Criterion Restaurant, West End, London

Absolutely superb. Despite our theatre performance running 45 minutes later than we'd been told, and us completely missing our reservation, the Criterion team couldn't have been more accommodating.
The venue is magnificent, beautifully decorated in gilts and aquas, with subdued lighting and sumptuous fabrics.
The staff were attentive but not intrustive, and friendly and helpful, while the food was sublime. We ordered from the set menu - choosing two courses each for £18 which proved that you can eat first class food for a reasonable cost in the Capital. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

I won't be coming back here anytime soon for their afternoon tea. Cakes were stale and stodgy, creme brulee was half cooked! Being insulted was not the best either. there are better places to go for afternoon tea when you're paying over £30!!

To read the complete review, please go to http://chopstix2steaknives.blogspot.com/2010/12/afternoon...

It's pricey, yes.

The food may not be that remarkable, considering what you're paying, yes.

The service may leave something to be desired, yes.

BUT HAVE YOU SEEN HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS?!

I would truly put up with paying £10 for a slice of toast with Marmite (I'm a Vegemite-muncher, so that says a lot), just to sit in that gorgeous gilded room again. With gold dripping off the walls, it's like you've walked right back in time to the late 1800s.

We've been several times for cocktails, but ate dinner there for the first time last week, after booking a £20 deal through TopTable http://www.toptable.com/venue/?id=13357, which gave you two courses and a glass of champagne.

The champagne was lovely, I didn't manage to catch the name of it but unlike most I've had before, it didn't leave me wishing I'd just ordered a glass of prosecco instead.

I had the pickled mackerel with rhubarb mousse -- it didn't look particularly appetising, but I'm a sucker for all things pickled, so I really liked it. My husband had some sort mini roast lunch on a side plate, with a fan of roasted beef, a mini yorkshire pud and a dollop of horseradish cream. He enjoyed it, though not as much as the venison pie he had for main.

It wasn't particularly well-presented -- they were really heavy-handed with the red cabbage, but he enjoyed it. Mind you, he'll eat anything happily.

My fish cake with caper sauce on the other hand was presented beautifully, but tasted kind of bland. It needed something else to satisfy me I think, and it was perhaps a little too overdone.

The service was fast, but not particularly welcoming. At one point two waiters stood near us and proceeded to have a loud conversation about some diners that had been in earlier -- all within earshot of us. Not too impressive, really.

I'm doubtful I'll return for dinner, but will definitely be popping in for cocktails. When dressed up, sipping your chosen beverage in that gorgeous room, you completely forget you're right on Piccadilly Circus -- and in the year 2011.

Really wonderful to launch dinner or to make the tea break. If you go to launch you can choose the day menu, really cheap for this quality!The quality and the service are perfects!

I went to The Criterion on Valentines Day with my boyfriend, it is one of Marco Pierre White’s restaurants. The place was decorated very opulently and each chair had a heart balloon tided to it, which although it was very cheesy did look very good with the whole room filled. The food was really great, they had a set menu on and so had a choice of 3 starters, 3 mains, and 3 desserts. The highlight was my mini eggs benedict for starter. The low point was the chocolate dessert, which wasn’t really very special. Otherwise it was a really great night.

OK food. Interesting and intriguing room. The food is nothing remarkable at all. I has a good soup and an OK fish. The service was fine. The lunch menu reasonable. The restaurant almost empty. French. Worth a trip if you’re looking for a change of lunch venue or you like opulent neo-Byzantine decor, the burnished gold ceilings and marble walls.