Refettorio

My flatmate tried to book Locanda Locatelli for her birthday dinner but being last-minute, could only get a table for 10 pm. Being a school night and all, she decided instead to have it at Refettorio, Giorgio Locatelli’s other venture in the City.

Since I have never been to LL, I can’t really compare the food but Refettorio was well... decent. Ravioli with smoked mozzarella and sundried tomatoes was yum, but all the other stuff was just average, or only slightly above average – eg the roast guinea fowl which looked nice enough on the plate (see picture) but was a tad too chewy and really quite normal. The pan-fried beef fillet with herb crust served with mushrooms was done just right but none of us felt that it was particularly special. The sorbet was quite refreshing, but again nothing particularly wow.

The place, relatively speaking (this is a hotel restaurant after all), was not ridiculously expensive – starters and pastas between £7-11.50 and mains between £16-21.50, desserts £5. The bill came to about £40 pp (including a nice cocktail and 2.5 courses each, water and service) and I suppose I wouldn’t mind going if I worked nearby and was on an expense account like the other suited diners. But since I don’t and I have so many more restaurants to try before I leave London, I doubt I’ll be back.

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Refettorio
Crowne Plaza London
19 New Bridge Street
London EC4V 6DB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7438 8055
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