10th July 2007
Bluebird Flies Off Course
What price two cups of black coffee with hot milk on the side in London (Not Paris!)? �6.40!!! This was some time ago so I thought I had better review The Bluebird Cafe again as any venue deserves to have an updated revue. Well its January 2008 and the Bluebird Cafe is still off course -unlike the London pigeons which circle and wheel before parking themselves constantly on the early Victorian terrace almost opposite.
The comments below are still accurate BUT there was an inkling of a new dawn earlier this month with the arrival of a young new chef and an unfamiliar menue. Whilst this lacked the trademark fish and chips the food was excellent. Good enough to entice us back again several times despite the coffee, which gets smaller and more expensive. Hooray you might exclaim anticipating warmer spring days and openair eating at the Bluebird. BUT today my wife was waiting for a roquefort salad and waiting... and waiting and waiting... meanwhile a large gentleman on the immediate table, who was apparently part of management, was joined by an equally large person whom we believe may be the Bluebird's head-chef. To my wife's irritation whilst she waited, several large dishes were bestowed upon the two of them at regular intervals. Then the Cafe's new chef was called in to join the table (but not to eat!) - what my wife overheard dismayed her - the new chef was taken to task and told NOT to put too much (?) per portion of a dish on the menu.
Clearly the excellent creativity of the new chef is being reined in by the bean-counters whose credo like that of great actors appears to be "Less is More" - we shall see.....
Old review>
We have been going to the Bluebird Cafe since it started; after all its just across the King's Road fom my house. It also has a large off-pavement seating area which catches the sun for a lot of the day. There have been a number of constants with this unique location on the King's Road, namely constantly changing staff and managers, very slow service and the fact that if a lunch menu item proved reasonable and popular it was unfailingly removed!
However it gained a loyal local following of regulars until just recently.....
The trees in tubs (suggested by my wife several years ago) arrived and with them a purge of old staff and managers. A new menu too.... unsuspecting we ordered our usual black coffee with hot milk on the side and were surprised to see the bill - a mistake surely! But no - after the VAT and service charge had been added the bill had gone sub-orbital to just under �6.50!!!
The picture was taken at after midday on a sunny week-day - usually this would have meant a queue waiting for a table outside but obviously no longer. The regulars have fled to more reasonable places on the King's Road and even passing trade seems to be baulking at the prices on the menu.
Such a pity that a unique venue should go this way... Let's hope they review their prices soon - even tho I need the exercise by going further afield I do miss popping across the road for my caffeine fix!
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