The Wolseley
The Wolesley
160 Picadilly
W1J 9EB
Date of Last Visit: Wednesday, January 21, 208
The Victim: Catriona, someone I know via business connections and somehow who was so very excited to appear on my blog!
The Damage: Unknown! Catriona paid! (Although I think she showed me the bill so I would know for my blog, but I have forgotten. Maybe £35?)
The Background: Catriona and I have nearly completed a business transaction. To celebrate, she invites me to breakfast at The Wolseley. I'm excited. I've never been to The Wolseley before. That being said, I've read enough recent reviews to know that The Wolseley, while an institution, maybe isn't serving the best food out there.
The Entrance: Catriona is running late, so I get to The Wolseley and am shown my table and brought my choice of newspapers. This would have been a really nice touch if they had proactively offered a newspaper. I had to practically flag someone down to get "my choice of newspapers." Not good!
The Food: Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and toasted brioche for me. The salmon is fine. The brioche is fine, although it looks a lot more like toast than I expected. It still has that eggy, yeasty taste to it though. The eggs are a bit wet and runny for me. £13.25….hmmm.
The Clientele: Everyone looks vaguely famous. I'm surprised that vaguely famous people have breakfast so early!
The Verdict: Well, I'm glad I finally went here. I don't feel a pressing need to return. Maybe if I had guests in town or something. I don't know.
Feb 18, 2009
The afternoon tea makes you feel the same way. Nice, but I reckon there’s much better out there.
Feb 19, 2009
That brioche really does look like regular toast. And runny eggs: yuck! Next time, try the eggs benedict. I’ve had it several times, and it is fantastic.
Feb 22, 2009
I agree, I don’t have a pressing need to return either. The building is beautiful, but the food is hit and miss and the whole experience feels soulless
Feb 23, 2009
I treated my bf to breakfast here on Valentine’s day because I hate doing the cheesy dinner thing. His French toast with bacon was delicious while my small eggs benedict and a pastry were so so. Like you I wouldn’t return in a hurry although it was still a nice experience. Service was great and very attentive.
Feb 26, 2009
Hah – great minds think alike – that’s exactly what I ordered when I went
I was vaguely miffed from the get-go because they got soooooo pissy abotu photographs – I was honestly just showing a friend some of the features on her new camera, not even photographing the food and already the headmistress-like waitress scooted over and barked “no photos”. So of course I had to sneak one just to prove a point… I mean, it’s scrambled eggs and toast, lady, not exactly patented cuisine technology. The room is very lovely though.
Feb 28, 2009
I figured they wouldn’t be too keen on photos, hence my very low quality
Blackberry photo! I just looked like I was checking my email…very
intently!
Feb 28, 2009
P.S. Watch for my post in a few days about The Grocery on Kingsland Road.
Now THAT was a good smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. The woman cooking
there knows what she’s doing.
Apr 04, 2009
god that looks shoddy for that price, actually it would even look shoddy for £4
Apr 04, 2009
Check out The Grocery on Kingsland Road. Their smoked salmon and scrambled
eggs and toast was cheaper AND more delicious.
Dec 10, 2009
Agree with you about the runny eggs, not good. And I thought they were far too rich, tasted like a lot of butter and cream had done into them.
Dec 10, 2009
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Go to The Grocery Kitchen in Shoreditch for the best smoked salmon and scrambled eggs!