The discreet entrance at ground level of Building 42 needs improvement. It is somewhat confusing and dark, unbecoming of a Michelin-starred establishment. However, once you arrive on the 24th floor via the speedy dedicated elevator, the stunning views of Greater London make a strong first impression. The overall look is impacted by its dark interior, but the decor is elegant and focused on comfortable-looking circular booths with views of the impressive Gherkin building (photos included). - **Prices**: Despite the location, Michelin status, and quality, the prices are extremely reasonable. - **Food**: The menu is not very diverse, but it offers good starter options. Bread with caramelized onion butter was a nice addition, but the cocktails were average, with the "Pear-a-dise" being my favorite. The shrimp ravioli and the seabass were my choices. However, the servings are small and the taste average. The food presentation was fine, but not outstanding. There is nothing in the plates we order that needs to be mentioned as remarkable. Again, the food is not bad, but average. - **Service**: The service was also average, neither excellent nor professionally trained. The staff did their best to make our dinner special, but they seemed to lack knowledge about the menu. For a Michelin restaurant, you expect a more proficient staff. In comparison, in any other restaurant, their level of service would be acceptable. - **Ambiance**: Definitely not ideal for a romantic dinner. The bar, located at the entrance of the restaurant, has loud music and lots of people chattering, which echoes throughout the dining room. It was quite a noisy meal. **In Summary**: The restaurant is average but nice. I would not return, but I recommend this place for the views. It is definitely not deserving of a Michelin star based on the food and service, which were good but lacked Michelin quality. read more

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Went here for New Year's Eve. We paid about $400 for a fireworks view table. What an awful experience. The room is nice, but they put in zero effort after they got their money. Drinks took at least 30 minutes to arrive. There were no decorations. The DJ was ridiculously loud for such a small space. There was no champagne at midnight. And the fireworks view was blocked by workers taking pictures. I contacted management who said there was nothing they could do. Would not go back again. read more

Little dark inside, the way the room is shaped it gives off a lot of conversation noise. The food was okay. I was seated with a group and it was a little award on a long bench. Would recommend getting individual chairs for a larger group or if not available maybe consider another space. It's a real pain when 6 ppl have to get up for one person to keep going to the bathroom read more

Million dollar view, probably the worst Michelin star restaurant I've tasted so far. I was wondering why it was so easy to get a table and by 7pm on Friday now the restaurant was not full, the menu explained it all. The presentation was ok, but the taste from appetizers to main course was not impressive at all. read more

City Social - British Near Me - London, XGL

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We were excited to celebrate my wife's birthday at City Social which is decorated with one Michelin star. The view at the restaurant is impeccable! It's located in the heart of London with lots of high rise buildings. We were able to see the Shard and the Gherkin! We arrived early around 5 pm, so we were guided to their bar area for a few drinks. The cocktail, wine, and spirits selections were wonderful. My cocktail Honey Moon was great! They even have non alcoholic cocktail option that was good as well. It was a beautiful restaurant surrounded by all the city lights. When the dinner room is open, we were invited to the dinner table. Their sourdough bread with onion and chive butter was great! Very delicious. We started with their beef tartare and scallops. The beef tartare was different than the typical beef tartare. The beef was in bigger chunks and the sauce was more vinegar based. I felt the flavor was simple, almost too simple that I wasn't impressed. The scallops starter was wonderful! Layers of flavors and beautifully plated food. It was the highlight of the evening. My main entree was the sea bass with calm chowder based sauce. Beautiful plate, but the overall taste was too salty for me. The portion was solid, but I wasn't impressed by the flavors. It wasn't bad, but I was certainly expecting more from a one star Michelin restaurant. The rib eye steak wasn't impressive neither. We definitely had much better rib eye from a regular restaurant before. Overall, we enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the birthday dinner at a beautiful restaurant; however, I was disappointed by the food. I was hoping to be blown away by their award winning flavors. read more

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You have to go up an elevator to get to the floor that the restaurant is on. The restaurant is upscale and classy. Great views of London. The white wine we got was also very good here. Food was not so good - we all had gotten steak and they were completely cooked wrong and 2 of them were almost raw. We sent them back and most of them didn't get fixed to how we wanted them. Service was okay staff stuck up. 4 stars because of the view otherwise would be 3 stars. read more

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I was invited to this restaurant for an exclusive networking event. It was a 5 course meal that did not disappoint! Everything was delicious. It is honestly the most beautiful meal I've ever had. Every dish was explained and there was plenty of wine to go around as well as cocktails on demand. I wish I had taken pictures of every dish, but I was too distracted being immersed in the experiences. The company putting on the event hired the Chef's table which has a beautiful view of St. Paul's cathedral and central London; as well as a window into the restaurant's kitchen where you can see the food being prepared. The room was just the right size. Even though there were about 14 of us, it felt intimate and everyone could talk with each other around the table. I was surprised as usually round tables of 10 are very awkward yet this one, which was for a bigger party felt cozy. I definitely recommend it. read more

Come for the views, not the flavor. Mediocre service and flashy food that lacked inspiration; not the dining experience we expected from a Michelin star. As you approach City Social, you're greeted with a metal detector and a coat check and then you head up the lift for what we hope would be a memorable London dining experience. We were early, so we were sat in front of the window at the bar area. The views are truly spectacular and definitely the highlight of the evening. After sometime, we were greeted by a server to take our drink order. We ordered two specialty cocktails and it was quite obvious the server knew very little about the menu. The drinks were fantastic. City Social's best people seem to be behind the bar. We also had a great experience with the sommelier that was as fun as they were knowledgable. We sat for an extended period of time before someone finally came over and took our order. We ordered the scallop, the prawn/lobster ravioli, and the lobster tail salad. The appetizers looked nice, but the flavors fell flat. The prawn/lobster ravioli was my personal favorite, but even that was underwhelming. When we come to restaurants like these we hope to taste something new, but the appetizers were just not that interesting. The main courses were more of the same. The duck was good, but pretty standard. Nothing to write home about. Dessert was good. I would actually say the drinks and dessert were the only shining moments of the evening. If I were to come back to City Social, it would likely be for drinks and a dessert and to enjoy the views. That being said, if you're coming for an inspiring Michelin star meal, I would look elsewhere. read more

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Went here for dinner and it was amazing! The view was beautiful as well as the food. They got some pretty good gluten free bread. Service is great too. There's also a stool for your bag next to the table. read more

City Social - British Near Me - London, XGL

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Without exaggeration, this place served me the best lobster linguine I have ever tasted. The food is delicious - from starters to desert I had been blown away by the flavours, with some unique exotic twists. Additionally, the views are spectacular, with broad windows overlooking the city. Truly a romantic scene when you come in the evening. Nothing to fault about the place. The staff are wonderful and I'll be sure to make another booking soon. read more

First experience at a Michelin restaurant, it did not disappoint. Was very luckily to get a reservation on short notice. Everything from drinks, food, dessert and service was beyond anything I've ever had. The view was pretty nice as well. Will definitely try and visit whenever in London. read more

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The service was top notch. The food was amazing. And the view was incredible. Everything completely exceeded my expectation.

Fantastic views of London with food & service to match! Foodwise: The Devon Crab stole the show early on so that's a must try. We ended up splitting the Côte de Boeuf since it came with Truffle Mac & Cheese and some delicious green beans. Everything was fantastic, from the first drinks (Espresso Martini & Spritz'ish) to the dessert which was a passion fruit, white chocolate, & raspberry dream. Service was very very attentive, they were almost mind readers with each thought that came ti mind they were already on top of it. I've also never had the option to pick my steak knife before, that was a cool little touch. Kudos to this spot, you won't regret taking someone special here for an enchanting dinner experience. read more

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Amazing dinner with views!!!! Probably my favorite in London so far. We went for my birthday and I would not have wanted it any other way! The scallops, sea bass, and rest all were amazing. Get the apple dessert. It was phenomenal and the perfect way to end our meal. read more

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I came here for dinner with work friends and we had a great time - talk about a view from your seat at the restaurant - and the food was very good and the service was excellent. We had a variety of appetizers, and it is hard to say what was better the steak or the lobster ravioli: I'd also recommend having the bartender shake you up a vodka martini. If you walk out of here hungry, something is wrong! read more

The evening began with bubbles as all good evenings do. The staff were exceptionally friendly, helpful and attentive. As our table took in the splendid views this space has to offer with a view of the Gherkin directly ahead and the Shard to our right. We enjoyed fresh baked bread and whipped butter before the starters arrived. The staff made excellent wine recommendations as we made our dinner selections. My culinary experience began with the Devon Crab on brown crab toast which was amazing. The flavours of the bitter leaf salad and nashi pear complimented this perfectly light start to the meal. The main of Sea Bass with Jerusalem artichoke, confit chicken, spring cabbage in a truffle sauce was a dish I would definitely enjoy again. Albeit a celebration night we chose not to partake in a dessert but finish with espresso martinis. I was surprised by the staff with a small birthday treat which left this American Southern boy in London charmed and delighted, y'all - this is a great place to enjoy a special occasion. read more

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Best view in the city of London. The atmosphere is gorgeous and welcoming. I was a bit taken back when I had to go through a metal detector but now I know why...we are atop the building with the most beautiful view. The scallops appetizer is a must have. The sauce is absolutely fantastic. The wine selection is out of this world. Literally from all over the world. One will definitely find the right wine to accommodate the evening's entree. Hold your breath, I just tried the sea bass and rib eye. The steak was so juicy and leave a taste that makes you want more and the sea bass was so delicious that I was tempted to lick the plate. I have no idea how yelp has this restaurant with 4 stars when the food is this good and the staff simply incredible. If I lived here in London this would be my restaurant on a weekly basis. Bon appetite. read more

The place was difficult to find. The view was amazing even on a foggy day. Wine selection was good. My husband and I ordered lobster ravioli. He was happy with his I thought mine tasted weird and he confirmed it. I become unwell shortly after. Truly a letdown as the place came well recommended from our concierge. read more

OMG where do I start? The location and the view to die for. Amazing views of the city. The restaurant has a great vibe modern Michelin start style. As soon as we arrived we were seated by the window with amazing views. As for the food, it took us a while to decide between the testing menu which look delicious and a la cáete menu. We opted for a la carte. Also we were deciding between a burgundy and Bordeaux and the French sommelier came and helped us with great suggestions. Good was very elegant and delicious. We had the scallops carpaccio and crab Devon for appetizers. We also ordered the pasta dish, lamb neck raviolo. All incredible. For main course we had: short rib dish and ribeye. And to top it off, we had the soufflé and the chocolate dessert. They were both amazing and the presentation impecable. We even had 2 little glasses of Graham's 20 Tawny Port, delicious. Can't wait to be in London again and come back to City Social! A read more

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We came here for my boyfriend's birthday on Friday and it turned out to be amazing. I called that morning and asked for a window seat which we did end up getting, though I'm sure eating at 6:15pm played a role in that :) it was actually the perfect time as it hadn't gotten too busy and loud yet. We were able to enjoy the wonderful view (gherkin included in that) while waiting for our waiter. The waiter was helpful with choosing drinks and all the other staff were very lovely. Now onto the food. The food was absolutely incredible! It looked beautiful and tasted even better. I had the linguine seafood for a starter and I wish I had more because it was to die for! My duck main was delicious as well though a sharper knife would have been pretty helpful :) my bf had the quail starter which also tasted incredibly flavourful and the rabbit, which he really enjoyed. For dessert we had the chocolate tart and the beetroot creation and both were terrific! At the end we thought his birthday was forgotten, but then our waiter brought out a small box. Inside was a beautiful passion fruit and white chocolate cake. All in all a great experience and I highly recommend it. It is pricey but we worked it out that it isn't more than other high end restaurants in London. When you factor in the view and service, it was very much worth it to us! read more

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Go through the ugly magnetometer side entry (they need to refresh) and up to the 24th floor where a dimly lit interior greets you finally. You notice the black low shiny ceiling with little spots of light over the white linen tables mostly but the semi circular booths and bar like atmosphere throughout exude a level of cool as well. Great city views through as well. Our Parisian server was quite nice and explained the dishes and gave us some recommendations. We had a seasonal fresh tomato salad as an appetizer..lots of pesto- very pretty with edible flowers and a wafer of goat cheese. I had rabbit and my husband chicken- I think I preferred the chicken but both were very good. Lots of interesting flavors and beautifully prepared. read more

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Gorgeous classy setting inside Tower 42 - this is the latest (and I think the most romantic!) addition to the high rise bars popping up around London. I like that they haven't packed the tables too tightly into the bar area so it still feels nicely spacious and intimate, rather than having 3 other groups in eye/earshot. The sexy dark wood decor and low lighting also help with the romance factor. Best to call ahead to reserve a table. The view (as if I needed to tell you) is excellent; our table had us looking over onto the gherkin. I am a sucker for a puntastic cocktail menu ('Vermouth? You Can't Handle Vermouth' - ahh just brilliant) and also spotted a decent scotch selection, both of which I'll have to try another time along with the food. It was a special sort of evening though so we went for bubbles, and I can confirm the lift whoosh down is twice as much fun after half a bottle of prosecco... :) read more

Came into London from the states for a business dinner. Reserved a table for 7. Arrived and they tried to seat us in a round booth for 5 at the most. They agreed to move us to a table. 20 minutes later, the waiter arrived at our table (Who later admitted it was his second day) asking us if we were ready to order our food. He seemed baffled when we responded that we wanted drinks first and hadn't even had menus to review. Fast forward 30 min. Appetizers or small plates arrive. Food was good. We proceed to order our food which was primarily filets and ribeye. Waitress brings out the food and mistook a filet order for a ribeye. No problem, it happens right? Any other fine dining establishment I've been to would quickly and apologetically correct this, right? Well not here. Instead, we were told that that was what we ordered because that was what the server wrote down. It was literally an argument for 5 minutes about what was ordered. Finally we were told that this could be corrected but it would take 30 min. Wow. We just accepted what we were served and powered through. In the end, the food was average at best. Poor service. Mediocre food. Nice atmosphere. They must be selling Michelin stars now. I would not recommend or return to this establishment. read more

Amazing food and incredible views - plus the service wasn't to be matched. The staff was courteous and friendly, and even took us on a tour to see multiple views and a peek in the kitchen. Overall a great experience! read more

So the place was nice, little difficult to find. Went into tower 42 and was told to exit, go left then left again and ill see a sign for it. Was greeted by a metal detector and told elevator on the right at the end. Elevator had only two buttons. One for 24th and 42nd. 24th was city social. Sat at the bar before out reservation and had a drink. The bartenders were nice had some small talk, even sampled a drink. We sat at our table and was greeted by a polite waiter and waitress. We were given bread with VERY delicious butter. We ordered a starter of scallops, £19 or like $24. It was small, very small. 3 Scallops the size of a £2 coin ($.50 piece) it was ok but not worth the price in my opinion. We order our mains. Wife had the lamb and i had the rib eye. Wife loved her lamb although it was a small portion for £37 or $50. My steak is where the stars drop. It was so thin. My iPhone in a case was as thick as the steak (not exaggerating) it was £32 or $45. Very flavorless, they brought to boats of sauce for it which were good but the ribeye seemed more like a Skirt steak than an actual ribeye (ima steak guy, had several tomahawks at restaurants) but being it had zero flavor was bad for me. The chips it came with were fried in duck fat. They were good but very small portion as well. Its a Michelin star restaurant so i see why its expensive but that steak was complete trash compared to ones I've had at mom and pop steak houses. So the bartenders i give 5 stars but over all i cant give more than four. read more

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It's smart, it's in the city and the views aren't bad too. Is it better than Duck & Waffle that's only across the way? It's different, but it probably has to be to give it its own intrigue. It's part of the social eating places (including Portland street, eating house & somewhere else) so you can expect well thought through menu. I only popped in for a special cocktail talk but the visit was enough to tempt me to want to come back soon. So check in later for a full review ;) read more

Amazing views and even better food and service. This place was buzzing over the lunch hour. The food was as delicious as they were beautifully presented. read more

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I booked this restaurant after a last minute change in my friends' travel plans left me scrambling to find a decent table for four people with two weeks' notice. At first, I thought of taking them to one of the restaurants in the Shard, but then realized that the high rise dining scene can do one better, with the one Michelin starred City Social. Though Tower 42 isn't a pretty building, it is right by Liverpool Street and our table was directly overlooking the Gherkin. The restaurant is panoramic and we also got impressive views of the Shard, and the bathroom looked out onto St. Paul's Cathedral. It was so great that we ended up taking pictures in the bathroom. We started off with a round of drinks, with the cocktail list featuring a special emphasis on different versions of gin and tonic, but with a large number of other options too. I got the Dorothy Parker gin and tonic, which came with a pansy flower in it, and my friend who got Do Me a Fava got both a flower in the drink and a disk of parmesan cheese clipped to the glass. Parmesan cheese is a bit random, but it got points for presentation. The Marvelous Medicine was also so cool - it came in a medicine bottle and there were instructions to break a small pill into the glass before pouring in the contents of the bottle. As for food, I got the seafood linguini, and my friends got the truffle risotto and the rabbit saddle. I felt a bit guilty about ordering such a normal sounding dish, but I had a big craving for seafood, and Jason Atherton's creativity delivered. The linguini was in one unbroken ball in the middle of the dish, with some fried seafood on the side and a lovely consommé of seafood juices was poured over it all. It wasn't at all like a creamy sauce-centric seafood linguini that you would find at an ordinary Italian restaurant. It was also a very good portion size - I was concerned about being too full after a heavy pasta dish, but this was just the opposite. For desserts, we had something called "English strawberries, elderflower, pistachio, strawberry juice, honeycomb." I don't think that does a very good job describing what came out. It was a pistachio custard covered in a strawberry gel, with bits of strawberry and honeycomb on top. My friend thought it was too heavy on the pistachio, and I agree that you wouldn't enjoy it unless you have a strong love of pistachio. I liked that it wasn't too sweet, but the size was probably more appropriate for sharing. Having dined at a lot of Jason Atherton's restaurants in recent weeks, I prefer City Social over Pollen Street Social, but I think I see myself more at home at Social Eating House. City Social is great for the views and for well-presented food, but Social Eating House has a buzzing, vibrant atmosphere than I prefer to the stiff and rather quiet tables of City Social. We were in semi-circular booths that lent themselves to great views for everyone at the table, but not so great conversation. City Social also just wasn't very busy; I could only get a reservation for 6 PM, but throughout our time there, the restaurant was only operating at about half capacity. I have no idea why they didn't let us book for later! read more

Amazing view above the city of London. Best cocktails in town. Loves this place and cant wait to go back!! read more

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This restaurant has a great view and excellent food and service. We had a dinner meeting with about 15 people in attendance. The views are spectacular and at sunset, they are stunning. The food is quite good. I had a risotto with squash and a quail egg. Very light and flavorful, not heavy at all. I also had a ribeye steak with a peppercorn sauce. Sorbet for dessert. Great wine selection. read more

City Social - View from dining room - British Near Me - London, XGL

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Hands down, my new favourite place in The City. For some reason, I've been tempted to think that higher/taller was better in the destination restaurant world. Sushi Samba, AquaShard et al and so ONLY eating on the 24th floor seemed lowly (pun intended). However, It's awesome to be in the middle of the City towers and it makes the city seem bigger and cooler, especially at night. More importantly, the food is perfect. No, really, it's perfect. I've had lunch and dinner here now it's just wonderful. The service is crisp. They have table clothes, which seem to be missing from many new places and wine list is just right. I've even propped myself up at the bar and sampled the cocktails. All in all, it's terrific and I hope it's becomes the City Institution it deserves to be in time. read more

This review is more like 4.5 stars than 5 as the drinks were not as good as I was expecting. As other reviewers also mentioned, this restaurant definitely deserves a special occasion because the access and views are amazing, the service is spectacular, food looks and tastes really good (including bottomless bread! yeah carbs!) and you have jaw dropping views of the city at the restrooms. I don't think it was crazy expensive, dishes being £10-12 more expensive than pub fare so definitely affordable if you plan accordingly. I would suggest having cocktails at another bar before heading up here and just enjoy a bottle of wine with your meal. read more

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Incredible views with knowledgeable staff and impressive menu here. Not on the cheap side, but definitely worth it for a treat. Try their cote de boeuf or their cheese trolley for a lush dining experience. read more

City Social - British Near Me - London, XGL

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The first time we ate here was a great experience. The food and service were both top notch. We did have a lot of trouble figuring out how to get in but soon forgot that frustration once we got to the restaurant. It was a truly memorable night. We were very excited to go back and repeat our first impression. Sadly that didn't happen. The only thing I can say was good about the evening was my cocktail. The waiter wanted our food order before our drinks even arrived at the table. He was snippy the entire meal. No one ever asked us if we like our food or if there was anything else we wanted. Our entrees were average at best. The appetizers were much more fluff than substance - tiny and expensive, and everyone involved in the dinner was disinterested or just perfunctory. I can't imagine how they are keeping that Michelin star. read more

Fabulous food and city view! Many restaurants with prime view would be slightly lacking on the aspect of the food quality, and I was pleasantly surprised that it is not the case here. read more

Housed within Tower 42 on the 24th floor City Social is an impressive restaurant with spectacular views. The food was great, chef could work the Medium Rare steak cooking they were a little more Blu than medium. Portions sizes were spot on and the sides delicious. The things which lost it a star from me were: - staff were a bit pretentious and they really didn't know what they were offering. - Why we needed a different waiter to take food and wine orders amazes me. If we were looking to discuss the wines I could understand having a semmelier in our case we knew what we wanted. - lack of signage at the tower entrance meant the entire group walked into the build reception where as the entrance was around the corner. - Cheese selection was great but the waiter didn't know the cheeses and the portions are so small it took an age to cut them. read more

We four Americans celebrated in advance of Brexit on a night that saw rainstorms that had not been seen in years. We arrived dripping wet but the marvelous staff took good care of us in the bar before dinner. I began with the tuna tataki, moved on to the saddle of rabbit and finished with the strawberry soufflé. The wines were marvelous as well. read more

City Social - British Near Me - London, XGL

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Went here for a birthday dinner last night and loved it. The Place: The atmosphere and decor was laid back and very classy but also very relaxed and most importantly spacious and not cramped, which can be hard to find. The Food: Menu had a great selection (and more veggie options than I expected) and dishes were just the right size, I left feeling pretty full. Highlight: the cocktail list - the cocktails here are amazing and I only wish I could have tried them all. The Service: The service is what made this place extra special for me, it was amazing. Friendly, helpful and very sweet, I even got a small birthday cake box to take home at the end of our meal. Unfortunately in our excitement we got caught up taking pictures as we left and forgot the cake which I felt awful about especially as it was given with such kindness (plus it looked great and couldn't wait to get home and eat it!) :( read more

My boyfriend booked city social weeks in advance for Valentine's Day which was also his birthday. We did not receive the requested table but instead they tried to seat us practically on top of two other tables. Meanwhile, the requested tables sat empty. However, the most offending part was that there was a large piece of plastic cooked into the chicken in the second course. Disgusting. The manager apologized and said that our bill would reflect the mistake on their part. Did it? No. They offered to comp two glasses of champagne. Our meal was over 500 pounds (640 US). Do not eat there. read more

It pains me to give three stars and maybe this just says a lot about my expectations and past experiences, but outside of the view I felt City Social was pretty average. Sure, it is decorated beautifully inside with dramatic dim lighting and dark wooden enclaves all over. But to me it lacked a certain wow factor that I was expecting. This just reminded me of another restaurant in London that just happened to be 24 flights up. The service was excellent and food was very good, but it didn't blow my mind. To start I had the tuna tartare and for an entree I had the Halibut. I think this is the kind of restaurant you bring someone you want to impress (makes sense since I was taken here by a potential business partner). read more