Reviews of Union Street Cafe

Took the captain to Gordon's Southwark eaterie on Saturday for his birthday. Even though we had a dinner reservation for 8.30pm, we had to wait 20 minutes at the bar before our table was ready. Only negative thing I can say about the evening, though.

The restaurant was very buzzy and seemed to be completely booked out, but it was a Saturday night. I booked online 3 months ago to get a table.

I have to say that the staff throughout the evening were polite, friendly & professional. The menu was 90% Italian so the waiter had to translate. The captain & I selected an antipasti dish each for starter then I had a pasta as a main course while the captain had the octopus main dish. All the food was delicous & well cooked. We selected a nice light red Montepulciano for £25 to wash it all down.

We were stuffed after two courses so declined dessert. However, our lovely waiter brought a chocolate cake decorated with a candle & "Happy Birthday" on the plate which was the highlight of the evening. Nice touch.

The total bill for 2 including wine came to £110, which was very reasonable for a special occasion.

Firstly staff were really welcoming and helpful (given menu is in Italian-not one of my strong points). Really quiet for a Monday evening so restaurant felt a little soulless.Food is a little too complex & I have to admit I prefer Ramsay's Bread St Kitchen/Narrow offerings and ambience. However, loved the downstairs bar-great for relaxed drinks with friends.