John Lewis Bistro and Brasserie

This was a great place but it’s closed and been replaced with a noisy Italian restaurant and a burger place adjacent to it. A sad day!

There were six of us: one bride, one bride’s mother, three bridesmaids, and a wedding-​friendly guy-​friend. We were HUNGRY. We’d been trying on dresses all day, and we desperately needed to eat some FOOOODS.
After a little mixup with the adjoining JL restaurant («you wanted a table?» Yes, that’s why we asked for one. «Oh, we have something opening up soon.» OK. «Oh, that table is reserved.» OK. «Sorry, I don’t have a table available.» Thanks for wasting twenty minutes of my life.), we were seated at the Bistro and smelled delicious things wafting through the air.
A quick show of hands informed the waitress that we were going to booze it up a little (in celebration of the bride’s impending nuptials), and glasses of water might be a good idea too. After… ooh, fifteen minutes… a different waitress arrived (sans beverages) to take our food order. About five minutes later, our original waitress arrived with two glasses of water and one glass of les boozes.
Alas, this occurred a few more times before we all received our drinks. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. For food.
When it DID arrive (slight mixup again over which waitress was serving what and to how many), it was DELICIOUS. A beautiful salad for our gluten-​free vegan. Divine ravioli for the carb-​fanatic. Glorious burgers accompanied by EXCELLENT fries for the all-​round boozy-​lunch gluttons. The chef should receive five stars just for the food.
And then it was time to… you guessed it… engage with the waitresses again! Fun times asking for the dessert/​coffee menu. Hilarious waiting for one/​both waitresses to remember we exist. Joy of bittersweet joy at receiving ²⁄₅ desserts and waiting an extra half hour for the rest of them.
Again the food was delicious, but my goodness those waitresses need a spanking (and not the good-​naughty kind). We were *this* close to walking out without paying (we had our debit cards ready for a solid 20 minutes, and had flagged down as many staff as would look our way!), but morality trumped bored booziness, and the total bill (a paltry 100 GBP for all six of us) sort of made up for it.
Don’t come here with a group.
Don’t come here expecting service.
Don’t come here in a rush.
But do, do, DO order something to eat — it’ll be delicious, whenever you get it.

10am: get keys to flat.
4pm: bed arrives.
4:01: remember I need bedding to sleep on…
6pm: John Lewis, here I am!
6:45pm: I need wine.
And luckily, herein lies a lovely (and secluded) spot to enjoy a glass of wine, light dinner, snack, afternoon tea… or even, a glass of rose. OH, a glass of rose. After running all over London arranging for deliveries and then rushing to JL to find sheets and duvets and the like, well… I needed a respite.
The service was quite possibly the best I’ve had since arriving to London. My goat cheese frittata with small side salad hit the spot. The Americano and hot milk that arrived following my meal was just the right «picker upper» to brave the bus and heavy bags back «home.»
Oxford Street madness, crowds and insanity driving you a little bonkers? Simple escalate to the 4^th floor and tuck yourself away at a table with some good food and drink. You’ll be back on your feet in no time.
I’ll be a regular. I like John Lewis and I like his kitchen.
Total dinner bill with wine/​coffee: £18.

This is a lovely place to take a break and relax. We had a late afternoon cream tea and cheese plate.
We got a lovely seat that overlooked a park. The service was friendly. They told us ahead of time that they would be closing soon, but we could take our time and just pay our bill by closing time.
The afternoon tea was lovely and didn’t cost and arm and leg like some places in London. It came with 3 little sandwiches and a variety of scones and sweets. The cheese plate was also very nice and actually came with a heaping amount of cheese. We ran of crackers/​bread before the cheese.
Everything was lovely and it was very relaxing. I would definitely recommend.

Oxford St is THE shopping area in London. If you find yourself tired of shopping and need a respite while in the flagship store of John Lewis, try the Bistro on the 3^rd floor. This is the restaurant that your grandmother would take you as a child. You know, the one where you had to act like a well-​mannered young lady or gentleman. Not stuffy in any way but just nice for a lunch.
The food was well presented on the plate and was delicious. We chose the trio of fish skewers (8.95 GBP) for the kids. The mix of shrimp, scallops and salmon on two skewers was served with a side portion of salad greens and a small dish of remoulade for dipping. A traditional Greek salad Included olives, onion, peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh herbs. The delicious goat cheese bruschetta was served with a small salad. The bruschetta part was unusual in that it was more like a light, airy piece of bread (vs hard toast). Topped with caramelized onions, pesto and two size able rounds of cheese, it was a delight to eat.
The service at the restaurant was great. Our waiter (Bruno) was friendly and attentive. Modern décor and clean feel to the restaurant. This place is definitely not stuffy but I found myself on my best behavior. My Grandmother would be be proud.
Afternoon tea also available after 3p.

I’m all about the service to a degree. It adds a lot to any dining experience. My partner and I stopped in at half past four after finishing our wedding list for whatever that meal becomes when you remember you forgot to eat breakfast, and are still a tad hungover.
Quintin, the chap looking after us; after explaining that we’d have to pay the bill at five because they shut, and all the staff had to be out by six prompt delivered a level of service that was better than what I’ve had in posher restaurants. To the degree of turning around while I had the chip and pin device so that he didn’t see my pin. Where else do you see that?
The food itself was equally good, and quite hard to fault. Salads were crisp, meat was cooked to a turn, and delightfully presented. Being seated in a half empty restaurant, right by the window watching the chaos of the store unfold only added to the calm in the place itself.
On the whole, a very pleasant dining experience. I’d be back in a shot

On the several occasions that I have been to the bistro in John Lewis it has been somewhat of a memorable experience.
The first time (unforgettable for all the right reasons) the restaurant was not too busy. The service was good and the vegetable tapas dishes that we ordered were seasoned and cooked to perfection.
Then there was the time when after waiting half an hour for several salads the waitress confirmed that she had forgotten to give the order to the kitchen. This was however, quickly rectified and the food was again delicious.
Yesterday lunchtime I found myself here again sitting at the bar as all the tables were full. We ordered the smoked fish and seafood platter to share. The food was beautiful, so much so that I managed to ignore how full I felt half way through the meal. As we left the restaurant my stomach was in total agony and it was not until several hours of walking up and down Oxford Street that I began to feel ok again.
Despite such misfortunes, the food is fantastic and the restaurant clean, modern and not too expensive. I will definitely continue eating here but avoid eating quite so much.