Rex Whistler Restaurant

Good food and service for a gallery restaurant, but a bit pricey, especially the wines. Starters were delivered to the table within 5 minutes, before we were even asked for the wine order. Food was interesting, tasty and well prepared and presented.

Wonderful menu we loved everything, especially the black olive sorbet

Pity no bread before the order. An enjoyable occasion however

The food was delicious, the setting is lovely and the wine list is famously good. The tables are a little too close together and the service was terribly slow; our waiter appeared to lack training and/or experience and had zero peripheral vision. Perhaps the service would be better if fewer tables were crammed into the restaurant.

Splendid service and food very special as was the wine

First class service friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. Food beautifully cooked and presented.

Overall it was a good experience but the dishes were good but some were too expensive for what they were. Carafe of wine was good value.r

We both enjoyed excellent main courses but the desserts were smaller and less exciting than expected. The service was good despite the fact that the restaurant was very busy. Overall, we had a pleasant lunch.

It was a most pleasant luncheon and we received first class attention.

Still the REX of Gallery restaurants. Room always a pleasure to be in, the service delightful, the food continues to be ever more inventive and splendidly prepared, the famous wine list is still remarkable with the added bonus of being able to choose the pairings option, guided by an expert. VIVA!

Had an excellent meal, fresh fish dish, cod. Reisling excellent.

Yet another perfect Sunday lunch - roast beef with all the trimmings including a delicious cauliflower cheese. The sommelier’s choice of red to go with it was just right too.

Lovely reception, very welcoming and accommodating staff and delicious food.

I have been to the enchanting Rex Whistler many times over the years, so I can safely say that they've maintained all its best features--atmosphere/service/wine list--but consistently raised the level of the food. Yesterday's lunch was superb (starter of goat's cheese mousse followed by perfect grilled trout) with fine wine pairings. My three American friends were absolutely over the moon about the entire experience. Truly the restaurant is a Rex, not only of restaurants in our museums but a great destination--even for anyone (foolish enough) not to be looking at the fantastic art.

Service was excellent, food was delicious but too pricey! Last time I went, (approximately 2 years ago), there was a deal of 2 courses for around £16. It was very busy so rather noisy.

Rather a long wait between starter and main, although I appreciate it was busy. Waiters being admonished for errors should take place out of earshot of customers! Beautiful food from an interesting menu

What a wonderful relaxed and leisurely lunch spent with friends. Service superb and not pushy. Food and wine excellent. We will definitely be going back.

Elegant and quiet surroundings in a space with wonderful murals, smooth service and excellent food, beautifully presented and very tasteful. A most enjoyable experience! thank you.

Excellent ambience with the Whistler Murals. Wine selection small but quality. Good standard fare grub with few frills but nicely presented by attractive friendly staff

Another visit to sample the winter menu as I enjoyed the venison so much before Christmas. It was just as good second time around. I had a light starter of butternut squash, pickled quince and pumpkin seeds before which tasted good as well as feeling healthy but then succumbed to the magnificent cheese trolley at the end. The atmosphere was surprisingly busy post Christmas but, as usual, the staff coped admirably.

The ambience is excellent and the staff are helpful and attentive. The food is excellent though we found are main courses not quite s hot as we would have liked.

I am a member of the Tate and I meet up with a friend at Tate Britain to view exhibitions which appeal to us. As I live on the Kent coast and she lives in Hampshire, we like to have lunch at the Rex Whistler Restaurant to make a day of it. The restaurant is attractive and the waiting staff friendly, and we have enjoyed our meals there. On this occasion, I booked a table in advance as usual, and was disappointed to see that the set meal pricing had been discontinued. The last time we were there, the set meal price was £29.99 per person for two courses and, I think, £36 for three courses. However, there was a special offer of three courses for the price of two for those reserving a table. Our total bill for three courses came to about £72 for the two of us, including a glass of house wine each; and the meal was very good. On our latest visit, we paid £84 for two courses including two glasses of wine, which I consider poor value for money. If we had had three courses, the bill would have been almost £100. We both ordered the mackerel dish as a starter and the duck as the main course. As usual, I ordered two glasses of house red, but instead received two glasses of sommelier selected wine. This added £2 to the cost of each glass and did not make the wine any better. The duck dish was well cooked and presented, and the cherry sauce was rich and fruity and well-seasoned. The mackerel dish, however, was very disappointing. The half fillet of fish had supposedly been charred, which suggested that the skin would be crispy. It was indeed black, but soggy, and the fish was totally raw, as the chef no doubt intended. It was tasteless. The crouton, obviously intended to add crunch, also tasted of nothing, and apart from the vague lemon flavour of the yogurt served with the dish, everything was bland and insipid. It may be that the chef was aiming to create a light, refreshing starter, but this dish was a failure. As a result of this meal and its price, my friend and I will not be returning to the Rex Whistler.

Service was, as ever, impeccable: our guest arrived last, but the staff were unfazed. The meal was superb: brawn with watercress and gooseberry chutney and fish of the day, hake cooked to perfection. Eating at the Rex Whistler is always a guaranteed pleasure with an attentive (but never intrusive) staff always ready to attend diners.

We had a Sunday lunch....roast beef was sublime. Not enough vegetables for three people. Very good and friendly service and expensive. But what do you expect surrounded by Whistler.

The restaurant was not busy and the service was good, the waiters were friendly and helpful. It was not at all noisy and no annoying muzak. The food, as always, was excellent. I like the ambience of this place. It is a good precursor to visiting the exhibitions.

The Rex Whistler Restaurant is *always* an utter delight, and yesterday was no exception to that. The foods - every course - was delicious to a fault. I enjoyed a mackerel appetizer, duck with cherries, summer pudding and cappuccino. Each was perfection. And the ambiance and service are excellent. I will probably *always* recommend the Rex Whistler.

My chief complaint is the message that comes at the bottom of the bill: it’s about tipping (I think) and is completely incomprehensible. Either there is a service charge added to the bill or there is not. We are told the restaurant pays above the minimum wage. How much above?