LA BANQ — Restaurant in Three Rivers

Visited La Banq for a birthday meal with friends. Have been waiting in anticipation for this restaurant to open since it was first announced! When I walked in I couldn’t believe it was an old bank…the decor was stunning! Instantly felt like I was in a central London restaurant! So many beautiful details! The food was wonderful. I had a mixed seafood grill that was lovely. Big, juicy prawns and monkfish…very nice! The cocktails were perfectly done too, and beautifully presented. Prices are like London prices, but reflected in the quality.

We did have a delay with our food and drink orders, which was a shame. The upstairs was heaving and I think they oversubscribed with the bookings - lots of large parties, which must have been difficult to keep up with. I feel taking a few tables away would have helped ensure that the service could be spot on. However, the manager was incredibly apologetic, and and I’ve always been told to judge a place based on how mistakes are rectified after a complaint. He couldn’t have done more! I will definitely be returning for date night in a few weeks, once La Banq has found its feet a little more!

One piece of feedback I will pass on to the manager, if this review is seen, is that it was incredibly loud upstairs. With the surrounding parties and the singer and music, it was hard to hold a conversation, even with those sitting next to you. The singer was great, but her voice and the competing crowd noise was a little too much at times. I would suggest possibly some nice background/jazz music etc, and a quieter form of entertainment like a table magician or something, like they do in the Florist and Marcels etc, that would still create...

Went in for the lunch menu, which is £13 for 2 courses (starter and main). We had the halloumi and creamy mushrooms for starter and Veg Moussaka and Chicken burger for main. The food was of a good standard, although I was a bit surprised that the cheese on top of the mushrooms was just grated on and not melted under the grill. Also, the portion of fries that came with the chicken burger was a little small. The halloumi was delicious, as was the moussaka. The chicken burger was also pretty good. The bread and dips/sauces that comes with the starters is ridiculously nice…. I could have eaten that all day! The thing I was really disappointed with was my drink. I had a ‘mocktail’, which was called Cherry Cherry Cola, there was no description as to what it might be (although the name does give it away a bit) but what I got was a big glass of ice, 2 glacier cherries and the equivalent of a can of Cherry Coke…. All for £7!! I expected something a bit differen I suppose, especially at that price. I’ll definitely come back as the food and service was really good, but I’ll save myself £6 and get a can of cherry coke on the way out...

The food here was, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had. From the moment we arrived, the experience was flawless. My wife and I asked to move our reservation half an hour earlier, and not only were they happy to accommodate, but they also offered us a cozy booth instead of a standard table which was such a thoughtful touch.

Even though we didn’t order a starter, we were still brought a generous selection of homemade dips and warm flatbreads, which was a lovely and unexpected gesture. It really set the tone for the rest of the evening.

My wife ordered the mixed grill and, although she couldn’t finish it because it was so filling, she was genuinely disappointed to leave any behind as it was that well-seasoned, tender, and delicious. I had the Chicken ala Creme, and I truly can’t praise it enough. Every bite was outstanding.

To top it all off, we were served by the most upbeat and cheerful waiter, whose energy added so much to the experience. The food, the service, the atmosphere, everything was simply phenomenal.

All in all if I could rate this restaurant higher I would, it deserves every 5 star...