HIVE Restaurant at Selfridges — Restaurant in London

We wanted to have desserts after our Christmas lunch. Little did we know that the whole experience would leave us feeling bitter and would kill the holiday mood for the day. In short, they claim to have LAVANDER Creme brulee (see the photo of the menu (which of course, as any dessert lover, I wanted to try.). It also came at whooping £12! Sure, I thought, why not. However, they brought me a vanilla creme brulle. When I asked about it, I was told that they 'apparently' used Lavender honey in the making of it. All four of us tried it, and there wasn't any hint of lavender honey in it. Clearly, they are misleading the customers by asking us to pay atrocious amount for a dessert that doesn't exist. I would therefore request with the powers to be that the word lavender is removed from your menu. Also, for a place such as Selfridges to house a bar that has such ugly menu (see the crinkles on the corner, it looks like any greasy corner shop menu) is another big no. As for their coffee making skills, please, reader, pass! We ordered flat white and had to return it few times before we actually told them we don't want it. I mean, come on, the least you could do is train your staff to make good coffee. As for the service - three (not one or two) waitresses moved about the tiny space continuously like headless chickens and yet, I had to call them three times to the table, ask where is my dessert (it took too long) and once brought over, then I had to ask for the coffees which should have been brought over before the dessert, surley. In...

We were told when we arrived that service would be slow as short of staff. We only wanted drinks and weren't in a hurry. By the time out order was taken there were not many customers and 4 staff waiting. I asked for a hot chocolate. Was told didn't have it. On further questioning we were told had to go downstairs to replenish stocks but no explanation as to why this couldn't be done. One of our group ordered an ices latte with soya milk, others soft drinks. Some time later when the soft drinks came we asked for ice in the drinks and we were told they didn't have any. We then asked about the iced latte. They went to check if the order was going to be fulfilled. Eventually they must have collected some ice as the latte arrived. Checked if it was made with soy milk. Went to check. I can lipread and the answer from the person who took the order was I don't know. They checked and said it was soya milk. To add insult to injury the bill included a service charge which we asked to be removed. They also advise that £1 has been donated to charity from the amount you pay? The staff generally moved at a snail's pace. No sense of wanting to get the job done quickly and effectively. I could not tell who was on charge. Although the staff apologised it was the response expected of them and not a real expression of regret at the poor service. Needless to say I will not be returning and would certainly not recommend Hive to anyone. Although if you want to rest tired feet you could always get away with at least 20 minutes without being...

A little gem tucked away on the third floor of the Selfridges! First off let me start with the service which was immaculate. All the staff serving were so kind and attentive. We even got a visit from the Chef and had a lovely chat! The restaurant owner gave us a tour of the hives where all their bees are and it was so interesting to watch the little busy bee workers do their thing. When you get brilliant service, it makes the day extra special. For starters, we got the honey and cheese platter and the scallops. Both were a delight to our tastebuds and the even the colour palate of the dish brings a smile to your face. The Lavender honey was just out of this world! I had to buy a jar to take home. We tried plenty of their cocktails, all of which had honey incorporated and they were some of the most unique and delightful cocktails I have ever had. The Candy Queen was by far my favourite and I think everyone should try it. For the mains I opted for the monkfish. It was such a refreshing dish and the flavours were balanced to perfection. The showstopper was definitely the Hive signature dessert. It was not only beautiful to look at but very tasty and quite light which was the perfect end to our dining experience. However a very close second was the lavender Crème Brûlée. Overall, the Hive was not just a stop and dine shopping experience, it really felt like THE destination to aim for if you are in or...