Chez Gerard – Covent Garden

Met an old school friend here for lunch. Risotto was lovely — very light and tasty. Champagne, water and coffee. All good, service friendly. Lovely location on a sunny day.
That was on a Friday lunchtime when the place was packed and had a great atmosphere. As I’d enjoyed it so much when we were looking for somewhere on the Sunday at 4pm we went back. I’d enjoyed the risotto so much I ordered it again– what a mistake. It was awful — totally salty dish so full and sloppy it was almost spilling over. the overriding flavour was salt to cover a bland risotto. I couldn’t believe the difference and will not be going again. Service was very good.
I had given it 4 stars on Friday.

Service was so and so (it might have been busy over lunch time).
I tried tartiflette and it was really good. My business partner had steak and it was average. we paid around £50 where service was almost £10 !
It is a great place to overlook at Convent Garden’s Market, so recommended.

We use this open air restaurant when we are in London going to a show or on that special shopping trip.
Youi can not be in a hurry, for once you have ordered your meal, it can take a while to arrive. It is very good WHEN it arrives but do not complain during your waiting, it can delay it even more.
The food is good and hot once it arrives and the choice of wine is wide.

I was at this place last night with a couple of friends for a 30^th B’day. It seemed like the right place to go & celebrate, IN STYLE this time, after a night of mayhem @ the weekend!
I have to say I’m really torn on the number of stars to give them: 1 or 2… mmmm…maybe 1.5 then!
Although the food tasted delicious (really did), their customer service was appalling, which kind of ruined the whole thing. Once seated, we had to wait a good 15mn unattended with just bread on the table (delicious bread though!). By the time we got A waiter’s attention — arguing over whose table we were for, too bad we were sitting right on the «Maginot Line» — we were full with bread in our stomach, thirsty and finally got someone taking our order for food & drinks… mmmm…25mn later, a record!
Thanks to sweet Albanian waiter who was great & attended to us in the best way from then on — and ended up with a nice tip! The 1.5 goes to him & the food.
Congratulations to the GM of this place, who nicely said to our friend paying the bill (large one), that we had been sitting at the table far too long and taken too long to eat, they have other people waiting… Niiiice! Entered 7pm, waited 25mn, served 15mn later, 2 courses meal, champagne, left 9pm. Not bad I’d say.
So if you want great food on a terrace in the middle of Covent Garden, then YES definitely… but for me, I will not go back until they sort out their customer service!

The portions here reflect the price, and are quite hearty, rather than serving you a grape and calling it a starter, an it’s not all that bad tasting either; though in saying that, I’ve eaten many better tasting dishes from other restaurants, you still get a good full feeling in your stomach after.
It always seems to be a bit stuffy here, I’m not sure if they’ve got air-​conditioning or not, but for the slightly inflated, (but reasonable), prices they charge, they should seriously get some (more) fitted.
The staff are always well-​spoken and polite, and the décor is very neat, and you always feel comfortable, (except for the heat).

I first visited Chez Gerard in Covent Garden about 2 years ago on a visit to London. Now, whenever I’m in London I try and have a meal here. The location is great and it’s a reasonably priced place to have a meal in such a nice area.
The restaurant itself has a really nice atmosphere, it’s neither too fancy nor too laid back, so you feel comfortable whether you are having a pre-​theatre meal, or a post-​shopping trip bite to eat.
It tends to get very busy, even mid-​week so booking is advised. Even when the place is bustling, the service has always been quick when I have visited. A selection of breads, spreads, olives and nuts are brought to the table — a cover charge of £1.95 per person is applied but it’s well worth it, and it suffices as a starter.
Jugs of tap water are supplied at no cost, and come with slices of lemon.
The menu itself is great and has a diverse selection of tasty meals. There is of course the steak-​frites, on which Chez Gerard prize themselves, and the meal is very delicious. If you fancy splashing out and really treating yourself to an amazing steak, try the Wagyu beef steak.
The ‘frites’ are not to be missed! If I order a meal that comes with potatoes or something else, then I order a side of frites as well! They are crisp and delicious, the perfect french fry.
Aside from steak, there are plenty of other options including Duck (highly recommended), Moroccon couscous, Chicken, Lamb, various fish dishes — try the crêpe with lobster, prawns and crab — so light and tasty.
Then there’s the desserts — I am usually too full by this stage, however the crème brûlée is dreamy! It’s a big portion so enough for 2 to share. The burnt sugar topping is crunchy and thick, and the crème underneath is so rich and, well, creamy!
Prices are reasonable, you can eat for about £10-£15 per person with just one course. Best thing about this restaurant is that you can pay with Tesco Deals vouchers, and so eat delicous food for free!