231 Ebury Street,
Chelsea,
London,
SW1W 8UT
0872 148 3486
Note: Calls cost 10p per min plus network extras.
The ViewLondon Review
This restaurant has the most amazing kerb appeal. Tables outside on Pimlico Green surrounded by little hedges, white tablecloths, a green awning – it doesn’t get much more attractive than this.
The Venue
As you walk the door you are transported to rural (and very pretty) France. It’s cosy, rustic and utterly charming. Tables are a bit more on the rickety (hence the rustic) side and close together but the warm welcome ensures one is speedily entranced by the sheer differentness of the experience.
The Atmosphere
It’s fair to say that whilst the restaurant is utterly charming, service is slow. Hollandaise sauce arrives long after the fish it’s supposed to accompany. Vegetables take even longer. The waiters are charming, but in all honesty, that doesn’t make up for cold food.
The Food
Foie gras terrine lives up to expectations and melts in the mouth – a generous portion disappears fast. Cucumber soup doesn’t actually taste of cucumber but instead strongly of chicken stock – not unpleasant but not expected! It’s oddly room temperature, which, on a warm evening, doesn’t hit the spot.
Salmon with hollandaise and halibut with hollandaise are both nicely but not spectacularly cooked. Vegetables are a disappointment – overcooked to the point of being soggy and presented in a heap in a metal dish – they just aen’t very appealing. The potatoes look like interesting roast potatoes but are crunchy and undercooked. Two courses work out at about £30 per head.
The Drink
A bottle of house white is good, crisp, dry, refreshing. Both house white and red are £22. The wine list isn’t too long but several options peaking with a Chateau La Tour for £750.
The Last Word
At £45 a head for two courses and half a bottle of wine La Poule au Pot isn’t cheap but it’s probably what you’d expect given the location. Portions are generous rather than gastronomic but the best bit is the feel, style and ambience – it looks lovely and if you want a truly French romantic evening then it’s the place for you.
La Poule au Pot has been reviewed by 4 users