L'ETO Covent Garden — Restaurant in London

Exceptional service from Sumayya, who was bubbly, engaging and attentive, without being intrusive. She was all smiles from the start, with clear, strong recommendations for food and drink, all of which were winners, save the items I didn't try.

Angel rose mulled wine £10. Pricey for a mulled wine, but worth it. Has a good amount of alcohol in it (not cooked to death like most mulled wines), and both smells and tastes delicious. Good balance of gentle underlying sweetness from the orange, alcohol, and warm, Christmas at spice. Perfection in a glass.

Profiterole £7.50. Yup, pricey again but it was yummy and big, like a big choux bombe. And it was smothered in a creamy chocolate sauce, with a ring of set milk chocolate, and absolutely stuffed with fluffy, rich cream. It was like eating a sinful cloud.

Beef stroganoff £20. Expensive, for a small-to-medium portion size. However, once again, I couldn't fault the dish in terms of tastiness and I find most portions too big anyway. This was the right size for a famished me, and I enjoyed every bite. I was worried it would be too heavy but it was executed well. Slim beef strips with just the right amount of bite, a rich, flavoursome sauce, a bed of soft, creamy mash, and tart but sweet gherkins to lift the richer flavours.

Babycino, at TWO POUNDS. Yes, two whole pounds. Most places don't charge for babycinos and those that do, charge £1. I don't see why a small cup of steamed milk with a dusting of cocoa powder should cost £2. There's no art to it, no other components. I half-expected to see gold flecks in my child's drink and cherubs serenading him while he drank.

Also, discretionary service charge is at 13.5% here. I thought the service was great, but the prices are high, and the service charge higher than at many other places.

Overall, a wonderful venue with a lovely atmosphere, festive, dreamy decor and plenty of comfortable seating (head to the back of the cafe and you'll see the space open up much more, next to the bar). Expensive place, but I guess that's unsurprising in Covent Garden. I was told that the lattes are selling like hotcakes here and that the steak sandwich is delectable, so I shall be...

I visited L’eto Café (138 Long Acre) on February 14th around 1:45 pm and had one of the most disappointing customer service experiences I’ve ever encountered. My wife and I joined the queue to wait for a table in the busy café, and while we stood there, we looked at the cake display to decide what we might order. Out of nowhere, a staff member named Samaya rudely told my wife to “step back”—despite her already standing at least 1.5 to 2 feet away from the display. She singled out my wife, yet said nothing to other customers who were also viewing the cakes from a similar distance.

What made it even more shocking was Samaya’s aggressive behavior. She got uncomfortably close to my wife’s face, appearing more like a bully on a playground than a professional employee in a well-regarded café. Nearby customers seemed equally confused and disturbed by how she was acting.

When my wife calmly questioned why Samaya was specifically targeting her and noted others were just as close, Samaya had no explanation. Soon after, another staff member named Patra jumped into the conversation, becoming unnecessarily confrontational. Their behavior escalated to the point that we asked to speak to a manager. After a brief wait, Ilona, who introduced herself as the manager, arrived and apologized profusely, offering us a complimentary meal. While Ilona was genuinely sympathetic, she had to repeatedly intervene to stop Patra from rudely interrupting our discussion. Eventually, Ilona had to escort Patra away from the front of the café.

We declined the complimentary meal because we felt deeply uncomfortable after the harassment we experienced. Ilona promised to escalate our complaint, but over a month has passed and we’ve had no follow-up. It’s incredibly disappointing that a café known for high-quality food and service would allow staff members to treat paying customers so poorly. As someone who has consistently reviewed establishments and is among the top 3% of TripAdvisor reviewers in the Middle East, this was a major letdown.

I hope L’eto Café management takes immediate steps to address these issues. Until then, I can’t recommend this location to anyone who values respectful and...

Lovely staff and very warm hospitality! I strolled past this branch of L'eto last night after finishing an event. I've been keen to try their cakes for such a long time, after many years of walking by the Soho branch and seeing the many beautiful cakes in the window, but somehow never got round to it. I was with my sister and we both were lured in by what we saw. There were a couple of staff members at the front (Bijesh and Thierry) who warmly welcomed us with their smiles and hospitality.

I asked my many questions about what their favourite cakes were and what they recommended. They were both very helpful, engaging and patient. Bearing in mind this was 10pm on a Thursday. If were tired, you would never have guessed it.

Thierry entertained our questions and suggested we sit down for some tea. Bijesh our waiter (who did everything with a smile) recommended the Milk Oolong tea which we eneded up loving even more than the cakes! It was amazing. They kindly gave us some complimentary cakes as it was close to closing time. This was very kind and generous of them and really added to our experience. Not just because they gave the cakes on the house, but with the cheerful heart in which they did it with!

Whilst eating our cakes, we ended up chatting to Mohammed, a young waiter who was working near our table. He had such a lovely demeanour and was very endearing. We were very impressed with our experience. The cakes were nice, but the staff and service were even better! They're the reason I'd visit again. Who ever is responsible for hiring the team - well done. I hope They're paid and treated well. If not please fix this as they're representing the L'eto brand really well and elevating the experience.

Thank you gentlemen, I hope that many will make your hearts smile the way...