland classic, which haven’t taken off like the slightly posher ‘Ivy Brasserie’ spin-offs (perhaps because “they do this better at Côte”). They are not without supporters, who say they have fab locations and “look great” (SW19 is particularly “delightful”); or that although “supper is terribly disappointing, for breakfast they are an absolute joy enhanced by the refined surroundings”. Too often, though, they are dismissed as a “so-so brasserie chain that’s only really aiming for gullible out-of-towners” nowadays.
Summary
“Trading on a once-great name but disappointing in every category (except perhaps breakfasts)” – this brasserie brand themed around the Theatreland classic feels “very ‘chain restaurant’ now”. Some reporters do suggest their “comfort food staples” and “buzzy interiors” make them useful destinations, but too many suggest they are “haphazard” and “not a place to return to”.
Summary
“You know what you are getting” according to fans of this sub-brand, spin-off chain, whose ‘café’ branches are a cut below those trading as a ‘brasserie’. They laud its “acceptable” cooking and say, “it’s great to see how well the Ivy’s formula has been rolled out with very atmospheric décor”. Even fans of the “really nice buzz” inspired by these “costly surroundings” can find the food “pretty average” though. And harsher critics (of which there are many) say “what is the point of this expensive and dreadful group? They just demean memories of the original Ivy”. Top Tip – “really reasonable for breakfast with decent portions in a pleasant atmosphere” (and you can book in advance for it, too).
Summary
“A bit clichéd, but never lets us down”, say fans of the sub-sub brand of this famous brasserie chain, who “have no idea why its reviews are so bad”. For too many reporters, though, these outlets represent “a failing imitation of a classic that is itself rather variable”, with a “disappointing. expensive, mundane menu and inattentive service”. The best bet? “Stick to breakfast and enjoy the surroundings”.
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 Ivy Café?
Restaurant details
The Ivy Café Restaurant Diner Reviews
"A good dinner for two, with scallops (lots of foam and mini rostis) and goats cheese salad, followed by blackened cod (good) and lobster linguine (overdressed with rather overpowering chilli oil, which rather killed any flavour), and finished off with creme brulee (large portion) and theatrically presented wild berries and ice cream. Together with a bottle of passable Sancere the bill came to £213 (without coffees). A generally decent meal, but such a large menu doubtlessly places restrictions on the kitchens ability to outperform. Service was OK but unexceptional (it's a bit of a 'factory' and now feels very much like a 'chain' as evidenced by the dog-eared menus) and slow to get going (first course 40 minutes after we arrived). We had to wave our arms to attract attention after several lengthy periods un-noticed (bit of a pain). It was a Wednesday evening early booking (we sat down at 6PM and finished at 9.30PM immediately after finishing pudding) and the place was filling up quickly with an after work crowd drinking beers at the bar and tables rapidly filling up. A bright, lively and (sometimes very) loud (noisy) ambience. One could probably dine better, for the same price, elsewhere, but the Ivy remains a convenient 'go to' (especially when in good company), despite a disappointingly overpowering linguine which rather let down the food score."
Opening hours
8 am-midnight, Fri & Sat 8 am-1 am, Sun 9 am-11 pm
Last orders: midnight, Sat & Sun 1 am, Sun 11 pm
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