Review

Koffmann's

French
The Berkeley Hotel. Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RL
Latest critic review: February 23, 2011

The top French chef's second coming...

Following on the success of his London Restaurant Festival at Selfridges, legendary Tante Claire chef Pierre Koffmann has returned full-time to the kitchen and the Berkeley Hotel.

Critic Reviews

Marina O'Loughlin Metro

Reviewed on February 23, 2011

"There’s a table laden with greenery and a rustic watering can in the middle of the room but it doesn’t disguise a sterile, windowless basement room, snooty service or unconvincing cooking." READ REVIEW

Allan Jenkins Observer

Reviewed on August 29, 2010

"My daube de joue de boeuf arrives. Another Koffmann classic, the meltingly soft, silken beef cheek falls apart with a fork (they also supply a spoon to sup the rich, deep gravy)." READ REVIEW

Estimated score

Matthew Fort Guardian

Reviewed on August 21, 2010

"The secret of Koffmann's cooking is flavour, flavour and yet more flavour. Great breakers of flavour roll like thunder round your mouth." READ REVIEW

Matthew Norman Telegraph

Reviewed on August 16, 2010

"My boudin noir with sautéed apples was better, the black pudding unusually delicate and the apple pleasingly caramelised, though nothing to suggest the work of a champion on the gastronomic podium spraying champagne as he reworks the bistro classics." READ REVIEW

Lisa Markwell Independent

Reviewed on August 08, 2010

"Koffmann's food – particularly from the three-course set menu; a steal at £22.50 – doesn't disappoint. My tuna carpaccio with celeriac remoulade is dazzling – translucent discs of very, very fresh fish with deftly judged seasoning and a punchy, creamy spoonful of root vegetable at the centre. I'm in love. " READ REVIEW

Tracey MacLeod Independent

Reviewed on August 07, 2010

"This is food designed to be relished, rather than gazed at; the flavours huge, the reductions lip-stickingly intense." READ REVIEW

Giles Coren Times

Reviewed by August 07, 2010

"The best thing, for me, was the Coquilles St Jacques à l’encre, in which the scallops reclined on a bright white apostrophe of puréed cauliflower, itself snuggled by a matching apostrophe of deep black squid ink, very harlequin, very Cecil Beaton at Ascot, very cool indeed." READ REVIEW

AA Gill Sunday Times

Reviewed on August 01, 2010

"Here we have tablecloths, but the menu says retro cafe. What comes on the plate is far more accomplished." READ REVIEW

Charmaine Mok Time Out

Reviewed on July 26, 2010

"...our first impressions of this new place is that it could do with more ofhis previous project's welcoming style." READ REVIEW

Fay Maschler Evening Standard

Reviewed on July 22, 2010

"It is deceptively hard to do simple or rustic where once you have laboured intensively and meticulously. A cone of newspaper (Le Monde) wrapped around fries set on the table with the main courses doesn’t achieve it — crunchy, greasy and saltily delicious though they are." READ REVIEW

User reviews

Average user rating from: 3 user(s)

Overall rating:

4.7 (3)

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Overall rating:

6.0

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Reviewed by ama
November 01, 2010

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

We had lunch there yesterday, we decided to stick to the set lunch menu. We found that the mains were limited in choice one friend had the pigeon and the other the veal tail I had to end up having the goat cheese and beetroot salad (which was a starter) and portion size was no different to the starter which my friend had. Fries were with some carrots and brocolli were served, fries were cold and the brocolli over cooked.

The food itself was good. Ambience and service were excellent.

Come on.... I really wanted more.

Overall rating:

2.0

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Reviewed by Ryan Shorcross
September 27, 2010

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Extremely dissapointed in this Restaurant, after years dreaming of eating under the spell of Koffman I was really left expecting more.

To keep this short and not so sweet my Ravioli was undercooked and cold, my lamb quite the oppostie, very over cooked and dry.

Not a lot else to say on the matter.

Confused and expensive

Overall rating:

6.0

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Reviewed by miss scott
August 01, 2010

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Meal for 2 at £145 with only a dessert to share and a bottle of wine included. A somewhat confused message; fine diningish surroundings, oddly impersonal service and immemorable cuisine. A satisfactory fish soup to begin followed by an overrated and over priced ($40) chicken to share, succeeded by an unsatifying semi cooked apple tart with a droplet of Armagnac and pouring cream. I would not return.