London Capital Club
14 Abchurch Lane
London EC4N 7BW
Date of Last Visit: June 23, 2004
The Victim: Keith and client
***Novelli in the City is Now Closed***
I was SO excited to go to Novelli because I heard it was fantabulous. I know the London Capital Club (LCC) because we’re allowed to use it for business meetings, which is nice. And Novelli is downstairs in the basement.
Let me say that again. Novelli is in the BASEMENT. This means NO windows. This means small space. This means STAIRS. Sometimes, I get tired of this country and its stairs. There are no stairs in my country.
So down we go. And Novelli is again like a souless hotel bar. (OK, I spent way too much time at the Regent Sydney–now the Four Seasons–hotel bar, and I’m suspicious of any bar/restaurant that reminds me anything of that!) And it’s a lot smaller than I thought it would be.
Service was unkempt. And well, off. Not friendly and not nice. Hello–why can’t service in this country just be FRIENDLY AND NICE?? I don’t get it. Again, we had like 3 different people waiting on us. Dude, I just want one.
My food, however, was EXCELLENT. My green salad was sprinkled with a delicious dressing and my shrimps and scallops and couscous and chickpeas were yummy yummy. And then I had some creme brulee and it was served in the American fashion–the low flat dish–and it had little vanilla beans in it. YUMMY.
The Verdict: If you want to spend some money on a business lunch/dinner, check this place out. But be demanding about your service. They could achieve much, if they’d only be fantabulous to their customers.
