Ivy Kensington Brasserie - London

I had a so-so experience at The Ivy. It's not as good as it used to be.

This is the best Ivy chain! I love the food and service. I highly recommend it.

We ordered four steaks, none of which were prepared correctly. All but one were overcooked on the outside, with only one being well done and tasting burnt. Service was extremely slow, taking 2.5 hours for two courses. We had to ask for everything multiple times, and the waitstaff did not seem to understand our requests. The total bill for six people came to nearly GBP400. Even after deducting the cost of dessert, as promised because of the poor quality of the main courses, it still amounted to GBP331. I will not be returning to this restaurant. My daughter reminded me that we had issues the previous year as well, when main courses were served separately from the sides and we received complimentary desserts, which were likely used to make up for poor service. At GBP35 per steak, this is a significant amount of money to pay for subpar service, poorly cooked food, and an overall regretful dining experience.

We have eaten at The Ivy Kensington several times but have always sat in the garden. We found the noise level inside too loud for us so will make sure we book the garden again next time.

I dine at Ivy restaurants frequently, but yesterday's experience was disappointing. My scallops were overcooked and my Malay curry contained butternut squash peels, which was very unpleasant.