Restaurants

When I saw that Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill was taking part in the London Restaurant Week, I was thoroughly excited. This was a great opportunity for me to arrange a special evening for my partner's birthday despite just having lost my job. How wrong I was!
I never expected them to serve up 3 large courses for 25 pounds, but neither had I expected a steak house to not have a steak option. The dishes on the menu were something you'd expect form a low-end gastro pub (among them Caesar's salad, fish&chips and rice pudding).
We started with asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, which consisted of 4 spears of perfectly cooked asparagus and a nice sauce. My partner's main course was a decent lamb stew with soggy carrots reminiscent of school dinners and creamed potatoes that seriously lacked flavour. I had chicken with creamy mushroom sauce and the same taste-free potatoes. The sauce was nice, the chicken raw in the centre. Honestly, I stuck my fork into it and blood ran out. Instead of an apology the waiter gave me an arrogant explanation that this dish had to be this way in order to prevent the meat from drying out. Excuse me? If your chef cannot cook chicken properly, you should not put it on the menu!
For desert we had a decidedly average rice pudding and a decent crème brulée.
Overall the service was friendly, but attentive only when it came to selling extras. We were asked 3 times if we wanted water, but had to ask twice for the bill.
Maybe I had expected too much from a place with this reputation, but even if I had expected nothing I would have been disappointed. The normal menu may be great, but if I am made to feel that the establishment doesn't care about me, I have no reason to go back.

The steakhouse is a useful new addition to dining around london wall.
My clients were very impressed with the quality of food and the staff were attentive and polite.
Good value too and we were able to have three courses during a busy lunch in under 1 1/2 hours.
I will be back

We must have been some of the only people at work in the City on Monday but that didn't stop us having a superb lunch on the first day of Marco's new steakhouse as it snowed outside.
We all agreed the menu read very well, lots of choices and some great daily specials.
I had gravadlax with a delicious mustard sauce to start then Roast Beef with yorkshires and the works - absolutely fabulous.
My clients had various cuts of beef and one a deliciously light looking piece of halibut.
Salads with the main courses (every main comes with a salad) had a lovely double dressing, my friend's mash was first class, chips also good.
Dessert on Monday was Eton Mess (no choice, varies daily or cheese) again very good.
Room was comfortable, warm, light and welcoming. Staff were on their game (as you'd expect), I suspect one of them was the other owner James Robertson, and were universally smiley and professional.
I will definitely be back, good value and quick service.