Café Deco — Restaurant in London

Sitting on a quiet street in Bloomsbury, you can easily forget you are minutes away from bustling Tottenham Court Road in central London. I want to say that Café Deco is a 'hidden gem' but based on its popularity, that would be misleading! Booking seemed to be essential. When we arrived there were a couple of empty tables which filled up quickly on a Friday evening. We had prebooked a table for two for a birthday celebration.

We were told the menu here changes weekly based on seasonal and available ingredients from sustainable, organic suppliers. We had looked online to see this week's menu in advance. Onto the food, simply superb! There is so much choice yet the front of house staff happily explained each dish and gave honest advice based on our preferences. We had read that the 'egg mayonnaise' was a menu staple so we had to try. Highly recommend! Rich, creamy mayonnaise over a stunningly yellow yolk egg with tangy, soft anchovies on top. I could eat that every day. We ordered two vegetarian main dishes to share as mains which was plenty for two people. The spinach and bread dumplings were full of flavour and light at the same time, they literally melted in the mouth. The brown butter sauce blew our minds! I guess you can choose whether you want to share plates or have your own. We found the portion sizes generous enough to share two mains between us but I know not everyone likes to share. The choice is yours. Since the menu changes weekly, it is hard to give exact recommendations but the hazelnut ice cream was a delightful end to an amazing meal.

Front of house staff were extremely helpful advising us which wine to choose from a (very) long and well-curated wine list. There was so much choice, whether you want a more traditional flavour or something more exotic/trendy - cue orange wines and naturally sparkling natural wines! The pink rosé PIAK! from the Loire was absolutely delicious, helping us hold onto the last of summer. I can testify to the benefits of natural vs non-natural wines - less dehydration, easier palatability and more distinct flavours to accompany the food.

The restaurant has a relaxed almost casual atmosphere yet with top-tier flavours, quality ingredients in a calming environment. It has a neighbourhood vibe and the friendliness of the staff make you feel like a regular patron. Service was perfectly attentive throughout the meal. The dining room downstairs felt more intimate which would be perfect for a different occasion. It sounds strange but there is something about the whole restaurant which made us both feel very calm after a busy working week. We were compelled to give our praise and thanks to the kitchen team as we left.

Thank you again for a wonderful meal. We will both be coming back for more. I am excited to see how the menu changes as London enters its colder,...

I was really looking forward to dining at this restaurant with a friend. According to Google, the restaurant was open from 12 PM until closing, so we walked in around 5 PM. However, we were told that the restaurant only opens at 6 PM. Strangely, we noticed that other customers were already drinking, so we politely asked if we could just order drinks while waiting. We were told again that they open strictly at 6, and that all seats were fully booked.

Another staff member also came over and bluntly told us there was no availability today. However, when we checked the reservation website, there were clearly tables available — including at 6 PM. Thinking it might be a mistake, we made a reservation, and it went through without any issues.

At 6 PM, we returned and were seated. The same staff members who had previously turned us away seemed visibly uncomfortable. Their earlier attitude felt cold and dismissive, almost arrogant. As an Asian customer, I couldn’t help but wonder if we were being discriminated against. I truly hope that wasn’t the case, but the experience left me deeply disappointed and hurt.

The food itself was delicious, and I genuinely appreciate the quality of the cuisine. However, the female server who had earlier turned us away avoided eye contact entirely and silently took our plates without saying a word, which made the atmosphere very uncomfortable.

I wish I could say it was a pleasant experience overall, but unfortunately, the way we were treated left a very negative impression. I hope the restaurant takes this kind of feedback seriously and considers how important kindness and respect are in...

My partner took us here this evening as a surprise. He had been recommended the restaurant by a friend. We are on a low income and this was quite a big deal for us both.

Wasn’t a great start as our drinks took 45 minutes to arrive. We watched other tables have their food and drinks arrive before us even though they had ordered after (their bottles of wine were far more expensive and their manner was far ruder.. maybe this is how you get served in this place!)

We had a 7:30 pm booking on a Thursday and two dishes we wanted to order had already sold out and the menu hadn’t been amended.

Our first dishes came out well over an hour after ordering and those that were meant to be warm were cold. We sent the £25 literal piece of chicken and chips back. It was returned reheated after we were told it would be remade. Even though it had been reheated it was still lukewarm with a couple of cold chips on the side.

It was clear they were understaffed - those that were working were helpful and sweet, but it wasn’t enough. The bill was still far too high considering the service and food that we received.

If you are going to sell and cook simple food this has to be reflected most importantly in the quality and execution. The prices are unjustified for the food we received this evening. Perhaps it was an off night however it isn’t about the money more the experience which did not deliver.

Both a little bit upset as a we don’t eat out much and where expecting a little more from the experience.

The egg Mayo was...