Harden's survey result
Summary
Near the Freemasons’ Hall, this “classy” and “traditional”-looking Italian brasserie in Covent Garden is a “perfect business lunch place”, thanks to its classic cuisine and “well-paced” service (which is fitting for a place founded by two front-of-house specialists). Co-founder Paulo de Tarso has left, leaving Nicolas Jaouën (ex-La Petite Maison and Rivea) in charge. A small minority of reporters complained this year that, for all its qualities, the offering “lacks personality”.
Summary
“Old-school elegance is mixed with excellent, friendly service” at Paulo de Tarso & Nicolas Jaouën’s “stylish” and “very comfortable” Italian near the Freemasons’ Hall – “one of the better post-Covent Garden options”, and also a useful business venue in WC2 (“an area that isn’t too rich in restaurants of this calibre”). But, while fans still praise its “classic, simple, well-executed dishes”, ratings slid this year amidst some concerns that it “has suffered from its popularity”, producing food that seems “less enthralling” than it once did: “nice, but nothing special for the price”.
Summary
“Old-school elegance is mixed with excellent, friendly service” at Paulo de Tarso & Nicolas Jaouën’s “stylish” and “very comfortable” Italian near the Freemasons’ Hall – “one of the better post-Covent Garden options”, and also a useful business venue in WC2 (“an area that isn’t too rich in restaurants of this calibre”). But, while fans still praise its “classic, simple, well-executed dishes”, ratings slid this year amidst some concerns that it “has suffered from its popularity”, producing food that seems “less enthralling” than it once did: “nice, but nothing special for the price”.
Summary
“Very suave service” (“the staff make the meal into an occasion”) adds to the polish of Paulo de Tarso and Nicolas Jaouën’s “elegant” and “quite formal” (“white tablecloths, etc”) Italian: one of the better options in Covent Garden “to make an evening feel special before or after a show”. “Very accomplished” cooking completes the picture, although arguably “more traditional dishes work best”. Top Menu Tip: “particularly excellent osso bucco”.
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
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £35.00 | £39.00 |  |
|
|
| Pretheatre | £35.00 | £39.00 | |
|
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Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £16.00 | £31.00 | £5.00 | £7.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £26.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
45 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AA
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| 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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