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The greatest asset of this Covent Garden favourite has always been the building in which it is housed. A handsome Victorian pile, the structure is reputed to have served as a papier-mâché factory, a casino, a whorehouse and a bank before Christopher Gilmour converted it into a restaurant at the start of the 1990s. From the lovely, buzzy downstairs cocktail bar up the sweeping staircase to the cultured first-floor restaurant (offering precious views across Waterloo Bridge), this is bona fide destination dining. Unfortunately, though we’ve eaten well here in the past, the quality of the dining is currently failing to match the eye-catching destination. The food’s not awful: it’s just bland, slightly tired and entirely overpriced. After an above-par cobb salad, californian black bean soup didn’t hold the interest, meat loaf fell far short of its £17 price-tag, and a salmon fish cake was nothing out of the ordinary. You’re probably on safer ground with the long-venerated range of steaks. Still, at £34 for surf ’n’ turf, you’ll almost certainly get more culinary bang for your bucks elsewhere.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
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where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy. My mother was a fifteen...
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Loved the whole experience of eating breakfast/brunch here. Service, food and surroundings are great. Have made more than one return visit and will go back.
absolutely loved the whole experience of eating breakfast/brunch here. From the service, to the food, to the surroundings of the restaurant. Have made more than one return visit and will go back again.
We ate here a couple of weeks ago. Lovely ambience, busy but calm. Service attentive but not intrusive. It was nor pre-theatre so went a la carte
For starters I had the Seared scallops which were delicate and full of flavour. My wife had the Rigatoni which she enjoyed. For main I had the Grilled 10 oz. New York strip sirloin steak which was melt in the mouth, while my wife had the special of the day, pan fried chicken. My dessert of Pecan maple tart with vanilla ice cream was a bit rich for me, but my wife loved her Baked New York cheesecake with blueberries. This was washed down by a cool Dry Creek Vineyard 'Clarksburg' Chenin Blanc.
Overall a very enjoyable meal, and with a TopTable discount, even better value!
Good situation in covent garden area. The staff,food and surroundings are perfect for a relaxed meal. The cocktails are excellent and the menu varied. Definitely worth a visit
My daughter treated me to cocktails and a pre-theatre dinner at Christopher's recently. What a treat! The cocktail list was brilliant and the staff were friendly and attentive. A great place to chill out and chat. We went upstairs to the dining room and fell in love with the decor, especially the wonderful fireplace. The food was truly excellent. We both chose the salmon and found it perfectly cooked; so much so that it is memorable for its excellence. The panna cotta too! Great service, friendly staff and perfect cuisine! I'll certainly visit again; just a stone's throw from Covent Garden.
I went to Christopher's a couple of weeks ago with a friend and we opted for the pre-theatre menu. The food was amazing and really well cooked. My friend and I both ordered steak (medium rare but more rare than medium for me!) and my friend ordered it well done. Amazingly, it came exactly as we'd both requested it. Some restaurants don't take into account what you ask for and cook it the way they think best. Anyway, it was delicious. I had panna cotta for pudding, which again was absolutely amazing.
The staff were very courteous and prompt with the service. We lingered a little longer as we weren't going to the theatre afterwards and there was no problem with this.
It's rare to find a restaurant that serves excellent food cooked to perfection, so I enthusiastically recommend any one to try out Christopher's. I am going again with a few more friends for my birthday!
My boyfriend and I took our parents here for a Saturday night pre-theatre dinner so that they could meet each other - it was also a celebration of my Mum's birthday so we had searched long and hard for the right sot of venue. I had been to Christopher's before for a brunch and for work drinks, and as it was convenient for the theatre, we chose it for dinner.
It was the perfect venue, and I really can't say much more than that. The service was excellent, the food was superb, the wine list was extensive but not ridiculous, and the price (the pre-theatre offer) made the whole experience brilliant value for money too.
The restaurant was a chatty place, which gave it a great atmosphere. However, if you are the type of person who enjoys very quiet, intimate hotel-style restaurants, this is not the place for you.
Highly recommended.
What can I say? I took my quite picky parents here for dinner and they were won over immediately! Really seriously good steak and excellent service, coupled with lovley wine = VERY happy folks! Worth every penny.
Excellent restaurant that will guarantee a quality atmosphere with food to match. Personal favourites include the carpaccio beef starter and sirlion steak. This place is definitely worth coming to for that special occassion, although why not make every night special just by dining any night of the week.
my boyfriend booked surprise tickets to Swan Lake, when we landed at Christophers I was a little taken aback that we were going to a Bar/Grill as i envisaged chips and burgers....i was so pleased and relieved to be ushered up a beautiful staircase into an elegant restaurant where we were treated to lovely food and very sweet staff. in case there are others put off by the name, please dont be as judgemental as me, it was a perfect beginning to a romantic date!