Wolsely in London: Nice Atmosphere, Average Food (London Restaurant Review No. 3)

Our first restaurant experience of our recent trip to London and Paris was a late night after theatre dinner at Wolsely, which is a London post- theatre institution. Befitting its status, even at 10:45 Wolsely was very crowded, and we had to wait 10 minutes notwithstanding our reservation. The décor was very interesting – almost like something out of a Pottery Barn catalog. The restaurant is very big, but the tables are spaced well enough apart to allow conversation.

We started with wine by the glass. Lisa had a Rioja which she found kind of plain, but good. Steve’s Gigondas was very full bodied, perhaps a bit much so for his liking. We had a salmon appetizer, which came with toast and creme fraiche. We thought the salmon was quite good, but it could have used better accompaniments and more crème fraiche.

Steve ordered the steak frites for his entrée. The steak lacked flavor but the frites were great. Lisa had the same view of her ribeye. The taste was mediocre (although the dish was cooked a perfect medium rare), but she also liked the frites.

The cheese course was extremely good. The cheeses consisted of a bleu, a cheddar and a stinky cheese, all of which were great. Also we very much liked the biscuits which went along with the cheese.

The bathrooms were, particularly for England, quite good, albeit small. Dinner for two at Wolsely, with wine by the glass, was 130 pounds ($260 dollars), which is a bit overpriced, in our view, for the quality.

Overall, we found London to be mostly a culinary wasteland. This was one of the better places at which we dined, yet, it was nothing to write home, or even e-mail, about.

Our ratings for Wolsely, 160 Picadilly, London

6.5 of 10 Steak Knives 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes