Denise's Restaurant, 79 Southampton Roe, Holborn London WC1B 4ET

This restaurant is about 5 minutes walk from Holborn station.  A friend of mine uses this restaurant quite often so I thought I'd give it a go.  there is a website 

http://www.denisesrestaurant.co.uk/

with all the details you need including a full menu.

 

Although this restaurant describes itself as a French restaurant on the web page, this description is rather inaccurate.  there are certainly plenty of French dishes but there are lots of Italian pasta dishes such as various kinds of pasta and dishes such as mixed grill and strawberries and cream which are quite English.  Traditional European might be a better description.

 

Prices at lunch time are the same as those in the evening.  I tried this restaurant at lunch time because it was more convenient to do this but you it's a labour of love!  I wouldn't generally suggest going here for lunch because of the prices.

 

Staff were generally helpful.  they were prepared to read the whole menu and explain dishes where necessary.

 

I had scampi salad to start with.  this was pleasant enough but the scampi was only frozen breadcrumbed stuff with a bit of ordinary salad leaves.  Leaves
may look great but generally they are not a taste sensation in my book.  Lettuce would almost be banned if I had my way!   The tartar sauce was acceptable
with a few bits in it and maybe home made. 

 

The main course I selected was called   Boeuf de Normandie.
This was prime sirloin
stake in a garlic and tomato sauce which was really very pleasant.  There was a decent amount of sauce and I was also asked if I wanted them to cut up
the steak.  I am happy cutting my own meat but when there is a lot of sauce having the meat  cut up for me without having to really ask makes things
easier and I was pleased I was given the choice. 

 

This dish should have come with French fries and when I asked I was told these were frozen.  Now I appreciate the honesty but for the price which I will
reveal in a bit, I think it would be reasonable to expect home cooked fresh potato products.  I asked if sautéed potatoes could be given instead and these
were provided.  I think they were home cooked and they were done in olive oil with a few herbs, Italian style I would say.  The sautéed potatoes were also very nice.  The veg was a few bits of cauliflower
and a few carrots.  Not overcooked but a little miserly.  I always like a decent amount of veg. 

 

For dessert I had fresh strawberries and cream.  Nothing to say about these though of course they were chopped into pieces to make it look as though you
got more of them.  I also had 2 glasses of lemonade and a coffee.  I felt nicely full after the meal but I didn't go in to the restaurant ravenously hungry.  I would say that portions were acceptable in size but not massive.

 

That lot came to just over £36.00. including 12.5 percent service charge which was added to the bill.  I think adding service to the bill is outragious.  You can't serve yourself so I think restaurants should just charge a fixed price which takes into account the cost of employing serving staff and let the customer decide whether or not service goes beyond the call of duty and so deserves a tip.

 

It was great that staff were helpful and honest.  Guide dogs are welcome and this is a place you could take people knowing you will get good service.

 

Portions were acceptable though  they could have been bigger and veg could have been a bit more plentiful
and varied.  frozen Scampi and frozen fries should be nowhere to be found at this price. 

the menu looks a little bit old-hat and on the unadventurous side.  at this price, I feel customers should expect top quality cuts of meat as well as plenty of vegetables.  While the service was good, the food fell a little below expectations though the steak was done perfectly and I liked the sauce it came with.

 

In short, if you find yourself in the Holborn area and you need a reliable place to eat in a hurry consider Denises.  while not being that adventurous, there is something most can eat.   It's rather expensive however.

 

Over all I give Denises 6 out of 10.