Harden's survey result
Summary
“Glitz and completely OTT surroundings make this an experience that will be remembered” – there’s all-round applause for this “fabulous and very romantic” dining room, on the top floor of a Mayfair palazzo of fairy tale grandeur. For the most part, despite the terrifying pricing, this praise also extends beyond the “magnificent” setting to the “superb” cuisine, which is overseen (from afar) by star chef Pierre Gagnaire. Meals “come with so many bits and bobs, so you don’t really know where to start” but on nearly all accounts it’s “superb”. Whether Michelin should really have awarded it three stars, though, is debatable. A fair summary: “Grade A for effort, but it’s all a bit too much”.
Summary
Up the sweeping staircase of this vast Mayfair palace, this “spectacular, grand, imposing and romantic” dining room certainly looks the part for a fairytale date (hint: “it might be a bit OTT for some tastes”). Star chef Pierre Gagnaire’s “creative” and complex menu features some “really quirky and delicious touches” and for most reporters “its two Michelin stars are well-deserved”. Even some fans, though, feel the wine list in particular is “stupidly overpriced” and there is a school of thought that, although “the tasting menu is all very nice, dishes don’t really hang together too well”; or that you plain just “shouldn’t waste your money here”. “A selfie in the crystal-lined loos is a must though”.
Summary
Up the sweeping staircase of this vast Mayfair palace, this “spectacular, grand, imposing and romantic” dining room certainly looks the part for a fairytale date (hint: “it might be a bit OTT for some tastes”). Star chef Pierre Gagnaire’s “creative” and complex menu features some “really quirky and delicious touches” and for most reporters “its two Michelin stars are well-deserved”. Even some fans, though, feel the wine list in particular is “stupidly overpriced” and there is a school of thought that, although “the tasting menu is all very nice, dishes don’t really hang together too well”; or that you plain just “shouldn’t waste your money here”. “A selfie in the crystal-lined loos is a must though”.
Summary
First timers can “look around in disbelief at the over-the-top decor” on the first floor of this huge Mayfair palazzo (and that’s before the call of nature takes them to the ‘Swarovski Crystal Bathrooms’), and it is a “most opulent” and “seductive” setting in which to enjoy ambitious cuisine overseen by überchef Pierre Gagnaire. Its ratings took a dive this year, however, as its vertiginous prices can seem as overblown as the interior design (it doesn’t help that “sadly it looks like the Gourmet Rapide lunch has been guillotined”).
For 31 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).
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Restaurant details
Sketch, Lecture Room at Library Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Enjoyable lunch in palatial surroundings. Prefer a more relaxed setting"
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £44.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 15.00% |
9 Conduit St, London, W1S 2XG
| Number of Diners: | |
| Required Time: | |
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 6:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 6:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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