The Stockpot

I stopped by the Stockpot for a quick bite of apple crumble and custard (£2.50). I’m pretty much going to reiterate what many other Unilocalers reviewed about Stockpot: you get what you pay for. For my apple crumble, I got a medium-​sized bowl of apple crumble with a ladle of yellow custard. The apple crumble was okay but filling: a generous helping of apples in pastry that didn’t have a whole lot of taste, but the more caramelized bits of crust were tasty. In conclusion, Stockpot offers decent food for a decent price.

If you want cheap and home-​y food this is the place to go! My British friend actually recommended this place and brought me here! I got this pasta plate and she got this chicken plate. Total came out to be less than 20 and we couldn’t even finish cause the portions were huge!

This would be THE example of «you get what you pay for». It lures you with it’s convenient location, low prices, and big portions, but everything we had tasted canned.
I had the spinach pasta and cream sauce — HANDS DOWN the worst pasta dish I’ve ever tasted. The sauce was really thin and SOUR!
The seafood risotto was not a risotto at all — not at all creamy, used the wrong kind rice — it was more like rice with sauce on top of it.
I’m not sure how it’s managed to receive so many good reviews — maybe the quality suffers if you are there close to closing time, maybe we chose the wrong things? Who knows. All I know is I walked away hungry, and the staff could care less.

Cheap and cheerful, and certainly very generous. I had the pasta shells with chicken and with the extremely creamy sauce, I definitely felt very filled here. The food was okay but nothing to write home about. Some of the other reviewers seem to love their meals though so I may have just ordered something too heavy on the cream.

Wandering around Picadilly there were tons of restaurants with queues out the door. My friend and I saw this quaint little restaurant that was busy, but had no line. We were quite hungry so we saw this as a great opportunity to eat on the cheap!
We both ordered the lamb off of the specials and I devoured my meal! The lamb was cooked to perfection. It had a very slight char that give it a nice crisp but was not dry or over cooked. It was very well seasoned and not gamey at all. The sauce used for the lamb reminded me a bit of A-​1 sauce (which I love) but wasn’t as creamy. It was delicious and if I had some bread I would have soaked all that sauce up with it. The potatoes that came on the side were also delicious. They were tiny little whole potatoes that were baked but also had a nice skin to add texture and was salted just right. The entrée also came with a bit of red cabbage slaw which I wish I had more of.
The carrots were steamed and had a slight sweetness to it. The other cabbage side I wasn’t a big fan of because it may have been a bit too soft but maybe it’s supposed to be like that?
The night prior I had dinner at Savoy Grill (A Gordon Ramsay place) and if you served me this same lamb at Savoy, I would have gladly paid the Gordon Ramsay price and would have been happy as a kid in a candy store.

Well, it is quite cheap but for an awfully good reason. A bustling location and a reputation for low cost, hearty grub has ensured a steady turnover of customers who are happy to return through the years. I, however, shan’t be one of them, as, given the bustling location, I can be fed cheaply in many other vendors nearby.
The Stockpot has the look and feel of a café despite labelling itself as a restaurant (where does one end and the other begin?) and it’s fair to say they offer café prices. The menu isn’t particularly extensive which can be convenient if you’re just wanting to fill up on something quickly. The menu is laid out plainly enough in meat, fish, pasta etc. sections and they also offer 2 course prix fixe options which appear to be good value. On my visit I had a smoked salmon tagliatelle, this is where the problems began.
If it wasn’t for the sheer quantity of food on my plate I would believe that my lunch came from a can (3 cans, possibly?), salmon, pasta and a very ordinary tomato sauce — far too salty. Quantity is the enemy when you’re not enjoying your meal but life is a lesson and you (more often than not) get what you pay for.
The waiting staff were very friendly, however. So much so that our waiter was engaged in an extensive chat with a couple of other customers about the towns they grew up in all the while I was waiting to pay and leave. Though in no particular hurry and affable enough to just let them get on with it after nearly 10 minutes I decided that it was probably about time I interrupted and shoehorned the waiter in doing some work. He apologised. All was fine.
Mediocre grub aside, a hole was filled and the damage sustained to the wallet was minimal. But this was a one off visit.
Having said that, I did enjoy the minestrone soup.
That is all.
Ian.

There are 2 Stock Pots in the West End, the other one is in Panton St and is bigger. A lot of British theatre goers tend to go to it, or West End shoppers.
The Soho Stock Pot always has a nice menu. The manager is Spanish, and you can tell by the level of the food served. He has been running this place for years so they know what they are doing. I know because I first started going there 20 years ago and he was already the manager.
Most are good hearty dishes, mediterranean based mostly (Spanish, French, Italian). Their pancakes with icecream and maple syrup are also yummy.
The place is very gay and tourist friendly, and you get all kinds of people there, even many locals. When very busy you might have to share your table, so if this would be a problem, time it so you go there early for lunch or dinner, or mid-​afternoon is also good and less busy.

No frills, you get what you ordered (and paid for).
Hate to be cliché, but it’s true. It’s not bad, but it definitely does fill you up. They have a good selection, but they are just your everyday dishes, meat/​potatoes or pasta. I think it’s a pretty good place for those on a budget (prices are extremely reasonable!) or those who just want a simple meal without froufrou.

A cheap restaurant in London? I never heard of one until Stockpot. Their prices are extremely reasonable for food and beer as well (carlesburg for 3.50 pounds). Our experience would have been complete if the chicken was cooked complete, it came out raw on one side. The manager was very apologetic and took it off the bill even though we ate ¾ of it already. The apple pie with custard seemed like a fan favorite because both of our neighbors ordered it, so I wanted to try. It was good, too much custard, but still enjoyable.

I’ve been to this location… I dunno… 3 – 4 times and haven’t had a bad experience yet. The food’s always pretty good, and there are always vegetarian options available for the missus, which is a plus. I always get the prix fixe menu, which is an incredible deal and also lets me sample a variety of «traditional, but not boring» British dishes. I’m a huge fan of the apple crumble there, too.
My only complaints are that the toilets are a hike from the seating area downstairs, and if you ask for ice in your beverage you get two wimpy cubes (this is not a Stockpot-​specific problem, although when Americans complain about a lack of ice in British drinks, this is the first place I think of).

Very home made, a nice break from fancy food and very affordable. I would go for the homey dishes. Seems popular with the soho community weather dining in or carring out. We were comfortable, though it is quite small.

On our last night in London, my girl friend and I decided to take a chance at the Stockpot. I knew that it was a great place after noticing a full restaurant consisting of younger to much older patrons. I came to the conclusion that the older patrons must have been coming here for a very long time. So it had to be good. The atmosphere is decent but not what draws in the people, the dishes are the main draw. I ordered the roast beef with vegetables with york-​shire pudding. My girl friend ordered the same. It turned out to be our best meal in London. I would not call their food traditional English style food, but English comfort food. And the bill was not over the top. Try the Stockpot for dinner, you will be happy you came here… Also, grab a beer across the street in the tiny cool pub. It will make your night!

It’s hard to believe but I can get bogged down in the everyday of work and local life and forget where I am. Im living in London gah!!! So this place is great to remind me of my exact whereabouts. Proper british grub, at least the stereotype that I grew up hearing about.
Came here for dinner and a lot of things on the menu sounded boring or a bit toooo old fashioned (although I should try liver and onions at least once in my life) but I opted for the roast chicken breast with mushroom gravy, mash and veg. Tasty and satisfying in this wintery climate.
Oh! and they have old fashioned tills that make lots of clattering and chiming and drawer opening noises. I like that a lot.

To sum it up, its your cheap lunch/​breakfast spot. What more can you expect.
If there’s one thing London offers, its pretty expensive food considering the Pound is almost 2x the Dollar. So trying to eat and try new things is quite a challenge. Luckily we stumbled upon this spot which served us an affordable pleasant lunch for relatively cheap. With about maybe 10 tables, we sat closest to the open area and ordered.
The minestrone soup definitely hit the spot along with the potato leek soup. The Roast beef with yorkshire pudding and potatoes wasn’t great, but somewhat satisfying.
While it wasn’t the grandest of meals, I’ll consider coming back if I’m ever in the area.

I enjoy that it has an atmosphere quite like a NY deli or American Diner … in the most true sense of the word ie not the kitschy cute diners but the real ones from the 60’s or 70’s where nothing has changed since and you know when you go back Doris will still be serving you and your favorite dish shall remained unchanged
.
So you go knowing the food isnt great… you know it’s cheap… but i suppose you still hope it won’t be quite as shocking as it is.
The few vegetables are bleached to almost a shade of grey. colors that shouldnt be possible from carrots or peas. Mash potato even somehow tasteless possibly from a packet.
They fry a good chip and then have ketchup that somehow doesnt taste like ketchup … even the coffee had a slight tang to it.
Service. I am ok with slow service especially when i have a Sunday paper to get through. But i read TWO papers and every single person who came in after us ordered, ate AND PAID before our food came. Maybe our fault for not clocking it earlier but when we made eyes with the waiter he asked if we wanted the cheque … somehow not noticing there were not dirty plates on our table and knives and fork were still where he had originally put them, Food came after the second lot of people had sat and ordered and were eating. … to which time hungry enough to eat pretty much ever last bit while making sad faces. At least it kept me off food for the rest of the day which makes up for the calorie shock my system must have gotten.
So yes… eeek. I am sure i will be back some late night from now or hungover Sunday with friends and it’s not the end of the world but order wisely and mentally prepare to be whisked back to the taste of a hospital ward during the first world war.

A workmate of ours gets giddy with his recollections of meals past at Stockpot, which is slightly odd considering he still works a stone’s throw away and doesn’t frequent the place very often. Considering how those tales hearken back to ‘the good old days’, it probably has something to do with a time when he had not much money to spend and just how much food you can get here for just a small sum.
Speaking of the food. it’s really hard to critique something with these prices attached. Is it exciting fare? Not really. It’s your standard pasta and fish ‘n chips ‘n cuts of meat, barely spiced and a little soggy and slightly bland. But that’s traditonal stuff, like poor ol’ gramma made for the kids to whom exciting meant they weren’t going to eat it. Desserts are cheap. Coffee is cheap. It is what it is.
The décor, too, feels like your dad’s worn in sports jacket. Fashionable at some point but time stained now. The patrons here feel at ease with it all and it seems to have worked for ages, so why fight it? Step back in time.

J’ai testé cet été et j’ai été très déçu; la cuisine est vraiment mauvaise; je pensais que la mauvaise réputation de la cuisine anglaise était exagérée mais apparemment pas; j’avais commandé des légumes grillés servie avec des frites et j’ai eu la surprise de voir une assiette composé de deux poivrons flasque, quelques champignons de paris, deux tranches d’aubergines, une fine tranche de tomate; et franchement, vu l’état des légumes j’ai à peine touché, et à peine gouter; le peu que j’ai manger était vraiment dégueulasse, tout mou, huileux et sans gout; je pensais me rattraper sur les frites, mais là aussi déception, les légumes était servie avec 5 frites! et je plaisante pas, j’ai compté; l’amie qui m’accompagnait à presque pleurer quand une de ses frites est tombé sur le sol! j’avais aussi commandé un coca cola, mais j’ai eu l’horreur de découvrir à la première gorgée, qu’il s’agissait d’un soda à la couleur du coca mais pas au gout du coca, sans parler qu’il était presque pas gazeux, une gorgée m’a suffit; et le tout pour 7£10; je suis repartie le ventre quasi vide; et vu que mon budget était serré, j’ai du patienté jusqu’au diner…

I love you stock pot! It’s like continental school dinners!
All of the major food groups are covered and you get to have wine. Also their coffee is excellent.
It’s not fancy but at £6 for 2 courses who’s complaining.
I had rocket and lentil soup (yeah that’s what I thought at first) but it really did work. The peppery flavour of the rocket was bolstered by the robust, pulsey sauce, amazing!
Service is swift and I couldn’t finish everything cause the portions are great… the only thing I’d say is don’t take someone here on a date!

I don’t get it :-(
I have never been to prison, but I imagine this is what the food is like. No wait, that is unfair. A mid-​range private hospital; it’s probably like what they serve there.
If I had paid £2.40 for my meal using the free dinner tickets us poor kids used to get at school, I would have been perfectly happy. It is hot, on a plate and made of food, which after all covers some important bases, and hell, I like soggy white cabbage… but it was ‘meh’ with bells on. Tiny jangling silver bells of disappointment.

I ate here last night — my first time there in close to ten years. To my delight, the prices hadn’t changed. It was just as cheap as ever!
The menu consists of pasta dishes and slightly British/​Continental fried offerings such as fried liver and chips, aubergine parmagiana, grilled sardines and boiled potatoes. I had one of the sets consisting of minestrone soup and a very large serving of penne with salmon and avocado for the princely sum of £6.20. I also had a small glass of house red which wasn’t too bad for £2.50. Dinner and wine in the West End for less than a tenner!
It’s not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s not dingy either. It’s like an English caff but slightly cleaner. Service was friendly if slightly rushed. It’s definitely a place I’ll return to — and much sooner this time around!

THE bon plan pour manger pas cher à Soho. On n’en revient pas quand scrute les prix de cette cantine populaire: autour de £6 le plat, £2 les desserts… Et chaque jour, on a droit à une formule à £7 (entrée-​plat) avec des plats aux portions généreuses. Attention ce n’est pas de la grande cuisine! Des plats de pâtes, quelques grillades-​frites tout au plus, mais c’est correctement préparé. J’ai testé le poisson frit, avec ses pommes aux four et sa salade. (environ £9) Pas mal!
L’endroit est propre en plus. Pensez à laisser un petit pourboire, car le service n’est pas inclus. Ils sont assez gentils là-​bas.

The Stockpot is not a venue I’m going to write home about but in terms of value for money, WOW!
Myself and 3 friends just lunched for a mere £30 pounds and all had a beverage with our meal. The set menus were £8.20 and £6.10 that included an appetizer and main.
I munched on the 2^nd set menu of cannelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach served with salad and chips and an appetizer of garlic bread or avocado with vinaigrette.
I’m walking away full, having enjoyed good service, comfortable seating and diner atmosphere. What more can I say when my pocket is only mildly lighter.