Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill

The service here was absolutely atrocious! Firstly, it took about 30 minutes just to place an order. That was after being told to wait for our table which was booked. This would have been fine but a group who came after us was seated immediately despite us having a booking. Then when we finally managed to place an order, the waitress was explaining the dishes we had ordered as if we had never dined out before and didn’t know food. So patronising! It’s probably because we didn’t look like their typical clientele. Once the food arrived, we were completely underwhelmed. The Dover sole, at £56, was bland and is probably the worst fish I’ve ever tasted, which is surprising considering it was a seafood restaurant. We also ordered a whole lobster, again completely underwhelming! It was overly salty and not an enjoyable experience. The oysters were ok but nothing to write home about. We had to continuously prompt the waiters to top up our glasses from the bottle which was inconveniently hidden away from us. Moreover, the waiter assumed we wanted tap water, assumed we were sharing a starter, threw the ashtray down on our table once asked if we could smoke (no verbal confirmation) and kept reaching over our table to get things for other diners. This is just absolutely unprofessional and off-putting when you’re trying to eat. The only saving grace of the entire experience was Elisa. She is the only one at the restaurant who seems to know what she’s doing. It was her positive attitude and competency that saved the very disappointing and expensive meal! Not only was the food terrible but they didn’t even try to make up for it. They still charged us the full price even though we left half the Dover sole and complained. Considering the money we spent, we should have had a much better experience. That was our first and last time dining at that restaurant!

For any restaurant to have endured in London for more than 100 years, it must be doing something right. Bentley’s track record dates to 1916. A recent visit served as a reminder that the venue is still going strong, having arguably been reinvigorated since Richard Corrigan has been at the helm. Consider a visit here an experience, as much for the people-watching as for the food. Word to the wise: fight your way past the tourists sitting on the heated outdoor patio and avoid the upstairs grill room which can either be populated by rowdy groups or might equally be half-empty and hence curiously lacking in atmosphere. Instead, it is best to stick to what has worked for decades and sit at the oyster bar just to the left of the entrance. Here, the vibe is consistently lively with the clientele comprising everything from seafood connoisseurs to rich sugar-daddies with notably younger other halves – and everything in between. Enthusiastic staff with an air of old school professionalism keep things ticking along nicely. My comrade and I sat at the counter top bar and took it all in, while enjoying some superlative food. What Bentley’s does best is oysters, and the venue claims to shuck over 1,000 on a daily basis. We began with a half dozen of the native variety, spanning West Mersea and Loch Ryan. They were deeply intense, both earthy and salty. We then moved on to seafood starters: octopus for me and eel for my comrade. The dishes were presented beautifully although I did feel that my dish was a slight anti-climax after the previous oyster-high. Somehow it didn’t matter though, since the wine (a lovely Gavi) continued to flow. Onto the mains and while my comrade opted for a sublime piece of Dover Sole, I veered off-piste an went for the grouse. This was not to be perverse (why eat game in a restaurant specialising in seafood?), but more since I adore the bird and it is only available for a brief window each year. That Bentley’s was able to serve it almost to perfection was testament to the skills of the kitchen. The accompanying elements of peach, broccoli and jalapeno were superb foils. None of this comes cheap: oysters are at least £30 for a half dozen, starters could set you back £25 and mains more than £50. Nonetheless, it is definitely worth it. Get someone else to pay and luxuriate in a decadent London experience that has stood the test of time.