Coq D’Argent

My friends and I came here for dinner on Friday night in the winter, despite the restaurant’s popularity for its roof terrace in the summer. No one was outside, but you could see the nice foliage and the outdoor tables, and inside it was very busy and lively. They have an amazing raw seafood selection on ice right behind the reception when you arrive. It took an unusually long time for the two people there to process the coats of the 5 of us who had just come up the lift, but shortly thereafter we were seated at a nice table right near the entrance.
We ordered from the set menu, which is 28 pounds for 2 courses and 32 pounds for 3. I thought that was surprisingly affordable. I ordered the escargots and slow cooked lamb shank, and my dining companions got the jerusalem artichoke veloute and the sea bass, and the black truffle risotto and the apple parfait. I really enjoyed my escargots and my friend said the veloute was solid, but the real standouts were mains, the lamb shank and the black truffle risotto. They were such large portions and the lamb shank was completely falling off the bone, and the black truffle risotto was to die for. The sea bass was recommended by the server, but that paled in comparison to our two other choices. And to finish it off, the apple parfait was simply stunning. It looks like a granny smith apple, but that’s really white chocolate colored green and there is a sour apple cream inside. It was such a novelty!
I thought the restaurant was exceptionally good value and I would definitely recommend it for an affordable nice dinner. We didn’t get to enjoy a view or the garden area, but that’s just another reason to return in the summer!

Came here on a Friday night, busy time but a good mix of people, from regulars to business diners to groups of friends. Busy, but not overwhelmingly so — the bar wasn’t overcrowded at all. I can see that changing when the outdoor terrace is a bit less cold. The elevators are inside the building — good signs, but you kind of have to know where you are going.
They have multiple set menus as well as the a la carte version, kind of a cool idea I think — makes the choices easier, and all/​most of the items just come off the main menus anyway. We ended up choosing a set menu, and it was an excellent choice.
Service is excellent. Attentive but not overbearing staff, great communication about kitchen timing, etc. The sommelier was a bit pushy at the beginning of the meal, but very nice and I think just wanted to make sure that we had choice.
Food was well done, rich, and full of flavor. We lapped up every bite. Portions were on the small side, but perfect — because the food was so rich. We tried a rabbit dish, and a lamb shank. The lamb was fall off the bone, and both meat dishes were cooked to the right temperature.
I’m sure we could pick at something, but overall the experience was great. Note that it is expensive, so not great value. But — knowing that is was going to be overpriced going in helps — so not docking for that. Enjoyable evening for sure.

YASSSS it’s SO good for their roof terrace!
Long story short:
Service — good. Quality of the food –good but slightly overpriced. Wines — ok. Gin Tonics — well you can’t go wrong with that, now can you?!
Ladies en gentlemen, go here for their roof terrace! Take the lift downstairs (follow the signs), go up and never leave. Definitely go there as early as you can as it gets quite busy post-​work-​hours and soak up the sun (and G&Ts). Do it!

I struggled to originally find the place as I was looking for a conventional door and then realised access was through its own private elevator. I came for an quick early breakfast and was surprised to find it very quiet compared to other local establishment at the same time. Service was very friendly on arrival and my waitress was fun and bubbly, even with it being very early.
I ended up getting the scrambled egg with smoked salmon and brioche. Salmon was great quality and eggs were perfectly cooked, slightly runny but very creamy. The brioche was average and I seemed to get the end, likely because I was one of the first in the restaurant. I would recommend and will be coming back to try the other menus. (Visit — 22/​10/​2015 Breakfast)

This spot is a great all-​around restaurant serving French cuisine in the City of London. The ambience is casual but sophisticated, and the food is on point. I shared escargots as a starter (soaked in butter and delicious). For my main course, I had the filet de bœf and it did not disappoint! My co-​workers also enjoyed their meals very much. One tip is that the restaurant has a reasonably priced set menu.
And the venue has a heated outdoor terrace that looks like a great place for a drink. I’ll be back next time I’m in London!

The scene is beautiful. Beautiful well dressed Londoners. Beautiful views and really nice patio space but a little smoky in the drink part. If you dine outside in the fancy restaurant, there is a canopy over your head if you are worried about the London weather. I found the service to be pretty mixed. I think most parties are there for business so no one complains. They have a smart setup where you start a tab with a credit card and they give you a new card that you can present around the place to order more drinks so you can wander about. Food wasn’t bad but maybe more fun for pre or post dinner drinks?

Came here for a work celebration and the best part was it didn’t cost me a thing. Having no idea of the price and having such a great time with my work colleagues including free food and drink there is nothing bad I could possibly say.
Upon arrival we were greeted with a drinks reception, which was outside. Thankfully there were heaters to keep us warm. The staff re-​filled our champagne glasses as we chatted away until it was time to be seated inside. When we got inside they took our coats into the cloakroom and gave us a ticket.
We were served 3 courses, starting with beef cheek ballotine and foie gras followed by lamb shank and mash and lastly bitter chocolate fondant and praline ice cream. As we ate they constantly topped up our glasses with wine, this made it very difficult to count how many I was drinking and was definitely getting merry towards the end.
They finished by bringing us coffee, you think this may be to sober us up — unfortunately mine seemed like a cup of froth, then they offered us a spirit and as I was in hight spirits myself I couldn’t turn it down. At the same time the team also had some more champagne which I ended up with a glass of, so I was sat there with three glasses of alcohol in front of me wondering how I was going to finish it all.
All in all great night and look forward to going back to explore the balcony when the weather is a bit better

«Sunday lunch» à seulement £26 pour entrée-​plat ou plat-​dessert…
Très bon rapport qualité/​prix si on profite de cette offre du dimanche.
Cadre agréable en roof top, bel espace intérieur et encore plus belle terrasse. A tester définitivement quand il fait beau et chaud.
Le vin est bon, on est très bien reçus. Le pain est excellent, et servi chaud.
Néanmoins, certains plats sont tout simplement excellents, d’autres un peu décevants.
La souris d’agneau et le moelleux au chocolat sont à tomber par terre. Un gros bof pour l’entrecôte et le millefeuille aux poires.

Very nice food, friendly service. Delicious topinambour tortellini with truffle as a starter, followed by rib eyed steak and apple/​berry crumble. Only remark is that the place is in reality not as posh as one might suspect or expect from the website. That turned out to be very much ok for us, but other guests could be disappointed.

Went here for a celebratory lunch with a partner after closing a huge deal. The good was good. Started with the Foie Gras (banned in California so I have to get it outside). Preparation was different in that it was a paste but the taste was very nice. Went on to the duck which was wonderfully prepared and very soft. Ended with the berry desert which was very large and one that I shared. Definitely a nice place to eat.

I fancy that most locals love this place for the views and the garden (as do I) but I really love the interior décor of the big wooden door leading out to the patio and the inner circular walking area around the bar. The view here is solid (by London standards, not by NYC standards) but given the local weather, your days are limited to really soak in the ambiance and sun here. Luckily for me I endured 5 days of sunshine during my trip to London last summer. I expected to see tourists here during lunch time during the week but instead I encountered business professionals drinking beers in suits. Welcome to London.

Coq D’Argent holds a special place in my heart, as my darling husband and I wandered a few streets from his office to find this lovely spot, complete with rooftop terrace and sweeping views of the City, when our first option was closed.
Admittedly, I’m a shameless Francophile, namely for the cuisine. I must admit I was not expecting such gorgeous food in this restaurant — their desserts are ah-​maz-​ing.
The restaurant had smooth, elegant service and the food was served beautifully. I would have to say my memory can still taste the dessert — their Bitter Chocolate Fondant (au rhum caramel) is absolute perfection. They offer set menus, which are actually quite reasonable for London — £29 for 3 courses (don’t skip the dessert — seriously!). The food is very rich — you will love it if you have a taste for French cuisine, and it will not break the bank for regular visits.

We wanted something special for our lunch get together over the Christmas period, and affordable. This place was a good choice for that. Really, really lovely, very relaxing and friendly, great buzzy atmosphere. Spacious tables, no banging elbows. The three courses set menu for £29 was very good value — for sublime masterchef food — had a lot of choices, which also included the dish of the day. We all had a different dish, and it was all delicious, all really nicely presented. I had the 63 degree free range British egg, smoked haddock and spinach for the starter, and it was perfection, followed by the almond and cacao nib venison, parsnip purée and amaretto sauce, which was also very tasty. All rounded off with some sublime desserts which included a Christmassy Yule Log. The wines were affordable, we chose the Chenin Blanc at £26 to accompany our meal. They even had gluten free bread when requested. Service was friendly, welcoming and unobtrusive, We had a table near the window, so saw some beautiful views. Would definitely recommend and need to go back when the weather is warmer to dine alfresco on the rooftop terrace. Great place for a special occasion.

Came here for the rooftop bar with a friend on the Friday preceding a long weekend. The weather was gorgeous and the mood was light, as the weekend was upon us. This all translated into a great experience, as the place wasn’t too crowded (which it probably would be on a typical Friday night).
The bars along the outside of the restaurant only offer a fraction of what can be made at the main bar — so I would recommend going to the main bar for drinks and then making your way out to the open air gardens. The grass in the garden is a nice touch, and made the surrounding concrete that much more friendly — and the mast that extends upwards does give the whole garden have a ship/​submarine feel to it.
Nice people, good cocktails, manageable noise levels, breathtaking scenery as the sun set upon London. Not much more you can ask for on a Friday night.
This is definitely a place that you will want to go to, but that being said a lot of people probably go to it. When you can find that end-​of-​summer night where it’s not packed, you’ve struck gold.

Dinner started off with a Carpaccio. The interesting addition on to this particular dish was mushrooms that were pickled a little bit. The plating was really elegant and the pickling of those mushrooms was a great way to introduce some acid into the dish.
For the main course I had the Duck. The duck was tender and was accompanied by a rich orange sauce. It was very tender and juicy and didn’t seem greasy at all despite the confit method of preparation.
I did order the Potatoes Dauphinoise as a side to go along with my main course. Unfortunately, the potatoes were just slightly cold. I didn’t mind that much since they took them off of the bill and gave me fries instead (due to the time it would take to cook another Gratian). The highlight of the meal was the dessert though which was one of the best that I’ve ever had. I started and ended my meal with a carpaccio and my dessert would be this awesome pineapple carpaccio. It was sublime. You had the fresh pinapple along with this wonderful vodka lime foam that provided a little bit of tartness in order to balance out the sweetness of the coconut ice cream. This dish made the experience here more than worth while and I’m glad I was convinced to spend the extra £3 for the three course set menu.

Pretty nice place. Perfect for a business dinner, or just to spend some quality time with the loves ones. It has a classy atmosphere and decoration improves it a lot. Food is high quality, always prepared good, a wide range of dishes and drinks can be found in the menu. Prices are a bit high, but thats understandable. Staff are always polite, serving either food or drinks with style and being welcoming.
Recommended!

Coq d’Argent’s name makes reference to its City location atop post-​modern No.1 Poultry. You have to ride an elevator up, which is a bit hard to spot as it’s somewhat tucked away from the street. Once you reach the rooftop, however, let the key selling point embrace you: the truly breathtaking and spectacular view of the City and beyond.
I came here with a friend recently for Sunday lunch, and for £28 per person, the 3-​course prix fixe menu is exceptionally good value for City dining. I enjoyed the salmon rillettes, the glazed pork cheeks, and the cheese plate (£4 supplement).
Coq d’Argent has been around for quite a while (I first came here in 2002), and it remains a favored place for a power lunch or business dinner in the City. The outdoor terrace is a popular spot for evening drinks. On this Sunday, we were the first people there, and at that time the place was mostly empty. With a jazz band playing in the background; courteous, unobtrusive service; and the gorgeous view pretty much to ourselves, it was a perfect way to ease into a weekend day.

You know when people complain about expensive restaurants being more hype then substance and not worth the money? Well this place would back their claim.
It was on a gorgeous sunny afternoon that we checked out this City establishment. Famous for having a rooftop garden with incredible views of London, that did indeed not disappoint. But that was the only thing that lived up to the reputation. The rest was about as lack luster as it gets.
Starting with the reception upstairs where the hostess was unhelpful and not answering the question asked of her, directed us to another hostess. Clearly greeting people is a hard job. Having arrived early we did enjoy drinks of the rooftop garden which was splendid, before entering a very noisy dining room. Very noisy. I don’t know how City business can possibly be conducted over a power lunch here as I could barely hear the person sitting next to me. The space itself was comfortable and modern but because of the noise one really doesn’t feel comfortable.
The food was less then spectacular, and at these prices it should be. It wasn’t even good. Our starters were OK, but not exciting. Our mains were a serious disappointment. I had the Beef Wellington which the waitress herself said the chef recommended medium rare –which was what i wanted. It arrived well done. When it was pointed out to another waiter he just looked at me, clueless. Maybe it was only his job to ask how the meal was but not do anything about it or even comment on it for that matter. The meal was so disappointing we didn’t even want dessert.
Its been a while since I had a restaurant experience I considered a total waste of time, so I would suggest that others not waste their time their either.

You can feel ‘exclusive’ while taking a tiny lift to the roof garden restaurant in the middle of the City. However, the reception area is too small so it could be packed in peak hours.
Anyway, bar is fine and ambience is ok. You can sit down in a peaceful mind. Services are smart and efficient. They can survive unanticipated questions about wine and production years, and matching dishes, so on.
Food quality is fair. Size is good for women. Perhaps overpriced, thus risking to be not value for money for some guests. However, a good place for your first memorable evening date within the City (for a drink only, I would rather recommend Royal Exchange though).

London continues to amaze me with how many cool places exist that you can walk by without ever knowing. Le Coq D’Argent is definitely a cool place and given that it’s a stone’s throw (no hyperbole, you can literally peg someone with a stone from my building) away I really am remiss in not visiting it sooner. My excuse is that the entrance is a bit hidden away and you have to ascend via the lifts before you are in the restaurant/​bar proper.
The key selling point of course is the massive outdoor terrace and bar. This comes in three parts.
First, there is the bar next to the restaurant that services the typical upscale bar food. Benefit of this area is that you can get food (always a plus) and also the full range of cocktails from the restaurant bar. The burger comes highly recommended by my colleague and I personally would vouch for the Old Fashioned which was fantastic. It takes 7 minutes to make (most of that time is stirring) and it’s good to see that some bartenders still take the time to make the drink properly. Tables can be a bit hard to snag and it seems that you must be sitting down in this area (not that there is much place to stand regardless).
Next up, the outside bar and seating. This is immediately behind you when you exit the lifts and is a circle around the atrium like fixture. The bar is on the far side of the circle next to the entrance to the Terrace and unfortunately only serves beer, wine, and champagne. For cocktails you have to go to the inside bar although I think there is waiter service here so perhaps you can just place an order. It’s a nice place to sit although it seems to be full of smokers so keep that in mind.
Finally, the Terrace. This is the key selling point and on that rare sunny English day, it’s full of well dressed City Boys and Girls having a cheeky glass of wine or champers. You have a pretty good view of the city (albeit currently marred by the construction site next door) and you do feel free and almost on top of the world. No seating here unless you want to plonk down on the grass but it’s a great place away from the bustle of the streets to enjoy the sunshine. And you are high enough that the pollution seems a hazy dream. Fresh London air… crazy talk!
I’m visiting next to try the food so will report more then, but give Le Coq D’Argent a try, it’s well worth it once you manage to ignore the high prices. Cocktails run around £10−12, champers about £9/​glass, and wine around £30+ for a bottle.

UPDATE: Maintaining the 3 stars. Here’s why:
£100 for a $ 40 bottle of California Pinot? I think the list needs some work.
Fundamentally, this is the thing. The cocktails are just OK. The food is really rather fabulous. They do things here well, but at the end of the day. go on someone else’s dime. For the money, you’re far better off, say, getting Eurostar tickets and eating in Lille.
The martinis still don’t cut it. Why? How hard is it? I learned how to make a decent one while becoming a burgeoning alcoholic student.