Bramleys — Restaurant in London

A Dismal Valentine’s Dining Experience – AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but our dinner experience at this restaurant was nothing short of appalling. From start to finish, it was a catalogue of errors, neglect, and disappointment that left us regretting our decision to dine here.

Firstly, upon arrival, we were made to wait 30 minutes before a waiter even approached us. During this time, we received absolutely no acknowledgment or customer service. To make matters worse, we were initially seated at a table right by the door, where it was cold and uncomfortable. After requesting to move, we had to wait an additional 20 minutes to be re-seated elsewhere, all the while still waiting for menus.

The lack of attentiveness from the staff was staggering. When we were finally seated properly, the complimentary bread took over half an hour to arrive. To add insult to injury, our starters were brought out before our drinks, a glaring mistake that showed a complete lack of coordination. I complained to the waitress, who repeatedly apologised, but even then, our drinks took an unreasonably long time to arrive.

When the starters finally came, they were cold and poorly prepared. This set the tone for the rest of the meal, which continued to deteriorate. The service was painfully slow, and flagging down a waiter for any assistance was an ordeal in itself.

Then came the mains—beef fillet, which was supposed to be a highlight of the menu. Instead, it was tough, dry, and incredibly hard to cut or chew. There were no accompaniments, making it one of the most disappointing and lackluster meals I’ve ever had in a restaurant.

Dessert, which should have been the redeeming point, was another fiasco. My partner ordered the “Chocolate Delice” dessert, only to be served sorbet without explanation. When we questioned the waiter, we were casually informed that the dessert was no longer available—something they didn’t bother to mention when taking the order. It was completely unprofessional and added to the mounting frustrations of the evening.

To top it all off, the restaurant was cold and uncomfortable, even after moving seats. I had to keep my jacket on throughout the meal, which speaks volumes about the lack of thought put into customers’ comfort. We also noticed other diners leaving in droves—many couples were seated, only to walk out after 30-45 minutes, clearly fed up with the atrocious service.

What made this experience even worse was the lack of accountability or effort from the staff and management. There were no sincere apologies or attempts to rectify the situation. It felt as though no one cared about the customers at all (on Valentine’s Day!)

Overall, this was easily one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. From the dismal service to the poor quality of food, it was a complete disaster. I strongly advise anyone considering this place to think twice—it’s simply not worth your time, money, or patience. The only thing that was quick to come was the £200 bill!

If the owners happen to read this review, I hope you seriously reflect on the state of your restaurant and the treatment of your customers. Changes are desperately needed, or this establishment is...

Wish I could give 0 stars.

The restaurant was severely under prepared for Valentine’s Day. It was shocking. Slow greet at the door set the tone. Squashed tables. Couldn’t see anyone with food.

When we were greeted - ushered downstairs. Thought it would be an amazing downstairs extension with a beautiful ambience. But nope. We were ushered into a freezing cold basement. Sat in the corner next to a freezing cold wall. It was dark and glum. This set the tone for what would follow.

I want to say - this was meant to be a beautiful evening for me and my partner. We were also celebrating our anniversary (in 3 days time). So I had high expectations. The reviews were amazing in the lead up so I was very happy. Our attendance however was nearly in doubt as my partner was hospitalised and discharged the day before. I nearly cancelled but she really wanted to attend. I thought this would be the perfect way to cheer her up so we came.

So imagine my disappointment. It kicked in as soon as we sat. She couldn’t even take her coat off. I wanted to put my jacket back on. There were two heaters but one was defective. I felt they were both defective. It was so cold.

So we thought let’s stay and wait for the hot food to make us feeling warm. After taking our order - it took 30+ mins for one drink to arrive. The second drink arrived 10 mins later. Our complimentary bread and butter took an hour to arrive! We were starving. If that took an hour to arrive - imagine how much longer for the starter, main and dessert. Shocking service.

The bread when it arrived was also stale and ice cold butter - not surprised as the whole venue was freezing.

I was angry at this point so I told my partner to go. Again we were one of the patient couples as many others had left without paying or waiting. In the end we left after 1+ hour waiting for food. When leaving - we saw others had no food either. Appalling night, ruined VD! Refused to pay for our drinks we hardly touched and old bread.

Left completely shocked. Anticipated a beautiful night and in the end had to find food ourselves. This shocking experience was completely beyond anything I’ve ever experienced in a restaurant. I had to blast my car heater to warm ourselves up and drove to the nearest McDonald’s asap!

Do better or don’t offer a VD experience. I’d avoid on such an important occasion and celebration. Couldn’t help but feel sorry for all the other couples. What would’ve been a £200 dinner easily wasn’t worth it. Also to note - it’s not wheelchair friendly. It’s super cramped inside and the downstairs is inaccessible.

Thanks for an underwhelming and...

had high expectations for my Valentine’s meal at Bramleys, but unfortunately, the experience was a major letdown. From the moment we arrived, there were issues that made the evening uncomfortable and certainly not worth the premium price of £65 per person.

Firstly, the downstairs dining area was absolutely freezing. It was so cold that it made the entire meal unpleasant, as we were constantly trying to warm up rather than enjoying our evening. For a restaurant of this standard, I would have expected better heating, especially on a night where they were serving a special set menu for what should have been a romantic dining experience. Instead, it felt like we were dining in an icebox, which completely ruined the atmosphere.

The service itself was the one saving grace— the staff were friendly, polite, and professional, but even their efforts couldn’t make up for the terrible food experience. We were left waiting an unreasonably long time for our food, and to make matters worse, the first course of our three-course meal never even arrived. No explanation was given, and by the time we realized we had been skipped over, we were too hungry and frustrated to even bother chasing it up.

When the second course finally arrived, it was stone cold. Clearly, it had been sitting around for too long before being brought to the table. A warm meal should be a basic expectation at any restaurant, let alone one charging £65 per head for a special occasion. The third course was no better—it both looked and tasted as if it had been sitting out for hours before being served. It lacked freshness, flavor, and any real effort. For a meal that was meant to be special, it felt like a complete afterthought.

Overall, while the service was great, the quality of food and the uncomfortable setting made this a terrible experience. For £65 per person, I expected far more—warm food, timely service, and at the very least, a comfortable environment to dine in. Instead, I left feeling completely ripped off.

I won’t completely write Bramleys off just yet, as I appreciate that set menus on busy occasions can sometimes be hit or miss. I may give it another try on a regular day to see if the standard is any better. But as far as this Valentine’s meal goes, it was a massive disappointment, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone based on...