L'escargot Reviews

Delicious food, friendly staff, classic service, a decent price for London's oldest restaurant

I have a date on here.
Outstanding service and great food.
Abit disappointed about that bread...rock hard
But everything was wonderful.highly recommend.

In our 15 years together, it's one of our favourite restaurants in London that we keep returning to for those special occasions. This visit was to celebrate our 10th anniversary which I mentioned in my booking in hopes of getting a 'special' table. It was such a nice surprise to not only get that but glasses of champagne on arrival and madelines with 'Bon anniversarie' written on the plate for dessert. Needless to say the service was brilliant, the food exquisite and atmosphere enjoyable. It may not be the 'new & trendy' kid on the block but sometime spending time with a trusty old friend is just what you need, like going home for a big friendly hug.

Great value, service and food. Really like this place and it seems to stay consistent in quality!

We got engaged here! Beautiful food and lovely staff. They gave us a plate of chocolates saying congratulations in chocolate! The snails were lovely for a starter. The decor is great with snails outside the building and lovely paintings inside.

Service was outstanding, filet with foie gras was one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. Snails are a must try for the experience. It was hot as hell in there but all of Europe was that day. Dining experience.

i've always enjoyed l'escargot. french elegance but comfortable. food is nice. classic menu

Alors! I'm not a big fan of French food, so L'escargot was never on my list of places to dine at in London. For this, I owe this restaurant and its staff a humble apology. I dined here for a party and I found the service and food to be well above my expectation.

I was unambitious with my food choices: lobster salad to start and rib-eye steak as a main. The lobster salad was the biggest surprise - the lobster was much higher quality than I normally expect in a mid-market London restaurant and the salad was very well balanced in terms of flavour. I don't think I've had a salad I've enjoyed that much in a long time. The steak was also better than I was expecting - cooked exactly to order and very tender. Additionally, the steak knife was razor sharp, which made eating the steak much more civilised than normal. Other people on the table were more ambitious. The eponymous snails were apparently very good, and the fish dish (bass, I think) was well received. The one element letting the food down was that it was all a little too salty for my taste.

The wine was very good - I only drank the red but the white was apparently the better bottle. The service was warm and friendly right from the lady at front of house, though a few inexperienced (but still friendly) staff prevented them from scoring perfectly.

I will definitely be going here again at some point to experience more of the menu. It's excellent value.

Maybe I came with higher expectations and eventually the food didn t meet it. Tried the three-course meal. The lobster bisque is too salty to my taste. The snails are only ok. The steak is also just ok. Desert is beautiful but not as amazing as the desert we ve tried somewhere else. Sadly, the best food overall is the free bread and the frites...

Very delicious food. Excellent service. Meal was part of a food and show combo. Wasn't to sure as originally was supposed to be an Italian restaurant but very happy for the change.

I went here with my 12year old to teach him about food. I saw the menu on the Internet, so: snails, lobster bisque, foie gras, filet of course and a Good Bottle of Wine for Mama. I am a chef, so the smallest mistake I would notice, there was none. More important: even though we look and dress like normal (poor) people we were welcomed very kindly, our waiter (I don't remember his Name, from the near east I think) was very attentive and even had some fun watching my educational efforts. Thank you Ahmed? All in all it was a great experience, magnificent food and service. My son doesn't like snails, but this might be the only place where he could have tried to. MY MANY THANKS FOR BEING SO NICE! Oh, by the way: their prices are absolutely not too high, the quality is superb, we spend more at Quo Vadis for our dinner there. So, even if you are an average person, and are curious about really fine french food, don't hesitate and come here. They love their products and you will be treated with respect. The best place in Soho to eat!

My favourite restaurant in London. Excellent food and atmosphere.

Legendary and foundational west end restaurant serving predictable, but excellent French food. The quality and experience are superb, especially the escargots (shocker). The staff are good the maitre d is great, but more junior staff are less reliable. Service could be a little slow at times.
The ambiance is super, too chances are you ll have heard of this restaurant s reputation for its interior design.

We had some issues with the food served, however these were dealt with very much to our satisfaction. Ideally, at this price point, these issues wouldn t have occurred, but good resolution is the next-best.

Went for lunch. Nice decor and service. Food was decent, just a bit on the salty side 3 start rating based on price and expectation

Having visited L'Escargot many times I cannot get sick of the place! It is perfect!

Great food and excellent service. Really enjoyable evening

Great pre theatre dinner. Very good value, delicious food. Gorgeous traditional French restaurant

Potentially a great venue for private dining. Food great, service good, portion size is just ok.

Had a meal on Valentines night, very poor, my lobster was over cooked and the foie gras was salty. When I complained I was told the Chef was sensitive and feedback would be given after the evening sessions...so other customers would have to suffer. Clearly, not the L'escargot restaurant I remember. Will not be eating there again.

Highly recommend if you want to try snails, but the rest of the menu is also superb

Fabulous interior, welcoming and warm staff, gorgeous food, fantastic disco ball.

We happened upon on the restaurant by accident and we were pleasantly surprised how wonderful our experience was. The dining room was elegantly decorated, and the food was perfectly executed! I do not easily give a perfect however, More

A really great place, the set menu is good value for money, the service is excellent, lighting and music was perfect

Impressive on so many levels, l'Escargot combines the delightful irreverence of old school Soho and the high standards of traditional clubland dining into a sparkling and enthralling experience. From the cosy bar nestled in the rafters, to the dining room with live piano, the atmosphere here is absolutely unique and far beyond anything a newer upstart establishment could hope to imitate.

Surprisingly enough this was the most amazing food experience I had in London. It was definitely very good, very well prepared food, simply remarkable. Everything was executed perfectly including service and decor.

Perfect old fashioned restaurant with great food and impeccable service and warm ambience

Quality of food at a reasonable price served by very obliging staff

Lovely traditional restaurant in Greek Street; apparently the oldest French restaurant in London. L Escargot theme follows through the charming decor.

Chose three courses from the set menu - very good selection and excellent quality for the price. I had the beetroot & goat cheese starter, the beef bourguignon main and tarte tatin. For me the mash with the main was far too buttery (I realise that this is traditional French cooking) and, combined with the dessert, my choices were too rich for my palate. Nevertheless, very good food.

Attentive but un-rushed service. Overall a very good experience.

Delicious. Lovely decor, great service. Been there for years and easy to see why.

Decorations, food, service all good. The snails taste good!

We have been here on a number of occasions and it never disapoints. The food is wonderful.. you really MUST have l'Escargot they are amazing. The wine selection is vast and great quality. The staff are polite and knowledgeable. You really are very well looked after. Finally the prices for a restaurant of this quality are very reasonable.

great, lovely rooms, fabulous food, extremely attentive, but unobtrusive service

Food was fine, service was good. Decor was better than expected and quite romantic.

A superb restaurant with very friendly hosts who take good care of you. The menu items are exquisite and the atmosphere of the restaurant has a feeling of luxurious cosyness. A great place to go before seeing a musical at the Phoenix

Superb multi floor bar / restaurant. If you ve consumed a few too many poisonous waters, you can get lost in the interesting maze within.

Staff are strict but efficient, private dining rooms are very spacious.

A gem.

Attended twice. Once for a lunch with the members and the menu was listed with a nice selection of dishes. The chocolate fondue cake is to die for, save room! Another time was for drinks and the wine (Cab) was perfect! Service impeccable! Looking forward to my next visit.

My favourite restaurant in Soho. Unique atmosphere, extremely attentive and caring staff, French cuisine coupled with superb martinis and a newly opened gin bar make up a one-of-a-kind experience. I've been coming here for over two years now and I'm still looking forward to every single visit.

We went to this restaurant a week ago, the service was awful and the food was expensive for the quality (Caesar salad without chicken). The waiter asked us to insert the card pin twice and so billed us 2 times. I made 5 phone calls and still didn't get the refund..
One of the worse experiences, don't recommend!

Excellent place very unique.

I dj'd a party in the upstairs room here.
A very trendy and nice place to visit. The staff were also very friendly and helpful.

Right in the middle of the West end so if your at a show and want some food this is right on your doorstep.

The food was amazing very tasty

Really enjoyed our lunch. Very good service, staff is very friendly, smiley and helpful. The food was superb as was the ambiance. We highly recommend this restaurant and are already looking forward for the next visit.

What feels worse than giving a bad review? Giving a mediocre review ...

I had really high expectations because the reviews I have seen are glowing but I found the bread too hard, the duck was rubbery from overcooking, the accompanying veg was overseasoned and the creme brulee too shallow so the ratio of sugar to actual creme was like 1:4 which is ridiculous. And then when the bill came .. I don't think it really warranted the quality.

The saving grace was the passion fruit and raspberry sorbets - but that didn't even save it from being mediocre.

Decadent settings though .. even if a little worse for wear.

Great quirky venue adourned with artwork and colour, situated in the middle of Soho. Super friendly staff and management. The food is absolutely delicious, can't wait to go back. This is a hidden gem that you should definitely visit.

A great evening celebrating a birthday. First class service.

Very romantic and relaxing cozy venue, that sometimes hosts live music. Was there on Tuesday and had a great memorable time.

An absolute London institution. If you've not been you haven't lived! I can recommend the beef bourginon.

Good service and food is very good. They are a bit pricey though, especially on service charge

Great restaurant with excellent service food and incredible history.

Classic French food prepared to perfection in a very Parisian but unpretentious atmosphere.

Beautiful. The place was magical, the service was delightful and attentive! I really vibes with the places vision. First time I have tried escargot and the way it was done has made me a fan. So buttery and smooth! The duck confit was incredible. I enjoyed the way it was presented and the jus was just the right amount to not overpowered the dish! I would say if you can please eat here at least once as it's romantic setting and thoughtfully made cuisine is special.

1.Absolutely amazing service
2.Lobster amazing
But really disappointed about the boeuf bourguignon, which doesn't taste at all like my grandmother makes it in france !

Exquisite food, fine dining service, pricy but worth it.

Beautiful decor and lovely dining room space. Food has been excellent on the occasions that I've visited. There is a private members club above the restaurant that is divided into coloured rooms with different spaces and uses. The green room (salon vert) is a beautiful high ceilinged airy space, perfect for a quite lunch or business meeting.

This was one of the worst, if not the worst, dining experiences we have ever had. We had a 1030 reservation, but by 1140 when we had just gotten our main course, the waiter was sent over by the manager to tell us that everyone must be out of the restaurant by midnight.This put a wet blanket on what was our 26th wedding anniversary dinner. We had just gotten a second round of wine and had barely taken the first sip when this cowardly manager sent this new and lovely Waiter over to give us this bad news. Why would they take a 1030 reservation at a fine and expensive restaurant unless they were going to allow us to enjoy our meal? It was a good thing we arrived 15 minutes earlier than our stated reservation time or we would not even have been served the main course by the time they were telling us we needed to leave. There were two other tables that were finishing their meals/ desserts at that moment. One was still there when we got up and left. No dessert and coffee for us. Very expensive and truly horrible experience.

Was invited for a Christmas private party but unfortunately no drinks provided which became extremely expensive, great venue however

Came here on a Saturday for my 5 year anniversary and initially chose this place because their website says they serve french onion soup. They didn't! Very deceptive the menu online as they have a slimmer menu in reality. For lunch service they did not seem to have much stock as half of the order was unavailable so we both ended up having the beef fillet and just one starter. The crab salad was very delicious and beef fillet was perfectly cooked. For dessert, we ordered the profiteroles and it took over 20 minutes to get it. When it finally did, it came with a message saying 'Happy anniversary' which was a nice surprise though I'm not entirely sure if it was worth the long wait. Good service and restaurant has plenty of character but mixed quality of experience overall.

Good cocktails and nice atmosphere. Often with live music!

The food was great, service always thoughtful and helpful. Perfect dining experience! Restaurant ambience a little dark . Had the steak cooked medium rare, they did it very well!

Probably the best French restaurant in England - I have been to dozens!

Great relaxed atmosphere, lovely service and great food. Very happy with my choices and hope to be back soon.

Exquisite snails with butter, steak tartar, a little liquid but very good flavor and the big star of the pistachio souffle dessert. Very good.

World famous, a Soho legend, worth going here if only once in your life, just to say you did... worth going back again because it's just too good to only go once.

Great food and wine in a relaxed atmosphere. Not cheap but you really do get what you pay for. Great service too!

Iconic French restaurant with a beautiful menu, superb wine list and exemplary service.

Timeout offer for Record shop day 2015, for party of 3.

It was clear that the hotel over committed itself, compared to what they could cater for.

Waited over 20 minutes to be seated, for allocated lunch sitting time. Then waited over 1 hour to be served lunch, after numerous prompts. There was no table service, requiring us to queue up and purchase drinks separately.

It appeared that the food portions were not group defined (i.e. the same amount of food served, no matter how many people were in the party).

The bar tender was clued up. However, the rest lunch event was shambolic.

The experience was oversold, with the music not taking centre focus. The rooms were just mainly table and chairs, and no real excitement.

Better places to spend your money.

Perfect treat for a birthday. The staff were so friendly and you really are given an amazing dining experience. Not pretentious in any way. We will be back!