Banyan on the Thames

I visited this restaurant with my partner early last November with a groupon voucher.....

I can honestly say it was the worst dining experience of my life (and there have been some colourful ones!) The service was disastrous for a start. Then, I noticed some of the food choices on the menu had a small * beside them. Looking at the bottom of the page I realised that these choices had a hefty £5/6 "supplement". Now, had we been choosing from a set menu, this could be expected but it wasn't a set menu it was the full priced a la cart. When I asked the waitress why the pricing was this opaque she didn't have an answer. I suggested it was done to confuse the diner into thinking said items were cheaper than they actually were, otherwise they'd simply state the full price.....she just looked at me blankly. Not a good start. I'm not sure what the eastern influenced food was like but the food on the European side of the menu was delivered by someone who hadn't had any training in how to cook european food (which is pretty basic stuff training-wise!) The starters were passable but my main of duck was rare to the point it was bleeding heavily onto my plate and the skin/fat was very flabby and looked like it hadn't been cooked at all. Similar problems with my partner's Lamb main. The only potatoes they served we're chips. I ordered a creme brullee for dessert. This turned out to be thick custard with berries on top. I asked the waitress to explain and she said "It's a new take on the creme brullee" . I had to tell her that as there was no "Brullee" at all it was infact something completely different which didn't even remotely resemble a brullee and should have been described as such on the menu. I sent it back and got the cheese board which, by this point, seemed the safest option. The whole evening was a farce on pretty much every level from the beginning. The prices are up there with those of some pretty swanky joints (mains well up in the late £20s) but i don't know how they think they can justify this with such bad standards to food and service all round. Only positive I have to offer is they had the decency not to charge us for service!

Such glorious and detailed comments all written within 2 small blocks of time. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm.......

I went their on Sunday 7th November for my wifes birthday - there were17 of us and we all had a three course meal, with our special offer of 50% off the food. The feedback I received from all the family was it was exceptional value for money and when can they return again. On a personal note I couldn't fault any of the dishes I had. Cromer Crab, Rack Of Lamb and Champagne Syllabub, all beautifully presented and so tasty. Very rarely have I eaten out with so many people and not received a single complaint. A huge thanks to all the staff for a memorable day, the views, service, food and ambiance were top class and even the youngest members of the family were kept amused by the boats sailing by and the helicopters landing and taking off next door. We'll be back.
David, Tania & family

Banyan on the Thames is a priceless little place on the Thames. My husband and I, who some people label as "gastronomically inclined" were in London a week ago and ventured out to the Banyan. The food is absolutely divine. From starters of the 3 spice chicken tikka, to our main course of duck magret (in delicious mango melon raspberry sauce) and perfectly cooked rack of lamb to a delcious dessert of cheese mousse was an experience we share with all our friends in Kuwait. Notwithstanding the fantastic value offer, the restaurant has cornered quite a nifty place overlooking the river where the view for the diners is superb. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the service was efficient. Banyan will be our haunt on every visit to London. Highly highly recommended to all.

Absolute gem ,eclectic menu that caters for wide variety of taste that cosmopolitan Londoners have developed.


Banyan has a very good taste palette. World number 1 restaurant El Bullis Chef Ferran Adria shreds the rule book of fine dining and present customers with food that often does not meet any gastronomic or culinary elucidation, in a far modest but similar way Banyan follows suit, I sensed that; it is a great feat of gastronomic expertise.

It is trendy, stylish on the river, and value oriented, they try to cook food that is filling and very tasty, it defies established culinary practices and brings real life on the table.

Their menu especially Angus steak melts in the mouth, so is Monk fish and Chips, the reason being they are able to do it perfectly by wrapping the moisture within the steak and serve fresh fish that has more of fish than batter, both are cooked with all the freshness to perfection.

I think with natural ability to eat good, I can pair flavors in food, for me it all goes together like a fine tuned orchestra or a flop. Banyan Chef definitely impressed me and has a taste palette that is both fine tuned and exquisite. Timeout two star rating for this place is travesty the least if not an oversight.

I find the streak of genius where the food served is authentic and very well thought about, well done Battersea, who knows this streak of originality in few years may lead them with better reviews and crowds, I would suggest this hidden gem should be fully exploited for its great food and very low price.

I have been to this restaurant before when it was just opened. At that time the menu of incomplete but this time is all ready! An astounding range of starters and mains to choose from. Food is great and very well presented. With 50% off offer, I think it is a grand place. Apart from the 50% off deal, you can also try the special menu at £30 that gives you 4 courses meal. The ambience is first-rate as well especially of sitting next to the windows seeing celebrities being whisked in and out of the heliport..

***Continuation of Review from Piece below****
For the main course,My guest opted for Mongolian warriors Lamb Hot Pot with Basmati Rice.(£12.50)
Luscious,tender pieces of Lamb,just cooked to perfection with a beautifully spicy taste,not overpowering,just right.
Served with a huge bowl of Basmati Rice.
For our side dishes we chose French Fries at £3.75 which were golden and crisp with a deliciously fluffy light inner,not at all greasy and a joy to eat. we also chose Buttered Asparagus at £3.95
which was delicious,not overcooked,just crisp and enjoyable.
I chose for my Main Course,a delicious Rack of Kentish Lamb served with a pistachio crust with sweat Gratin Potatoes,Red Pepper Coulis and a White Onion and Fresh Mint Sauce (£18.95)
The lamb was outstanding,medium rare,tender,beautiful-The texture of the pistachio and the taste of nuttiness and meat was splendid,an unexpected combination that worked amazingly.
The coulis,potato and mint sauce all made the dish perfect.
My guest and I were both delighted by the meal and indeed the service was second to none.

One might not at first think of Battersea when looking for a fine restaurant or fine fayre,but take heed Dear readers for there is an amazing hidden gem of the SW11 area that I urge you to visit.
At the recently opened Hotel Rafayel at falcon Wharf stands the delightful Banyan On the Thames.
This waterfront restaurant,as part of the Hotel complex is amazing,with delightful views over the Thames,Chelsea Harbour and the general riparian scene.
The venue comprises a fantastic bar for pre-dinner drinks and amazingly every table is a river view table.
The service is extremely good,My guest and I were looked after all evening by the wonderful Kristian
who amazed us by taking our quite complex order by memory and not a notebook in sight-Impressive or what?
Mr Lafit the owner,explained that he chose the menu based on the most top-10 popular dishes chosen
by customers purchasing meals at Harrods to create a popular gastronomy with something for everyone and indeed there is!
After choosing a delightful wine being guided by the splendid helpful Kristian,we plumped for a full bodied,rich Australian red "Tintarra Horseshoe Row,Shiraz 2006",at a very reasonable £21.95 per bottle
My guest and I then moved onto choose a starter-there is an amazing choice of tempting and taste-bud tingling delights coming in at about an average of £8.
Choosing from a selection of Caramelized Quail to Smoked Salmon or Seekh Kebab,my guest for Dinner opted for "Banyan Style Chicken Tikka" It was amazing,the chicken was tender,beautifully and delicately marinaded in Indian spices and Yoghurt.It arrived hot and fresh from the Tandoor Oven and was served with a delicious colourful salad.
As the sunset broke over Battersea and enjoying our river view,I opted for the "Cromer Crab,Mango and King Prawn served with a Chilli,Mango and Lime Dressing"
The entire course complemented each other the Crab was delicate and fresh and contrasted amazingly with the zestiness of the lime and the delicate sweetness and fragrance of the Mango.
It was presented beautifully almost like a colourful work of art with the colours and textures on the plate.

I never normally comment on these things, but having visited the Banyan on the Thames and also stayed at the Hotel, this review seems to be totally off the mark. In my experience I found the Banyan Restaurant to be fantastic - friendly staff, great food and cocktails at reasonable prices. The atmosphere and location is superb, very chic and literally right on the river! The menu choices are really good, with something to please everybody – especially important when taking a group of clients out. I ordered the Cromer Crab to start with the Steak main course – which was excellent, very well presented and of the highest quality. I will defiantly return and have already recommended it to my colleagues and friends.

As a resident of Battersea Reach, I empathize here with Nawab Mansur of Patudi and others . I have noticed one thing that in case of choices of food and drink and delicacies one has to go by popular choice and conventional wisdom and follow what the crowd is saying. In case of Banyan, I waited for one month after reading this report on Timeout. I was of two minds, such an unflattering review should have slaughtered this place, but I noted interestingly that this one place defied this crippling Timeout review and grew up on the Top Table with hundreds of positive feed backs from customers. (not many restaurants have 200 positive feedbacks since the opening)

So considering that, I decided to take a chance after I read about Crystal Bar in a Review by Tim Crane at View London it said: ' The bar has been specially designed to offer a panoramic view of the river Thames and its glass frontage ensures an enviable vantage point. Inside, low ceilings, cool purple and green lighting.'I was extremely pleased and was surprised with the design and lavishness of the place . One thing that impressed me the most was price of the drinks and no service charge.
After my successful trip to the bar my next port of call this weekend was Banyan. In 'Top Table' reviewer status level indicates how much of a food lover the reviewer is based on their top table booking history. I have found that Gastronauts and Gourmet ratings are quite helpful, Gastronauts regularly embark on culinary pilgrimage and they know their food well, the next level below are Gourmet who are connoisseurs of fine food and drink, I am no one to argue. Banyan have loads of positive feedbacks form Gastronauts and Gourmets.

I decided to go in opposition to the suggestions in this very professional review, I booked Banyan on Saturday night and what a feast it was, the feeling and the setting is one of the most unique in London, steak and for my partner fish and chips are our top call, these delicacies in Banyan are very well presented. For me a good restaurant is all about sauces and tenderness that left in the meat or fish after it is cooked. The steak melted in my mouth and most importantly is was accompanied by great flavoursome sauce, we were four and ordered four different dishes all had different flavours and essentially freshly primed. The Mongolian warriors is genuinely extraordinary dish.
Battersea has very few top class places and for me this is a best addition to Battersea. No doubt the place is nothing as meagre as the review suggests and I can see why there is a positive flashback here in favour of Banyan.

I agree with other contributors of earlier comments made here, I will most candidly express that Banyan on Thames in this review got a wrong end of what is one of the best food critic in the industry. In my opinion this is one of the finest food where you don’t feel resentful either on food preparation or ambiance, this is a rare mix. It deserves a revist from Timeout in my humble opinion.

East meeting west in superior gastronomic kitchens is traditionally known as so-called fusion which is neither here nor there, in my opinion Banyan on Thames combines a tradition of authentic national dishes in one menu, it needed a big chef to put seared Tuna a very Japanese cuisine, sea bass that I would rate as good a Mediterranean recipe as one can get, and a warrior lamb a grand authentic north sub-continental dish.
As a connoisseur I come across and visit these new places for signs of any renaissance of original authentic recipes, on that count Thames is a great restaurant and has a first-rate set of choices. I wrote a review few days back on Square Meal.

I asked the maître d’hôtel how did they evolved such an original idea that include variety of tastes, his answer was that our owner had talked to Harrods food store and selected the top ten best sellers in the food hall as the back bone of the menu, this is what the popular taste of modern Londoner a sophisticated, cosmopolitan and a global man.

I think this has a very good potential though maître d’ here is young man from Estonia no one near maître d's, such as Oscar Tschirky of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, New York, who prepared food, boning fish tableside and mixing salads, but the staff has good pedigree.

It is great value for money. I think

I had a fantastic first-date dinner at the Banyan! To say I'm surprised with this post is an understatement, because toptable registered 200+ thumbs-up votes and awarded the restaurant its Gold Award! The restaurant has a lovely ambience, beautiful river view, and our food was cooked to perfection. The cuisine is an interesting blend of east-meets-west. Desserts were delicious, my boyfriend had the kheer brulee while I savoured the brownie. The staff was warm, very attentive and not averse to making suggestions for our order. Kudos to Banyan for a fantastic product. We will definitely return!

I guess you had an unfortunate visit, because I went to the restaurant based on the good reviews that I read on toptable, and I was pretty impressed. I have been to other new restaurants too and seen the shambles in the first few months, but this place has coped quite well I think