Restaurant St. Barts — Restaurant in London

A Disappointing Michelin-Starred Lunch – Not Worth the Hype

We had high expectations for ST BART’S - a Michelin-starred restaurant. This was my 60th birthday, so it was a really special occation. Unfortunally our experience was a big letdown.

We started with a glass of English sparkling wine in the lounge, where a gentleman introduced the wine. At that time he seemed like someone who would ensure a great experience for us, but at the end he really let us down. That is also when we discovered he was actually the owner of the restaurant. Wich makes his behavior even more shocking! I will get back to this.

After a while in the lounge we were led to our table, placed at the very back of the restaurant. Our young server, who seemed quite new to the job, poured us a glass of Champagne (priced at approximately £30). She showed us the label, but said nothing about the wine. After waiting a while and finishing half the glass, I had to call over the same gentleman from earlier and ask for some information about the wine. At the same time, I asked who the sommelier at the restaurant actually was. We actually got the feeling that since we hadn't ordered the wine pairing we could not expect the same service when it came to wine. Though we in the beginning did ask to have wine that matched the courses, but maybe not a full packed - but more like one glass matching two dishes instead of one.

Nobody offered us red wine for the later courses (red meat). When we brought this up later in the discussion, the owner defended it by saying we still had white wine in our glasses. We also found ourselves with empty glasses multiple times during lunch, yet no one offered to refill or suggest another wine. We had to ask ourself everytime. Throughout the meal, we also asked for half glasses of wine multiple times, but were flatly told that they never serve half pours. Just «Because.».

As for the food, it was nothing special. Some of the dishes were good. The dishes lacked visual appeal, and the flavors didn’t stand out. Two of us asked to swap dessert for cheese and were given three thin slices on a plate—far from what one would expect in a Michelin-starred restaurant. And actually; later during the discussion about service, the owner insisted that allowing us to swap two dessert for cheese had in his opinion been a generous service.

Then came the bill. A mandatory 15% service charge was added—about £82.50 on a total of £550. Given the overall experience, this felt unfair, and my husband and daughter questioned it. This led to a 10-minute discussion with the owner, who insisted that everything we had experienced was good service.

• When we pointed out that no one had explained the Champagne, he claimed that me waving over another server to ask was good service. • When we mentioned the lack of red wine to the meat, he said that since we still had white in our glasses, no offer of red was needed. • When we reminded him that we had asked for half glasses of wine multiple times but were refused, he simply stated that they never serve half pours. • When we mentioned that we had empty glasses multiple times without anyone offering more wine, there was no real response. • When we brought up the cheese substitution, he argued that giving us three thin slices instead of dessert was a significant service.

Rather than listening to us, he countered every point we made, showing no humility or willingness to acknowledge any shortcomings.

For a Michelin-starred restaurant, a certain level of hospitality and finesse is expected. A great dining experience is not just about the food—it’s about service, atmosphere, and how guests are treated. Unfortunately, ST BART’S failed on all counts. The only thing I truly liked was the restaurant’s interior.

I rarely write negative reviews, but as a Norwegian restaurant, food, and wine blogger with extensive experience in Michelin-starred dining, I felt compelled to share my disappointment. A truly underwhelming experience, especially for such a...

Tried the Business Lunch Hour at Restaurant St Barts (Michelin-starred), which is as the description should run for an hour but mine ran to 1 hour 23 minutes—so be aware if you’re on a tight schedule.

The restaurant is tucked away in a peaceful close near St Bartholomew’s Hospital, with a view of a charming St Bartholomew church courtyard.

The interior is modern and calming—light sand walls, wood floors, soft curtains for privacy, and warm wooden lamps above each table. Seating is a mix of wood chairs with beige cushions and bar-style tables near the open kitchen. It feels intimate but not cramped.

Started with the Botivo Sbagliato, a refreshing summer drink with apple sharpness, a touch of honey, and herbal notes. Served in a wine glass—really enjoyable.

First bite was of the amuse-bouche of duck parfait on a biscuit disc—tiny but excellent. The bread of black sourdough with toasted oats was very good, and the butter was surprisingly standout—rich, almost like a dessert.

Unfortunately, there was a 33-minute wait between seating and the first proper course, which slowed things down significantly.

Had the crab custard starter served in a small ramekin (which was chipped, slightly disappointing). It was subtly flavoured but could have used a bit more salt. The muffin on the side was okay but again, very small.

The turbot mains, poached in truffle, arrived 53 minutes in. Interesting texture and well-balanced flavour. The razor clam was a bit chewy, but the mushroom purée was the best part of the dish. A slice of bread was served during the gap—fine, but nothing memorable.

At 1 hour 15 minutes, dessert was of honey and lavender tart, I would call it a tartlet with honeycomb in the centre and ice cream on top. Tasted great but very small. No petit fours at the end, which was understandable given we’d gone past the hour.

Lovely setting and skilled cooking in parts, but overall the portion sizes were extremely small, and the pacing made it feel more like a drawn-out tasting menu than a quick lunch.

Probably not ideal if you’re truly after something “express”—but worth trying if you’re nearby, not in a rush, and want to experience refined cooking in a...

My partner treated me to a meal here for my birthday and it was the best one yet! We do a fine dining restaurant for pretty much every special occasion so we've a fair amount of experience with this format and been to several two and three star places , but this one is my favourite ever. This really is a special and unique place. The creativity of the food and wine, coupled with the warmth and generosity of the staff is of the highest standard. The head chef was even kind enough to take the time to show me around their impressive kitchen facilities and chat about food with me after our meal. The chefs are geniuses and I don't know how they came up with such delicious and creative dishes. The food was definitely the best bit of the experience, which is unfortunately often not true of fancy restaurants. I also have to mention that the wine pairing is extremely generous and really original and clever; the sommelier is just fantastic. I often regret paying a premium for a wine pairing but this is absolutely not one of those occasions. 100% worth it. Cheeses and accompanying wine (also super delicious and unusual) also 100% worth it. The setting is great and the furniture and tableware is beautiful. Service was perfect as well. Super unobtrusive, but everything was always taken care of. The dishes were presented by the chefs who, quite rightly, take obvious pride in their creations. It was also clear that the staff all seem to be friends which was lovely to see. Price point is about average for a London tasting menu, but considering it was my favourite meal ever I consider it a bargain! The 5 star ranking system is bad for fine dining restaurants on Google, as obviously they're all pretty good and mostly going to be 5 stars. I don't usually like rating something as subjective as food, but this place is basically my perfect...