Larch — Restaurant in London

I went to the Larch resturant after looking online and booking beforehand to get the breakfast and entry to the sky garden bundle. My slot was for 1015 on a Sunday morning, I arrived around 1005 and was seated within a few mins. I was given a choice of inside or outside, I chose outside to enjoy the terrace as it was very pleasant weather wise.

I was greeted and shown to my table by Karoly, who was very welcoming. Zoe then introduced herself as my waitress and she did a cracking job looking after not only my table but those around me. She asked about allergies and very clearly laid out what my menu included. She kindly offered tap water to drink which I accepted. It was nice to not have to ask for it. I ordered the pain au chocolat to start and the English breakfast tea. It arrived promptly and the tea was boiling hot which was ok, took me a bit by surprise as the tea pot was hot to the touch and a tad difficult to pour but it was a lovely cuppa. The pain au chocolat was very nice and was served on a warm plate which was a nice touch.

For my main course as it were I chose the scrambled egg on toast with fried shallots a side of the sticky bacon. The only complaint I have about this was the toast was a tad hard and difficult to cut. There was a strange knob of butter on the plate too. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with it as it was separate from the dish but in the end I took the eggs off the toast and buttered it to try and make it a bit softer.

The terrace was a great spot to sit and people watch. It was quiet and relaxing and was really nice place to spend Sunday brunch away from the hustle and bustle of what you expect London to have. The entrance to the sky garden was clearly explained by both Zoe and Karoly and I appreciated the information as by the time I finished my meal there was large queues forming. With the Sky Garden I entered the queue system on the right at the desk (under dining/ reservations) as I didnt need a reservation, I had a one hour slot included with my meal. I was fully aware the Larch resturant was situated at the bottom of the sky garden, so this didn’t bother me however I did overhear some tables complaining as they thought it was located in the actual garden building.

I would happily go again, the staff were very nice, helpful and welcoming and I...

We had the great fortune of dining at Larch....on a lark! We planned to visit the Sky Garden (in the same complex as the restaurant Larch). There was a terribly long line for those without reservations. The kind gal at Sky Garden said that if we eat at Larch and bring the receipt over, that will give us free 'express pass' access to Sky Garden. I was late in the afternoon and we figured it was close enough to dinner, so in we went to Larch. Without a reservation!

This restaurant was a wonderful experience. I'm a self-proclaimed Food Adventurer and love to try new things. Imagine my surprise when we learned when we sat down that Larch is a lovely and very authentic Italian restaurant, in London!

The atmosphere is very light and well decorated in way that is a nice compliment to the Sky Garden. Our server was incredibly attentative. We ordered two Italian Beers (Moretti). The husband got a pepperoni pizza. I ordered the lasagna and a salad. Both were visually pleasing and the lasagna...I miss it. Can I say that? I wish we lived in London, just so I could have that lasagna. The layers were very thin, clearly homemade pasta, a delicate cheese and tender meat sauce with seasonings that made me want more! The pizza was very good, too. Perfect crust. Nice pepperoni...we also went on to visit Italy and it was every bit as good as the many restaurants we dined at in Italy. The mixed green salad was a miss, and I would advise to skip that. Nice greens stuffed into a little dish and the dressing was unmemorable. I just remember leaving it behind.

For desert, we had a vanilla panna cotta with fresh strawberries. You could see the vanilla bean flecks in the panna cotta...if you haven't yet had a panna cotta, Larch is the place to try it. It's my favorite Italian dessert (okay, it's my favorite all around dessert) and this was top notch.

We also had an Italian Hot Cocoa, which was a delight. It was frothy and dusted with chocolate powder on top. The sugar was served on the side. It was a strong chocolate flavor and made a perfect balance to the Panna Cotta.

Why anyone visiting Sky Garden wouldn't stop to eat at Larch is a mystery. So grateful we got the tip to eat there. We felt it was a great value, considering the food and service quality, and that it doubled as admission...

Tourist trap -please stay away. I tried to book Sky garden, but no free tickest left (or error) not sure. However their website (and yes, I will leave a crappy review just for that, so unethical) shows 'Larch restaurant'' leading one to assume it's in Sky Garden, of course. We booked through 'designmynight'' (also, stay away) and paid a deposit. A deposit, people. Usually those are refunded.. At the time I thought nothing of it, as it's not uncommon for popular restaurants to claim a deposit to avoid no-shows. However upon entry it became clear that we'd paid for an overpriced, mediocre ''meal'' AND that the restaurant is ground level, opposite Sky Garden - a complete scam. . We were 2 adults, 2 teens and 2 minor kids - for ''breakfast'' you can choose between a supermarket quality pastry, and a second dish - limited selection, nothing healthy, and extremely small and mediocre, tasteless portions. Nothing Italian about it - even the coffee was bland. We were sat at a table in the midst of the restaurant wiht no view, bland boring table, and a waiter who was to tell us the ''kids menu'' which basically is the same as the adult menu and crap - BUT kids 12 and under can get a juice insteand of tea or coffee! Wauv, really? What if an adult doesn't like tea or coffee, or just the fact that they want you 13 year old to drink tea or coffee or overprice you for a juice? Really? I mean that's the level of service you get. Our kids didn't like the food so not all was eaten of course. They are extremely unflexible meaning that you cannot exchange on part of the meal for another, that is one measly boring porridge (yuck. slimey) for a blueberry muffin of supermarket quality... All in all we went away hungry and disappointed, feeling stupid for being reeled into this tourist trap. We paid 150 for 6 people not getting decent food or getting full - our local pub, the bella italia restaurant near our apartment, both got us full for between 50 and 120 pounds - with good service, too, which was completely lacking here. My guess is that there is some kind of scam going on between the owners of Larch and whomever runs Sky Garden. Take my word for...