The Colony Club — Attraction in London

What a nasty experience.

We booked the Teppanyaki restaurant at The Colony Club weeks in advance for our anniversary. It was meant to be a special night. My partner made the booking through OpenTable, and I was sent a separate email to confirm attendance. I accepted the invite. I read the policy. Nowhere in that email was I told that I would need a physical ID. If it was, I would have brought it. I almost always do. But this was a special occasion. I carried a small purse and was intentional about what I brought.

On the night, traffic was bad due to road closures. We spent nearly an hour trying to get there and attempted to call the restaurant multiple times. Their phone didn’t even connect. No ring, no message, just dead. We finally got through via live chat and explained we were delayed. About ten minutes before arrival, we were told we would need a physical ID to enter. My partner had his. I had a digital copy of my passport, but they refused to accept it.

What followed was the most humiliating and unpleasant encounter I’ve ever had at a supposed luxury venue.

We were met at the door by a bouncer, a Black man, whose attitude and tone were immediately dismissive. He didn’t care about what we had to say. We explained everything calmly. We were polite. We weren’t causing a scene. But he looked at us like we were nobodies and spoke to us as though we didn’t deserve to be there. He didn’t try to help. He didn’t care that we had travelled nearly an hour and made a reservation. He just shut us down cold. We asked to speak to someone else. He said no. His exact response was, “You’re not going in.” And that was that.

Eventually, someone named Diego came out. For the first time, I felt heard. He explained the situation clearly, calmly, and with respect. He told us about the ID policy and why the venue requires it. At least he had the decency to treat us like human beings. My heart genuinely felt lighter speaking to him.

But by then, it was too late. We were still denied entry. We asked for a refund. Refused. We asked to reschedule. Refused. We left hungry, embarrassed, and completely disappointed. A waste of time, effort, and money.

This isn’t just about being denied entry. It’s about how we were spoken to. How we were dismissed. How there was no care, no warmth, and no accountability.

The Colony Club needs to review the way their security staff treat people!! You cannot claim to be a luxury establishment and have staff who lack basic emotional intelligence and...

I decided to go here for my birthday meal with a friend as I saw a lot of good Tik Tok reviews. The customer service I received on arrival was very warm and welcoming. I ordered the Tempura prawns for starters which was lovely. For my main I had the mix grill. This was ok but I found the food a bit dry 🤦🏽‍♀️. For my dessert I had the rum and raisen cheesecake & pina colada sorbet, which was lovely. The pina colada cocktail I had was perfect. I ordered a few as it was really nice.

When I made the booking I did request a birthday dessert. This was something that they forgot to bring out along with our dessert, which I was a bit disappointed with. My friend also reminded them on the way to the toilette and they said it’s too late, as our desserts have already been given to us. They then decided to give me a mousse dessert with 1 candle in it. 🤦🏽‍♀️

After our meal we went downstairs to the bar area for a few more drinks. The bar area was very nice and again the customer service was very good. The only thing I didn’t like was the lady asking me if I’m allergic to nuts whilst placing them in front of me onto the table.

This question should be asked before anything is brought to the table as a person with a Nut allergy could still react to even the smell.

My visit to the colony over all was very pleasant. Not sure if I’m in a rush to go...

I visited the Colony Club as part of a business trip to London. I then had the pleasure to eat at their amazing restaurant. The food served here compares to Michelin star quality restaurants that I have visited in the past. Every dietary requirement was catered for without any issues. The staff were highly attentive and overall I felt like a superstar. It was such a high level of service and quality. If you have the opportunity to dine here, I highly recommend it. I believe they are most well known for their fish and I thoroughly enjoyed the Dover sole as my main.

Update: I was lucky enough to visit a second time and it was just as wonderful as the first time. As a mains I had some lovely grilled lobster. Amazing. And the level of care from Diego and the rest of the staff was really exemplary. I highly recommend visiting and enjoying the wonderful experience and...