Restaurants

The Gate it's an unusual restaurant tucked in the church yard just few meters away from Hammersmith Apollo. They offer amazing veggie food (with many vegan options) in an unpretentious atmosphere. The menu offers such treats as wild mushroom rosti, some great aubergine dishes star anise crumble.. I try to visit them regularly because they often introduce new dishes and they have never disappointed me. The Gate is definitely one of my favourites, I recommend it without a doubt!

I've been going to the Gate since it opened 20 years ago, but things seem to have gone a bit awry. The service was friendly but limited and incompetent. We'd booked - but weren't offered an outdoor table. 15 minutes to take our order..20 minutes to have our dessert order taken...then 40 minutes before our (15' wait) desserts didn't arrive, we managed to ask someone where they were. He checked. Said the order hadn't reached the kitchen, and "we wondered what you were doing." What we were doing? We were sitting there without menus, wine or nothing, and no one bothered to check anything. Taking 10% off the bill was nice, but then adding 12.5% service anyhow was a bit, er, rich.
It does feel a bit stuck. The lighting is glaring, whilst the outside diners were left in the dark. Nothing a few candles wouldn't transform. But it's the food that means we won't bother for a while..poorly presented, underwhelming flavours, and lacking the surprise and complexity of what it used to be.

Superb and inventive food. Even diehard carnivores will be impressed.

Even though I have lived in London for 30 years, I've always found feeding a 'Veggie date' a daunting task. An hour on the net turned up 'The Gate', aptly named as it is truly the gateway to vegetarian paradise.
We went for three courses and everything was visually pleasing. From that moment on the carnivore in me became a 'Veggie' convert. If, like me, you are a carnivore escorting a veggie, you will love this restaurant, Veggies will be mega impressed too. I had; Mezze platter starter, shitake won-ton & pumpkin laksav and the vanilla crème brulee. The service was great, friendly, attentive without intrusion and with coffee and sparkling water I had change from £75:00. I’ll go back every time I am not having a rack of lamb!

I went for dinner last night at the Gate. Whilst the food and presentation was absolutely superb and cannot be faulted - as was the wine - the service was definately lacking.
No one asked whether we were enjoing the meal, we were not offered another bottle of wine when the first empty bottle was cleared and both of the wait staff seem utterly dissinterested in the customers. The waitress was trying her best, but this dod not really make up for it.
Such as shame considering how good the food is. If it had not been for the poor service, this would definately be a new favourite of mine, especially as it is just over the road from my house.

This place very nearly turned me into a vegetarian. The food was that good. Really not recommended for people with an aversion to mushrooms - they're a pretty big staple here.

I am not a vegetarian, and the Gate is my favourite restaurant in Hammersmith. The food is interesting, tasty and going there is a real culinary experience. I find the ambiance pleasantly non-intimidating and the staff helpful and kind. A place surely not to be missed for any special occasion meal out.

Walking into the entrance of a church is a strange experience when looking for a restaurant. Hidden just behind the Hammersmith Apollo The Gate offers vegetarians a delightful option in a sea of restaurant options. The rather bland walls, devoid of any artwork, did not complement the otherwise colourful experience.
The menu was limited to half a dozen starters and mains, but these offerings all had character and complementary ingredients. The menu consisted of many deconstructed favourites such as their Mexican plate, a fancy nacho dish, and their lasagne, a stack of roasted vegetables surrounded by a creamy watercress sauce. Along side these simple yet pleasing dishes were a few Asian inspired creations, using varied spices and textures to create masterful dishes.
The wine menu, although not extensive, offered a good range of both light and full-bodied wines - the French bottle of red we chose worked well with the dishes. The presentation of all the food was exceptional – the only thing letting this restaurant down was the stark vast walls which in this already imposing church space added nothing to the ambience.