Incognito

As my Toptable points were expiring, we had to use them up quick. Incognito was rated one of the highest out of all the places we tried, so off we went for our “free” meal.

Food

Since we weren’t paying, we felt we should order still water (which to this day I still feel is a huge scam) as well as a Merlot (£7). They had a few choices by the glass, so I was happy with mine. The set menu we were given for the free meal was a subset of their “normal” set menu, with about 3 choices for each course. This was fine by us. Entrees were the Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Red Pepper was not a good choice. They don’t really know how to make proper pasta. The sauce was not too bad, but nothing to write home about. The Fillet of Mackerel, Beetroot, Potatoes and Wasabi fared better. We’d probably been spoilt lately, as I didn’t feel any excitement with this dish, even though the flavours pared quite well.

The Wild Mushroom Risotto was a bit dull too. I am still on the search for nice risotto at a restaurant. The best dish of the day goes to Rump of Lamb, Spinach Flan, Diced Tomato & Tarrogon Jus, which was juicy, with a strong sauce.

The portions were small, so we decided to go for the desserts. As usual, the Pear & Almond Tart, Creme Anglais got my attention, but it wasn’t that great. The tart was nice enough, a bit sweet, but otherwise dull. I had never been a great fan of pavolova, so I wasn’t excited about the Berry Pavolova, however, it did meet my expectations, and is probably as good as any pavolova.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

Incognito was divided into two halves. We were seated away from the bar and the buzz, and indeed, the room was half empty. What’s worst, the place had some sort of cold draft drifting through it. Add to it the high ceiling, and the room feels very cold indeed.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Because we were seated away from the crowd, it was hard to attract any attention. However, once we did get attention we were served quickly and attentively.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

We came here as part of our Toptable reward meal…but as drinks, desserts and service weren’t included, and we were charged full price for those items, our meal ended up costing us quite a bit. I have a feeling that it would’ve cost the same if we ate here on a special Toptable deal as at least our desserts and drinks would be half price…oh well, next time we know when we go for the free meal…get tap water only and don’t be greedy for dessert! At least the food was nice, if the portions were towards the small size.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 11

Info

117 Shaftesbury Avenue
London
WC2H 8AN
Phone +44 (0) 20 7403 8403