The White Bear, A Heartwood Inn — Restaurant in London

Best meal I've had in a long time. We visited The White Bear on a Friday evening, after seeing excellent reviews on Google; truly well deserved reviews.

My partner and I have to say this is the best meal we have had in a long time.

Our waiter Jack was a star.  I asked him for recommendations and he gave a very true and honest opinion on all the dishes. On his recommendation; I had the duck leg which just fell off the bone.  It wasn't fatty or grisly as duck leg can be sometimes.  My partner had the steak and said it was the best steak he has ever had. The food was well cooked, well presented and very tasty.

It was shame the steak didn't come with any sides, priced at £24.90, I feel it should come with sides. We are in Ruislip and not London, where I may expect to order separate sides. I never understand why you wouldn't serve a dish with sides, no one has just a lump of meat, unless you are protein loading.

Jack recommended a dessert, when I asked for his opinion between two.  I chose the pavlova, which once I managed to cut the meringue was lovely.  The meringue a bit difficult to break and as a result went all over the place. Maybe smaller pieces of meringue would be better.  My partner had the sticky toffee pudding; it was delicious; I know because of course I had to taste it.

I have to say Jack is a true asset to you White Bear, he is so knowledgeable on the food and his service is exceptional. My partner and I have dined at many places and have always commented that service just isn't good.  Waiters just don't seem interested, they just drop stuff on your table and can't get away fast enough.  Jack offered true service; service you expect when you go out to dine. You want dining out to be an experience; to feel you are receiving that little extra and Jack delivered.

The ambience was great; very busy place. The pub was warm; again something we have commented on when dining out that most restaurants seem to be scrimping on the heating, which just takes away from the enjoyment when you are feeling cold. Jack advised us The White Bear is a part of Raymond Blanc's, Brassiere Blanc restaurants.

There is parking on site. The facilities were clean though cold.  I always like to comment on the facilities as it is important.

I would say it was a bit pricey however, I will...

Lunch £75 no alcahol. Visited on a recommendation and was in the top 10 worst places to eat. Prawns in a butter sauce no taste, Fish was either salmon or trout, and the sauce had no taste, Absolutely no imagination in how to make a recipie, except 100% gone into or complicating the food and the taste is disguised either in the imagination of the menu creator or the establishment is having the last laugh on the customer. Lucky I wasn't actually working that day, the product wasn't fit for purpose and just under half the bill on fizzy and soft drink. Should I have been working then wow , social media frenzy. MENU needs to be wholesome, this does not suit euro food style as it is clear this can not be represented. Heavy portion control and minimalist attitude as no further condiments offered, no sauces, no lustre or a polished finish by the staff. Who stand there expecting gratuity? You have a great opportunity to up sale or suggestive sale and yet the business is under achieving. Staff need to be trained in the above rather than book a table and seat people. With respect to this business a harvester menu has define taste, an array of food compliments, and staff actually care about been there in a place at half the price. NEVER FORGET, IT IS CUSTOMERS WHO LINE YOUR POCKETS. it is not a case of a business model that works and go home. You have the prime location, the affluent people and you are used to people just opening up the wallet at the end and it's automatic pay. Then please capitalise on this. 5 days in there and I would have already employed extra staff from the profits turned and your Internet traffic would be viral making your reputation a place people want to go rather then moan about the experience. In turn with correct social media use you would end up insanely busy 7 days. Regrettably just another business with money been ploughed in and the scrapings pocketed. Money and brains 50/50, just a knife edge based on robbing peter to pay Paul. Apauled, no...

The restaurant presented a mixed experience - it boasts a well-stocked bar and a variety of drink options. The dining area is also tastefully decorated and accessible. We visited last Saturday to utilize a 50% discount on main courses. We arrived at approximately 4:15 PM; it was relatively quiet with one large group in the bar area and about three tables occupied in the dining area. The staff were amiable, although the waitress seemed hurried. The menu choices were somewhat limited. We ordered two burgers with cheese and bacon for £20, which felt slightly expensive. My wife chose the duck which she enjoyed, and we also had a couple of drinks and two desserts. Unfortunately, my wife discovered a piece of white paper in her meal and may have ingested some of it. The piece we found measured about 4cm x 4cm. The manager was apologetic and gave some sort of explanation as to why it was there. This wasn't our first issue; previously, during a Sunday lunch that might have been on Mother's Day, I found a large piece of plastic in my lamb dish. The desserts were average; the sticky toffee pudding was unremarkable, and the crunchy biscuit with a dollop of sour cream was not enjoyable - we've had better elsewhere. My daughter's trio of ice cream was left 30% uneaten, and one of the flavors was incorrect, though we didn't mention it at that point. We had difficulty getting the staff's attention to request the bill. The restaurant supervisor/manager was very apologetic about the incident with the paper and kindly removed my wife's main course from the bill, which was a nice but expected gesture. Overall, the experience was average, and without the voucher, it would have felt overpriced. It's unfortunate because the establishment has the potential to be excellent, but the food doesn't seem to be freshly prepared on-site....