Wright Brothers South Kensington — Restaurant in London

Visited with a friend for a pre-Christmas lunch. First impressions - the place was dead, perhaps only two other tables occupied and the atmosphere not inviting. The decor looks little changed from when the place was La Bouchee, yet everything else is much changed. To start with the service - given how empty the place was, it would have not been unreasonable to expect at least some of waiter's attention yet this was curiously not the case. We were left to ourselves to peruse the menu and there was no attempt to describe the specials. After 10 mins of waiting we had to ask for our order to be taken. Fish soup arrived with four croutons the size of 50p coin and a side dish of gruyere cheese and garlick mayonnaise. The mayo was delicious but the soup was frankly bland and very basic. For the main we chose wild mushrooms and truffle oil tagliatelle which took another 10mins to arrive. This was the worst pasta dish I've ever had - clearly not freshly cooked but re-heated, hardly any wild mushrooms in it and no truffle oil. The sauce was too heavy on the cream which made the dish inedible and there was hardly any seasoning. Before tasting I had to ask for some parmesan (not offered as a matter of course) and was brought a tiny dish of the same gruyere cheese that came with the soup earlier which did nothing to spruce up the dish. Fried Jerusalem artichokes were nearly burnt and added nothing whatsoever to the dish. The staff kept passing by but no one bothered to ask us how things were. Had to ask for the dishes to be removed and then, again after great delay, for the cheque. This was brought promptly enough. The waiter then inquired if I wanted to take away my barely touched tagliatelle dish at which point I had to say it was one of the worst dishes I've ever had. He promptly took away the cheque and removed the charge for the dish but did not bother to inquire about the reasons or offer an apology. I couldn't wait to leave. Bad service, very bad food and no atmosphere (at least at lunchtime) - there is absolutely nothing about this place that warrants...

We went for lunch after visiting the Natural History museum. We have been greeted by Larissa who showed us a table, but after noticing that we were looking at a different seat, she offered that one instead. That was a really nice touch.

I have been few years ago to the Borough Market branch and I had great time, and I can happly say that my experience in South Kensington was also memorable (Probably even better!).

We shared some small plates, everything was beautifully presented, well paired and cooked to perfection. The Octopus had almond flakes that were a really pleasant match, it was crispy on the outside and soft inside. Tiger prawns were served with a delicious Romesco, the only minus was that needed to be peeled and deveined (finger bowl was however provided as part of their mise en place). The scallops were the absolute star. Seared perfectly, meaty and juicy. Simply stunning.

Diego, the bartender, recccomanded their House Bloody Mary, it was gently spiced, balanced and came with an oyster on top. Amazing! We also were allowed to try couple of wines before getting a carafe and their Viogner; it was perfect for our meal: dry, mineral and served at a perfect temperature.

Both Larissa and Diego looked after us for the entire meal in a professional, knowledgeable and kind way. We felt a great atmosphere in the restaurant as soon as walked in. They both embrace a great culture of passionate Hospitality, something that lately is beginning to miss in London. Thank you for the fantastic meal and afternoon and well done to both...

We picked Wright Brothers after reading great reviews and seeing the restaurant's vibe. It's a small, cozy spot that feels a bit cramped but has a nice atmosphere overall. The staff was friendly, attentive, and really helpful throughout our meal.

For small plates, we went with the roasted scallops and homemade soda bread. The scallops were cooked perfectly and really tasty. The bread was pretty dense and the seaweed butter was a bit odd, but the bread worked great for soaking up the leftover garlic butter from the scallops.

We had the fish and chips and they were excellent as expected, though the chips could've used a pinch more salt - I'm just being picky.

The sea bream special we ordered was more of an issue. The fish itself was beautiful and cooked really well, but it came on top of a romesco sauce that completely overpowered it. There was also a big dollop of tapenade that did the same thing. I get the Spanish theme they were going for, but the sauces totally dominated what should have been the star of the dish. Only after scraping most of it off could I actually taste the lovely fish.

Despite the sea bream disappointment, it was a good experience overall and I'd probably go back - just not ordering that...