We came in for dinner and had a good experience. The atmosphere is dark and modern. Service was as good as it could be. I was annoyed to learn that despite the dinner rush, only two waitresses were working. I know staffing can be difficult, but that's fairly unacceptable for a restaurant of that size. However, our waitress did a great job considering she had to cover half the dining room herself. The bread service was very nice. There were three types of thick breads and all were good. I had an Aperol spritz and it was refreshing and well made. We shared an order of calamari and it was crisp and tender. For my entree, I got the bavette steak, which came with pomme frites and a delicious shallot sauce that resembled a gravy. My steak was a perfect medium rare and I loved the sauce. For dessert, we split an apple tartan which was nice, but simple. Overall, this is a great spot. The food was amazing. I just hope they can improve their staffing in the future. read more

Brasserie Joël - Bavette - Brasseries Near Me - London, XGL

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Went here for New Year's Eve celebration. We stayed at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and Joel had a six-course prefix menu, that seemed appropriate. It was with matching wines and had a reasonable price. The restaurant had hired a singer for the evening. She was more out or tune and in-tune, so at times a bit painful. I felt sorry for her. The food was a lobster terrine or duck/fig terrine. The lobster was overcooked and chewy. The duck was good. For the next course, we both had the tortellini stuffed with crab meat in a lobster consommé. The lobster consommé was delicious, but the tortellini was not fresh as the pasta had become rigid. We then had beef filet or fowl. Both were delicious courses. After a while, we got cheeses with crackers. The cheeses were good, but the crackers were very dry. Finally, we had tiramisu and raspberry cake. Both the desserts were good. The wines were poured very generously, but were of medium quality. The service was slow and in-attentive. The 6-course meal took 3.5 hours. People around us were getting quite impatient. As this was a pre-fix menu, it should have been easy to orchestrate, but I think they got overwhelmed. read more

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Our hotel's premier restaurant so we gave them a try for dinner one night. And pleasantly surprised. This is also the morning breakfast buffet spot. A nice transformation; the wonders of mood lighting to create the right atmosphere. Our server was a bit slow getting to us, but made up for that with her professional demeanor and a warm smile. Ordering, my wife had the Roasted Chicken Supreme. For me, it was the Lamb Shank with a side of the Pommes Purree Mashed Potatoes. French cuisine samplings started before we even got to Paris. Dinner was delightful, with my lamb seasoned well with a variety of spices. Tender, with maybe a bit more sauce than I would have liked but no real complaints. And the mashed potatoes almost out flavored the lamb. I believe I also ordered a sprite or lemonade but memory escapes me. It seemed all orders of lemonade came carbonated in both London and Paris. My wife didn't appear to find fault with her meal either. For dessert we shared a very rich dark chocolate ice cream and cake. Which taste grows on you with each bite. Fine dining and one of the positive experiences of our stay at this hotel. read more

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Food was nice. I had French onion soup. They brought us a bread which I believe was harder than a marble... They do have a kid menu which is cool. Salad was tasty also with tuna, decent portion. Ambience at this place is very nice. I Like the red wine wall with Lelights behind. Pretty cool. read more

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Excellent service, even though it was about to close for lunch they still accept us took our order and even didn't rush us. Very delicious cuisine.we stayed at the hotel 2 years in a row and first stop is Brasserie Joel! As a VIP member on our first day we got 15% off any restaurants at the hotel we chose our favorite one. Will be back again! read more

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Brasserie Joel is a high end Brasserie close to waterloo station within the Park Plaza Hotel. Alongside many other high end dining experiences Brasserie Joel is a nicely relaxed and informal place with plenty of high end attributes that is welcoming to all, whether you're a business person of just wanting to eat with some friends. Note: Most people are the former :) Something quite cool the company does is release 50 bookings at 50% off to those that respond to their tweet on the 1st of each month. Extremely nice of them, particularly to those that might not necessarily be able to afford the experience at full price ( \o ). So an extremely good reason to follow them! Do it now! The interior is beautifully elegant and classy without being stuff. The tables are spaciously laid out, and the lighting perfectly cool without being harsh. Excellent for those of you that like taking pictures of your food. On arriving you get bread that is frequently topped up. And the bread of many varieties is constantly topped up at your request. The lemon bread was just WOW. Served with butter and Olive Oil, it's very very easy to stuff yourself on this before even ordering! Something to note if a member of your party is 45 mins late! The duck terrine starter I loved. It was beautiful. the tiny gherkins and super sweet tiny cherry tomatoes complimented it well. It comes with country bread, which added to the not unsubstantial amount of bread already on our table. The roast lamb main course I ordered was absolutely divine. I'd ordered lamb a fortnight prior and thought that was good. This was BETTER. Never have I tried tastier lamb. It was the best cut of lamb, the tenderloin too. Medium rare. mmmmmm. Will need to go back for that. The other starters, roast cod, courgette and tomato risotto and pork belly were not on the same level, but perfectly decent. Note the mains are quite pricey, but this is what things cost at the high end. Luckily they're tempered through the starters and desserts, but again go 50% off if you can. The desserts were good, particularly as they're fixed at £5.50 a dessert. We found a small fly in the strawberry tart dessert, and the manager graciously asked what we would like to do. We asked to replace it like for like and this was done with little fuss. In all, we were there for about 3.5 hours (incl. the wait for the third person in our party) and not once did we feel rushed or pressured to hurry up. The staff waited on our table with such efficiency they never had to ask if we were finished but seemed to know perfectly when we had finished each course. I've read on their site that they do a special lunch menu with 3 courses for around £13. I would definitely go back to try that. Also the menu changes regularly depending on the season, which is nice. So this place is thoughly recommended and I'll be watching their twitter feed intently :D read more

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Scallops, risotto , and the foie gras terrine were outstanding. All 3 made to perfection. This chef nailed it. Well worth tasting if you are in London westminster area. I would rate the food at least 5 stars. As for the service, I would rate a 4 out of 5 stars. Their attentiveness could use more improvement such as receiving the bill in a timely manner after my significant other and I completed our meal. Overall, I would give this restaurant a 4 1/2 star rating if I could. Although the restaurant didnt completely blow me away and due to the yelp rating restriction of giving whole stars instead of half star ratings, I would ultimately have to give the restaurant a 4 star rating. By all means, this is definitely a place for fine dining and definitely worth trying. read more

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Brasserie Joël is located across the way from Big Ben and a short walk from Waterloo station inside the Park Plaza Hotel. The hotel has modern decor and both the hotel and restaurant staff were very friendly and helpful. Prices are very reasonable and they offer discounted 2-3 course menus until 7pm. We appreciated the efficiency and attentiveness of the staff which is shown by the food coming out piping hot. There is nothing worse than cold or lukewarm food! The cauliflower velouté was rich and creamy. I just loved the roast sesame oil accent! The beef and fish were equally delicious! CAULIFLOWER VELOUTÉ (V) Roast sesame oil, croutons, chives NIÇOISE SALAD Red pepper, cooked egg, anchovies, tagliasca olives (gf) BEEF ONGLET STEAK Chives mash potato, shallot and red wine sauce GILT HEAD BREAM FILLET Girolles mushrooms, celeriac purée, coffee sauce read more

The last time I came here I had a very nice meal with very nice service. This time there were 4 of us and it was perfect. The greeting & seating were warm & swift, the menu a nice balance of small and large plates. Very nice wine list. Very good service, and the prices are good as well. read more

Brasserie Joël - Toothsome salmon & mushy peas a la Dr. Seuss - Brasseries Near Me - London, XGL

Decent experience, food was pretty good but quite pricey. The service was absolutely terrible... worst service experience I've ever had in London. I'll give it four stars because of the great food and great selection but the service... yikes! read more

You can taste the quality of ingredients that the Chef uses! Try the tuna tartare and the lobster risotto! Delicious food, great service, and the ideal place for a romantic dinner. read more

Just wanted a light meal since we were tired from the trip over, so we got lazy and decided to just go to the hotel restaurant. We normally don't expect much, but it was very tasty. * Tuna and Avacado Tataki Very fresh, nicely cut, and tasty. The avacado had just the right soft/hardness. * Chicken & Duck Salad Fresh and made to perfection. Both the chicken and the duck were nicely tender, almost juicy. The light amount of dressing did a great job of adding flavour without overpowering anything. It was nicely quiet though there just weren't very many people there, and the service, as to be expected, was good. On a side note: if you stay at the hotel, don't go here for breakfast. It's really not very good and not worth the price. read more

Been a few times in this French restaurant. Always like to there if I'm in the other side of the river. The restaurant is part of park plaza hotel. Hotel has a amazing magnificent view opposite Westminster Bridge and big Ben. Joel interior look modern cutting edge design. Lunch time tend to be very quiet. They served special lunch menu with 3 course meal around £15.95. Absolutely good value and reasonable prices for this posh restaurant although the menu is bit simple..like spaghetti or sausage and chips. Only unconvienient things is the toilet is located at the other side, next to the bar..it take a few minutes to walk there..nice toilet and peaceful inside. Best place to do meditation there I guess. read more

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Breakfast here was so bad I can't even begin to explain. Besides being extravagantly expensive, the buffet has a very small selection of actual food, and the food that it does have seems to be bland. read more

Wonderful time and a great waiter. Also great choices for children. We enjoyed the environment and the service.

First off, I must confess that Brasserie Joel would normally be out of my price range. But I got an amazing deal to get 2 main courses for £1 each, so I leapt at the chance to try it. The food was absolutely fantastic - more on that later - it's just the venue is so corporate-hotel like, you do feel like you're about to go to some kind of paperclips convention or something. Such a shame, as it really doesn't do justice to the cooking. To start, there were some complimentary mini tomatoes and toasts with tapenade, which was a nice touch, although I'd just had a root canal filling, so had to leave the toasts to my friend. With the £1 deal, we had to order off a small section of the menu called Les Coquettes, or one-pot dishes - and we both chose the cep risotto with pea shoots, along with a side of garlic buttered spinach. I was slightly bemused when the meal arrived in it's own Le Creuset saucepan, and had to ask the waiter whether I should eat it from the pan or spoon it onto the plate. For those who need to know - you eat it from the pan. It was absolutely delicious (as it should be, for the original £19.50 price tag) - rich, buttery and perfectly cooked with plenty of mushrooms. Not a huge portion, but it did leave me room for dessert, natch. I could easily have chosen most of the desserts - but spied some women on another table with a gorgeous looking block of some kind of chocolatey thing, which I immediately ordered. It was fabulous - a peanut butter chocolate mousse, with a firm, almost baked cheesecake texture, with a crispy base and a ribbon of caramel sauce along the top. Perfection. The bill, of course, was ridiculously cheap, which it wouldn't have been if we'd paid the real price - but they have got a January deal - you get a red envelope which you have to open when you arrive, and you can win a number of offers, including 40% off the food or even an overnight stay in the Park Plaza hotel. Bit of a gamble, as you might not win anything! read more

I had a wonderful meal here last week. I had probably the best french onion soup I have ever had. This was followed with scallops that came with a bit of that fancy black pasta underneath. It also had a little bit of cream sauce. I had to add mashed potatoes to my meal....and they were some of the best I have ever had. The waiter also brought over some type of liquer or drink to end my meal. What a nice touch. He was very new to the restaurant and his service was flawless. What a nice treat! read more

We came here for Christmas dinner, because it was the only place we could get a reservation. It was very busy, granted it was on Christmas Day. The wait staff was slammed, so it was hard for them to give us excellent service. They were very polite and very nice. The food was good despite the lack of service. For appetizer I had the parsnip soup & my husband had smoked salmon. My husband had the pumpkin risotto & I had the fish for the entrée. Dessert was a bit disappointing for me, I had the Christmas pudding & my husband had the salted caramel ice cream, which was good. I understand that dinner on Christmas is going to be hectic so I'm not upset over it taking a long time. I am a bit disappointed in the food considering this was probably the most expensive meal we have eaten ever. Save your money and go somewhere else that is half the price. read more

We were very disappointed with our return trip to this restaurant. In the last three years we have been in London three times and each time stayed at the park plaza. We used the restaurant initially for convenience but immediately loved it. This is our first time here in about 20 months and it has drastically changed. The sharing menu had gnocchi on it that were deep fried balls of lord knows what. The "wagyu" sirloin appeared to be a strip loin, which is fine, but it wasn't wagyu! The spinach side was so salty I couldn't eat it. Finally, I wanted steak frites and asked if they were fresh cut and I was assured they were. They were not. McDonalds does better. The tuna was nice. The burgers were hockey pucks. The server was very nice and apologetic, but I got the impression that he knew how much the place has gone down hill. Finally they wouldn't let us charge the meal to our room, at which point I got angry. This was correct quickly but an amazingly amateurish mistake. This restaurant was one of the reasons we kept coming to this hotel. We will go elsewhere next time. Extremely disappointed. What a change. read more

Had fish n chips the night before, so I was looking for something a little more upscale. Thanks to fellow yelpsters, I found this fantastic place. London is not cheap, yet this place offers a full three course meal for 20 pounds. Plus a complementary glass of very good champagne. Service was also super. Chef did a fantastic job! read more

Friendly service, if a little slow, from extremely polite and helpful staff. I thought the food was a bit over-priced. We'd taken up a special offer based on sipping a champagne aperitif in the atrium opposite a view that didn't actually exist. Not sure why Brasserie Joel has to claim spectacular views over the London Eye (unfortunately blocked by County Hall) when the Houses of Parliament are there to brag about. Butternut squash soup was excellent and we enjoyed our lemon sole and our salmon with courgettes. Creme brulee was delicious but took rather a long time to arrive. I'd probably visit again. read more

The restaurant deco and service is 4 stars but the food and wine are 5 stars. We had the Camenbert 7/10 the Scallops 9/10 the Rossini 9,5/10 and the Gratin Dauphinois 9,9/10 on the side. Accompanied with a Sauvignon "la fleur plaisance" 2009. If you are an amateur of fine cuisine and don't mind paying the price of it this is a place for you. read more

This was one of the best dinners I've ever had. Ever. Seriously. I went with 5 other people. We all had appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Every one of us raved about all 3 courses. For appetizers, we chose everything from a goat cheese with rocket salad, tuna tartare, and foie gras. 5 of us had the scallops because they sounded so amazing (and they were) and the 6th had lamb chops. All were done to perfection. We marveled that five orders of scallops could be cooked perfectly (not the least bit overdone) and served warm all at the same time. Our desserts were a mix of lime macaroons, chocholate fountain cakes and raspberry pastries. Actually calling it a pastry is an injustice. It was a work of art. One layer of it was whole fresh raspberries. Oh and the service is impeccable. We had 3-4 gentlemen taking care of us and although attentive, they were never obtrusive. They presented each dish with obvious pride and we valued how conscientious they were. Location - in the Park Place Westminster Hotel. Classy, modern decor. Think of the best food you've ever had, then imagine food tasting better than that. That's what you get at Brasserie Joel. read more

We got breakfast buffet with our room. The breakfast buffet was frequently out of various food items. The coffee was cold. I asked the server for cream twice and she never brought it. read more

excellent atmosphere, at the plark plaza hotel and excellent food. read more

Terribly over-priced breakfast. If you are staying at the Park Plaza, don't even bother eating here. Pre-processed hasbrowns, black pudding and baked beans. Watery scrambled eggs and grocery store quality pastries. read more

We recently stayed at the Park Plaza and after a long day we decided to try and have dinner in the hotel one evening. We were told there would be a 20 minute wait and that we needed to come back to her in 20 minutes because she could not keep track. So in 20 minutes we returned and we were seated and warned that service would be slow. We got to our table and I almost sat in a big splotch of food on one of the chairs. The hostess looked at it and shrugged. We figured she would send someone to clean it up....No luck. So our waiter arrived. A pissy little frenchman called Etienne. Snotty as all heck and almost completely absent throughout our dinner. We pointed out the gross splotch on the chair and he shrugged. So he took our order and we asked him for water as well as our drinks. The food took a while and it arrived and the food was alright but the water never arrived.The water arrived as we finished dinner. This is the kicker. The customary tip of 12% was on the bill. When my husband settled he left it at 12% and signed. The little snot Etienne had the audacity to ask my husband if he was sure that he wanted to leave the tip at 12%. Etienne you suck as a waiter and you are lucky we did not take it down. I was not impressed with this place at all. read more

We went for an office get together , and were pleasantly surprised with how good the food was and so reasonably priced, but just one caveat you have to order the menu and before 7 pm. Also for some strange reason they only offer it to small groups. The only thing which spoilt the evening for use is the argument we had to have to let us order from the menu, since we got a bit delayed. Otherwise everything was perfect. I had a starter of terrine, followed by a juicy steak and dessert. With the wine it came to about 37 per head, which for the food quality is totally worth it. The 3 course menu is a steal at 20 quid. read more