116 At The Athenaeum

We were given a voucher for 3 course set meal with prosecco and used it for our wedding anniversary. The food was delicious, beautifully presented and sensible size portions. The staff were really friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was relaxed but classy and it felt a world away from the hustle and bustle outside. Would definitely revisit.

Visited with a friend for afternoon tea. Overall you do get what you pay for and we were conscious that this was an afternoon tea around the £40 mark, so we weren’t expecting the Ritz. The sandwiches did taste a bit stale, like they’d been out for quite a while, and the sweet treats were so sweet we couldn’t eat half of them. Scones were very good. Tea was nice, although it was a bit hard to get attention to get a refill (which we didn’t have to pay for, but it wasn’t clear). The restaurant / tea room was mostly empty, which meant we could chat easily but didn’t have any pleasant buzz.

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner here on a Friday evening. It was the five course tasting menu with wine/drink pairing, and probably should add it was using a Virgin Experiences voucher. The food was absolutely delicious, particularly the pork belly main, which I have to say was one of the tastiest dishes I have had. Service was good, friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was fine, though being in a hotel dining room it maybe didn't match the food and service, but was still very pleasant. Would thoroughly recommend.

April 2023. We all have different experiences at restaurants and mine was good here for a dinner out. The restaurant manager and our waitress were delightful and attentive. Treat them with humour and courtesy and you get the same in return. We had the 3 course set meal for £33 which for a central London restaurant is bloody good. 3 choices per course including a vegan option. Starters - Carbonara for her and leak and potato soup for me - were very filling and both slightly over salted. For the main course we both had the salmon with giant couscous and samphire which was very tasty. The salmon would be improved if the skin was crispy. We were unsure of picking a Horsemonden wine from Sussex so our waitress brought us a taste to try. We chose it and it was very elderflower in taste but light and good with the salmon. For dessert we chose chocolate cake with mango and passion fruit puree. The chocolate sides to this were incredible. The restaurant itself is nice but not stunning (it doubles as the hotel's breakfast room). Lighting was a good level and no music playing. Tables are far enough apart not to hear your neighbour's conversation but they do need to sort out the wobbly ones. Food was delivered promptly and water and wine kept topped up. It looks like the menu is changed regularly and a lot of "local" ingredients are used. Worth a visit if you are at the Hyde Park end of Picadilly and want something better than the Hard Rock Cafe!