L’Etoile

If you are going to exist as a restaurant in London’s theatre district, alongside many other great restaurants, and bring people back time and again, then you have to be pretty darn special. L’Etoile is exactly that. The staff are incredibly warm and welcoming and their attitude is such that nothing is too much trouble, and their very existence is purposed in your satisfaction.
Apart from providing an elegant and tasteful environment to enjoy, the level if service is only matched by the level of culinary skill displayed in their kitchen.
Guinea Fowl that melted in the mouth; cod that flaked off the fork; salmon seasoned to precise perfection; the food at L’Etoile has never left me or my party dissatisfied. It’s one of my favourites in the West End or Soho, and I will return with genuine expectation of continued quality food and a warm welcome.

Just a total «meh». I went there on a set menu voucher and not only were the choices limited, the execution was pretty poor. I had an onion soup that tasted like it was sugared and and baked chicken that was rubbery.
The service was good and the space was pretty charming in an old school French bistro way but those were really the only good points.
I would avoid it.

We found this place on the tastecard website… I’ve walked past it a few times so I am not sure why I never noticed it before!
The great:
— The scallops were really really tasty. Seriously 5* yumminess, and that is coming from a self-​confessed scallop snob.
— The steak was pretty good. The meaty parts were tender and the red wine sauce was tasty (nom nom nom) I just wish they had either given me a steak knife, or cut the chewy, hard to chop sections off before serving it.
— Most of the staff were really lovely
The slightly less great:
— Marc’s Celeriac Remoulade and Serrano Ham didn’t impress him. He also said the sea bream was aright, but nothing particularly special
— The waiter incapable of giving advice when we chose what to order. He described the steak as «meaty and good if you like meat» (It was sort of funny, but not particularly helpful)
I was leaning towards giving this place 4 stars…
…but then although they accept tastecard (either giving 50% off the food bill, or 2 for 1 on meals) they don’t actually give the full discount. Instead you have a choice of 2 courses from the a la carte menu for £17. Even if you choose the most expensive options (we didn’t), 50% off would be £14.60pp, not £17. So even though I liked my meal, I felt a little scammed.
Taste card saving: £19.40 (although technically, it should have been £26.70, if they gave the discount that they advertise)
* You don’t need the tastecard to get this saving, it is on opentable as well…

Took my mum here for her birthday and we love french food and décor. Place was a bit dated and food was ok but nothing to write home about. I used a taste card here and still found the place over priced. I doubt I will visit again. Service again was ok but nothing special.

I get the feeling this restaurant is very much past it’s prime. The food is «ok» for the price, and the service is «ok» if a bit slow. The décor is nice, but dated.

This is officially my first Unilocal review! I wasn’t originally going to write one, but my experience differed so greatly from those before me that I felt compelled.
Upon entering with my friends, I found the atmosphere and appearance pleasant, but not particularly memorable. The staff was well-​trained and kind enough, but did not go out of their way to impress. Our waiter was knowledgeable, professional, and had good recommendations to make, which is always important to me. I prefer to try what a restaurant does best over what I am feeling at the moment!
The food was certainly the highlight. Between the four of us, we tried 3 different appetizers and 4 different mains. Our waiter brought out free small cups of the mushroom soufflé for free, and it was delicious! The dishes we ordered were all phenomenal; a true fine dining experience with great presentation and execution. I went for the lamb app and slow-​cooked pork main. The lamb was so good that it’s a bit hard to explain: the meat was exceptionally tender and flavorful, so much so that I had hard time believing it was lamb! The crunchy «sweetbread» croutons were only passable, but their purpose was to provide texture, which I found successful. The pork was similarly delicate, with a great mixture of sweet and savory. I was able to sample my tablemates’ dishes, which I found equally delicious.
Perhaps they changed chefs/​management? Either way, this was the best restaurant I’ve hit in London in my 10-​day stay, and I’ve been going off of recommendations both from friends and Unilocal!Hoping the best for this place!
Food and presentation get 5 stars, but staff and atmosphere take reduce my overall score slightly to a 4.

I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointing this was. We went Saturday for my Nana’s 80^th birthday, lots of the family hadn’t seen each other in years so we were all really looking forward to a night to remember.
As soon as we got there it had no ambiance/​atmosphere but loads of signed pics of famous people covering the Walls, so I thought hhmmm. Could be one of those weird little gems that actually have outstanding food but Alas! Definitely not.
The waiters were strange and mumbled everything they said to me, for all I know they could have been asking me dance about with my knickers on my head!
I noticed the price of the food on the menu was extortionate so I was really was looking forward to it knocking my socks off.
I started with the ham hock, which had what was supposed to be a plummy
Chutney (disgustingly sweet and by the tonn) boshed on top of what tasted and looked like tinned tuna! URGH.
For the main I wanted the chateaubriand which I could only have if there were two of us having it? So my cousin had it with me, it was the same price as the steak (£26). We asked for it to be cooked rare, and it came out completely charcoaled. The sauce was tasteless, and greasy in texture, accompanied by another small dish of some (oveny) looking and tasting chips. SO disappointing. When I called the waiter over to tell him these problems it was if he tried to get me to say ‘ah just don’t worry about it!’ and mumbled some gobbledygook at me, then was silent for a bit — I think to try and intimidate me — it was bizarre! And I believe he was the boss! So a younger waiter took over and asked if he could get us the steak instead, as they had now run out of the chateaubriand, I begrudgingly accepted.
When the steak came out I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was literally a huge slab of gristle on a plate with nothing else. I asked for a steak knife to which I was informed they didn’t have steak knives! Absolutely unreal when they’re charging twenty-​six quid for a minging steak!
By this point I was so cross I told them to take everything away as it was a joke and completely inedible as was the rest of my family’s food.
It was such a shame when you’ve been really looking forward to some fine dining (a rare and expensive treat for me) and you’d have had a much nicer meal cooking it yourself at home! It was ridiculously pricey for utter shit. Nearly ruined my whole evening. Thankfully it was salvaged by lots of champagne and dancing back at my uncles!

Elena’s was ok. Nothing memorable, but definitely decent.
The atmosphere was a bit kitzchy, the service VERY attentive, and the food passable. I had the duck leg starter with bits of dried seaweed (I think), and duck crackling which was presented dramatically with the leg bone stick up through it (the meat was taken off and then molded back around it with other goodied mixed in). It was probably the highlight of the meal.
For a main I had the trio of pork. The meat was all very tender but not that interestingly flavoured. I was expecting it to be a bit more unique than it was.
For dessert I had a carrot cake with ice cream and honey, which honestly is hard to screw up.
Overall, with a Tastecard discount this place is worth a visit, but probably not without.

I’m surprised there are not more reviews here. Elena’s exceeded our expectations. It’s been open since the 1890’s and is in a great location on Charlotte St. The mushroom soufflé with chutney starter was fabulous. For mains, trio of pork; this was an excellent dish with very succulent pork. The cod was perfectly cooked with a Bouillabaisse sauce, very good. The crème brûlée with caramelized bananas on the side was really yummy! Starters are about £7, mains £17, desert £6. Wine by the glass selection is good but a bit high at £8/​glass. Don’t expect huge portions, but the food is excellent and will fill you up. The service is just OK. There is a nice 2-​top and 4-​top near the window which you can reserve.

The best kept secret (oops! it was) in town.
This is one of the most romantic
restaurants in London. I adore the food,
the staff are welcoming & discrete.
A great place for lovers’ rendezvous.
(which is why so many come here to dine)
I have been a Sohoite most of my life, so
I know & love Elena & followed her here
from Soho. I now have the privelege of
living nearby, & for special occasions, this
is one of my choices.

Fantastic bistro style restaurant just off Charlotte Street. Cosy and a little quaint in terms of décor but it is going for that classic parisian Bistro look. At least the staff were not also going for the Parisian feel. We found them to attentive and energetic without being over the top.
The tables are a little close together so best if you go with a group — makes you a little more confortable rather than feeling the need to whisper.
Great food though. Menu is a strong mix of classic French cooking with some modern twists.
All in all a real gem. A fantastic little place to meet friends or take the other half.

We were actually heading to a different restaurant on Charlotte Street when we stumbled across this little gem. We did have to ask for the fixed menu as it wasn’t immediately offered but it had the nicest options on it. 2 courses for £15 and although there were only three choices in each section I wanted all of them!
The décor is dated and indeed so are the waiters but it all adds to the retro vintage charm of the place. I would definitely go back for the novelty and the delish food. I imgine it would be even better in winter for some hearty French fare.