Julie's Restaurant — Restaurant in London

UPDATE: Not them replying to me with CHATGPT written apology I seriously cannot…they could have put some effort in showing sincerity but nope.

I rarely post reviews but this is just too bad I had to...作为中国人在欧洲大半辈子这是我第一次感觉到种族歧视，比方说如果在巴黎他们只要不是本地人他们谁都歧视但是菜很好吃所以也就没有关系。关键这家服务差菜里吃出白线来而且还很咸？赶紧避雷吧。

First of all, we have dined and travelled from all over the world.

This is one experience I will try my best to erase from my memories.

I walk around the neighbourhood often and always see this cute corner and this French restaurant. Should have known better when there are only non-French people there. But we decided to give it a try anyways.

I don’t even know where to start wow. This left me so much bad taste in my mouth both physically and emotionally I feel the negativity lingering still whilst writing this but I just had to.

So the taller and with light hair colour lead waitress who is in charge of the seatings was racist and extremely rude. We were moved many times, the young guy waiter was very nice and offered for us to sit in a better seat and as soon as the other three men came she just moved them there, sitting them down, even though we were also 3 people and came 40mins before they did(yes we were still not served after being moved 3 times). As I tried to get her attention for the 4th times in a very polite tone and she purposely ignored us while chatting up and laughing to the other men on the other tables, her gaze was deliberately ignorant as I was speaking right under her physically, continued to chatting up with the other men asking about her origin, being half Irish and French.

Finally I raised the question that we were being offered to sit there, she just gazed passed me and spoke to the guy waiter that offered us the table “why did you give them the table?! I am the person who is in charge of seatings, aghhhh, that is why you should have spoken to me before this always happenes”. At that point we felt so bad for the male waiter we just let it be. She let the three men sit in that corner seat that we were offered and continued to chat to them while not replying to us at all. We tried to get their attention because we were starving at that point and we waited for ages to order another 40 min or more for the food to come. Without asking -They served everything at once on the tiny French tables when everyone else’s food arrived in order and before us (including the men that sat down after us and took our spot). Bear in mind we were a very quiet and well-dressed group that had a middle-aged lady who is our friend’s mom in our group and we did not make any scene or spoke loudly /rudely.

Ironically, I lived in Paris and in Europe half of my life time so we were joking how this place is real parisian because of its waitressing attitude problem—except that the food does not match up to the French standards sadly. If the food was amazing -fine we will wallow up the attitude like how we do it in Paris and just watch the waitress being racist and flirt with the other guests and patronise her colleague. Every dish was over salted with too much cream and butter and even the roasted carrot ..?

Also horrid we were so tired and hungry but we also found a white string in the clams we ordered-not gross at least it was not hair at that point we were just shook and tired and starved but like why is there a long white string there…?!! My friend’s mom was innocently asking if it was supposed to be there for the clams I felt so guilty for taking her there. 😭

This place just has a cute location and it’s a real shame because it could have been a real jam due to the location. I guess people still go cuz of the illusion it creates and the location itself because there are only these many places to eat in that corner so it kinda monopolised it.

I just had to put this out there because damn. We ordered way too many dishes. Giving a 3 star for the atmosphere for the location but the vibe was also not giving. C’est...

As we entered the restaurant, we were immediately struck by the beautiful decor—seriously, I half-expected to see a fashion show break out! One of the managers greeted us warmly and swiftly whisked us to our table, making us feel like VIPs right away. The banquette was chic and comfortable, perfect for lounging and pretending we were in a trendy magazine. However, while the table had a lovely colour, I couldn’t help but feel it might have been designed for hobbits; its size and proximity to other patrons were a bit cozy, shall we say?

It was clear that the restaurant's design was executed with professionalism, although a few mirrors could use a little more attention for that shine.

The service was prompt, attentive, and yet not invasive. We appreciated the little touches, such as complimentary water, bread, and other nibbles, which made us feel like royalty, minus the crown and the responsibilities.

For starters, we ordered the duck liver schnitzel topped with an egg and chives, resting on confit like a celebrity on a red carpet. It was an incredible bundle of flavour, texture, and juices. The sommelier was very helpful in providing recommendations and accurately gauging what I was looking for. His wine pairing was spot on and complemented my steak beautifully.

For the main course, I went for the sirloin with peppercorn sauce, which was cooked to perfection with quality ingredients and seasoning that could make even a salt shaker jealous. The peppercorn sauce had a delightful kick that we absolutely loved. Our waiter, Marc D., expertly deboned the sole, leaving no bones behind yet keeping it presentable—he deserved a round of applause for that one! The Ratte potatoes were generously buttered—some might say a bit too much, but I found it just right. They were nearly perfectly cooked, although I would have appreciated an extra minute. The carrots were well-cooked, and the sole was so tender it practically crumbled under the weight of our adoration. The strong citrus flavours complemented the dish perfectly, creating a flavour profile that could charm even the pickiest of palates.

For dessert, we tried the crème brûlée, which sparked some debate about its colour—it could have used a little more love. The texture could have been creamier; it was a bit too solid for my liking, though the flavour was on point. Even for someone who typically doesn’t enjoy chocolate mousse, I found the Roche perfectly light in both texture and flavour, with just the right amount of dark chocolate—not so much that I felt like I was biting into a cocoa bean! The lovely touch of salt and drizzle on top was a nice addition. The shape of the Roche was also perfect, and the pistachio cuboid paired beautifully with the mousse, balancing the dryness and stickiness of the pistachio—it was like a match made in dessert heaven!

Finally, we had the pear and almond tart. Unfortunately, it seemed to have suffered from a bit of a mid-life crisis in terms of presentation, with the tart’s point appearing to have collapsed. The cut was angled, which was a detail that did not go unnoticed. However, the flavour of the pear was delicious. The base was a bit hard, and while the almond filling was good, it was somewhat dry. I felt that incorporating roasted and blitzed almonds into the crème fraîche (instead of justin crème fraîche) could have enhanced the tart significantly, adding a complementary almond flavour without altering the texture—think of it as a makeover for the tart!

Overall, it was a delightful dining experience, complete with a few minor critiques. I would certainly recommend this restaurant for its ambiance, service, and innovative dishes. Just remember to bring your stretchy...

Oh dear.

Encouraged by a couple of favourable newspaper reviews we went for a midweek evening dinner. First, the waitress behind the bar while we waited for our table was great (although brought still water when we asked for sparkling, but these things happen).

From then on… Service once seated was slow, inattentive and uninterested. White wine came when we ordered red wine - funny, in isolation. Then having ordered snacks, starters, mains and sides: one starter arrived on its own with some bread before anything else, then a couple of snacks, then the other starter. This isn’t a small plate restaurant, it’s a restaurant where the kitchen and front of house can’t bring food in the right order or at the same time.

Our mains arrived without their side dishes and after a couple of minutes of waiting we flagged a waiter down (there are a lot of them but they’re not doing much serving) who then looked utterly panicked about the missing food. Some salad arrived a few minutes later, a few minutes later some frites, a few minutes after that some green beans. At this point we’d already eaten most of our mains. I say most, but the kitchen wasn’t paying care and attention to seasoning - I like salt on my food, but this was way way way overboard. I left half of my main uneaten, and the sides weren’t finished either. Like eating a salt brick. At no point did anyone check on the meal, apologise for the late arrival of 60% of it or ask at the end how it was. We skipped dessert, paid an left.

In hindsight it’ll make for a funny story about a terrible restaurant with pretensions - but what makes me mad is that some people will save up to go for a birthday, or anniversary or something special because of the press reviews by identifiable critics. Don’t do it.

The couple next to us were celebrating a birthday; both looked broken by the end and nobody seemed to care.

If you live next to it then fine, why not, I imagine it’s more fun than microwaving a ready meal and on that basis alone the culinarily challenged of Holland Park will keep it in business. But if you enjoy eating or appreciate good service or live more than a 5 minute walk away...