Daphne's

First time and won’t be the last

One of the great Italian restaurants in London.

We remember the Daphne’s of old which was such a special place to go for lunch or dinner. It was intimate, the decor was chic and understated and the maitre d knew everyone’s name. And of course the food was the main attraction. The current Daphne’s has lost all of that special charm and our evening was a huge disappointment. The size of the restaurant has more than doubled since our previous visit and it was extremely busy on Sunday night. There were plenty of staff but service was a hit and miss affair. My husband received his beer immediately yet my Prosecco took 15 minutes to arrive and our bottled water was tepid not chilled. For starters two of us had the minted pea soup with ricotta. My daughter badly burned her mouth with the first spoonful but then got a mouthful of cold soup for her second try!! It had clearly been heated in a microwave but not stirred through to ensure an even temperature throughout. My husband ordered the beef carpaccio with rocket and Parmesan. He couldn’t see the beef through the layer of very thickly sliced, rather rubbery ‘Parmesan’ and the beef was so thick it could hardly be advertised as ‘carpaccio’. My other daughter ordered the sushi starter which should have been a red flag really as why would an Italian restaurant have sushi on the menu?!!!! Anyway, she paid for it later as had terrible stomach cramps all evening. Main courses faired slightly better with two of our dishes being acceptable, the pappardelle with wild boar ragu and the cheese filled tortolini (typical Italian dishes I suppose!). My husband had the cod which was bland and tasteless, resting on a bed of something we didn’t quite figure out. Cabbage? Fennel? It was so pale and rubbery with no taste whatsoever it could have been anything really. My ‘sushi’ daughter chose the meatballs which were full of flavour but extremely dry with hardly any sauce and served with very dry and hard roasted potatoes. We declined dessert. The bill was £250.

I am already looking forward to my next trip to Daphne's. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was energetic, the service was excellent and our waiter made great recommendations. My lobster pasta was heavenly and although I was full, I had to finish every bite (Yummy). I also managed to make room for the polenta cake which our waiter recommended as being light and tasty - and he was right. I will be back !

Just simply great.

Service and ambience always stellar, and this is what gives Daphne's staying power. Food was excellent too, although pasta was not as hot as it should have been (seemed like it had been sitting out). My wife had the "can't miss" Dover sole, and I had a Hake special, both of which were very good indeed. This is a go-to restaurant as I live in Chelsea, and Daphne's never disappoints.

Absolutely delicious food,gorgeous setting and charming service,I love this restaurant.

The food was very good but our service felt overbearing. We were rushed by our server through several courses and we felt as if they could not wait to turn the table (even though we were a later dinner reservation.)

As always tremendous blend of great food and service - atmosphere is special but relaxed

Great food and service as always!

Always a great atmosphere here but it has become a victim of its own success. Table service is rushed as they like to constantly turn over the tables to new arrivals. Welcome was cursory. We were early but discouraged from sitting in the bar as they wanted to use the seats for guests eating there. Drinks and wines have become very expensive here so be prepared for a big bill in the evenings.

We were made extremely welcome and there was no hesitation when we informed the staff that two of our party were running a little late. Daphne’s deserves its reputation and the restaurant was very busy. However the doors were open giving a delightful airy feel and service and food along with the tremendous staff were faultless

Great place, nice atmosphere, good service and food!

A great meal with excellent service

change of cook or ownership since our last visit. before daphne was special, food simple, gently cooled to perfection italian. now its just salty heavy handed restaurant fare...

Food was ok, vegetarian options limited and basic. Meat dish was ok. Waited over 30 min between starters and mains.

Great atmosphere with extensive menu and wine list. Service was extremely helpful and friendly. Will return!

Amazing as always! The service is impeccable, the food outstanding and the atmosphere is ideal for both large dinner parties as well as intimate date nights.

Nice ambience.
Good selection on menu. Have been many times to Daphne's and it is always reliable.
Friendly service.

Always amazing

Terrific spot for a languid lunch or a dinner date. Super ambience, good food, nice eclectic choice of art on the walls - and the best spot to watch a well-heeled Chelsea crowd in full flow!

I have been going to Daphne’s since it opened it is always superb
Great staff
Best front of house
Food always fantastic

a very pleasant evening and fantastic food and attentive service. recommend the vitello tonnato

Daphne’s is always a treat. Gorgeous food and lovely attentive staff.

Perfect in every single way, as always!

Always incredible food with friendly but hugely upscale service. Everyone loved it. Daphne’s never disappoints!

I had an amazing experience. My wife and I loved everything we ate and the service was spectacular!

Great as usual. Always a joyful time.

Super evening with excellent food, wine and service.

Though I like Daphne’s a lot, this time the food was very average. Waiters pouring the wine constantly, as if to force you to a second bottle. Outside area ambience very poor 😢

As ever an excellent meal and service, I am always impressed with their consistency.

Good setting. Slow getting the drinks.
Wild boar ragu too salty.
Service improved after ordering highend wine.

Cumpleaños

Food was good but service was poor - feel like we were being ushered out. Ordered at 7:10 and were served starter and main by 7:30!

The service, food and ambience is consistently good at Daphnes. This restaurant is always full with families, couples and friends at lunchtimes on the weekend. The atmosphere is high end without being stuffy. The waiting staff are excellent, friendly and knowledgeable and the service is quick.

Highly recommend. The service was incredible

We've never had a bad experience at Daphne's that is why we continue on going time after time. The ingredients are always of exceptional quality, service and attention is just en pointe and the choices of dishes on the menu is always so difficult to decide upon! This will always be one of my favourite restaurants.

Amazing place for authentic italian food!

Seeing Hugh Grant in the bar was a very memorable instance. Good food and atmosphere but a bit noisy. Will certainly come back

Good food and amazing service