For an amazing night of Jazz, especially when the Simians of Swing are playing. The Archduke Jazz Club was an excellent night out with a few exceptions (hence the 3 instead of 5 stars, will explain in a few). Located next to a London rail station and the London Eye. The Archduke is an excellent place to go and unwind and celebrate with friends with a night full of swinging Jazz. This night especially with the smooth styling of a Jazz favorite the Simians of Swing #simiansofswing. Filling the night with playful, warm and exciting Jazz songs. And what made it even more the sultry songstress Sarah filling our minds and sounds with tales of romance and intrigue. Beyond the music, The Archduke has a variety of delicious fare, for me the Scottish Beef Classic Cheeseburger with ham, cheddar and chipotle sauce complete with hot mustard and fries. Strawberry Lime Hard Cider and hot Chocolate pudding with Vanilla ice cream. The wait staff, bartenders and woman at the door took great care of me and offered a bit of Wit and Humor the London is so well known for. So why 3 and not 5 stars. Well this evening went with new friends to see the Simians of Swing and celebrate one of their birthday. we all moved closer to the show and began to be harassed by a dreary man who said he was the manager, though he work behind the upstairs bar and just seemed to want to be bossy that night. He explained that it's rule that only upstairs (it's a small set of stairs with a balcony not a separate restaurant) people who eaten could stay upstairs and other had to stay down. When we pointed out that others who had only drinks and were previously sitting downstairs were now also sitting upstairs. He ignored it, I think since they had tripped him well to stay, and was obvious was looking for the same from us. All in all it was an excellent night, except for this one experience which would make us have to consider coming back here again, with such a rude greedy manager. read more

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Positioned on the buzzing Southbank, the Archduke Wine Bar makes a lovely setting for a fancier night out in London. Steak, wine and jazz are never a combination that don't sound appealing to me, so when my friend chose this spot for her birthday party I was thrilled, to say the least. The restaurant itself is very open and airy and has a lovely feel to it. There's a sophistication about the place - but not so much that it feels intimidating or exclusive in any way. We were seated on the upper floor, just past the musicians, with a view down to the lower levels and the street outside. The place was buzzing when we arrived - due, presumably, to the many birthday parties that we soon discovered were taking place that evening, with several renditions of 'Happy Birthday' throughout the evening. The waiting staff were very friendly and showed us to our seats with a smile. The menu is great here - there's plenty of variation and something to satisfy most tastes, though vegetarians might struggle to find something! I opted for the crayfish salad in the end, regretting that my stomach was not empty enough to attempt a steak! Many steaks were ordered around the table, though, all of which looked incredible. The crayfish salad was tasty! It was quite small, but not unreasonable, and had good flavours in it. The textures lacked a certain something for me, though. I felt like it was all a little bit too soft, if that makes sense - it could have done with a little crunch, really! I had a side of chips too, which were lovely! The steaks, I hear (and believe) were delicious and each one was devoured and enjoyed. Most importantly - the wine was wonderful! :) As were the cocktails! The drinks definately made this evening for me and were great accompanyments to the meal. read more

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I have mixed feelings about this place. A friend and I stopped here one night to grab dinner since it looked like a nice restaurant. There were too many choices for food and I didn't want to walk around all night. I really liked the ambiance and the fact that they have live jazz; it adds taste to the place. From the outside I didn't think much of the space, but I was quite surprised. There's the bar area and a restaurant seating area on the ground floor, then there's the upper floors with more seating! The window seats have a nice view of the Thames. The items on the menu were a bit too pricey in my opinion for what I got. I ordered the garlic and herb chicken with chips and salad (choice of 2 items); it was 13 pounds! I felt it was a bit overpriced for the quality of food I got. I thought it was just your average roasted chicken, chips, and salad...nothing special. And two, the place rumbles every time the train goes by. It makes for an odd experience. I feel like this is one of those place you would visit every once in a while for a different eating experience with the view of the Thames (depending on where you're seated) and the live jazz playing as you eat. read more

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Celebrating a friend's (avid steak lover) b-day, we had settled on The Archduke as a London friend raved about their veggie burgers....win / win for all of us Wonderfully situated inside a supporting arch of the Waterloo Station tracks & right on the water. Get great views of the Thames & the London Eye. Jazz music coming from the piano downstairs....adding ambiance to the exposed brick, crossbeams, industrial feel of the place - props! Only downside was that every time the Underground would go through the station, the walls & floors would rattle - while some may find this cool, it's very reminiscent of Earthquake behavior for us San Francisco souls - so spent the majority of the night on earthquake-action alert Pimms was the best part of the night & being a proper girly girl, we had to indulge in the stereotypically-London, fruity drink Veggie Burger was huge but other than that, pretty unmemorable. Not dry or too moist, not a bad flavor but not outstanding....just average all around. It was a homemade patty & there were a ton of fries All other friends had steak of 1 variety of another....Fillet, T-Bone & Ribeye & all plates were licked clean - high props for the steaks Dessert consisted of Brownies for the boys - the girls had more Pimms So for ambiance & coolness factor, this place is a fantastic choice to enjoy some wine & piano jazz. Food is average & prices are about what you'd expect being so close to the water & tourist destinations..... so a happy A-OK for you! read more

Having walked past the archduke many times on the way to southbank, we decided to have a long overdue drink inside. As soon as we walk in we hear live piano music. This tells you what you need to know. The atmosphere is set and its really busy in here with high heels and suits wherever you look. This also meant it was reflected in the price but live jazz piano doesn't come free. The archduke does serve food too but we stayed downstairs for a drink. A nice fully stocked bar with a wide range of london breweries bottled beers too. It is worth noting that the layout of the building means there are plenty of nooks and crannies with tables, which means because it's so busy you can often be forgotten by the waiting staff. My suggestion is that you go to the bar in person to avoid waiting to be remembered or stumbled upon. This is a nice lively place for a drink, and the food looked tasty as we saw it carried past our table. I think we need another trip in on an empty stomach.... read more

The place felt very mediocre, but the size, layout and posters knocked it up to a 3 rather than a 2, for me. As mentioned before, they'e a little odd on the restaurant side of things. When we asked for a table to eat, we were told there would be a half an hour wait, so we decided we'd come back in a bit. We walked around to find somewhere to sit, and another member of staff approaches. We said we had wanted some food but were told we'd have to wait, and she informed us we could actually sit basically anywhere and get served. No half an hour wait, for walking 10 seconds to another part. Oookaay! Whilst a bit on the pricey side, and thus putting me off it for a random lunch visit in future, it was nice enough for what I had. The sundae was fab, the drinks were fine, and so if you're looking for somewhere to go and happen to spy it, but aren't on a tight budget, it's worth the visit. read more

So we had about an hour before seeing "A John Waters Christmas" at the Royal Festival Hall, and we were HUNGRY! So we looked around and saw this place, and decided we could probably squeeze in a steak before the show started. We went in, and I was a bit overwhelmed with the seating. Three floors and tons of people. Well they just kept telling us to go upstairs, and no one was actually seating us. It was quite confusing, but they finally managed to seat us at a table. Unfortunately it was COLD outside, and it was extremely chilly in the corner they stuck us in. Plus there were marble tables, which were like blocks of ice. We ordered. I had a fillet steak with Bernase sauce and the other half had a sirloin steak with garlic butter. When they came out, they looked beautiful. It tasted pretty good too. However, after a couple of bites, my deliciously rare steak seemed a bit cold in the center. My other half had the same problem. So either this place doesn't let the steaks warm up well enough before cooking them OR the extreme cold of the marble table seeped quickly into the plates and the food sucking out all the heat. The food was tasty though. Both sauces were good, and the steaks came with a side of nicely cooked chips and a salad. If I were in the area for a show again, I'd definitely come back for a steak (as long as we weren't sitting in the cold section). read more

I went here for a date with the girlfriend and it was a good experience. They aren't kidding when the reviews say that its loud. The ambiance is definitely talkative, although it was a fun sort of lively. The steak was great, although a little overpriced, and the salmon was also good. Service, as almost everywhere in England, was very neutral. With a location directly under the Hungerford Bridge, the trains to Charing Cross would go by overhead every few minutes or so, but it was not distracting so much as interesting to realize. I'd recommend the place, although probably not for the prices that they charge. read more

Oh my God this place is huge! So many little nooks for sitting and eating, it winds right around up to the restaurant area on top. But you can eat anywhere, just the menu changes, I think. It can be confusing and they seem to be a little precious about the main restaurant area. You can wait a half hour to sit there or sit in the next alcove over. You just don't get the nice ambience and candlelight, or quick service either. One might wonder why not just have that atmosphere on both areas and get more people in there? But I love a place where you can order chips and an ice-cream sundae for your dinner and no-one bats an eyelid. And where you can listen to a live jazz pianist. Very cool. This is a really nice wine bar, but as a restaurant it fails a bit. The food menu is expensive and has very little choice for vegetarians. read more

In a food no-man's land next to Shell Centre this place fills a void. When for a business lunch and appreciated the variety of options on the price-fixe menu. Had a tasty bowl of tomato soup and then very nice salmon cakes (where the ratio of salmon to potatoes was definitely in the salmon's favor). Big portions! Also appreciated the big glass window and booth for six. Service was spotty, but overall a very decent (and surprising) place. read more

Stopped by here after being kicked out of the Benugo wine bar at the BFI (it closes at 11) and really just wanted to have one more itsy bitsy tipple before making my way back North. We came here as it was around the corner and apparently the only thing on Southbank open past 11 (it closes at 12). It was a nice place, very huge, as everyone has said, and interesting decor (it is on southbank, afterall). Five drinks for about £30, so it wasn't that crazy out there expensive--at least, cheaper than I expected. If I'm already in this part of town, I prefer the BFI offerings myself because I myself like the more eclectic feel of them. But, in a pinch, would probably come back here for a drink after they close. read more

From the outside, it's very easy to think that the Archduke is just another overpriced tourist trap. It looks cliché with it's neon lit sign and the fact that its a jazz bar, located under a railway bridge. And to be honest, it's great for tourists. But it's also a nice evening out for us locals who appreciate a relaxed dining environment with some good live jazz music. On the evening that we went, there was a pianist and female vocalist performing, who were both very good. My only drawback about the evening's entertainment was that I was only one of the few clapping when they completed a song. Though the occasional rumble from trains passing overhead may seem distracting, I thought it nicely added to the ambience of the space. So the food: I opted for the Fillet Steak (Medium rare) with potatoes and green beans. The steak was tasty, though I wouldn't class Archduke as on the same level as some of the city's finer steakhouses. Each bite took a few too many chews for that. For dessert, we shared a warm chocolate brownie with ice cream. The chocolate was rich, and made the dessert pop, though I picked this pudding as the best out of a set of 'safe' dessert options. Overall, Archdukes is a nice evening out, with some great music. You pay a little more than other venues of this calibre, but if you have a couple of good musicians playing on the night, I think that makes it worth it. read more

One of those places I'd walked past for years thinking, I really ought to try that some time It was worth trying. The food was flavoursome, good staff, nice wines, and some reasonable yet not too intrusive jazz on the night we were there. Trouble is it does need the jazz to unsuccessfully cover up the sound of rumbling sounds. No, not my stomach, but the trains making their way directly overhead to and from Charing Cross. Somewhere I'll go to again with a group of friends to make plenty of conversation but not somewhere I'd go for a quiet meal for two. read more

I've actually been here twice, although the first time clearly didn't make an impression or I'd have reviewed it then. And to be honest, while I had a great time, I'm not too impressed. Things the are good: 1. The light airy layout. 2. The piano jazz (who also played happy birthday throughout the bar to my housemate - nice tough) 3. The food is yummy. As is the wine. Things that are bad: 1. The portion sizes. I mean really, if you look at your main, and think it looks more like a starter, then I'd like one of two things: To either be in a place so swanky I don't mind. Or for the prices to be under a tenner. As it was neither, I wasn't impressed. You shouldn't look at your main and think I'm going to need a side with this. Our companion got four pieces on gnocchi as a main! 2. The bread was soggy. I don't know what with, but really, I don't want soggy bread! The thing is, this place is too restauranty, even the bar, for me to suggest just having drinks here. So I'm torn. I won't eat here again, but having drinks would feel like you were waiting for a table so i don't think I'd enjoy that either. Southbank eateries never quite get it right, do they? read more

I'm afraid I have to disagree with the reviews above. Some of the reasons are perhaps only temporary but some are more endemic. At the moment (August 2008) the building is undergoin refurb so it's a bit noisy and there's scaffolding and other muck around the place. I'm sure this will be changed sometime later in the year however. The more worrying issue was over both the quality of the service (hi-lighted above) and also the drinks. Starting with the drinks as these are most important; i) We ordered from the bar some Tiger bottled beer, we got them and after having a bit thought it was a bit off. Reason for this? They expired in August 2008! Obviously, technically having three days in the month left meant this wasn't illegal or anything, and perhaps it's a reflection on Tiger that their beer doesn't taste good at expiry. However the fridge was packed with the stuff and I suspect they buy it in near expiry. Our second round of drinks (which was paid for) was not much better either, flat tasteless draft beer with no head and a metallic taste which from my days of being a cellarman made me think the line-cleaning had been done recently. This ones were replaced for us, but after we finished the safe drink we left. On the positive side the decor was nice and it's a unique building being built under the arches of the railway line that runs from Waterloo to Charing Cross (it's quiet as the trains are very slow at this point). We didn't try food, but the service was mostly non-existant with the bar top being cluttered with boxes and some crates. Perhaps as a result of the work being performed. Would't make this my regular haunt. The Royal Festival Hall is nearby and has a nicer cocktail bar. read more

Briefly stopped in here for a colleague's leaving drinks. It's an interesting multi-level layout couldn't see the group I was meeting from the outside but once I'd walked inside I was able to see them on the next level. Pleasant enough surroundings although it seemed that they only had one continental beer on tap, the rest all bottled. Once the place filled up the noise of the trains going over the bridge overhead was no distraction at all. Cannot comment on the food but the place looked pretty nice - may well stop in to sample it in the future. Handy location right between the South Bank and Waterloo station :-) read more

A classy Place to be in London. Always coming back when i am in London Super Service and atmosphere! read more

The WORST service in London and overpriced food that is badly prepared. I've lived here for 10 years and trust me, it doesn't get worse than this. I left angry and appalled after a snooty French waiter practically started a fight with us after we asked for another table for our party of 14 (we'd been allocated just 8 seats, which was for too cramped as it was). We had given up the table as two of our party were late, but when they appeared a few moments later the waiter refused to give it back (there was nobody sitting there). In addition, the food sucked. I spent £23 on a fillet steak that I asked to be medium rare. It was somewhere between medium and well done. I should have sent it back but the service sucked so badly that by that time I just wanted to leave. I always tip and I tip well, but not at The Archduke. The looks of horror after we asked for the 12.5% service charge to be removed were priceless. Stay well clear of this place if you want to avoid disappointment. read more

Great bar area to sit and chat. Not too loud or too quiet which made for a great environment to be with friends. However the barbecue smoke came through the outside door which made the room quite smokey. Great service though waiters were nice and always walking around. read more

Went here last night with the bf. After perusing the Christmas market at Southbank (and indulging in too much sugar) we needed real food and didn't want to walk too far to get it. We saw this place with a sign advertising a pre-theatre menu at a reasonable price (though that particular menu wasn't posted outside, which annoyed us) but it looked like a nice place so we went for it. First thing, the tube goes directly overhead and rattles the place a little, but nothing we couldn't get over. Ok, so we order from the pre-theatre menu which had some interesting choices. We both ordered the spinach and goat cheese tartlet to start and the duck leg with potatoes, butternut squash and spinach for the main. The tartlet came, and boy it was small (yeah, we like to eat). Taste was good for all three bites. Then, the duck leg came atop the aforementioned veggies, steamed with no seasoning. Would it kill them to add salt and pepper for us? The duck leg was a bit overcooked but the taste was good. We were still both hungry at this point so we got dessert, a microwaved (small) brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I've bought better packaged brownies from Tesco. Oh well, at least we were mostly full at that point. For the price, definitely not worth it, but the location is great and had they been playing jazz, like advertised, I might have added a star. read more

I like the setting and atmosphere in The Archduke. It's spacious without being too vacuous ad they usually have a good live jazz act on in the evening. Food is a little pricey but it is near the Southbank so that's to be expected. Also a perk of the location is you get a splendid view of the scenic surroundings through the huge glass windows. A nice place for a date (if the fella's paying, which a gent should) or a relaxed evening with a glass of wine and some friends. read more

While I was worried that this would be one of those overpriced, tourist traps that doesn't deliver... Based on the food that we had and the service, I would say this was one of the highlights of my trip. Seriously. Yes, it is pricey, but many steak places and wine bars can get quite pricey, but if they deliver quality food, then I would say it is worth it. As we walked in, there was no hostess, so we walked further in and she spotted us. She went to check on some tables and came back to lead us upstairs to the second floor. Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of space, so you don't have to worry about getting cozy with the people at the next table! It is a clever use of space, although when the rumbling of the trains go overhead, you come back to reality as to where you actually are. The live jazz is a nice touch, although I can't say that I listened to it much. The menu has a nice selection for everyone, although I did see children at the next table, so I wondered what they would be having. We decided to share a starter, the Smoked Haddock, while Mr. Snarky had a steak (of course) and I decided to have the lamb. We also had mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails)... I had something with strawberries and passion fruit while Mr. Snarky had one with orange juice, passion fruit, and something else... they were both really lovely. The Smoked Haddock Fishcake was delicious! In fact if they had a meal portion of it, I would have had it for the main! It was mostly fish, rather than cake... our only complaint... not enough of the sauce that was smeared around the cake. If it doesn't look good to put a nice dollop on there, put some on the side in a cup. My lamb came out on a wood board while Mr. Snarky's came out on a plate, but with lots of accouterments. The lamb came with green beans, mashed potatoes, a small cup of mint sauce, and a small cup of either cherry jelly or a red currant jelly. To be honest, the lamb didn't need any sauces, it was perfect! Best lamb I have had. It was juicy, tender, and seasoned just right. I may have gone a bit animalistic when I couldn't get some of the meat off of the bone and decided to try and gnaw it off. Too much? If you had the lamb, you would do the same. The sides were nothing special, but I ate everything and enjoyed it. Mr. Snarky's steak was very good too, it came with fries, salad, a tomato, mushroom cap, and choice of sauce... which I think he chose peppercorn. Mr. Snarky decided to have an ice cream sundae, but I was stuffed, even though I did see a Lemon Tart go by and almost changed my mind! The food was great, our service was great... attentive and efficient. I really enjoyed this and think if you enjoy a good bit of lamb or steak, this is probably a good bet for you. read more

My Friend treated me to dessert here, so I'm not too sure about the regular food. There's some great jazz music though, so if you like to listen to people croon at you while you eat, you're in for a treat. It's a funky space too, considering it's under the arches of a bridge. read more

We've been satisfied customers for 27 years and have eaten here five times this year, at different times of the day,in the restaurant and in the bar. It might not be the cheapest place to eat but for quality, consistency and friendliness it would be hard to beat. Even at the peak of Christmas bookings, service was professional and friendly. read more

I've dined in some very good and reasonably priced restaurants in London, but sadly, this is not one of them. The food is overpriced for the quality, and as the other reviews here suggest, the service is not up to scratch. read more

The WORST service in London and overpriced food that is badly prepared. I've lived here for 10 years and trust me, it doesn't get worse than this. I left angry and appalled after a snooty French waiter practically started a fight with us after we asked for another table for our party of 14 (we'd been allocated just 8 seats, which was for too cramped as it was). We had given up the table as two of our party were late, but when they appeared a few moments later the waiter refused to give it back (there was nobody sitting there). In addition, the food sucked. I spent £23 on a fillet steak that I asked to be medium rare. It was somewhere between medium and well done. I should have sent it back but the service sucked so badly that by that time I just wanted to leave. I always tip and I tip well, but not at The Archduke. The looks of horror after we asked for the 12.5% service charge to be removed were priceless. Stay well clear of this place if you want to avoid disappointment. read more

I have been there for dinner and I had a bad experience. The food is fine and music very good. But how can you be happy when the service is poor?! From 11pm there is a huge pressure to the customer to pay the bill and get out. The concert is running and they come to the table with the bill even if you don't ask for it. Before the concert finishes they actually come to the table to ask you to exit. I felt it very uncomfortable. The price I paid is enough to have a good service relaxing on a Saturday evening. I spoke to the manager and he said he wants to go home as all the staff and that was the rules! Nothing professional! I will never recommend it!!! read more