Stork Restaurant Mayfair — Restaurant in London

I’ve been a regular customer at Stork, unfortunately this had to come to an end when I got to know the female manager last weekend. She has a horrible, stank and patronising attitude.

Our group of 8 made a reservation in December that had to be moved to February due to the pandemic. We normally had a great experience at Stork (well that was when the manager wasn’t present) and were very much looking forward to our girls night. We specifically requested to sit upstairs which was confirmed on multiple occasions by the booking staff. We even called on the day of the reservation and got reassured that we will be seated upstairs.

Upon punctual arrival our group was moved to the bar because our table wasn’t ready. After 45 minutes of standing around a table that was meant for 2 not 8, the manager approached us with her horrible attitude. No apologies for us waiting around or even a simple hello. We were greeted with “ARE YOU SO & SO?”. She then accused us of not booking for 8 but 7 people which was absolutely untrue and proven to her by showing our email confirmation. Regardless of that we didn’t understand the fuss she made and it seemed as if she just wanted to find a reason to blame us and seat us elsewhere since there were still no free tables upstairs! She even hinted the option of us leaving the restaurant if she can’t find space for us.

1 hour and 15 minutes now went by and we’re still standing at the bar for a reservation we made two months ago. A kind staff member provided us with a bottle of free champagne for all the waiting, which we really appreciated. This lovely gesture was then ruined by the manager who mentioned we needed to be seated downstairs as there is no space upstairs. No space even though it was requested and confirmed several times beforehand! At that point we just wanted to sit down and made our way to the table downstairs.

We were all in disbelief when we noticed our table is right in front of the open kitchen. A place where you see your meals being prepared from scratch, chefs shouting around and not to forget the beam lights that are so bright that it’s uncomfortable to sit there. Personally, I don’t think a table should even exist in that area of a restaurant. Since we had no other restaurant option as we neared 11pm we had to exchange vibes and music with the sound of pots and pans. Our evening was ruined.

After all of these circumstances you would expect an apologetic manager but she continued to be demanding and patronising. I’m absolutely shocked that this is who represents the restaurant I was once a fan of.

We demanded some sort of compensation and could at least get one free round of cocktails. However we will not visit this restaurant again! Reading some of the other reviews, we’re not the only group that had problems when booking with “special” requests. Unless you want to be treated like your presence doesn’t matter, I would suggest going elsewhere! There are plenty other options in Mayfair.

I will have to say that beside of the manager, the staff is lovely and went above and beyond to make our experience...

I recently visited Stork for a birthday celebration, and I can honestly say it was one of the most disappointing dining experiences I’ve ever had. I had high expectations after seeing the online reviews and photos, but the reality was a complete letdown from start to finish.

First, let’s talk about the service. Our waitress was lovely and friendly, but unfortunately, that was the only positive thing about the experience. While she was attentive and kept our drinks topped up, the rest of the meal fell apart. It didn’t make up for what was about to come.

I ordered the "Pepper" Fish Soup for my starter, and I was expecting something rich, flavorful, and spicy. What I got was a sad, watery bowl of soup with seafood that was cooked decently but nothing special. Where was the pepper? The dish was bland and tasteless, completely lacking any hint of the pepper that was supposed to be the star of the dish. It was so underwhelming that I questioned whether I had been served the right dish at all.

Then came my main course: lamb cutlets with couscous. To my surprise, we weren’t even asked how we’d like our lamb cooked. I assumed it would be at least seasoned well, but no—what I got was a bland, flavorless piece of meat that tasted like it had been cooked without any care or attention. The couscous was just as disappointing—dry, tasteless, and completely lacking in any seasoning. It was honestly a chore to eat. A total waste of money.

For dessert, I decided to try the charred glazed pineapples. Well, that was the final straw. These pineapples were absolutely drenched in sugar, to the point that it felt like I was eating straight syrup. The sweetness was so overwhelming, it ruined the entire dish and made it impossible to enjoy. It wasn’t even a pleasant sweetness—it was cloying and sickly, completely overshadowing the pineapple itself.

The worst part? The entire meal, including a £70 deposit and £87 for the food, totaled £157. For that price, I expected something far better than what I received. I left feeling completely cheated and regretting every penny spent. This was not a special dining experience—it was a waste of money, time, and expectations. The management really needs to reevaluate their recipes and flavors because at this point, Stork is nowhere near worth the money they’re charging. I’ll be sure to warn others to avoid this place...

Avoid at all costs - there is rice at home.

Absolutely horrendous experience at Stork. Was made to wait outside in the cold before being allowed in the reception area which made my friend and I even more late for our booking.

(We tried to call beforehand had to inform them we would be 10 mins late, there was no answer)

We finally got let in and attended to by the rudest manager she let us know we were late which we acknowledge and apologize for but she proceeded to act like our table was no longer available. The table simply was not ready which meant we had to wait again.

As we waited in the reception area two guests had a fighting match with rude manager because she made a comment about the guest wearing a scarf on her head "you don't see anyone else wearing a scarf in there" What if she had it on for religious reasons or personal reasons. How is that your business? The guests left anyway because they were seated for over an hour without being served!

We finally got seated after what felt like many moons by the bar on the 1st floor were the staff kept coming through to drop off used cups etc and I was kindly splashed by drinks from the bar staff making cocktails (not their fault, not sure why tables would be so close)

For a waiter to come and serve it again took many moons but the cocktails where nice I can't complain. Our food took a very long time to be served, the jollof rice was nothing special it tasted like rice dipped in uncooked tomato sauce, the plantain dry and tasteless and cut into weird shapes. The prawns were lovely though. We went on a Friday and expected the DJ to be there but unfortunately she wasn't so the vibes were just meh compared to other restaurants on a friday.

All in all I wish I ate before i came as i left somewhat craving macdonalds that costs a fraction of the price and eating my jollof rice i left at home. In terms of understanding the assignment Stork did not. Do not be fooled by social media or most of the reviews, prices are absolutely not worth what is being delivered.

BTW if you want to celebrate your birthday and bring your own personal cake you will have to pay £60 and sign a waiver two days before due to 'cross contamination' - I have honestly seen it all in this London.

I would not recommend and will definitely not be going...