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The Gate St John's Wood image

The Gate St John's Wood

Restaurant Vegetarian restaurant Vegan restaurant

🫤 Okay where should I start? I actually WAS a fan of this place and have visited several times before. But it was a very disappointing experience this time, a bit of a nightmare. Starting with service, it was super extremely unbelievably genuinely enormously slow..... I got starter in 20 minutes aft... People often mention service, good, staff, great, vegan, nice, time, vegetarian, restaurant, friendly,


Address

Henry House, 87 Allitsen Rd, London NW8 7AS, United Kingdom

Website

thegaterestaurants.com

Contact

+44 20 7833 0401

Rating on Google Maps

4.20 (248 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

Permanently closed.

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: service (23) good (19) staff (17) great (16) vegan (16) nice (15) time (12) vegetarian (12) restaurant (12) friendly (11)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 2/5 SUHOAN K. 2 years ago on Google • 109 reviews
    Okay where should I start? I actually WAS a fan of this place and have visited several times before. But it was a very disappointing experience this time, a bit of a nightmare. Starting with service, it was super extremely unbelievably genuinely enormously slow..... I got starter in 20 minutes after I ordered which is not bad, but to main from starter, IT TOOK AN HOUR. ACTUALLY MORE THAN AN HOUR. I almost fell asleep. But I tried to understand as it was busy today. However, what was unacceptable was Red curry. They serve curry with rice but rice on my dish was LESS than a SPOONFUL. When I asked about rice, THEY SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE RICE. How should I understand this? Why did they not say the truth in the first place? The reason why I do not rate 1 star is they deducted the curry price AFTER I said I don't wanna pay.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Richard C. 4 years ago on Google • 668 reviews
    Very impressed by this place. The ambience was very relax, with a nice open and well lit eating area. The serving staff were fantastic, jovial, helpful, and helpful throughout the meal. The food itself was brilliant. It was so hard to pick from the menu because everything sounded amazing. When everyone's dishes came out they all looked delicious and really carefully plated. They tasted even better, great fresh flavours, loads of balanced textures. Truly delicious. They also let us bring our own birthday cake (though it had to be vegan, which wasn't a problem for us). I recommend here and we will be going back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Leo H. 1 year ago on Google • 305 reviews
    The food is good here but when we went on Mother’s Day, there was two waitresses and one really was shockingly poor. When we got new knives and forks she literally threw them on the table with scrunched up tissues. I kept trying to avoid making eye contact with her when we needed anything as her attitude was really poor. She dropped plates onto the table when bringing anything over. I thanked her every time she came over and her response was to just walk away without saying a word. When people eat out they don’t need attitude, if you don’t like what you do… don’t do it and make everyone feel unwelcome.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Vijay L. 2 years ago on Google • 49 reviews
    Excellent choice of vegetarian food, and desserts for brunch. Great service, food was really tasty, shashuka was amazing. Chocolate mousse was soft, with the right texture so exquisite. Perhaps a few more gluten free options for main course would be an improvement.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sally B. 3 years ago on Google
    Friends had recommended The Gate although on my first visit I found the food a little bland and the service was just average. On my recent second visit I was impressed, both the food and service have improved. My updated review reflects these improvements.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Alexandra C. 1 year ago on Google • 4 reviews
    Not the first time we have been to a gate restaurant and was excited to go back, this time with a gift voucher we got as a wedding present. Originally booked for end of April, specified my gift voucher code when booking. Trains were unfortunately cancelled in and out of London that weekend, so I contacted the office and explained this and that I would need to rebook for two weeks time. I then rebooked and again specified my gift voucher code. On arrival, before I was seated, I told them I had a gift voucher I had provided on booking. They said no problem. We ordered two courses and a bottle of wine. Food was nice (not amazing but enjoyable) and it was good atmosphere sat outside in the sun. Came to settle the bill and they announced our gift card was expired and there was nothing they could do. I obviously protested that they had this ahead of time and they hadn't flagged this - there is NO expiry date on the gift card, so I was never going to know this! They didn't apologise, didn't offer any discount and just said I needed to contact the office on Monday to "extend my voucher". £100 quid later (gift card was £75) and ruined our day. Never going back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Ariel Y. 3 years ago on Google
    Expensive, slow, unimpressive. If a vegetarian restaurant can't amaze you with a salad, what are they there for? Honestly, I can't see why they get away with charging the prices they do. £7 for a tiny child pizza that left a 6 year old hungry? Outrageous.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Paul S. 4 years ago on Google • 268 reviews
    This restaurant opened this week, and as my vegetarian daughter was visiting decided to try despite being a committed omnivore. Well wow, not only was my delicious meal veggie but turned out it was vegan. All dished bar a couple can be made vegan, and all wines are vegan. Highly recommend the miso aubergine started and the chocolate dome dessert but everything we had was delicious.

  • 5/5 Lev L. 3 years ago on Google • 262 reviews
    Really lovely food as every. Lovely friendly staff and a good setup for the current social distancing. Booking at the moment is a must but always well worth it. Clean and bright atmosphere always makes me want to come back soon.

  • 4/5 Breno A. 4 years ago on Google • 173 reviews
    Had a very nice brunch, plenty of healthy options and very good food. The ambiance is nice. Staff is friendly but not well trained yet (it's a new branch). It is a little bit pricy as well.

  • 4/5 Ranya A. 4 years ago on Google • 161 reviews
    Delicious food, can’t fault the dishes at all. The vegan tortilla was amazing, huevos rancheros was delicious, vegan pancakes were outstanding. Overall a really great experience. The only reason I have knocked off a star is because my sister clearly ordered an oat milk hot chocolate and reiterated this numerous times, however upon drinking her drink she felt the milk might be wrong. She asked again and the waitress said it is oat milk. Unfortunately after finishing the drink my sisters dairy allergies acted up and we are sure the milk was incorrect and she must have been given dairy milk. Luckily her allergies aren’t serious so she was ok but in another situation this could be really serious. Please please ensure drinks are made with the correct milk. Otherwise a great experience and I would like to return here.

  • 5/5 Ricky 1 year ago on Google • 150 reviews
    Nice shop for vegan

  • 2/5 CJ M. 1 year ago on Google • 119 reviews
    Could do with a bit more character. The place was so dead.

  • 2/5 S P. 1 year ago on Google • 109 reviews
    Maybe they were having an off night, but our dinner here was quite poor. The service was friendly, but very slow, so dinner took more than three hours and it was an hour before we even got the bread and olives we ordered when we arrived. And it was empty. So that was odd. They were also out of about 50% of what we tried to order. Didn’t have two of the wines we wanted, were out of a starter and a main, and half the desserts on the menu weren’t available. Also super expensive. £52 quid each for what was quite mediocre food.

  • 5/5 Louisa F. 1 year ago on Google • 73 reviews
    Such delicious vegan food - love this place

  • 3/5 Lorraine M. 1 year ago on Google • 39 reviews
    Nice for a family dinner out, really good priced Customer service can lack often, but overall a good place to eat

  • 1/5 Matthew Z. 1 year ago on Google • 30 reviews
    The most awful service I’ve seen - we had to leave so can’t give feedback on the food

  • 5/5 Cat S. 4 years ago on Google • 26 reviews
    Great service, staff and food. All round a perfect experience at the Gate. Menu suited our group - and we are quite difficult to accommodate (vegetarian, vegan, nut allergy and soya intolerance) but it was no issue at all here Highly recommended!!

  • 5/5 Andrew K. 1 year ago on Google • 14 reviews
    Great selection, great environment, great staff 👌🏼

  • 5/5 James D. 1 year ago on Google • 4 reviews
    Really delicious vegetarian/vegan food and would happily come back even though I'm I meat eater.

  • 2/5 Sally H. 4 years ago on Google
    The staff were so lovely. But the food wasn't amazing. Such a shame as I'd heard so much hype. I had the burger and bun was rock solid. Desert were nice but much the same as a good pub.

  • 4/5 Pulmu K. 4 years ago on Google
    I had the miso aubergine, the courgette flower and the cauliflower side. The aubergine and courgette were really good. Subtle in flavor but very well considered and balanced. Both perfectly cooked and seasoned. I would have left the salt flakes out that were on the top of the courgette as too much salt tends to just overtake other flavors. The cauliflower wasn't anything special but okay. It relied on spiced tahini but the cauliflower pieces themselves were not too much taken into account. The courgette flower was very small when it still costs £10,5. Service was excellent, warm and welcoming.

  • 5/5 Ralf 4 years ago on Google
    Lovely small chain of Vegetarian restaurants. Reasonably priced & Great, varied menu. Always impressed how all of the desserts are vegan.

  • 5/5 Emily C. 2 years ago on Google
    I love this restaurant. The food is delicious, and the staff were very friendly and accommodating when we visited. It's in a quiet location and has a nice atmosphere. I will definitely return for brunch or dinner.

  • 5/5 Jamie W. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place for lunch, we took the shakshuka and risotto. Excellent service too.

  • 4/5 Joanna V. 2 years ago on Google
    Food gorgeous as always, however I hope you I didn't change that gelly lever in shescake from bloody orange , missing that zing from last visit. Also review your facilities downstairs.

  • 4/5 Charlotte R. 4 years ago on Google
    Yummy vegetarian food .. service can be a little slow and waiter mixed up the order and forgot the drinks ... otherwise all was good

  • 5/5 Anoop P. 3 years ago on Google
    One of my favourite vegetarian/vegan restaurants to dine at. Always freshly cooked dishes with good quality ingredients. Very seasonal, so worth visiting at different times of the year. Menu selection is just right, too much and you get confused. I've never been disappointed.

  • 5/5 Irina P. 2 years ago on Google
    Amazing food, great ambience, friendly knowledgeable and swift service - awesome:)

  • 3/5 Teeny X. 2 years ago on Google
    Food isn’t as good as before. Chocolate brownie is cold, hard and crumble-y. The worst is the service: we were left at the corner table and got no service. It’s shocking as the table next to us has been very well served. I almost want to question if the waiters are racists?

  • 5/5 Tina E. 2 years ago on Google
    We can't get enough of The Gate St John's Wood. My favourites are the margherita pizza, perfect sourdough means that you even feel light after eating such a rich and tasty treat. The oat milk latte is second to none. There is a wonderful atmosphere, everything is presented so well, and the genuine warmth and care demonstrated by the staff makes it extra special. I can't recommend highly enough!

  • 5/5 Heena M. 2 years ago on Google
    I love eating at The Gate and have written about it on my website. PlantShift.com An awesome place with a great menu!

  • 4/5 Marcin M. 2 years ago on Google
    Beetroot burger, Korean cauliflower, beans tasty. Ok. Nice staff. No wow effect. (Looks better than on my photos)

  • 3/5 Katy G. 2 years ago on Google
    Food was tasty, although the plantain fritters were overpowered by the ginger, and we didn't enjoy the base of the chocolate and orange frangipane. Staff were very friendly but the service was poor, really disorganised and not what would have been expected for such a high price meal. This is the second time I've been and the first we put it down to a very crowded restaurant, but this time it wasn't particularly busy so not sure what was going on. Overall, good food and friendly staff, but service lets it down.

  • 2/5 Harry P. 2 years ago on Google
    Service usually quite slow here. First time I came here, the food was amazing. Second time, not so much - had the Christmas set menu: The 3 onion tart (basically just an onion quiche) was pretty average, and came with cranberry sauce which didn't belong on the plate... The aubergine schnitzel was average at best, and despite the nice dauphinoise, also came with unseasoned boiled kale as an accompaniment?? My partner had the mushroom rotolo, which was also not great, under-seasoned and sickly-rich. The chocolate orange dessert was good but my partner had the sticky toffee pudding, which came out uncooked/fridge temperature, and when they brought out the replacement one, it was exactly the same, even though the waiter assured us it was meant to be hot. Cancelled the dessert after this, as it took ages for the also-uncooked replacement to arrive. A bit disappointing...

  • 4/5 Rusil P. 2 years ago on Google
    Food was great, although service was a bit slow.

  • 3/5 Diego V. 3 years ago on Google
    Good food, however most of their available dishes are too similar (they‘re running a very reduced menu). Their brunch menu is also very sparse with so many options missing.

  • 5/5 Lady H. 3 years ago on Google
    Vegans on a night out. Super nice. Service, food wine, dessert... 1st time and I will go back and will recommend!!

  • 4/5 Ali B. 3 years ago on Google
    Cozy vegetarian restaurant. Service was good and friendly. The look of the dishes was very good but I have to say they're bland! Had aubergine and artichoke for starter. Aubergine was oily! seems like was simply deep fried and topped with nuts and micro coriander! Artichoke was nice. Had tagine and mushroom risotto cake for main. Mushroom risotto was good. tagine, nothing special. Had cheese cake for dessert and it was ok. Overall, lovely place but they need to improve the quality and taste of the food to match the look of the dishes!

  • 4/5 G M. 3 years ago on Google
    Most impressed with the Miso Glazed Aubergine. Usually adding coriander to any traditional Japanese cuisine wouldn't fair very well with most Japanese. But this one seems to be an exception. Also ponzu sauce was a nice touch.

  • 5/5 Alessandro V. 3 years ago on Google
    Caring and attentive service and wonderfully curated dishes, pleasant to both the eye and palate. Reasonable prices and very nice vibes, I couldn't recommend it more. During this Covid period, it's also great to see the staff putting an effort into trying to keep everyone as safe as possible.

  • 5/5 Devansh K. 3 years ago on Google
    Lovely vegetables. Variety of options, even if you eat meat you'll be spoilt for choice. Desserts are wild, even the vegan cheesecake. We'll be back soon.

  • 4/5 Martina La B. 3 years ago on Google
    Nice food, and especially good choices of plaits for how choose to don't eat meat

  • 5/5 Antonio F. 3 years ago on Google
    very enjoyable experience with friends

  • 4/5 Barbara S. 3 years ago on Google
    Nice staff nice place ❤️

  • 5/5 Emily S. 3 years ago on Google
    Lovely

  • 5/5 Tasvi S. 3 years ago on Google
    Love this restaurant esp the polenta chips and the mushroom risotto cake

  • 5/5 Vejay P. 3 years ago on Google
    Superb food and great service from the staff. Dishes are always consistent and love the ambiance there. Definitely recommend!

  • 5/5 Laurence K. 3 years ago on Google
    The best vegan food, great service.

  • 5/5 Stephen Y. 3 years ago on Google
    Enjoyed the annual mushroom festival

  • 3/5 Nico O. 3 years ago on Google
    Food great service v poor

  • 4/5 Dean P. 4 years ago on Google
    Valentines day food not as nice as usual but loved the venue and location

  • 5/5 tom B. 3 years ago on Google
    Vegan menu

  • 5/5 Vina B. 3 years ago on Google
    Excellent food and service. Friendly staff.

  • 3/5 Fabien C. 3 years ago on Google
    Tasty but over priced . I recommend the Shashuka but don't bother with the mezze it's really just overpriced humous and nibles.

  • 5/5 Stella S. 3 years ago on Google
    Delicious food, staff were lovely and very accommodating. Highly recommend the Miso Aubergine and the vegan brownie with ice cream for dessert!

  • 5/5 Sara G. 3 years ago on Google
    I've already visited the one they have in Angel and Hammersmith. Always is a pleasure to visit the Gate, nice food and friendly staff.

  • 5/5 Emily A. 3 years ago on Google
    This is the flagship gate restaurant and it’s in a really lovely location. The all-vegetarian menu is great, with loads of choice for veggies and vegans, and the food is really delicious. Price is on the higher end of mid range I would say, but gate is currently doing EOTHO and often takes part in Time Out deals etc.

  • 5/5 MAXN Solar T. 3 years ago on Google
    Very nice vegetarian restaurant,

  • 4/5 David S. 3 years ago on Google
    Lovely dinner experience. Let down by my over done main course ( I'd seen my beetroot burger sitting in the kitchen for 10 minutes as the risotto was being prepared). Service very smooth and efficient

  • 5/5 R R. 3 years ago on Google
    Had a wonderful time here the meal was incredible! Try the risotto if you would like a treat for your pallet. I’m so lucky

  • 5/5 Maura S. 3 years ago on Google
    Good to be back!

  • 3/5 Tolla N. 3 years ago on Google
    Lovely vegetarian food. The aubergine, burger and brownie were the highlights. I took away 2 stars because the service was slow and a bit rude. Food was great though, will try again on a slower night and hopefully the food will be better.

  • 5/5 Michael E. 3 years ago on Google
    Returned to the Gate in St John's Wood last night which has finally reopened after a 5 month Covid hibernation. This is a vegetarian restaurant - dishes are creative, individually prepared and at the gourmet end of the food spectrum. We sat outside on quiet Allitsen Road. The restaurant was pretty full inside and out . Lovely atmosphere. Everything was Covid-safe and tables properly spaced out. We were greeted by Michael, the proprietor. The staff were all delightful and incredibly helpful; just as pleased to be back as the customers. The food was incredibly well prepared and even though the menu was smaller than usual, the items were well-chosen and diverse. The mezze-for-two to start was a meal in itself - delicious, freshly baked flat breads with a variety of Mediterranean accompaniments. As a main course, I had the sauteed mushrooms on cooked risotto base topped with a salad garnish. Looked as good as it tasted. Bravo to the Gate. Welcome back.

  • 1/5 Joanna Z. 4 years ago on Google
    Had the aubergine schnitzel - so disappointing. Can anyone actually tastee the cashew cheese? Does the aubergine, the cheese, the pepper AND horseradish work together? It was a disgusting combination! The schnitzel didn't have a crispy dimension, it looked like it poorly attempted it. Revolting and expensive food.

  • 5/5 Annie G. 4 years ago on Google
    Excellent tasty fresh perfectly and tastefully presented. Discreet and friendly service. A must.

  • 5/5 Balaji D. 3 years ago on Google
    Absolutely top class vegan restaurant. Every single dish was carefully thought through and sets your taste buds tingling. Can't recommend highly enough. Must visit for vegetarian lovers. Spent a good couple of hours enjoying the food and the variety of cocktails on offer.

  • 5/5 Julia M. 4 years ago on Google • 1 review
    Decided to try this place for a Friday night dinner, great decision! The staff were very friendly and welcoming from the moment we arrived and throughout all evening. We decided to try a selection of starters, they were all lovely , each of them presented beautifully and most importantly - they tasted amazing! Very high quality venue, will definitely be coming back again soon.


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