Serpentine Bar & Kitchen

My friend and I met for brunch in Hyde Park at the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen. It's such a lovely setting and despite walking by so many times I'd never actually gone in before.

We arrived just before 11am which was a good time as the place was already quite busy. I spotted a newly-vacant table by the window and went to nab it but someone else was there quicker and played the 'we've got a pram so it's easier to sit here' card, which I didn't really get to be honest - there was just as much room at the previous table, but away we went defeated.

There was still room further back and we sat at a small table, furnished with condiments. Although the kitchen is not visible it's still open above the small partition they've put in front which means you do get a lovely whiff of grub when you're waiting to eat... perhaps a tactic to up-sell coffees to brunches. You do have to go and order for yourself and at the prices they charge it seems a little much, service would be nicer. However, we ordered... myself the eggs Florentine and my friend opted for the same without sauce or spinach (no discount for just wanting a buttered muffin and eggs I might add).

The food was really nice. The eggs are creamy duck eggs and the Hollandaise was delicious (although I tried not to have too much as I was watching the calories). The tea was yummy and I got about three cups from my teapot but we did have to pay 40p for the hot water (really?!). See the breakfast menu here.

All in all it's a lovely setting but gets very busy with families so it's not the best location for an intimate chat. We teamed our brunch with a walk around the Serpentine in the brisk January cold, burning off some of it we hoped. I'd go again for a treat, but perhaps just for a drink. At £9 without drinks, my breakfast was a little bit of a treat but won't become a regular expenditure.

Fab setting, fantastic atmosphere. Food is adequate but nothing to write home about. Worthy of going to simply for the setting...

Although I've lived in London for 9 years I had yet to see what the fuss was all about with this eatery. 

Yes it's location is great and it's lovely sitting outside having a drink but that's where my positives stop. 

1. The queuing system towards the bar is chaotic at best, with staff literally pushing through people not saying please, thank you, or sorry.
2. When ordering my food and drinks at the bar, my can of drink was literally chucked at me
3. The waiters were having arguments amongst themselves as the floor manager looked way out of his depth, with plate after plate sitting and becoming cold before going out to customers
4. I had to send back my food as it was served cold. The second plate was warm but my steak sandwich was so bloody that the bread used became soggy. 
5. Most of the waiters were foreign and did not have a clue about what was going on, with one bringing me pepper instead of salt, twice!

All in all, bad food, expensive for what it is, shocking service. Never going ther again, and wouldn't recommend it if you want to eat.

Wow what a place.. It has to be the busiest place I have been to. The pizza’s are great but keep in mind they don’t serve food between 11:30 and 12:00 (breakfast to lunch change)

Alfresco, find a table looking out over the blue Serpentine waters through the green of the cactus and reed beds, shafts of early morning sunshine on the menu, what a treat!

Presentation, quality and reasonable price of the breakfast platter excellent - coffee strong and smooth - definitely worth walking, jogging, cycling or crawling over to the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen for breakfast - recommended, you won't be disappointed.

I held a breakfast meeting here this week and it was absolute perfection: geese on the lake, decent coffee, and tasty breakfasts to suit all tastes, from fried full English to fruit and granola. At 9 am it was almost empty, leaving us to enjoy the view, the music, the food and our work. We might make it a regular meeting place, if we can convince them to share the password for their Wi-Fi network.

I don't quite know how I missed the redesign of this place from naff cafeteria to surprisingly decent cafe, considering how often I walk around Hyde Park and the Serpentine. Dwarfed by the monstrous Winter Wonderland, The Serpentine Bar & Kitchen comes as a nice surprise and peaceful retreat.
I was extremely busy and I can't wait to come back on a regular weekend once the fun fair is gone.
Excellent choice of cakes and pastries, but the pizzas looked and smelled good, too.
All "stations" seem to have their own queuing and payment system which seems a bit confusing, but in the end the waiting time was OK and we even managed to find a space at a table (far too cold to braze outdoor seating).
This is the latest addition to Benugo's growing domination of public spaces. Or is it just me, they seem to be popping up everywhere.

The restaurant next to the Serpentine lake and river in Hyde Park has just reopened (April 09) and is already an amazing success, just by looking at the long queues of customers waiting to order their food and drinks. The place has been totally redesigned with strong inspiration from “gastro-pub” food and decor with a fantastic view on the lake. There is both a large restaurant with large open windows that bring plenty of light and a large terrasse under the trees perfect for a sunny day (there are some) in the Park. It is huge (300 seats including outdoor) but doesnt feel so huge). The menu changes for breakfast (8-12am), lunch (12-3) and dinner (5-8pm). We had breakfast there with a choice of classic eggs, bacon, sausages etc. plus pancakes, croissant, muffins, basically everything one expect from a UK/US style breakfast. Food is served quite fast (once you have managed to order…) on the nice wooden tables inside the restaurant. There is also an area to seat down and read in comfie chairs, with darker walls and pictures hanging on the walls, cool contrast with the rest. I uploaded a pix of the kitchen. The BIG drawback is that the food ordering system is so badly organised that it almost spoiled our breakfast but I am sure it drove many meny people mad. There is basically no clear signage of how to queue at the bar and staff is totally lost leading to very long queues forming very fast. Super frustrating, the managers must know about this and I hope their process will be redesigned soon. Until they sort this out it will remain a 3-star place but this has clear 5-star potential once this is sorted, it should be great at any time, from early breakfasts to an early dinner facing the beautiful sunset one can catch from that place. Note that this is very child friendly.