Planet of the Grapes

Ive now been to Planet of the Grapes, a massive 3 times with each time being lovelier than the last!
I didnt realise that there were a few PotGs in London but I think this would be my fave. I like walking seeing the upstairs and not realising that there is a large dining/​drinking space downstairs until you make the little descent past the large mirror, with time to check your hair and teeth, before smiling at the CCTV as you duck your head.
PotG sells wine by the glass, and gives you the option to get the whole bottle for wholesale price plus a £10 corkage feel if you see fit. I often do see fit.
The food here is good from what I sampled (tapas and erm… chips), but I believe they do steak too? I would like to try this out at some point, but until I get round to eating, I shall continue to enjoy the lovely bottles they have :)
Note, service is also very good incl flirty waitresses who know a thing or two about the product that they’re selling you!

I met a girlfriend for lunch at Planet of the Grapes. To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect from the name of the restaurant, but in the end they exceeded my expectations.
Food: We took advantage of the OpenTable lunch special where you receive a starter/​tapas, a main course and a glass of wine for 20.00 GBP. We ordered the Sardinian fregola, peppers, crayfish, baby spinach and the Bruchetta, burrata pugliese and caponata for our tapas. For our mains we ordered the pan fried pollack, grilled artichokes, fennel and lemon butter and the fresh tagliatelle, courgette, board beans, parmesan and summer truffle. All of the portions were good size and the food was delicious. The serving was so big I couldn’t even finish it which made me sad because it was really tasty and fresh.
Drinks: We ordered a white and a rose wine.
Price: 20.00 GBP per person for the lunch special plus VAT and 12.5 service. Great deal!
Ambiance: They have a few tables outside, but the main restaurant is downstairs. It’s a cozy space.
Service: The service was welcoming, friendly and attentive.
Would I go back? Yes, I would go back again if I was in the area. The food and service was great.

This is place is a gem of a find hidden away down some stairs. it was super busy on Tuesday night but the staff we very accommodating and managed to add us to the end of another table. the small plates were fantastic and the wine was priced to drink. i. e buy a bottle and just add corkage fee. We had the following and i would recommend them all without hesitation. looking forward to trying the rest of the menu.
Deep fried goats’ cheese, grilled aubergines & soft herbs
Panzanella: tomatoes, red onions, bread, baby capers & basil
Pressed foie gras, fig jam & toast
Girolles, summer black truffle & toast

Do you know why this name is funny? Because it sounds like Planet of the APES! But they said GRAPES! Because wine is made from grapes. And grapes sounds like apes! So it’s called Planet of the GRAPES!

Well I really have to review this place because I chose it as the venue for the last Unilocal book club, and I’m pleased I did! I thought the service was excellent and the staff very accommodating and friendly.
We were seated in ‘the snug’, a table slightly enclosed and to the side of the main room, which is an ideal spot for a small group, where you can relax and feel free to let the lively discussion flow.
There’s a good selection of wine by the glass and if you want a bottle they charge a flat £10 corkage on the shop prices. The majority of bottles are towards the expensive end of the spectrum, but there’s still something there for everyone.
Likewise with the menu, it’s very flexible if you just want to have a small snack with your drink, or something more substantial. I opted for the plate of 4 tapas style starters for £30 which you definitely need to be feeling hungry for — it’s not a light option! Plenty of interest and all of it delicious, so the perfect way to sample a good selection of what’s on offer.

Dude, this place should get a minimum of three stars just for the name. Clever, my friends. Clever.
Anyway, we ended up here for book group after the fabulous Hannah W. found it and chose it for the location.
I decided to eat here, because that’s what I like to do. Before we ordered though, the server brought out some savory muffins that the chef made because he had gotten bored. They were quite tasty. The menu looked fantastic, with a wide selection of starters and a few mains and sides. You could order four starters (tapas style), and since they all looked amazing, that’s what I did. I had foie gras (because you have to order foie gras if it’s on the menu), mozzarella bruschetta, salted cod fritters and the mushroom sformato. Some of us decide to get a bottle of wine instead of glasses, and they don’t have menus they bring to the table for that, you basically buy a bottle from the shop and pay a £10 corkage fee. (Which is probably cheaper than a lot of places charge for their wine, but it was still a bit strange.)
The food was pretty damn good! Everything was very tasty. Sunny ordered some chips, and for me they were the only downfall, as they seemed slightly underdone in the middle. However both the aioli and the homemade tomato dip were fantastic. They even threw in an order of the Cavalo nero because they wanted us to try it so badly.
It was a fantastic experience. The only slight downfall was the lack of at table wine menus for bottles. It would be easier to order some for the table if there was something there. The service was great. Very casual and laidback. The server was a lot of fun.
If I’m in the area (which I don’t really get to often), I’m sure I’ll be back.

this place really is as good as it gets. it’s food nerd heaven. the planet doesn’t just do cheese and meat, they bought the best slicer in the industry for the freshest and thinnest slices that melt in your mouth. cocoa risotto. chocolate and fish? anything is possible here. i had more wine here in three days than i would normally drink in a month and not one bad flavor or taste. if you’re obsessive about quality then this is the place to come and feel normal, or even outclassed. not only is the food out of this world but the wait staff are brilliant. i want to marry them all. big tables yet all our food dropped in front of us like magic at the same time. it was a beautiful coordinated dance better than the top restaurants. no pretentiousness; total dedication that works. every bad review i’ve given other restaurants seems justified when i eat here.
marc wise and matt harris are friendly and ridiculously fun. i stood around talking with them long enough that other guests were confusing me with cam, the chef. funny, as i got to say things like «yes, thanks, i really am an amazing chef». the prices are reasonable but if you like rare labels and unusual finds then you can also get into some fine trouble.
take the tube to mansion hill, walk up the stairs to bow lane and you’ll be staring right at the entrance.