Albertines - Hammersmith and Fulham

Terribly rude woman served us! Avoid avoid avoid! If you are looking gir great service this is not the bar for you guys.

The night started off great. We were seated, offered menus and given tap water quickly. We were served by a lady who gave us a recommendation for wine that we liked. However, that’s where it started to go downhill. I understand they were short staffed due to the protest, and I can empathise with that. However, we were forgotten about for half an hour after receiving our wine. We eventually managed to flag down a waiter to take our order (45 mins after being seated). For starters we got the cheese and charcuterie. The cheese was great to be fair, we thoroughly enjoyed it. However, we did not get any plates/cutlery. The charcuterie was meh. We also ordered olives which didn’t arrive until later because they kept forgetting. The mains, we got the tagliatelle which was over cooked and congealed in places and frankly, tasteless. The sea bass fish cakes were rock hard and dry. When we first looked at the menu we were really excited to try the desserts, but after the underwhelming mains, we decided to give it a miss and get dessert from the shop lol. For the price, we thought it was extremely overvalued and underwhelming. We normally eat out quite a lot and we like to think we know our stuff when it comes to good places, but because of the pandemic, this was our first meal out since December. It was extremely disappointing.

Sometimes, just sometimes, the food, the wine, the service and the ambience consistently work together to create something truly magical. It's the consistency of that excellence that is amazing. How Albertine do it is a mystery to me but one I will keep coming back for. Currently their steak and chips are amongst the best I have ever had. My husband tells me the grouse is ridiculously good. Then there is the wine list which is idiosyncratic and intriguing. Delicious. Don't just take my word for it find out for yourself.

It was a delight to revisit this incredible restaurant that we first discovered in January and recently revisited before the lockdown. The food is clearly made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. We both enjoyed the grouse dish, which was just as decadent in taste as it was in presentation. Meeting the chef twice was a true honor, as he explained each dish to us in a thorough and engaging manner. It was a wonderful experience to enjoy such high-quality cooking after a year filled with disappointing meals.

I am thrilled to have stumbled upon this charming restaurant by chance. Harry provided excellent and professional service, which made the experience even more magical and enjoyable! The wine was delicious and the burrata was to die for, especially with the lovely addition of beetroot.