Orrery

I ate at the orrery 2 weeks ago on a sunday lunch, the first impressions was overwhelming and me and my partner felt out of place, we were shown to the table and offered the menu, i have never been to a restraunt and had such a wide choice of starters and mains before i think it was 10 starters and 11 mains( something for everyone may i add) all for only 26 pounds unless you have the cheese which is divine and also the 2 or 3 bottles of wine to go with the meal boosts the price up considerably.

Waiting for our starter we had a suprise demi tase of celeriac mouse and wild mushroom cappuchino which was lovely, both our starters were sublime the mixture of flavours and colour on the plate then the main course i had the beef with the best yorkshire pudding since my great grandma and she was from leeds(in yorkshire) all other food was amazing and looked the part for a fine restraunt like the orrey. highly reccomend for any occasion.
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phil daniels
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Sunday, November 30, 2008

i recently had a special lunch at the orrery and went for the menu gourmand as a special request the chef organised it i was not disappointed all amazing and presented like a 3 star place.
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rich p
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Orrery, absolutely amazing!!!

If I had read these reviews before I went I probably wouldn't have gone. I'm glad I didn't as this was a phenomenal dining experience. I have eaten at numerous restaurants across all of London that were paid for by people with no regard for budget where I was able to eat what ever I wanted on the menu, and this was probably one of the finest and pleasurable dining experience all round I have had in a long time.

The people were amazing from the moment I rang to book that evening. Throughout the entire meal every singe waiter was on top form and very attentive. The food was delicious and the semillion matched the wine perfectly with the flavours in the meal. The design was great and space had a very positive feel. Couldn't fault it from beginning to end.
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Scott (Marylebone)
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, August 01, 2008

What has happened to the Orrery??

It used to be consistently very good. I don't know what came first, the loss of the michelin star or the loss of the good service staff. I was very surprised when I heard they had lost the star but not so now.

Food was of an inferior quality to previous experiences here. The menu is old fashioned and calorific. Most of the dishes were too heavy for a meal mid Spring.

But the service has really deteriorated. The Sommelier was rude to our table on two occasions. The second time, with desserts we ordered 3 glasses of Eiswein, and my girlfriend asked the waiter to ask the Sommelier to match a dessert wine with her dessert. 4 glasses of Eiswein turned up. She asked if this was her matched wine. The sommelier didn't know what she was talking about but said, "If you don't drink this I will".

At £520 for 4, the price was way over the top. Never again!
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Nick W
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Monday, April 28, 2008

Had dinner here for the first time last night and couldn't have been happier!!

The service was first class!! Very friendly and attentive staff, good menu and the food was absolutely delicious. Extensive wine list with some hidden gems worth looking for!!

OK a little expensive, but perfect for special occasions or for when you really want to treat someone special (and yourself!!).....I'll definitely be going back, in fact I can't wait to go back!!
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Roland Hall
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, April 07, 2008

I'd been here a few times, and have never had to grumble in the past. My most recent visit however was different.

Were seated in the bar, had a couple of cocktails and ordered the menu degustation (@59/head). We were shown through to the restaurant (very empty, maybe four other tables) and presented with the wine list. I ordered a favourite wine of mine, to be presented with a bottle of inferior year - noticing this before it was open, I asked them to change it, and was told that this was a better year and that I should have this one. I asked for the wine list again - and rather stroppily the waitress brought it over, plonked it on the table. I ordered another wine - which eventually I was told was unavailable. My third choice wine was available and served to us - but hadn't been chilled. I should have walked out at that point!

The food arrived - and I didn't recognise any of the courses as being on the menu degustation. I mentioned this to the waiter, who said I must be mistaken and showed me the menu. I asked him to bring me the menus that had been shown to us in the bar (where we had ordered) - and indeed, the menu was entirely different. Yet still I was receiving surly service and being treated as though I was in the wrong.

The manager eventually came over, briefly apologised and walked off. I requested that we were actually served the food we ordered and was told it was impossible, despite all the courses being available on the a la carte menu! At this stage I did start to lose my temper a bit, and said that this was not the experience I had hoped for in a restaurant of this calibre. He said that mistakes happen and he would give us some glasses of wine with our meal. I pointed out we had a nearly full bottle of wine and that I was driving ... he shrugged and walked away. At this stage I was furious and ready to leave - but my guest said that it was late and we would have problems finding another table.

The bill came - no deductions had been made for their mistakes - and when I requested that the service charge be removed the look I received could have frozen hell over!

Quite frankly an appalling experience. I will never visit this restaurant again ... and will most likely give all Conrans places a wide berth from now on.
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James
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Thursday, April 03, 2008

I ate here with some friends at the end of June 2007.

I had high hopes. The atmosphere was lacking - more like the restaurant of a decent hotel booked up by sneior busines types than a characterful restaurant. It is over-lit, and the furniture has the suprisingly tacky feel that I'd encountered at Bibendum (also over-lit and lacking in atmosphere as it happens).

The service was excellent. Our table was more lively than the quiet tables of oreintal business suits surrounding us, and the staff took this well in their stride.

The food was good (almost very good) but certainly not excellent. Overpriced therefore.

The sommelier was attentive and helpful. The wine was good and not too ludicrously expensive.

The cigar bar was in its last gasp before the ban bit. A great shame because this is a lovely little room, well suited to the indulgence of cigars and brandy after dinner.

I wouldn't rush back.
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Kev - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 5
Wednesday, August 15, 2007

I have yet to experience such slow service anywhere in London. We sat down at 20pm for dinner, by 8.30pm no one had arrived to take our order.

At 20.45 we eventually placed our order and at 21.45, the starters arrived.... The food when it arrived was delicious according to my fellow diners, however the slow service ruined my dining experience.
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Antonia Vrolik
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Friday, July 27, 2007

We ate at the Orrery on Saturday and were looking forward to an excellent meal , based on the MIchelin Star and reputation.

We were greeted by staff in a pleasant and efficient manner and were brought our pre dinner drinks and canapes promptly.

There was a slight odour of drains on the roof terrace and as it got cooler we decided to go to our table.

The wines were excellent particulalrly the Gwurztraminer.

Frankly the food was disappointing - the red mullet was beautifully served , but extraordinarily bland. Likewise my wife's entree of Chicken and Crayfish lacked flavour.

Staff were attentive , swift and pleasant throughout the meal.

The food sadly did not match up to the decor, staff beverages and reputation.
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Chris Browning
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Monday, June 18, 2007

Orrery is an old favourite and I was surprised on visiting last night for a Birthday celebration a deux to find it only half full. The good news was that the food is still well up to Michelin star par. My main course of spiced rabbit with cock's comb and langoustine in particular was unusual , clever and tasty but could have done with some form of vegetable beyond a sliver of foam and slightly less spice so that one could taste the rabbit. Service was , as others report, very friendly for such a classy establishment. If anything rather too much so. The shortage of customers left the sommelier with time on his hands which he used to keep interrupting our conversation.

Other niggles were that with the passage of time, the chairs have lost their stuffing and are now rather uncomfortable. I wouldn't want to suffer for the duration of a tasting menu. Also I have a suspicion ,maybe wrongly, that several of the waiters are Polish but putting on French accents. If so, that's silly. Polish accents are perfectly acceptable. Our main course was very slow in arriving ( apparently because the complexity of the cock's comb dish required more than one attempt in the kitchen) but I couldn't for the life of me understand the waiter's explanation. But they did give my partner a free glass of wine in recompense.

All in all though , if Orrery is to become a top class restaurant where you can always get a table , so much the better. And they did think to stick a candle in the petit fours for my birthday.
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medocain
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, May 30, 2007