Harden's survey result
Summary
“If you love wine, come here!” – the original of Mark Andrew & Dan Keeling’s ten-year-old group “retains a particular (and distinctive) charm” and its “mammoth wine selection is an inspiration”, making it one of the Top-10 most commented-on venues in our annual diners’ poll. “The chalkboard of specials is always exciting… until you realise that the price is by the glass not the bottle! That said, even the cheapest options are worth drinking, the list is curated so lovingly” and there’s the “opportunity to experience some of those famous vintages” (if “at prices that climb to a level that can only be described as stratospheric”). The food also rates mention – “simple, classic dishes make up most of the menu” and are “fairly priced”; as does “the knowledge of the entire front of house team, which is exceptional”; and the “intimate” setting (a wine bar that was for decades ‘Vats’) is perfect for such a venue, if “a bit noisy and a bit cramped”. Top Menu Tip – “superb roast pheasant with trimmings: moist, tender flesh with a lovely gamey flavour”.
Summary
“The wine is – as always – the star attraction” at Mark Andrew & Dan Keeling’s original venue, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025, and which is once again one of the Top-10 most commented-on entries in our annual diners’ poll. “Wonderful passionate staff really know the wines”: “the list is so long!” with select vintages listed on the “terrific blackboard, where there’s always something new to explore”. And the “intimate” (“slightly cramped”) environment is perfectly suited to tippling – an “old school” wine bar in Bloomsbury that (previously trading for decades as ‘Vats’, RIP) had been completely forgotten-about before they took it over. Fans say the “robustly delicious and bold” bistro food “nearly matches up, with some really good dishes kicking around here and there”. But “the bill can add up” (“those 125ml glasses don’t last long”); and while there were no specific criticisms this year, ratings here in general are more middling than once they were: perhaps the strains of now running three rather than just two sites?
Summary
A “magnificent” operation – Mark Andrew and Dan Keeling’s first venture has become one of the most popular destinations in London, hitting our Top 10 most-mentioned entries for the first time this year. Opened in 2015 – and named for the wine and food magazine they started in 2013 – it inhabits the “characterful” Bloomsbury premises that were for decades ‘Vats’, and its “dark, cosy spaces” are perfect for working through the “terrific wine list” they have assembled: very arguably “the best by-the-glass list in town”, with many “rarities preserved by the Coravin system”. The cooking is overseen by afar by executive chef, Stephen Harris of Seasalter fame: “slip soles in butter are almost as good as at The Sportsman, but the other dishes are a bit more standard” – the “food can be unexpectedly accomplished, but it’s really all about the wine list which caters to all tastes and budgets”. Service is “superb, passionate and friendly” (“but can be patchy during busy periods”). Fans say, of the three branches it’s “the original and the best”, but – though slightly less commented-on – its more recent spin-offs now actually outscore the mothership.
Summary
“Even the most jaded wine bore will find something new and special” at Mark Andrew and Daniel Keeling’s “moody” watering hole in Bloomsbury – nowadays one of London’s best-known destinations. Naturally the “expertly chosen and truly fascinating wine list” (“a top mix of classics and new wave/low intervention wines”) is at the heart of its appeal, but its magic also owes much to its “fabulously knowledgeable staff” (“who really know their stuff and can make great recommendations to suit all price points”). A further major factor was the inspired choice six years ago of such splendidly apt premises: the “dark-lit” and charmingly mellow site that was for decades the forgotten-about, 1970s stalwart wine bar, ‘Vats’: “cosy and appealing with a lovely feel to it”. And, while the “wine is always centre stage”, the food is “surprisingly good” too – “on point with excellent ingredients”. “Availability by the glass is fabulous” (“and by the bottle!”), but the “measures are small at 75 or 125ml” and – “be careful!” – prices of more exotic vintages can be “injurious to the bank account”. But even those who feel “a visit quickly gets pricey given those tiny glasses” think it’s “good for a treat”. And for many aficionados “the fantastically diverse list encourages – nay insists! – that you blow your budget and reach for the stars!”. Top Tip – “splendid set lunch”.
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 Noble Rot?
51 Lamb's Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3NB
Restaurant details
Noble Rot Restaurant Diner Reviews
"The food is delicious and the menu changes regularly with the season. Nice choice of meat fish and veggie dishes all cooked to perfection. Good atmosphere too in the darkness of the cosy dining room where you feel you should be indulging in a long lunch dipping into the extensive and very good wine list. i can't help feeling though, that it is very expensive for what you get, the starter of broccolini was a bit too 'ini' and we had a shared starter of tagliolini with white truffle at £29 came on a tea plate."
"Great food and very good wines"
"Very good service and food - a little noisy "
"Always excellent Franco-British food - and the usual amazing wine list. A real pleasure of a place."
"Always nice"
"Very nice English kitchen with very fair priced enormous wine list"
"Very good English food. Great wine list fair priced"
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £24.00 | £28.00 |  |
|
 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Pudding |
|---|---|---|
| £15.50 | £60.00 | £14.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £27.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £6.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
51 Lamb's Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3NB
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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