Harden's survey result
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”).
Summary
“Take your sense of humour and embrace the place”, say fans of this “crazy, wonderful” chamber – “a stunning” space on the first floor of a huge Mayfair palazzo. That it’s “shockingly expensive” occasions less outrage nowadays, and when it comes to the tasting menus (overseen by Pierre Gagnaire), while “there may be a few more components in each dish too many” there are “some nice marriages of flavours” and results can be “remarkable”. “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but the trick is to admire the quality and meticulousness, while not taking the ponciness too seriously.”
Summary
“You may feel you’ve taken a sip of something psychedelic!” as you take in the “fabulously camp” decor of this “spectacular” Mayfair dining room, overseen by superstar chef, Pierre Gagnaire. The idiosyncratic cuisine can be “fantastic” too, but the “complicated” combinations can also seem “too clever by half”. Hallucinogens may be advisable on arrival of the bill…
Restaurant details
Sketch, Lecture Room at Library Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Vastly overpriced"
"What an experience ! The scenery is amazing: I would recommend to start the evening with a drink at the cosy bar before moving up to the dining room which is very spacious and impressive. The tasting menu is a treat with a special mention to the Smoked Haddock Raviolo !"
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £49.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £5.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
9 Conduit St, London, W1S 2XG
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 7 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 7 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 7 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 7 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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