Marceline — Restaurant in London

As we approached the entrance of Marceline, the door gracefully swung open – and for a fleeting moment, I thought it was an automatic door. Turns out, it was the hands of the ever-charming team, warmly ushering us into the fold. The first person to greet us was all smiles - great start.

Marceline sits cozily tucked in the centre of the humdrum of Canary Wharf’s corporate buzz. But it pulls you into the very chic hum of a French brasserie. The exterior whispers class, but it’s the interior that bellows sophistication, like a true Parisian brasserie.

We were promptly escorted to our table by the lovely Adama, who floated us past the sea of tightly packed tables. Yes, they are close enough to engage in unintentional eavesdropping, but let’s be real – this is what you sign up for in any self-respecting French brasserie. You’ll get over it once the food arrives.

Our waiter, Abe, was the epitome of charm – the kind of person who could talk you into ordering everything on the menu, and you’d thank him for it. With the air of someone who’s served at a Michelin-starred joint, Abe was not just attentive, he was downright enthusiastic about our dining experience.

First up: the Escargot de Bourgogne. While it didn’t quite whisk me off to the France, for London standards, this was among the top-tier snail experiences, buttery and garlicky in all the right ways.

Then came the Onion Soup. Rich, decadent, and sporting a melted cap of Gruyère - delicious. It’s a generous portion too, so do yourself a favor and share it—unless, of course, you plan to nap under the table.

Moules Frites arrived, looking like a mussel wonderland. Let me start by raving about the frites – crispy, golden perfection served with an equally perfect aioli dip. The mussels, drenched in a glorious bath of white wine, garlic, parsley, and butter, were divine. But here’s the problem (our fault): we left them sitting a tad too long while we tackled the escargots and soup, and they cooled off. Rookie mistake! Take note – devour them immediately!!

Next, the Steak Frite. A medium rare onglet steak, perfectly cooked. While I found the Maître d'Hotel Butter a little heavy-handed the quality of the meat shone through. As a steak lover, I personally would have preferred a sprinkling of quality sea salt.

Then there was dessert. The Mille Feuille wasn’t even listed on the website, but our trusty Abe insisted we try it – and we were powerless to resist. Layers of puff pastry cradling a whisper-light fruit cream, paired with a mango sorbet and pineapple chunks anointed with passionfruit sauce. It was a symphony of tastes and textures!!

Naturally, this indulgence was washed down with three Espresso Martinis, each with a foamy top so perfect, it was still there long after the last drop. And yes, they were adorned with the holy trinity of 3 coffee beans – an essential touch. I refuse to trust any establishment that dares serve an Espresso Martini without those beans - sacrilege!!

Before I forget – the bread and salted butter. For £2 per person, this is a steal. The bread arrives warm, the salted butter is a revelation.

And just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better, out came a handwritten birthday card and a demi-sized bottle of champagne, a kind and thoughtful gesture - Thank You!

Final verdict? Marceline is not just recommended – it’s required. We will most certainly be back, and this time, I’m not waiting for the...

From start to finish, Marceline delivered the most incredible experience for my brother’s surprise birthday dinner. I honestly cannot fault them, they went above and beyond in every way. Firstly, I have to give a huge thank you to Valeria from the private booking team. She was absolutely amazing, right from the beginning she provided me with all the information I needed, answered every question promptly, and made the entire booking process so smooth and stress-free. It really set the tone for what turned out to be a perfect evening. On the actual night, we were looked after by Charlie, who catered to our every need with such warmth and professionalism. She didn’t just serve us well, she went the extra mile even helping us set up the extra decorations we brought along, which made the whole evening feel even more special. Her attentiveness really stood out and was appreciated by every single guest. There was also a gentleman (I believe the manager, though I didn’t catch his name) who was just as fantastic. He checked in on us multiple times, made sure everything was running smoothly, and even surprised us with extra fries on the house. It’s small gestures like these that made the evening feel so personal and memorable. The atmosphere at Marceline was perfect, the food was incredible, and every guest left raving about the experience. Most importantly, my brother absolutely loved his surprise dinner, which meant the world to me. To the whole team at Marceline: thank you for making the night unforgettable. I would 100% recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for amazing service, delicious food, and a truly special atmosphere. I will definitely be...

We had high hopes for Marceline but, unfortunately, it did not hit the spot for any of us.

The venue was freezing, apparently due to the heating not working. Bear in mind that the outside temperature was circa 0° degrees.

The serving staff were very slow and seemed to be inexperienced, which is a common occurrence nowadays in London's food and beverage scene.

The food was quite disappointing. The mains took ages to be served, which is something we could not figure out as there were not that many occupied tables.

I ordered a medium rare fillet steak and it arrived medium well, and was tough and tasteless. Had it sent back to the kitchen for another one cooked to my preference.

The next one was cooked correctly, but once again without much flavour. On the side, I had some potato dauphinois and whilst they were "ok", they seemed a bit oily and nothing to write home about.

My partner ordered the onglet steak, which did not look very appetising on the plate in my opinion, and my daughter had the chicken breast which was on the dry side of the spectrum.

To top it off, the bread was generic. The kind you buy at the supermarket and bake at home yourself.

It is a shame as the venue is really nice and we were expecting more, especially based on the reviews and the location.

Maybe they still need a bit more time to find their rhythm both in the kitchen and on the floor, which I hope they do sooner than later.

Unfortunately, we will not be returning...