Theo Randall Cucina Italiana at the InterContinental

Located inside the InterContinental London Park Lane, Theo Randall at the InterContinental is positioned just off the main foyer to the right as you enter the hotel. On arrival, guests are greeted at the maître d’ desk where umbrellas and overcoats are taken, tagged, and stored. We met friends who had visited before and, as we sat down, they warned us that the service could be disappointing. They described the waitress covering the section as cold, unfriendly and mechanical — an impression that unfortunately proved accurate throughout the evening. Orders were taken without warmth or engagement, and questions about allergies were repeated excessively, at least six times, often at random points during the ordering process and again when dishes were delivered or cleared. There were also several poorly judged service moments. The plates used for the complimentary olives and bread were removed while we were still eating our starters, which felt premature and unnecessary. Later, during dessert, glasses were cleared while we were still actively eating with forks in hand, which felt intrusive and badly timed. When the bill arrived, we asked for the service charge to be removed as we felt the service had been unwelcoming and the pacing inconsistent. The manager dealt with this politely, apologised and offered post-meal drinks, which we declined. The food itself was generally average. The Pappardelle con Ragù di Manzo — fresh pasta with slow-cooked beef, Chianti and San Marzano tomatoes — was enjoyable but extremely heavy as a dish. The Ravioli di Aragosta, filled with Dorset blue lobster and served with a tomato and shellfish broth, were pleasant. For mains, the Orata al Forno (pan-roasted sea bream with Roseval potatoes, fennel, Datterini tomatoes, parsley and caper sauce) was cooked well, although the Datterini tomatoes had an oddly pickled flavour that felt slightly out of place. The Branzino al Forno — pan-roasted sea bass with asparagus, Italian spinach, white wine sauce, porcini mushrooms and thyme — was also well cooked, though the porcini mushrooms were barely noticeable in the dish. Dessert was underwhelming. The chocolate cake was particularly disappointing and the cheesecake was fairly ordinary. The atmosphere also detracted from the experience. The room was very loud, partly due to a large table of around ten diners seated behind us who were speaking loudly, but also because of a live singer performing in the restaurant. With very few soft furnishings to absorb sound, the overall noise level made conversation at the table difficult.