The Natural Kitchen
With all the hype surrounding the Whole Foods opening it is easy to forget that ‘other whole food stores are available’. Not sure how The Natural Kitchen will cope with the re-opening of the local Waitrose as a ethical store though…
“A pioneering slow food store, selling organic, wild and artisan foods… sustainability, seasonality, traceability, low food miles and animal welfare”
Products include everything from fresh fruit to takeaway foods from such suppliers as the River Cottage (wonder if they have their delicious liver paté), wines from organic specialists Vintage Roots and the Well Hung Meat Company. The store includes a café, a ‘wine cave’ and an ‘artisan tasting table’. Another must visit when I finally get round to a visit to London.
The Natural Kitchen
77/78 Marylebone High Street
London
W1U 5JX
020 7486 8065
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Comments
by Steve Forbes This place is so great, its right in the center of town, and the selection of food and drink is excellent, hope it succeeds and there more of them around town…
by Del Sole Marylebone High Street is my favourite in London. It show what forward-thinking landlords can do when they work together to improve an area by being selective about who they rent to and not just going for large chains every time.
by Niall The food here isn’t bad. Some things are quite good, some pretty average. What is really bad here, sorry to say, is the service.
The staff struggle to cope, which is a bit of a surprise, because there are enough staff around in the small place. The problem is that they deliberately avoid contact with the customers until they’re forced to. There are long waits before ordering, food arriving and getting enough attention to ask for the bill.
We had a 5 minute or so wait to be seated, which is fine, but the staff studiously ignored us during this time, very deliberately making sure not to catch your eye. I don’t mind a short wait, but they could have at least come over and asked for how many people and given us an idea of how long. If they had asked how many, they would have been able to see they already had a table for 2 we could use.
We ordered the breakfasts, only to have the waitress return about 20 minutes later to tell us that the all day breakfast was finished. We got the menus to pick something else, then had to again drag a waitress kicking and screaming over to make a replacement order. Which then took about another 20 minutes to half an hour to turn up, during which time the orders of people who arrived after us were being served.
The bill never actually arrived - after making eye contact with a waitress who actually returned the eye contact, smiled, then turned and walked away, I was so frustrated with the whole experience that I just put the money on the table and walked out. The staff were so out of touch that no one even realised we hadn’t asked for the bill, let alone paid it to anyone, so all we got on the way out was a “thank you”, which was pretty much the only voluntary communication we’d had from a staff member the whole time.
I’m not the type to go to McDonald’s and rant that the staff weren’t in bow ties, serving Michelin starred food. I’ve had plenty of bad food experiences before, but never been so frustrated as to just put money down and walk out. It’s also the first time I’ve ever been so annoyed that I’ve written a bad review of a place. Normally I’d just file it down as “not going back.”
The menu states that the food is sourced from the shop downstairs, so if you like the food, just buy it and cook yourself. Otherwise go to Le Pain or some other place along there where the staff are somewhat competent.
by laurence This place has improved spectacularly and the cafe is now very busy all morning. Agree with most of what Niall has to say re service previously being patchy but think there has been a big change recently. Certainly the cafe menu has changed completely and the staff are now much slicker and more attentive.
I had the scrambled eggs and sausages (from the butcher downstairs i guess) on toast from the breakfast menu. Was delicious and served very quickly.
Whole place looks a bit different, much less cluttered and somehow less clinical.
And finally the takeaway food section looks really good now, have not tried everything but can recommends the quiche.
by nick awful breakfast….served a disgusting sausage sandwich in old frozen panini..this place is such a rip off and a con.
AVOID.
by oll Hi - just wanted to say the meat in this place is about to get really good. Even good enough to rival the Ginger Pig round the corner. I overheard a conversation about it between two of the staff the other day. They are going to start making there own bacon - nitrate free - and sausages, assosiate themselves, with the rare breads trust, be fully traceable and also do full butchery from carcas.
I will have to pay this a vist when i’am in London next.
I come to see my brother in London so he will come along too. I am in to the fresh fruit and organic products and my brother is in to the wines etc. I think this would be worth a visit.