Story Cellar

What a gem of a place. It was available in a time of need and did not disappoint. I got a same day booking here around the busy Christmas period which was already a bonus. Being off the beaten (central) track slightly does this place a lot of favours. We were treated to a ‘mystery’ starter, which sorry to spoil it for you was the snail ragu, a divine luxurious start to the meal, for mains we shared the famous chicken, pork chop and muscles with fries and brussel sprouts. Our waiter Pedro was perfect, a present but not overbearing aid to choices and needs. I could not get enough of the pork chop, a boozy fruity sauce, with an additional smooth kick of confit garlic complemented what has to be the best tasting aged pork I have had in London to date. We were downstairs which was a tad quiet, would have been a phenomenal date spot. Otherwise I am exceptionally eager to come back and try more of what the sensational menu has to offer.

I genuinely hate writing negative reviews. I want to love places and give them the benefit of the doubt. In this case, it was just such a disappointment so here we are. We were the first people through the door and even when we left, there were only three other tables with diners. Given the low customer count, I cannot understand the poor service. We ordered cocktails which took a very long time to arrive. We ordered wine at the same time and by the main course had still not been served the bottle despite us asking two different servers for a total of four times. Food was equally disappointing, which surprised me given that they're mentioned the Michelin guide and are a sister restaurant to 2 starred Restaurant Story. The rotisserie chicken is very good and worth ordering. The only other dish we liked was a poached fig salad. Their barrel aged Negroni is made with Hendricks Adora Flora, which you either like or don't like. Oh, and good chips/French fries. The rest of the meal was undermined by strange choices. Black truffle gougeres are served cold. House cured meats were no better than store-bought. Snail bolognaise was served on burnt bread, so it tastes like burnt bread; we were told this was intentional. French onion soup had a nice rich broth with absolutely miserable bread and un melted cheese on top. Salad accompanying the chicken was a pile of leaves with little dressing, although the crispy shallots were a good time. Both the gin cocktails were disappointing and felt watered down. We were given a free glass of wine when we were halfway through the chicken and it was nice, but... not serving the wine promptly is just bizarre to me. Given the glut of options in Covent Garden, I wish I'd chosen somewhere else for our pre-theatre dinner.

What an amazing place. The food is some of the best I have eaten in London. I had the cod and crabcakes with garlic and parsley mash. The mash was so soft and the flavours perfectly balanced, best crabcakes I have ever had and the cod was cooked perfectly. My partner had the chicken, chips and salad, again, really really good quality, even the salad was excellent. We shared a bread pudding with orange custard for desert, 10/10 no notes, the flavours and texture were perfect. Will absolutely be back again.

I don’t understand how this place doesn’t have a 4.9 average review score—the food is unique and delicious, the staff is friendly and capable, and the pacing was perfect. The escargot bolognese was most memorable. Even our five year old son loved it. I also had the codfish with crab cakes, which were delicious. My wife had the rotisserie chicken, which I was lucky to get finish when she filled up. Critiques: some dishes were very heavily seasoned—which I don’t mind but other diners might—while other dishes needed more salt. And the salad could have used a bit more dressing (but in fairness, I like mine swimming in it). Not cheap but hey, this is Covent Garden and we’re talking about Michelin-level food here.