Franklins London — Restaurant in London

I went to Franklins to treat my Mum to a Valentine’s Day dinner. Staff, particularly the waitress serving us, were initially friendly and we were seated quickly. Our orders were taken quickly but it was downhill from there.

We had to wait over 20 mins to receive our drinks and I noticed the couple next to us that were seated a good 15 mins after us were already drinking from a bottle of wine. We waited over 45 minutes for our starters and were only served after we asked (the couple next to use were served their starters before us). Similar to our starters, we had to wait over 30 mins for our main and we had to ask for updates twice. We were told the kitchen were having issues and I was offered a glass of wine. We were finally served our main (again, the couple next to us were served their main before us) to which mine was bland.

After over 20 minutes waiting for our desert (during which the couple next to us left after finishing their desert and paying), I asked for an update and I was told the kitchen was busy today. After discussing with my mum we decided to cancel the desert so we could leave as it had already been 2 hours since we had been seated. The waitress explained the deserts were ready but I insisted we leave as it had been over 2 hours since we had been seated.

The waitress then brought the bill. It had no discount on the set menu (I expected they would’ve applied this automatically based on the constant delays) and it included service charge. After I requested the service charge be removed, the waitress walked off visibly agitated in a huff. After returning with the new receipt she then asked me “have you ever worked in hospitality?”

This is unacceptable. My mother and I were clearly subjected to very poor service and to be asked that question after I, rightly, requested the service charge be removed is quite frankly rude. Being busy is not an excuse for poor service. Accept the number of diners you can handle whilst still providing good service. This ruined dinner with my mother. I would not recommend this restaurant.

Update: The owner has since contacted me, apologised, offered me a full refund and an opportunity to return with some drinks...

Being a local lad, I've always been curious about Franklin's but had never sampled their cuisine. Sadly I now know that this is simply a small pub with awfully large delusions of grandeur.

Small tables and uncomfortable chairs were crammed into a small, crowded, dingy, dimly lit room; it's never good when you can't see the menu let alone what you're eating - we had to resort to the torch setting on our smartphones to see the menu clearly.

One positive note, our waitress was truly delightful and friendly.

The food... well, that hit a bum note as it was, in short: extraordinarily expensive, poorly seasoned and badly cooked.

Franklin's style of cuisine is best described as uber plain English.

The meals were severely underseasoned. The tiny, sirloin steak we ordered was burnt to a crisp - indicating a lack of capability in the kitchen (for the price charged though, you'd think they'd get someone in who's capable of cooking a steak); the bland Caribbean inspired cocktail lacked flavour and potency and my goodness, the watery pea soup was nothing but a sad, mirthless joke - if you would like to look at the photos you'll see! Shocking!: would you serve up that 'slop'?

Apart from the cocktail, we drank water and (wisely) skipped dessert. So, 1 cocktail, 2 starters, 2 mains - £100; For two people, this goes down as a dreary, expensive experience - one that we'd wish we could erase.

My advice? Avoid...

We celebrated our wedding breakfast at Franklin's in September, and it was an unforgettable day-to-evening experience. The food at Franklin's is always exceptional and distinctive, perfectly capturing their ethos of nose-to-tail cooking and authentic dining. We’ve always loved the restaurant’s unique blend of a relaxed pub atmosphere with refined touches, like white tablecloths, which made it feel both warm and elegant for our special occasion.

The staff were outstanding, with Siobhan in particular going above and beyond to make everything perfect. She was relaxed, attentive, and called us a few times beforehand to confirm all the details, ensuring everything was well-organised. I was especially touched when she asked about the colours of my bridal bouquet so she could match the table flowers — a small but thoughtful detail that made the day feel even more personal.

The room was beautifully decorated, and the service throughout was impeccable — professional, attentive, and seamless. They took great care of our guests, catering to kids' food preferences and accommodating requests with ease. A few days before the wedding, we dropped in for an impromptu wine tasting, and the staff were incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable.

Thanks to the fantastic team at Franklin's — from management to waitstaff and chefs — our wedding breakfast is a memory we will always cherish. We can’t wait to return...