Caffe Concerto

Our first official «high tea» spot on our first and last day in London! It was raining so it’s perfect to come in for a pot of hot tea and share some biscuits. Loads of yummy looking desserts to chose from. Four gfs so we ordered two of their Tea Sets and several Latte. Grand piano in the back and I just loved the chandeliers everywhere. Place is located on a busy street so it’s nice to get to sit, chill and people watch before your next destination.

I’ve noticed that quite a few of the reviews for this place are not for this specific Caffe Concerto and would like to clarify that this place is on the first floor of One New Change, right by St Pauls.
I’ve been here a couple of times and really love it despite not being a fan of Caffe Concerto as a whole. Perhaps it’s because this particular branch does not pander to wandering tourists and is arguably more refined since it’s a popular place for business lunches with the suits who work in the area.
In the evenings there is a pianist who plays jazz and sings. Sometimes it’s a little louder than need be but the gesture is nice.
The waiters here are attentive, polite and very very charming.
Twice I’ve come here with someone in possession of a Taste Card which meant we got 50% off the main courses and could afford to splurge on wine and dessert.
The menu is extensive and so are the desserts. I’m in the habit of totally forgetting myself whenever I go into an Italian restaurant and so will generally order antipasto, salad, pasta, dessert and coffee. I clearly have a problem.
I’ll be very honest and say that I do not remember the specifics of my antipasto orders, only that they were delicious but I do remember what I ordered for my pasta course: spaghetti alle vongole, a spaghetti dish in a creamy tomato sauce with fresh clams. It was a life changing moment for me and is now my go to ‘have to impress someone who is coming over to my place for dinner’ dish. I’ve been known to make it at home and eat nothing but this dish for days in a row.
The desserts are absolutely to die for and I recommend having a good look at them before you go in to sit down because I promise you’ll want to get up before ordering your sweets in order to pick out what you want from the display at the front of the restaurant. I have had black forest gateaux and mille feuille, both excellent with an espresso to finish off the meal.
Just in case you’re wondering, the one time I came here without a Taste Card, I STILL ordered an insane number of courses.

* Nice décor
* Food presentation was great
* Friendly waiters
But…food was tasteless. i ordered Salmon Salad and it was visually very pretty.
How could they make the fish so plain? Why they don’t season? I tasted nothing but lemon, and that was about it. It was not yucky, but something was totally missing. I wasn’t saying anything about the food at the table but my friend read my mind and told me that her pasta wasn’t spectacular either. I tasted her pasta, and the same thing… plain. We ate most of the portion though and left the restaurant. I am giving them 3 stars because service was good and the presentation was great. But that’s about it.

After a long expedition around Harrods, I had worked up quite an appetite and so myself and a friend took the very short stroll across the road and in the door of Caffe Concerto.
From the décor and atmosphere I was expecting something of a symphony of excellent food worthy of a standing ovation, what we got was a cacophony of distasteful service and mediocre fare.
Ok, so I embellish a little… but the experience was pretty poor. The service for a start was painfully slow despite the fact it wasn’t that busy. To get the attention of a waitress or waiter was a chore and one that sullied the experience even more. The staff were devoid or any kind of ardour and the food was average to say the least, the panini resembling cardboard in taste and texture.
What promised so much ended in complete disappointment.

We arrived late because we couldn’t find the restaurant — it’s in a shopping centre. The food was pretty good and the service was attentive but not intrusive; last ordering was 10pm and we were close to that time without any sign of dissatisfaction form the staff.
I thought the wine prices were expensive, even for London.
Because the restaurant was empty though there was not much atmosphere — it felt like we we’re in a shopping centre café. But there again… it was.

They serve champagne and dessert.
Works for me!

Ignoring the atypical upmarket café stereotype setup, this place isn’t too bad for a cup of coffee and a filling lunch.
I was visiting a friend living in St Paul’s and we chose Caffe Concerto with the original intention to just have a coffee but ended up ordering a club sandwich and a warm duck and pear salad to share.
WOW. I absolutely loved the salad! The portion size was more than generous with 4 or 5 fat slices of duck breast, mini mozzarella balls and walnuts on a bed of mixed leaves drizzled with a divine blackberry & balsamic reduction. Oh and the pears! God I love pears in salads! This was perfect; not too hard but not too soft to fall apart as soon as the knife touches the surface.
The club sandwich was a work of art! Never have I seen such a well constructed club sandwich. I’m not usually a big fan of ordering a toasted sandwich for a café lunch do, but I’m fully converted!
Pictures for both dishes to go up soon, but this place is certainly a winner! It only lost a star for a lack-​lustre service. The café was less than half full but even then, we struggled slightly to attract the wait staff’s attention to ask for the bill. Taking of our orders was also a very distant, disinterested affair for the waiter who seemed like he expected us to have written out our own orders to make his life simpler. But alas, I will cut him some slack since I’d be pretty down too if I’d had to work on Sundays.
Oh, also noticed that they offer a cool looking live evening entertainment; with a jazz band, jazz singers and grand piano night accepting special requests. Must check this out in the evening and rate their wine collection as well.