Berners Tavern

We recently went to Berners Tavern as a group of four on a weekday evening. The waitstaff were very attentive, taking our coats and offering us drinks right away. The service was prompt and polite—we really can’t fault it. The atmosphere was nice, too. The lighting created a pleasant ambiance, and it wasn’t too loud with music or anything, making it feel very family-friendly. The other diners were a mix of travellers staying at the hotel, couples on dates, business groups, and families. The food was a bit of a mixed bag. We really enjoyed the pork pie and the condiments that came with it, especially how it was served and presented. The risotto was good, but unfortunately, the macaroni cheese wasn’t great—it was far too rich and, to be honest, a bit sickly for our taste. The addition of beef was a nice touch, but the pasta wasn’t macaroni; it looked more like rigatoni. Dessert was good, although nothing particularly special, and the cocktails were very nice, though relatively standard. Overall, we felt the food was relatively average for the price point, especially considering the excellent options nearby. However, the ambiance and the waitstaff made the experience deserving of four stars. I’d recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for a hearty take on British classics with excellent service—just don’t expect it to become your new favourite spot in London.

We went to Berners Tavern for our 2024 Christmas Works party. 13 of us had lunch in the main dining room. The room itself is gorgeous, with a beautiful ceiling. We chose it over the private dining room for the atmosphere and settings. The decoration and settings are amazing. The staff are very attentive and helpful - we were well looked after and they were incredibly accommodating. We were slightly disappointed the christmas menu finished on the 15th of December (the day prior to our lunch booking), and ate three courses from the set menu. I had mushroom soup to start, this was very mushroom heavy, accompanied by a mini caramelised onion toasty. This was very pleasant and served beautifully. Other starters on the table included pate, prawn cocktail and salad - all of which were well reviewed. My steak was cooked as requested and a great steak. The peppercorn sauce was incredible. Having tried the mac and cheese others had with braised beef, this was lovely although incredibly heavily cheesy! I also had the pecan pie. All the food was lovely however I didn’t leave and want to rave about the food i’d had unfortunately. However, coupled with the settings and service this was an incredible lunch, with lovely drinks.

We were staying in the Edition and since we just flew in, decided to have dinner here to avoid the pouring rain outside. Stylistically, this spot is gorgeously decorated although it seems like the ambience cannot decide if it’s time for serious business conversation or posh clubbing. We were greeted by four different servers, the soon with the champagne cart, and the assistant somm. Great, lovely service! Once we ordered and it became clear that we were “only” ordering an app and a main, plus one glass of bubbles and one glass of wine each, we were completely ignored. We had to ask for our check 3 times, and it finally arrived 30 minutes after we first asked for it. Logically, it included a 13% service fee for the wonderful service we did not experience. How was the food? The octopus was great, although it was rather oily and a very small portion. The mushroom soup was not a soup, but some nicely cooked vegetables with way too much fresh tarragon. The pork pie was bland… our waiter said it really needed salt and he didn’t have any. Perfect. The lamb rump was well cooked but missing the eggplant and anchovy flavor promised by the menu. The steak and fries were completely “fine”. At these prices, the food should actually be better than forgettable fine. The wine and bubbles were similarly overpriced and forgettable. There’s so much good food and drink in London…. It’s just not at the Edition.