Interesting restaurant, a bit past it sell by date. Peeling paint on the ceiling, stuffed toys hangings from the lights, a 70's Habitat rug on the wall. Shame, needs a bit of updating.
Food is ok, can't grumble at the price, bill came to 40 squids per person. House red is reasonable, white is sweetish - both Spanish.
Service was good. Entertainment, pretty decent and they did try their best, so 4 stars for that.

Just terrible. Absolutely appalling on all levels. The staff were rude and unhelpful right from the start of the evening. Claimed we didn't have a reservation, despite us calling the day before and even providing credit card details. They brought food to the table (and refused to remove it) before we'd even seen a menu, ordered drinks and before even all our party had arrived! Drink orders were missed, wrong and then forgotten (juice was watered down squash). To say the food was bland would be a compliment, it was worse than bad pub food, with grey vegetables and reconstituted potato...just really bad. Table setting was sloppy and non-existent with things just thrown on the table randomly. The table clothes and napkins were tired, worn, and dirty (and crushed-velvet napkins, weird). Decor is interesting certainly, and really could have been fun, if the reality of it wasn't that you are squished in tables unable to move, sitting on uncomfortable benches. For a restaurant with a decent price tag associated with it, it was absolutely a let-down and I would advise people to AVOID. Hands down my worst dining experience of 3 years in London.

We selected this restaurant from the internet having looked at the menus and decided we liked what it had to offer. We followed up with a phone call to confirm that they could accomodate some food allergies.

The night started badly when arriving as a group of 12 we were told it was compulsary to have the 3 course set menu at £28.50 each - starters were already on the table and it was totally non-negotiable. Since I had my eye on the steak (on the internet) at £15 this seemed both an expensive option and none of it appealed. 11 chose from the set menu but I asked for the steak and was still refused. The service was equally awful... we arrived at 1930 but didn't receive food until 2130 - meaning some of us had to rush to make trains back out of london.

All in all they were pretty unapologetic and would only offer two free bottles of wine - as we had already finished our meal and wanted to get home!

~ To be honest a waste of time and money , cheap in all aspects -
you get what paid for.

The evening started badly when our welcome to the restaurant was non existent as the lady foh keyed in our name and then proceeded to have a conversation with a head waiter who during the conversation just pointed to our table. The menus were just slapped in a pile on the table after we had sat down. We found the menu very limited and frankly not the best meal I have eaten. There was not imagination or flare or presentation and we saw little evidence of Turkish cuisine on the evening we went. One of us had creme caramel for desert and she said it was 'horrible'the wine list contained obscure wines so choice was not easy even if you new the grape etc.

There was live music in the form of a guitar band and singers but you were expected to drop a few quid into the tambourine as it came round. The loos were covered in rather explicit drawings, which we were warned about but not the general state which was below par we felt. Men be warned when you visit the toilet use the hand dryer not the paper towel handed to you by the toilet assistant, because you'll be expected to put your hand in your pocket - again! The decor is fantastic and hats off to the interior designer who did that because it is brilliant! Having been we shall not be going again - unless it's free!

We were looking for a restaurant close to the theatre Royal where we could treat my parents for thier 60th " Diamond" wedding anniversary.

Obviously the Surest filled this requirement perfectly, being just opposite.

However on reading some of the reviews we were a little unsure, but decided to go ahead anyway.

What a great decision! My parents were blown way. From the fantasic atmosphere to the superb service and great food.

The staff could not have been more attentive and there was a complimentary glass of champagne to round the evening off.

This is one restaurant we would have no hesitation in recommending.

I visited this restaurant for the first time in january and was blown away .

The staff are welcoming,the decor fun and the food more than passable.

I will return to this establishment whenever I return to the capital.

The detractors obviously have not visited as many restaurants as I have and don`t know decent food when it is placed in front of them.

This restaurant has to be seen to be believed! We loved it. The decor and little booths were wonderful. And the waiters were incredibly attentive and generous. The meal began with free olives and bread with the most delicious spicy dip. There was so much we didn't need a starter. After our main meal the waiter gave us complimentary desserts - two of everything on the menu, complete with a wonderful fruit platter - pineapple, kiwi, pomegranite, apples, oranges, clementines, bananas . . . The bill came to £33. We will definitely go back there and take friends.

Sarastro has got to be the worst retaurant I have ever eaten at, and I am a well travelled girl! Our starters consisted of bland over-cooked prawns in non-descript sauce, and tinned artichoke and peas. We didn't stay for a main.
Whilst the decor is fun to look at from a distance, it is poorly finished MDF covered in taped over wires, which play havoc with acoustics making converstaion difficult. This does however help with the music which is dreadful, and can only be classed as entertainment if you've had a few drinks and need a good laugh.
Most disappointing night out in London I have had in 15 years living in the capital.

Sarastro is truly not a place you go to for a spectacular meal, you are a fool if you want to be amazed by the menu dont bother, but its cheapa nd there is value for money there considering the food is not exquisite, it is edible and cheap. The Decor is incredible, it is so beautiful and eccentric this place really is not about the food and you can almost tell it straight away, there was something sweet about it, the waiters were nice and the whole thing was pretty fun and I didnt feel at all ripped off, it doesnt pretend to be anything its not, and feeling like you were having coffee and some average halloumi on the stage of some lavish and obscenely over the top opera aint a bad feeling, Drury lane isnt famous for its food, so give Sarastro a break, your sense of taste will remain unmoved but your eyes will be overwhelmed with gold and props and your ears with lovely opera.

We have eaten at Sarastro on a few occasions . The decor is incredible but the food had been very average , until the last time we went for my 60th birthday , the food really was bad . The starters were ok but the main course was terrible , I had anatolian lamb , it was just a plain lamb shank , my partner had chicken with a red wine sauce which was a not very nice thick gravy nothing like it said on the menu. The place and the entertainment on the Opera nights are really good but the quality of the food lets the place down big time

I would not recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy! I have never met such unhelpful surly waiters before! Unbelievably rude! I like seafood but the ‘big boss seafood selection’ was disgusting. What on earth possesses a restaurant to serve a seafood selection in a white bland sauce in their shells (prawns and mussels) - it is impossible, especially when you are not given a finger bowl!!!!! I was so disappointed with the evening that I ask for the discretionary service charge to be removed - something I have never done in my life, but felt so strongly that the staff/food did not warrant it!!!! The owner(s) should be ashamed of themselves! I will never go back there!!!!

I didn`t want to take a risk and went there in person to book a table for a team dinner. Then I called twice to be sure, only to find out on the day that they hadn`t. You can`t imagine how ashamed I was in front my colleagues! Sarastro sent us to another restaurant they have with the same style.


The meals were awful, the music was so terrible that my colleagues wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Sarastro told us that this was Turkish cuisine. I am Turkish and lived in Istanbul for 26 years. These two restaurants are rather an insult to Turkish cuisine!

I have to say that the people who have ripped Sarastro to shreds with their terrible reviews, obviously don't know good food when they eat it. I was taken here for my birthday, and as I am a theatre lover I was amazed at the decor and the food was amazing. I had a gorgeous vegetarian meal which was the most gorgeous thing I have ever had.


The toilets were hilarious, very cleverly done. The people who say that the Sarastro decor is tacky - a little bit of advice, don't go to a theatre style resturant then. What else did you expect, feng shui? I enjoyed my meal very much and the staff were extremely friendly and attentive. I had a glorious meal and ended the night with a show.

Sarastro is an absolutely terrible restaurant. I took some Americans that were visiting to this restaurant for a pre-theatre meal. The food was plain and overpriced. Unfortunately, half way through our theatre show, my girlfriend started to feel sick. She spent the second half of the show in the toilet suffering from an upset stomach. Later in the evening I also went down with it, as did my two American colleagues.


We all spent the rest of the night being violently sick. I complained to Sarastro repeatedly but they bizarrely tried to appropriate blame to other causes, despite the fact this was the only meal we all ate together. For your own sake avoid Sarastro at all costs.

I have always wanted to try Saratro and wish I hadn't now. The service was friendly to start with, but the food was lousy. The side salad was bland, the only saving grace was the dip that came with it. The starters were awful, and looked and tasted like they came out of a microwave and the pasta was coated in a packet sauce from some local supermarket. We couldn't stomach any more and left the meals half eaten.



The prices at Sarastro added insult to the meal. A £4.00 service charge automatically added and £4.00 for bottled water. They then took ages to settle the bill and find our coats. We ended up being late for the theatre which was a minute walk away.

Gosh, you are horrible people about Sarastro!
I had a fantastic time when I went. About the toilets - we all know there is a blurred line between art and porn, I thought it was quite funny! But I digress; I thought it was wonderful, the staff were incredibly courteous and unlike many restaurants, especially busy ones in the centre of London, they won't try to rush you to free up your table space. If anything, they encouraged us to stay, and not just to milk money out of us. The food on the set opera menu was also delicious, in delightful abundance and very reasonably priced. Further to this, the live opera singing was beautiful and the quartet were very entertaining, everyone taking part in the live music displayed wonderful talent. Also, a busy restaurant in London is a place where I would expect to encounter a very wooden "I'm-more-fashionable-than-thou" atmosphere but it was relaxed with an extremely cheerful vibe and there was not a single member of staff who did not treat us fantastically. I would recommend it to anybody (who is mature enough to handle the toilet decor!).

I would challenge Sarastro to publish on their website pictures of what's on the walls in their toilets. I wonder how many people would book with them then. Other than this the meal was average, service average, decor interesting. Wouldn't necessarily recommend it to friends and family.

Don't be fooled by the brilliant decor in Satastro: the service and food in this restaurant is among the worst I have ever experienced.

My date asked for more information on a dish which was by no means well-known and was only named on the menu. The waitress tossed her head back contemptuously and brought another menu which had more detail: "it's easier if you read this" was all she said. The service was all downhill from there.

When the food arrived it was was lukewarm and tasted like canteen food. The gravy on my chicken dish had congealed on the plate and it had obviously been kept on a hot plate for too long.

Steer well clear!