Smiths of Smithfield — Restaurant in London

Having had a fairly disappointing experience here (original review - below - was only 2**) the team at Smith's invited me back to give them a second chance. I was torn as I don't generally feel comfortable accepting complimentary meals and it makes leaving a properly disinterested review trickier. However I did accept and it was a quite different experience from my first visit. So here goes: for me there are two different reasons to go to restaurants. The first is to eat things that I couldn't or wouldn't eat at home. However I have my repertoire and I know my limits. There are things talented chefs and restaurant kitchens can do that most of us can't. Occasionally I'll eat something in a restaurant that makes me want to try to recreate it myself, or something like it. That's a definite win. The other reason I dine out is that sometimes it's just nice to be cooked for and looked after and be given something nice to eat while being able to give one's full attention to one's dining companion(s). I'd choose to eat at Smith's for the latter reason and it's a very good reason to eat here. The first time round, in the bar, the experienced was somewhat compromised by a very nice server who couldn't get the order right. This time we ate in No. 3, the rooftop restaurant. It manages to be both smart and understated. I was surprised that on a Friday night it wasn't busier. There were a few tables but it was far from full. The menu is varied and one could really push the boat out with a large steak or seafood platter. We decided to stick with scallops as a starter. They were perfectly seared and served on the shell with chicken butter, peas, girolles and lardo. It was lovely though the accompaniment didn't quite cut through. There could have been more mushroominess. I know, it's nitpicking. I have no doubt we chose well. For our main course my friend ordered fillet steak medium rare with triple cooked chips and beef fat bearnaise (good chips... very good chips) and I went with the monkfish with Café de Paris sauce and radicchio. Again they were both flawlessly executed. I tend to do something like monkfish with something with a little more acid (white wine, fresh chopped tomatoes, butter) that gives it something to push against but the cafe de paris worked as a sort of culinary hug. We found room to share a dark chocolate fondant, god knows where. The staff in No.3 had all of their colleague in the bar's charm but got the order right. We felt very well looked after. Was the food memorable? It was well judged, perfectly cooked and comforting and we had a lovely evening. The thing that was particularly memorable however was the cocktail I ordered; an Aztec, invented by one of the team working that night. I can't remember what was in it other than, I think, chocolate bitters and possibly vodka. I'd definitely go back for another one of those. +++++++ I didn’t have steak so I have no idea why people go here except it’s probably steak. Even so they couldn’t even get those quite right. One of my dining companions asked for rare and it wasn’t. The server was friendly but didn’t feel he needed to write the order down but ten had to come back twice to check he’d remembered it correctly. He hadn’t. He could just about remember three steaks and a beef brisket but the sides addled him and as for the drinks… we suggested he try again later with the drinks. Seriously though, why do some servers do that? It wasn’t busy. We had time. Is it just machismo or was he trying to inject a little excitement into a boring job? As for that beef brisket, I’d like to borrow our server’s powers of forgetting. It came with gravy, mustard and pickled cucumber. It could have used some carbs to ease the pain of being right back in the school dining room, staring at the remains of a cow that had been turned into an instrument of unkindness. This culinary low point cost £23. I’ve had happier moments in Greggs. Honestly I still don’t know why...

We hosted our wedding reception at Smiths of Smithfield in September. From the moment we booked our wedding, we had the amazing help of Mike and the team, who walked us through every step and were extremely flexible and considerate of our wishes.

Prior to the wedding, we spent time at Smiths having a complimentary tasting and an appointment with the sommelier, Christina, who adapted the wine selection to suit our preferences and was incredibly knowledgable. We always felt like we were in safe hands with the Smiths team and it has become one of our favourite London venues - not only because of our wedding, but also because it is a genuinely incredible restaurant and bar.

We had our wedding across two floors: the terrace and the grill. Both rooms are perfect for a wedding and the London skyline was an amazing setting. The food was incredible and many of our guests commented that it was the best wedding food they have ever eaten.

The venue staff and chefs on the day went above and beyond to make sure we had the best day. We were delayed by traffic in central and the team seamlessly moved the schedule by 1 hour.

In the evening, we hired WeRDJs (recommended by Smiths) who did a brilliant job. It genuinely was the most perfect day and we're so grateful to the Smiths team for everything. We also can't wait to come back to celebrate our anniversaries.

Thank you so much Mike, Stan, Christina and the wider team - you guys...

I seldom leave reviews, but the exceptional service that we received today and back in February should be highlighted and recognised.

In February a couple of friends and I booked a table on the 3rd floor. We were served by Kashayla back then, and she was friendly, attentive, and engaged with us all with a smile until her shift was up. We had a great birthday celebration with steaks and cocktails all around (I can highly recommend the margaritas).

Today, on an impromptu visit, one of the friends I was with in February and I decided to have a quick drink and we were given the choice of the ground floor or the third. We opted to head upstairs and were pleasantly surprised to be shown to the same booth we sat at previously by Kashayla once again. She even remarked that she was showing us back to our booth! She not only remembered us from our previous visit, but also remembered that I'm partial to a well-made margarita. Although we weren't stopping for food this time around (we shared a few bar bites, hence the food review relates to the February visit) Kashayla was so friendly, attentive and engaging it added an extra dimension to having a quick drink. She is a credit to your establishment.

We will definitely be back as we've not tried the 2nd floor yet, and I hope the staff on that level are at least as good!

tl;dr - great food and cocktails, even better service....