Wretched food and service. Appalling prices, and run by what amounts to the mafia. Avoid.

If I could put zero stars I would.

You basically get Nobu/Zuma prices for average food and a service probably even worse which you could have found at the time in the Russian gulags.

To avoid at all costs, you are better off giving your money to charity

date 10/may/2012
from Kathleen Turner Hackney london
after reading your review's i was very reluctant to go to this restaurant, in fact i wanted to cancel and rebook somewhere else, but my friend insisted we ignore the reviews and decide for ourselves. i was not happy....
we were seated at a nice table next to the glass screen where the display of fish and veg were, our waitress was a nice friendly lady called sofia, who recomded a few starters, and guided us through the menu, we were served our drinks within 5 mins and our food started to come within 10 mins, the whole dining experience was excellent, the waitress was one of the best..we asked to see the manager in charge who quickly came over and introduced himself as lincon,he showed us around the rest of the restaurant, we were in the asian side, he showed us the italian side and took us downstairs to the bar/disco, although a bit too loud for me, it was buzzing,and not full of young people, the mix was just right. i must say the owners have got this place right all under one roof, our coats were returned within minutes, and i had a wonderfull night and would recomend anyone to pay this place a visit, i will be returning. ignore the bad comments go see for yourself, but book well in advance as its very hard to get a booking.
prices for food were in line with the area. kathleen .

Went to novikov on Sat night,had a table downstairs,had bottle of Vodka and some bar/table food ,it was a great atmosphere,good music,friendly crowd and I am 68 and probably the oldest guy there,good to dance if you feel like it ,so really enjoyed it.SE

The service here is absolutely shocking. Several friends have reported the same so I know its not just me! The food is nothing special and it is way overpriced. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY GOING HERE!!

Well anyone who says their service is friendly and attentive on this page must be lying and a friend of some one at the restaurant/Bar. The food in the restaurant is adequate, the bar however has a GREAT atmosphere and the whole place is decorated very nicely, it is definitely a pick up a joint but if you accept their will be some entertainment in your night then it can be amusing, and the drinks are slightly over priced, but if they were offering a impeccable service you would be more then happy to pay for what you get. However the service is HORRIFIC....!! for the last 2 months I have frequented there about twice a week as I live round the corner.. However they seem to have absolutely NO REGARD for regular customers, or quality of service, and when it is busy.. FORGET IT...!! they would rather make you wait on the stairs, and then once you get down there take half hour to serve you.... and WITH ATTITUDE!!! Even when its empty they are USELESS at serving you in the bar! Unfortunately Mayfair has a lack of good quality bars, however after my last few attempts of trying to give them the benefit of the doubt I just cant bare their horrific customer service and complete lack of professionalism.. if you want a tip THAT IS NOT the way to get it! PLEASE GET A PROFESIONAL QUALITY MANAGER IN THERE who can over see the quality of the service... So that I do actually have a nice bar/restaurant to go too, and before you scare off the whole of London with your ridiculous attitude... please get some professional friendly staff with manners and grace.

I noted the following points during my visit to the Asian Restaurant recently

- Staff have no-limited training and seem to be hired by the size of their breast implant rather than their competence
- Food is so-so especially when tasted with a heavy dose of awful service
- We were seated 45 mins after our stated reservation time with no apologies or compliments from the bar
- We were only seated because we kept requesting to be seated - had we not kept requesting to be seated they would have forgotten about us
- When we were seated we were seated in a position on the way to the toilet and in the corner near where the waiters come out from the kitchen
- When they decided to serve us drinks - the 3 identical cocktails we ordered arrived within 20 min lapses of each other - once again no apologies in fact a loOK of loathing in the eyes of the 'waitress'
- the food was brought out in a haphazard fashion similar to the ethos in wagamamas where they pre-warn you that 'food will come out when it's ready not in any set order'
- the characters were dubious to say the least with a number of ladies of the night wandering from table to table (this may be a good point in somebody else's eyes)

ok and on to the bar

- once we eventually got down there (following insistence that everything was full and we would have to wait on top of the stairs - I imagine this was to add an air of exclusivity to the place) the place was half empty with the barista taking (and this time i timed it) 37 minutes to serve us a drink
- which was apparently a mojito but tasted like it had been diluted quite heavily with water
- to top my evening off once I sat down the waitress informed me that the table was 'reserved' - we of course moved only to find that it and all the other tables remained empty for the following 2 hours we were there

avoid at all costs.

E' incredibile che posso dire di aver mangiato Italiano meglio a Londra che in Italia! Ma e' quello che e' successo ieri sera al Novikov Italian restaurant. Alto livello della qualita' della materia come per altro della cucina. Dagli antipasti gustosissime alle paste sublimi ed al capretto succulente. Servizio attento e non intrusivo.
Un grazie a tutto il team per la bellissima serata.

Amazing place! Amazing atmosphere! Highest quality service! We've visited Italian restaurant this evening ( 26/01) and were so pleased with amazing food and nice staff! Thanks a lot! XoXoXo

This place is awful. Pretentious does not even begin to cover it. Whilst the food and dinner service was adequate (we were in the Asian section), not only were we hustled off our table but they then lost three out of ten coats in our dinner party!

Once the bill was paid (several thousand pounds I might add) they could not have become less helpful. We eventually had to leave, some of us without coats, some with other peoples.

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!!

A group of four dined at the Italian restaurant and we were in for a treat!!! The food is amazing. We shared different antipasti and we all agreed that the veal tonnato and the seared tuna were mouthwatering. To follow we had the dover sole, the ossobuco, the tagliata and tagliolini with amatriciana of fish all to die for. The service was attentive and professional. the atmosphere really buzzy! Fantastic Place!!!!

One of the best places in London! Service is excellent, food - I admit it's delicious, as for prices, they are quite reasonable. So... Looking forward to the next visit.

It is always good to find an Italian Restaurant in Central London where the food, wine and service is of high quality. Novikov Italian room stepped up to the plate on all categories. The Porchetta , calves liver, Fiorentina cooked in the wood oven or in the Josper with charcoal without mentioning the baby goat cooked in a clay parcel were all universally applauded by our table. The wine chosen by the manager complimented the meal. The surroundings are smart, probably the best room in London and the acoustics in a full restaurant were great. Will we return? Certainly and look forward to it.
My compliments to the restaurant manager for having such a large team so well organised.

Recently been to the Italian part of Novikov. Enjoyed food, atmosphere and the attentive service. Vitello tonnato and langoustine ravioli were the hits of the night. Very fair prices. Will recommend to everyone.

What a fantastic place! I tried the italian restaurant last night and it was impeccable. The service, and atmosphere was A* but the star of the night was the food which was an experience in itself and absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend this restaurant.

We went to an Asian restaurant today and were impressed with the quality of food, presentation and ambiance of this newcomer. The restaurant was full which is quite amazing for such a new and large establishment. The menu reminds a bit Zuma and Roka but that seems to be a winner in London. The pricing policy is quite reasonable and it seems to be slightly more affordable than Zuma and Nobu without compromise on the quality.We would definitely come back.

Went for dinner with my girlfriend on Thursday night. We both loved the all experience. We dine at the Italian Room were we found a fantastic atmosphere, a service that was very attentive without being overbearing and food was divine! Especially the linguini with crab and the liver venetian style.I would definitely recommend!!!

Awesome place. Only managed to get a table in the asian part of Novikov but planning to check out the italian some time soon. Enjoyed drinks at the bar too. Funky music and nice crowd. See you soon Mr Novikov

Last night me and my kids went to the Novikov restaurant. We first took a "tour" around it, and I must say that it was splendid! The Asian reastaurant had great music and atmosphere, sadly I didn't get a chance to try any food because it was fully booked. The Italiand restaurant however was outstanding! The food was simple and yet delicious. The waiters were very kind and attentive. Overall we had a wonderful experience.

I had a chance to try both asian and italian Novikov. Must say, my firends and I were impressed by both. Great food (on the same level with hakkasan, cipriani, zuma) and unique design. Loved the atmosphere, most defiantly coming back.

I am very surprised to read some of the comments as my wife and I visited the Italian room on saturday and we loved it.
The atmosphere was lively, the servise attentive and the food was excellent. You can really taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients. The dishes are well presented and more important full of flavours. We will definately be back to try the asiatic restaurant!

I have now eaten in both the Italian (dinner for five) and Asian restaurants (lunch for two) as well as had a drink in the bar, and can say the whole experience overall was EXCELLENT for quality of food and drinks, friendliness, service and ambience. A superb addition to the London restaurant scene (i have been to most top gaffs in town) and definitely worth a visit for sure. (if you like hakkasan, Nobu, Aqua, Zuma type joints then go and see for yourself!). Enjoy!

This is a nice place,but..
Yesterday (10.12.2011 between 17-00--18-00) my son get poisoned after lunch in Novikov(Vitello tonnato and plate of Verdure di stagione alla griglia). The patient's temperature is very high..

This is shit! Food is shit, salty and dry. Service was ok but we had to wait for long for Dishes. It completely ruined my night, shit!

Went for dinner with the husband on a Saturday night. Love Novikov's restaurants in Moscow and was very eager to his London's creation.

Really pity the Italian section is not open yet. Nonetheless, loved everything: nice food, very polite and ridiculously attentive staff from doormen to waiters.

Am not a big fan of Asian food, but really enjoyed our dinner. Wanted to order seabass initially, but it was not available (though it was on the menu). Guess, everyone was hungry and they ran out of it, which is not a problem as there is plenty of food choice on the menu.

Liked the bar downstairs: very cozy, nice cocktails, nice music, though nuts were too spicy for me.

Am definitely going back there and will recommend it to everyone.

Can't wait for the Italian section to be open :)

Finally, Novikov is in London and hope he will open more restaurants for us to go to....

Completely rubbish. We waited 40 minutes for second part our menu and we were ignored staff. I did't pay any money for this. It quite strange that for order two glasses of wine we wait sommelier. The food is too marinaded, you can't understand what you eat. Compare with price, you can go to near Itsy and pay for same four time less.