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Ratings and reviews

#1,172 of 1,875 Italian in London
#7,386 of 15,225 Restaurants in London
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value

Details

CUISINES
Italian, French, Bar, European, British, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
View all details
meals, features, about

Location and contact

Trafalgar Square / Embankment
0.2 miles from London Transport Museum
Reviews (69)
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Reviewed 5 October 2023 via mobile

Located in the West Wing of Somerset house (beautiful building&courtyard). Ambience, drinks, prices, service are "ok". However not a place we would like to come back.

Date of visit: October 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 September 2023

Okay, first of all, we should have drawn attention to this at the time, but our drinks were brought to an outside terrace for us, and by the time we realised how diluted and watery they were, it was really too late to carry them...inside to request new ones; quite a long walk, in any case. What was clear was that the wine goblets were 90 per cent full of shaved ice with a bit of orange Aperol colour showing at the very bottom. I checked later about the amount of Aperol recommended in an Aperol Spritzer and it is 50-60 ml minimum. What we had cannot have been more than 25 ml at the most. Furthermore, one goblet had more orange colour than the other, indicating that no measure had been used. Cardinal rule in catering/bar tendering: ensure that like drinks/dishes are identical, otherwise you risk antagonising one of the recipients! It is anybody's guess how much Prosecco was in there, but I estimate a quick splash or thimbleful. Again the officially recommended quantity is 90 ml. Our drinks were simply watery and presumably depended for much of their liquid content on the melting shaved ice! I would really like to have given this venue 5 stars, based on previous good experiences and the general usual atmosphere, service and quality of cocktails/wine; but we simply could not let this recent experience pass without the bar manager being made aware of what happened. Aperol Spritzer was not listed on the menu, but the cost transpired to be £12 (the steepest I have seen for this particular drink). The cost of the two Aperol Spritzers was, thus, £24 plus "Charges" of £3 – which is an alternative and slightly underhand way of meaning "serving charge". The service charge in the UK is still optional under the law, and is paid at the discretion of the client if he/she feels the product and service have been of merit. If you, Bar Persons, take payment in advance and apply that charge, please, at least, have the decency and professionalism to create drinks worthy of the reputation of your establishment, otherwise you simply mock your customers and will receive a commensurate response! The Bartender who served us was new to me, but the name on the receipt states "Operator: Neresh". I am sure drinks at this establishment can only improve on future visits.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 5 March 2023

Sadly the most inviting seat in the bay window is so high that feet are left dangling, but makes sense when river views are always at such a premium (can't sit there too long), and there is another window seat with the same view. I...never intend to have more than one cocktail here before going for dinner, but they are so delicious......More

Date of visit: March 2023
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Reviewed 7 March 2022

Make sure there is no private function on before you arrive!!!! On the chalkboard there is the soup of the day featuring and some beef stew. We are sitting down in good faith, looking forward to the hot soup on such a cold day. Waiter...arrives and we are trying to order. Behind his mask (which is no longer obligatory to wear) all we hear is 'murfle, murfle'. Not a single word is understood. On asking to repeat just more murphle, murphle is coming through, no attempt to lower the mask for clarity. We at long last get it, there is a function going on in the next room with only one chef catering so no order can be taken until the the function is over! Please note two elderly gents at the next table were already waiting for 50 minutes! We are hungry and settle for the two remaining croissants that CAN"T BE HEATED UP, only in the sandwich maker. We are promised some cheese and or jam to go with it. However what we get is two completely flattened something, looking like pancakes only not nearly as edible, with a big slab of butter. Three questions: 1, If no lunch could be served why is the choice is still on the chalkboard? 2, in the first room of the bar we see two man who obviously did have their soup and were rather aggressively defensive about it. What was going on? 3 Why was the establishment open at all, if because staff shortage they actually could not cater, not us at any rate? Completely unprofessional handling of the situation!More

Date of visit: March 2022
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Reviewed 29 March 2020

my boyfriend took me for lunch here on valentine's day and it was absolutely perfect. the welcome we received was warm and friendly, and the service in general was quick and each member of staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome !!...we arrived slightly earlier than they served lunch, but they were kind enough to save us a lovely window seat and recognised us when we came back. they had amazing food options for both of us (i'm vegan and he has a few allergies) and the coffee was GORGEOUS. they were attentive, always making sure the jug of water was full, and made us feel very looked after !!More

Date of visit: February 2020
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 21 February 2020 via mobile

Time was when Somerset House contained the divorce registry when lawyers paced up and down the corridors to attend court hearings. Nowadays it has been transformed into an arts and entertainment centre containing a number of ever-changing restaurants and bars. I was disappointed to find...a branch of Fernandez and Wells temporarily closed for refurbishment. Elsewhere Tom Aikens’s bar and restaurant appears to have been replaced by a couple of even more upmarket ventures in the shape of restaurants from Bryn Williams and Isle of Skye Gyngell. Pennethorne’s is a stylish bar spread over a number of rooms with an onsite kitchen in front of which is the area I chose to sit. It was a relaxing experience reclining in a green leather chair at a marble table with a view of backlit wine and spirit bottles. I enjoyed a large bottle of cider. But the food was a bit limited. Other than salads the only dishes available were a soup or the stew of the day, today a beef rending. The barman told me it was a stew with tomato and rice, but there was only rather chunky pieces of beef on a rice filled bowl. Not a lot of taste to it and it came so quickly I wondered if it had either been microwaved or initially cooked much earlier perhaps in a large vat.More

Date of visit: February 2020
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Reviewed 21 December 2019

I thought this place was supposed to be somewhat classy, but not in our recent visit. At an early stage we asked the waiter to turn the music down. He shrugged and said, it is Friday evening, and the music is playing in the other...room, too, presumably meaning "If I turn it down here, it will be too quiet in the other room." I replied that we would find somewhere else to gather and drink, at which point he went to turn the music right down. However, halfway through our bottle of wine the music had been turned up gradually to what had been the previous noise level. The space itself is elegant and does not feel geared towards youngsters who would be the sole clientele appreciating such club-like sounds. Furthermore, I am not sure why the establishment thinks it appropriate to charge a service charge for a bottle of wine brought to the table. We had to fetch the wine list from the bar in the first place, and we had to go to the bar to get and pay the bill, as the staff had, apparently, more important things to attend to.More

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 20 December 2019

This is potentially a great bar, with a good offering of food and wine. But what's the point if at 6pm the music is so loud, you have to yell to make yourself heard?

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 10 November 2019 via mobile

Located just of the Strand, in the side of Somerset house, this is handy for a quick lunch. Sadly on our visit service was slow and disorganised. We ordered two sandwiches from a small choice on the menu. Sometimes a small choice is good -...it means whatever is on the menu will probably be done really well. They weren’t complex sandwiches and the place wasn’t overly busy. Twenty five mins after ordering they still hadn’t arrived. We were informed that our order had been delivered to, and eaten by, other guests. The sandwiches were reordered and we waited again. Staff did apologise and offered 20% discount on our order. It was a nice gesture but I feel my positive experience is more valuable than a couple of pounds discount and would rather have basic service and an order which arrives sooner. We were offered a bowl of salad as a gesture of goodwill on top of the discount. It finally arrived after we had finished our sandwiches! The food was ok. Not exceptional and certainly little different to similar sandwiches we could have ordered from one of the many coffee chains close by. Perhaps we should have been more impressed with the surroundings as this is clearly style over basic substance. On a positive note the coffee was excellent. There won’t be a repeat visit. London has masses of choice so we won’t be disadvantaged.More

Date of visit: November 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 3 August 2019 via mobile

I popped in here before a meeting in Somerset House. Took ages to get served, the drinks were stingy and not that special and I had to wait ages for the bill. It cost £9.05 for a tiny cup of hot chocolate and a coffee...and because I was in a hurry, I didn’t realise the cheeky member of staff had added an unadvertised 85p to my bill for service. I’m furious and will never set foot in this rip off of a bar again. Beware of hidden charges and spend your cash elsewhere. Totally not worth it.More

Date of visit: July 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 29 July 2019 via mobile

It can be a bit of a zoo in this part of town when trying to have a drink outside so this was a nice surprise. A few tables on Waterloo bridge side with massive amounts of room between them - definitely not squashed! Bar...was well stocked and good serviced. Also was very impressed by some of the tapas/ charcuterie boards that saw others having ... looked good!More

Date of visit: July 2019
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Reviewed 3 March 2019

Met with friends before dinner in this relaxed bar , almost pub like in a good way and had great cocktails and service - really good value

Date of visit: February 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 6 December 2018 via mobile

Really disappointed with our visit. One particular staff member was totally uninterested in serving - so much so it was like being served by a robot. No atmosphere, no personality, no human touch to the place. Ordered a Hendricks that was given with no garnish...whatsoever. Expected something for £9.50! Won’t be going again.More

Date of visit: December 2018
Helpful?
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Reviewed 27 July 2018

We were meeting up with a friend and chose Pennethorne's because of its location within Somerset House where we visited some of the exhibitions beforehand and watched the families running in and out of the fountains in the large courtyard. We hadn't booked and were...surprised that most of the interior bar area was reserved for functions and other bookings, given it is the last week of July, but they gave us a table inside which would be available until the booking time and kindly booked a table in the courtyard outside, which was fully occupied at the time, but of people who indicated that they would be leaving in a little while. The courtyard doesn't have the view of the Somerset House terrace overlooking the Thames but it also doesn't get the full summer sun, which was a relief given it was one of the hottest days of the year. The staff were friendly and helpful and, while we placed our orders at the bar, they brought the excellent wine and nibbles to the table. We had such an enjoyable and relaxing time that we stayed there for over three hours!More

Date of visit: July 2018
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 May 2018 via mobile

It's amazing how many "meetings" take place in coffee bars around the world. Personally I always look to support the independents whichbis one of then reasons I had a meeting here. The service was good, the decor stylish and the atmosphere conducive to having a...proper chat. Why oh why go to Starbucks/Caffe Nero?More

Date of visit: May 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PENNETHORNE'S BAR, London - Trafalgar Square / Embankment - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Pennethorne's Bar

Pennethorne's Bar is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5