Hi everyone, just a quick update. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! 🎅 Apologies for the lack of content and shorter videos over the Christmas period, I've been very busy and haven't had a lot of time to be able to make new videos but from tomorrow, I'll be bringing you plenty of videos from around the UK including Manchester, London, Birmingham and other areas. So once again, apologies but I've got a lot new videos planned to come before and after New Year including a massive channel update! PS. For the eagle eyed, I had to wear the jacket inside as I needed a place to put the microphone and this video was recorded a week ago.
Is it me or has The Ivy turned in to a glorified chain of restaurants. Breakfast looked OK but have seen you have nicer breakfasts in non chain establishments. Keep up the good work Gary.
In the last 10 years they've opened 30 more Ivy's. Very much a chain and very much not the Ivy restaurant of old. Just a standard greedy money grab based on a famous name. Not somewhere I'd visit with so many good independents out there.
Definitely a chain now. The Ivy in Covent Garden remains truly iconic, but these newer branches do come across as a slightly more upmarket version of Bill's. A shame really, as while I'm sure it's financially lucrative, it does dilute the brand a bit. Still, the breakfast itself looked decent and, considering the clearly high standard of ingredients and service, not bad value for money. As ever, Gary, a typically honest and even handed review.
Yes, a chain, so how long before they go the way of Carluccios or Jamie’s Italian, the one in Canary Wharf is really ‘hit & miss’, and that’s the issue, high end restaurants need the guarantee of consistency, otherwise customers do not return or recommend.
Don't pump them out all you'll be burnt out like so many RUclipsrs, it's obviously stressful hard work, and for you, with all the traveling especially so. Take your time.
Recent, found your channel , I’m liking the calm and measured approach to your reviews, no shouting or unnecessary laryiness , currently viewing your previous uploads and looking forward to your future ones , all the best for the new year and best regards
Potato rosti was definitely undercooked, it turned to mash when you stuck the fork in! Very interesting to see this, I thought the only Ivy restaurant was the famous central London celebrity haunt! This branch looked Cafe Rouge-esque, I reckon they are in danger of lowering the status of the famous Ivy 'brand'. Thanks for another great review Gary, wishing you and your fabulous channel continued success in 2024!
Great review Gary. Lovely setting, top quality ingredients and agree with you on some of the ingredients needing another minute or two cooking. Otherwise, first class. Many thanks for sharing with us. Happy New Year and see you in 2024 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gary, Brilliant work again, glad to se your channel has risen and grown so quickly, and rightly so. That Ivy is a 5 minute walk from me, I have as yet not even gone! My bad
Very well presented plate. I agree with you Gary ~ I prefer back bacon over streaky bacon. Streaky bacon has too much fat for me. The rosti (posh hash brown?) looked a tad pale to me too. Eggs cooked well but tomatoes needed more cooking time. As you say Gary, a place like the Ivy needs to be perfect in all areas for the price you pay. Good service is something you'd come to expect from a restaurant of that stature. I'll be honest with you though, we'd prefer to go to a traditional cafe like the Regent or Terry's but each to their own I guess.
🤣🤣🤣i get where you are coming from 💯❗...i say the brekkies are my fave to salivate over....close 2nd fish n chips..and still a close 2nd a roast...Gary is top of my list for food reviews! 🥓🍳🍵🍽
Looked very nice Gary, straight to the point and honest scoring, enjoyed everyone one of your videos, so no more to say, it's been a pleasure watching all of your videos, off to the depths of Norfolk tomorrow not that far from Sandringham actually for a few days with the missus staying at a Manor house hotel, with a full English every morning I don't know if I will manage it but 'I'll give it a go' take care Gary and have a great new year. Cheers mate.
I like the look of that breakfast. Those eggs look like a work of art. Like if Dali ever painted breakfast eggs. Less floppy clocks more floppy eggs but they look perfect.
The minute your camera panned over the breakfast plate (kudos to the camera man, great work as ever!) I thought, 'that is a quality black pudding'!...and as you cut into the sausages my mouth was watering! Considering that this was 'The Ivy' I thought it was a very reasonable price for what you got on the plate...If you ever get to Norwich, you might like the Assembly Rooms , where they do a 'Beforenoon Tea' combining a cooked breakfast and elements of an afternoon tea in one glorious meal! (With a box for you to take your leftovers home...if you have any leftovers!!!)
Hope you and your family and friends are having a wonderful Christmas Gary. Love a breakfast review. Full English always a good choice. It did look very nice on first impression. (potato rosti looking suspiciously like hash Brown's from Tesco finest). I love streaky but it needs to be well cooked. Black pudding cut thick is always better. All looked great but for what you're paying I would expect close to perfection. It's not as good as some of the other breakfasts you have reviewed. The place you went to last time was much better. £4.95 for a cup of tea. Madness. It's a 7 for me.
Happy boxing day, Gary! Hope you've had a great Christmas so far. Never had the full English at The IVY, but the prices are not astronomical. Been there many times and its one of our favourite places to go for a dinner in a nice, but not over the top posh or expensive restaurant. Keep up the fabulous work, mate and speak to you soon. Have a wonderful rest of your boxing day! 😊
Hi Gary..enjoyed another excellent review. A couple of comments. Those rostis looked more like hash browns to me and while the bacon was well cooked like you I prefer back bacon. Looked a nice ambience there as well. Hope you had a great Xmas mate
Merry Christmas, Gary! Looks like a delicious breakfast. A bit too elegant from what I picture a typical Full English ought to be, though. Potatoes could've been a bit more firmer/crispier.
Posh, but not too posh is my kind of Cafe Gary.The Ivy is now on my list as the sausage & eggs looked just perfect.....yes Gary i WILL be giving it a go- have a super new year!
That looked a good breakfast there Gary and being The Ivy, £15 is pretty good value, considering you will paying £20+ in a fairly average hotel these days. Thanks for some great reviews in 2023 and a belated Merry Christmas to you and have a great New Year. Don't forget though, make 2024 the Year of the Mushroom!!!!!! 😄
In all honesty, it looked just ok. Nothing wanted me to try this. A 7 at best. The Wolsely looked like it was at the same level of restaurant, but far tastier looking. Posh breakfasts have their place - Special occasions 5 star hotels etc. But for an everyday breakfast I'd go for a greasy spoon any day along with a big mug of rosie or 2! Love the length of your videos. Theyre absolutely perfect!
Thanks for the review. I love the Ivy, never tried breakfast but I’ve eaten other meals at various branches. Like all the hospitality industry in the U.K. they’ve suffered from Brexit, however I’ve always found the service very good to excellent. Food, if not outstanding is always enjoyable and considering the ambiance and service, very good value for money. From my experience I’d give them 8.5/10.
Posh without being too posh, loved that comment, as long as the place makes you feel comfortable that's all that really matters. Food looked good, nice place. Enjoyed watching you in the Ivy. Fair enough price. Pot of tea a bit pricey, breakfast a decent price.
Love your videos, Gary. Always look forward to them. Have you ever thought of trying Betty's in York. We love it, and we think the breakfast is brilliant. Happy New Year.
Eating out isn’t always about the cost of the food. It includes the costs the restaurant or cafe has to pay to make you enjoy your experience. E.g. business rates, staff training, food quality, decor, comfort, washrooms, products they use, everything they do to make you feel good about being there. There is a danger of creating a one dimensional world if we can’t experience the good, bad and indifferent.
Thanks again for the review Gary and Cameraman. Still pellicci for me at the same price, but would like to see a lunchtime review at The Ivy if you return next year👍🏻
Love these recent videos! Doesn’t help being extremely hungry watching them. Especially when you split open the eggs!! I think the only way you can get a true evaluation is to ask when ordering to cook a little extra on the specifics! I e tomatoes etc etc? But as always a please to watch. Just going to crack open an egg!!! Don.
Once again, I predicted your score before you revealed it, so you must be doing something right! Didn't realise the Ivy had reached Wimbledon, shame it wasn't around when I lived not too far away. Hope you had a great Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year, Gary.
In my experience, any restaurant called the Ivy is going to be a bit expensive, so I was actually surprised that your breakfast with tea came in at under £30. I also find it interesting that your streaky bacon is just bacon in the US, and your back bacon is probably what we'd call Canadian bacon.
Yes streaky bacon is different to what we call “normal” bacon - im not a fan of streaky bacon. British bacon is somewhere between streaky and Canadian bacon, usually unsmoked (but can get smoked) and not sweet.
I always enjoy a trip to one of the Ivy restaurants. £20 notes for a breakfast and tea in such a nice restuarant with excellent service seems fine to me. There are a number of other restaurants in wimbledon worth reviewing - if i picked one only it would be the Roxi Steak restaurant 2 mins from the mainline station. Great review Gary as always.
I've never understood why any establishment would skimp on beans... surely the cheapest ingredient on the plate. Great video, as always. Hope you had a great Christmas.
I would think the portion of beans amounts to the size of the serving pot. A lit of people dislike loose beans on a plate these days (doesn't bother me) it's about the presentation in there
Hi Gary, my partner and I watch a lot of your reviews. We like your relaxing style and Gary’isms 😊 However, we feel you too readily hand out a 10! We feel the meal just could not be improved upon to warrant that rating. It should be exceptional quality, service and value to achieve a 10. I also think two ratings, one for quality and the other for value would help. These then could be aggregated together for an overall rating. Great Vids though and love the Xmas Jumper 👍
Hi my friend. Thanks and glad you both like watching. I gave this one a 7.5 :) unless you mean another video where I gave a 10. I have learned to be a bit more thorough with the reviews now and have thought about changing the system slightly. Thank you very much and have a great Boxing Day.
@@GaryEats Hi Gary, yes the comment about awarding 10 too readily was a reference to past Reviews. To be fair I’m not eating there! But if you think about 1-10 Ratings, a 5 would be average, anything above 5 is better than average. So a 7 would be really good, then you’re going into excellent, exceptional and beyond improvement territory. I think this approach to ratings would help viewers get a better understanding of where a Restaurant is against its competitors! The comment about two ratings means a venue with excellent food, but average value is clear to the viewer. The same applies to average food, but good value. The only risk here is that quality, service and value can be subjective. But that’s why we have ‘Gary Eats’ 😊 In any event, the Channel is great with a nice selection of venues and food types. 👍
I agree. Scoring could be the average of 3 x 10. Up to 10 for ambience and location. Up to 10 for quality of the food and up to 10 for value for money. Anywhere that charges a service charge, a rip off as far as I am concerned, that people just seem to accept as a given, like boat people, should automatically lose 2 points.
I’ve eaten at both the proper island and the Tower bridge one, in each case the food was fantastic and the difference in price compared to something like a Harvester or Beefeater is not that much much compared to the difference in quality, the Ivy winds every time. However I do think their expansion is undermining their name.
Yes, if the original Covent Garden one made it's name largely on its hyper exclusivity, it's maybe going a bit too far in the other direction now by opening more accessible branches all over the place.
@@walterekurtz4320 When restaurants get too many outlets there’s always a danger of standards slipping (doesn’t appear to be the case with the Ivy as yet) or worse still being bought out by a Multi National and going down the pan. Sure hope this doesn’t happen here at least in the foreseeable future.
you can tell it's a 'posh' place just by the presentation of the dish. I feel they went for streaky bacon simply because it's easier to make the dish look more fancy presentation wise than it is with back bacon, but back bacon is king for breakfast and it's substance that counts most. £15 isn't too bad for a place like the Ivy though, I've seen way more overpriced 'posh' breakfasts
Great review again.Your marks and comments seemed pretty accurate and i really enjoy cooked breakfasts like that but with mushrooms no tomato.I certainly agree with your comments about the price of the tea.I hope you had a good xmas and have a happy new year
I think the whole point of going to The Ivy is that you can feel you are treating yourself to something maybe a little more ‘upmarket’ and would go for a special occasion, or like you, at Christmas. I liked the fact they were rostis and not hash browns and I thought the quality of the food looked very good, but what is with the ‘green stuff’ so unnecessary unless they actually think it makes a full English look posh !! So not needed ! I thought the price was fairly reasonable for an ‘upmarket’ restaurant, I actually thought it would be more. I do believe The Ivy is famous for its Shepherd’s Pie, maybe give that a go another time.
That's not outrageous for a signature restaurant. I agree about undercooking, it seems to me that everything could have done with an extra minute or so to give it some bite. I'd love to see some content from Chinese places in Manchester or Bayswater. Happy New Year, and happy travels.
Re Bayswater and Chinese restaurants, We visited a Chinese restaurant in Queensway this time last year. No complaints about the food, staff were a bit off hand but that's usual in Chinese restaurants especially one as busy as the one we visited. What was off-putting was the bill. It arrived as a total without itemization. It also seemed excessive. We requested an itemized bill revealing a plate we neither requested nor received. To top it all, a 12.5% service(?) charge was added. That was not declared on the menu. I mentioned this on their webpage and was promised " special " treatment on my next visit if I made myself known to the management. Pays to complain I suppose. :-)
@@lefuedebout Thank you for this anecdote. You sometimes have to keep your wits about you. We've had a few very good Chinese restaurants in W London, where we were regulars - I think that makes a big difference - but they've gone now.
That rosti looked like it was made with frozen, pre-cut potatoes. That might fly if their breakfasts were under a tenner, but at their price point, it's a travesty.
Happy Christmas Gary. I live a stones throw from the Ivy so I pass it most days walking the dog. Haven’t been in for a few years as Megan’s almost next door is our go to breakfast spot but I will give it another go.
If anybody asked me where London's celebrities enjoyed eating out I would reply "The Ivy"! Your recording and narrative showed what a lovely restaurant The Ivy is. I was surprised how reasonable their prices are when you consider their excellent reputation. I thought their breakfast, particularly the eggs, toast and tea were superb - lucky Wimbledon, lucky Gary!
This isn't The Ivy you're thinking about - that's in Covent Garden, but it's not like it was. They franchised the brand a little while back, which basically sealed its fate.
Thank you for putting me on the right track! I thought The Ivy was an airy Art Deco restaurant - does this describe the Covent Garden premises?@@mattseaton3521
Wow, I thought you were going to say £30.00. This sounds like an absolute bargain. I paid £15.00 at my local cafe the other day, although the that did include a large drink of fresh orange.
Worth what you payed, in spite of the smoked bacon etc, the atmosphere was lovely and you can't compere it with a Cafe , so all in all you picked a winner again. Patrick & Sheila.
For me that’s more than enough beans on a breakfast. I’m quite happy with the half a pot u put on at the start but definitely prefer back bacon on a full English. Streaky in burgers and books.
So much better than the last breakfast you had dished up to you - miniscule dried black pudding; burnt sausages and not to mention mushrooms. I love mushrooms but the ones in that breakfast I would have sent back. This was a great advertisement for The Ivy, it looks inviting and eatable. And the cup of tea looks delicious. Thanks for your videos, from Perth Western Australia. Robyn
That looked very good and quite substantial, there was a good bit of toast there and beans looked enough. I could see that you were right about the rosti. A lovely looking place and the price didn't seem crazy, I could see myself having a breakfast there.
The interior was beautiful with some lovely prints on the wall and you said something like,"posh but not too posh", I take that to mean, 'not snooty'. They didn't kick you out for your jumper or chivvy you along. You felt relaxed.@@GaryEats
Once again at nearly 11oclock here in Cyprus you are making me so hungry eating at the ivy restaurant.. yes my op went well , bless you Gary , can I be cheeky and ask if you were in the services at all . Happy new year 🎉
Food looked good, as soon as you cut into the black pudding I knew it was going to be good. Personally, I prefer streaky bacon to back bacon, fat equals flavour, but it needs to be cooked well enough so that the fat becomes slightly crispy. As for the undercooked rosti and tomato, I agree it's a matter of taste, but far better to have something slightly undercooked to your liking than something well overcooked, like your recent Harvester experience.
Glad you enjoyed the Ivy, it’s local to me and I’ve ben there once or twice for special occasions. It’s expensive but the food is always top quality, I’d recommend the shepherds pie.
I went to the original Ivy in the west-end a number of years ago a couple of times. I didn't know they expanded it to 30+ cafes and brasseries! That breakfast did look decent and not over-priced, well it cost less than that burger you had a video or so ago! Like you said back bacon would of been nicer and crispier rosti and who doesn't want more baked beans? Some nice brown bread and butter to mop up those lovely bright egg yolks , wouldn't of gone amiss either!
Great service. Infact an ace. Is that green stuff actually off centre court. . beautiful looking breakfast - £3:50 for tea ... You cannot be serious. Love these London videos. Superb video .
I think that’s excellent value for a place like the Ivy, considering a Premier Inn breakfast is now heading towards £12 and that’s a low budget establishment. But I agree back bacon is far far better than streaky. I tend to avoid streaky bacon.
Hi Gary..you and the polar bear chose to wear your Christmas jumpers..😆🤭..nice vlog as always..the only thing missing for me was a nice cool glass of bucks fizz..😯😆🥂
Interesting to try the flagship off Charing X Road. Went to Star of India veggie in West Ham this evening. Very nice food except trying to grab our thali trays several times before we had finished. Think I'll put a helpful comment on Trip Advisor.
Nice one Gary this is what we all need a decent review and balanced on Restaurants like this as we all like a treat now and then but we want to know we are getting a fair deal
Gee Gary, you are taking me down a nostalgic journey. I remember Wimbledon so well, especially the walk up the hill from the railway station, when I visited friends frrom Australia. Wish I would have know about *IVY’s.* That was a smashng looking caf, and I would have expected to have my sporran have a Myocardial Infarct when it came to paying the bill but in all, the price was moderate. It is hard for me to give an objective mark as *you did not eat your mushies and greens.* I would have given it an *8* oot O 9.5. Sorry mate; I am just in my quirky mood here. PS. We had a downpour lasty afternoon like I have never seen before. There have been a few fatalities in nearby towns, with flood waters coming up fast. A poor lady camper was washed away and drowned. I was at the Supermarket when the rain started and I was saturated after I made it to the car after the rain had eased. Found out that my Mobile Phone was waterlogged and could not be charged after I got home. The water was flwoing up to my front door and that has never happened before. I did tell the builders to put a Keel on the house but they omitted that when building the joint. That ambiance at IVY’s was quiote stunning. Take care “Old" Chap and see you later.
@@GaryEats Many thanks Gary. Care for some rain???? Hang on, you have a lot of snow over there haven't you. Reminds me of my trip home in 2001 when I could not get across the Scottish border as the snow drifts were quite deep. I eventually got home but, my time was running out and I could only visit Scotland for two days, as I had to get a flight to Stuttgart, Germany for a business meeting. Three days in Stuttgart then back to the UK for 3 days and then back to Australia.
Very interesting Gary. I've been past a couple of these places but never been in. I'd be interested for you to go back and explore the menu a bit more at another time of day. Merry Xmas !!
Have 'liked, commented, and now to subscribe!' Brilliant review channel, your style is honest and not sensationalist or over the top. Three reviews I'd love you to do would be 1. Totos italian restaurant in York centre, near to the barbican, 2. The Windmill Inn, in Redmile, Nottinghamshire, and 3. For a reminder of old memories, a Beefeater restaurant, Random I know, but You did ask!! Keep up the good work buddy!! Happy new year!
Happy Boxing Day Gary. Wonderful review as always. I agreed the beans rather small but I did spot they had been generous with the toast. And no mushrooms (yay!). 7.5 from me too !!
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Hi everyone, just a quick update. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! 🎅
Apologies for the lack of content and shorter videos over the Christmas period, I've been very busy and haven't had a lot of time to be able to make new videos but from tomorrow, I'll be bringing you plenty of videos from around the UK including Manchester, London, Birmingham and other areas.
So once again, apologies but I've got a lot new videos planned to come before and after New Year including a massive channel update!
PS. For the eagle eyed, I had to wear the jacket inside as I needed a place to put the microphone and this video was recorded a week ago.
Hope you also had a great Christmas & Santa was good to you
Merry Christmas mate and a happy New Year 😊
Have a wonderful festive time and wishing you the very best of health and wealth for 2024.
No need to apologise 😊 hope your New Year is amazing ❤ look forward to the further content in 2024 ❤😊
Very good!
Is it me or has The Ivy turned in to a glorified chain of restaurants. Breakfast looked OK but have seen you have nicer breakfasts in non chain establishments. Keep up the good work Gary.
In the last 10 years they've opened 30 more Ivy's. Very much a chain and very much not the Ivy restaurant of old. Just a standard greedy money grab based on a famous name. Not somewhere I'd visit with so many good independents out there.
Yes Paul seems like a chain now.trouble is when places go down that way.its gets diluted
Definitely a chain now. The Ivy in Covent Garden remains truly iconic, but these newer branches do come across as a slightly more upmarket version of Bill's. A shame really, as while I'm sure it's financially lucrative, it does dilute the brand a bit. Still, the breakfast itself looked decent and, considering the clearly high standard of ingredients and service, not bad value for money. As ever, Gary, a typically honest and even handed review.
Yes, a chain, so how long before they go the way of Carluccios or Jamie’s Italian, the one in Canary Wharf is really ‘hit & miss’, and that’s the issue, high end restaurants need the guarantee of consistency, otherwise customers do not return or recommend.
So true just another chain now
Keep pumping out great content gary alway's a pleasure sir....
Thank you John. Very kind mate.
Don't pump them out all you'll be burnt out like so many RUclipsrs, it's obviously stressful hard work, and for you, with all the traveling especially so. Take your time.
Thank you Phil :)
I love this man’s wholesome content. Really refreshing!! Keep up the great work :)
That is super kind to say thank you 😊
That's one of the nicest breakfasts I have seen you review, well worth it I would say!
Good to hear Nick.
Another great video and review Gary. Loving the variation in restaurant types and locations.
Thanks Micah. Hope you're well.
That looked reasonable for the price, Gary but I think they should have included the cup of tea! 😊
Yes I agree.
Recent, found your channel , I’m liking the calm and measured approach to your reviews, no shouting or unnecessary laryiness , currently viewing your previous uploads and looking forward to your future ones , all the best for the new year and best regards
Thank you Adrian. Much appreciated 👍🏼
Thank you Adrian. Much appreciated 👍🏼
Another charming video, Gary. and that restaurant seems to have such a beautiful ambiance . 🤩
Indeed it did Alexandria!
Beautiful decor. Scrumptious looking breakfast. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas 2024! Thanks, Gary! 🇺🇸❤️🇬🇧
Another great review, the start with the polar bear made me laugh. Well done Gary.
Lol! Thanks mate. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Potato rosti was definitely undercooked, it turned to mash when you stuck the fork in!
Very interesting to see this, I thought the only Ivy restaurant was the famous central London celebrity haunt! This branch looked Cafe Rouge-esque, I reckon they are in danger of lowering the status of the famous Ivy 'brand'.
Thanks for another great review Gary, wishing you and your fabulous channel continued success in 2024!
Indeed. It's a branch. You're very kind!
They're hash browns . Not rostis
@@tezzah... Potato rostis and hash browns are the same thing!
Gary you and Mr cameraman are kings of RUclips. So very excellent.
You’re far too kind. All the best!
Well presented looked very appetizing on your plate, the exotic decor was a pleasure to look at . I would give it a 9 /10 thanks Gary 🎉
Thank you very much for your score
Great review Gary. Lovely setting, top quality ingredients and agree with you on some of the ingredients needing another minute or two cooking. Otherwise, first class. Many thanks for sharing with us. Happy New Year and see you in 2024 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for watching Andreas!
You were a half a point more generous than me Gary, the black pudding looked exceptional and another great video 😊
Thanks for watching!
You gave this a good honest review. I agreed with all of what you said there . Great stuff as usual.👍🏼🙏🏽❤️
Thanks so much Karen!
Gary, Brilliant work again, glad to se your channel has risen and grown so quickly, and rightly so. That Ivy is a 5 minute walk from me, I have as yet not even gone! My bad
Thanks 👍
Very well presented plate. I agree with you Gary ~ I prefer back bacon over streaky bacon. Streaky bacon has too much fat for me. The rosti (posh hash brown?) looked a tad pale to me too. Eggs cooked well but tomatoes needed more cooking time. As you say Gary, a place like the Ivy needs to be perfect in all areas for the price you pay. Good service is something you'd come to expect from a restaurant of that stature. I'll be honest with you though, we'd prefer to go to a traditional cafe like the Regent or Terry's but each to their own I guess.
Spot on Robert. Nailed it!
I agree Robert, always look out for the greasy spoon that truckers and labourers frequent the most, the food there is often cheap and very satisfying!
Wow looked lush ! Great review as always. Merry Christmas and happy eating 2024 !
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!!
You’ve put me off my dinner! because now I want that breakfast you’re eating.
🥓
✌🏻👱🏻♂️✌🏻
I'm so sorry Earl!
🤣🤣🤣i get where you are coming from 💯❗...i say the brekkies are my fave to salivate over....close 2nd fish n chips..and still a close 2nd a roast...Gary is top of my list for food reviews! 🥓🍳🍵🍽
Looked very nice Gary, straight to the point and honest scoring, enjoyed everyone one of your videos, so no more to say, it's been a pleasure watching all of your videos, off to the depths of Norfolk tomorrow not that far from Sandringham actually for a few days with the missus staying at a Manor house hotel, with a full English every morning I don't know if I will manage it but 'I'll give it a go' take care Gary and have a great new year. Cheers mate.
You’re welcome Harold. Have an absolutely superb time!
I like the look of that breakfast. Those eggs look like a work of art. Like if Dali ever painted breakfast eggs. Less floppy clocks more floppy eggs but they look perfect.
Glad you liked them!
Nice to see you in your natural environment hope you and your loved ones had a great Christmas
Thank you my friend.
The minute your camera panned over the breakfast plate (kudos to the camera man, great work as ever!) I thought, 'that is a quality black pudding'!...and as you cut into the sausages my mouth was watering! Considering that this was 'The Ivy' I thought it was a very reasonable price for what you got on the plate...If you ever get to Norwich, you might like the Assembly Rooms , where they do a 'Beforenoon Tea' combining a cooked breakfast and elements of an afternoon tea in one glorious meal! (With a box for you to take your leftovers home...if you have any leftovers!!!)
Gary please try the Assembly Rooms. Sounds great!!!
It’s not The Ivy restaurant- it is one of The Ivory Brasserie restaurants- quite a few of them but still reasonable pricing for London
Noted it down Wendy. Thank you!
I will do!
Hope you and your family and friends are having a wonderful Christmas Gary.
Love a breakfast review. Full English always a good choice. It did look very nice on first impression. (potato rosti looking suspiciously like hash Brown's from Tesco finest).
I love streaky but it needs to be well cooked. Black pudding cut thick is always better. All looked great but for what you're paying I would expect close to perfection. It's not as good as some of the other breakfasts you have reviewed. The place you went to last time was much better. £4.95 for a cup of tea. Madness.
It's a 7 for me.
Hope you’re having a good Christmas also, Andrew. I agree with your assessment although they were rostis and not hash browns. Thank you!
Happy boxing day, Gary! Hope you've had a great Christmas so far. Never had the full English at The IVY, but the prices are not astronomical. Been there many times and its one of our favourite places to go for a dinner in a nice, but not over the top posh or expensive restaurant. Keep up the fabulous work, mate and speak to you soon. Have a wonderful rest of your boxing day! 😊
Same to you Frank. Hope you’ve had a good one, I completely agree with you. Have a good Boxing Day 😊
It looked my kind of place to enjoy a nice peaceful breakfast, glad you enjoyed your meal and your fair comment.
Thank you!
Hi Gary..enjoyed another excellent review. A couple of comments. Those rostis looked more like hash browns to me and while the bacon was well cooked like you I prefer back bacon. Looked a nice ambience there as well.
Hope you had a great Xmas mate
Hi Tony. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. They were definitely rostis mate :)
Loving these videos gary always a pleasure to watch food looked really nice loved the polar bear
Thanks so much Julie 😊
Merry Christmas, Gary! Looks like a delicious breakfast. A bit too elegant from what I picture a typical Full English ought to be, though. Potatoes could've been a bit more firmer/crispier.
Spot on James! Happy Christmas 🎅🏼🎄
Posh, but not too posh is my kind of Cafe Gary.The Ivy is now on my list as the sausage & eggs looked just perfect.....yes Gary i WILL be giving it a go- have a super new year!
Great stuff. Thanks for watching and have a great New Year!
That looked a good breakfast there Gary and being The Ivy, £15 is pretty good value, considering you will paying £20+ in a fairly average hotel these days. Thanks for some great reviews in 2023 and a belated Merry Christmas to you and have a great New Year. Don't forget though, make 2024 the Year of the Mushroom!!!!!! 😄
Never going to be a year for that David. Lol. You're more than welcome and have a great new year!
In all honesty, it looked just ok. Nothing wanted me to try this. A 7 at best. The Wolsely looked like it was at the same level of restaurant, but far tastier looking. Posh breakfasts have their place - Special occasions 5 star hotels etc. But for an everyday breakfast I'd go for a greasy spoon any day along with a big mug of rosie or 2!
Love the length of your videos. Theyre absolutely perfect!
Agree with every word here.
Thank you Simon. Much appreciated!
Thanks for the review. I love the Ivy, never tried breakfast but I’ve eaten other meals at various branches. Like all the hospitality industry in the U.K. they’ve suffered from Brexit, however I’ve always found the service very good to excellent. Food, if not outstanding is always enjoyable and considering the ambiance and service, very good value for money. From my experience I’d give them 8.5/10.
Thanks for watching!
Posh without being too posh, loved that comment, as long as the place makes you feel comfortable that's all that really matters. Food looked good, nice place. Enjoyed watching you in the Ivy. Fair enough price. Pot of tea a bit pricey, breakfast a decent price.
Haha Thanks Ann. Agreed on the tea!
First time I've seen someone else put cress on their b'fast love it ! Merry Christmas sir 🎉
Merry Christmas Gary!
Loving these London videos Gary, great work 👍 and I’m left wondering where all the baked beans are coming from…
Glad you like them!
Love your videos, Gary. Always look forward to them. Have you ever thought of trying Betty's in York. We love it, and we think the breakfast is brilliant. Happy New Year.
Yes I have Ian. They've got one in London as well, I can review that in the future for sure. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Eating out isn’t always about the cost of the food. It includes the costs the restaurant or cafe has to pay to make you enjoy your experience. E.g. business rates, staff training, food quality, decor, comfort, washrooms, products they use, everything they do to make you feel good about being there. There is a danger of creating a one dimensional world if we can’t experience the good, bad and indifferent.
Indeed. I don't doubt that.
Thanks again for the review Gary and Cameraman. Still pellicci for me at the same price, but would like to see a lunchtime review at The Ivy if you return next year👍🏻
Thanks for watching Richard!
Love these recent videos! Doesn’t help being extremely hungry watching them. Especially when you split open the eggs!!
I think the only way you can get a true evaluation is to ask when ordering to cook a little extra on the specifics! I e tomatoes etc etc?
But as always a please to watch. Just going to crack open an egg!!!
Don.
Thank you Don. Glad you're liking. Indeed, a good idea. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Once again, I predicted your score before you revealed it, so you must be doing something right! Didn't realise the Ivy had reached Wimbledon, shame it wasn't around when I lived not too far away. Hope you had a great Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year, Gary.
Brilliant stuff. Happy New Year Tim!
In my experience, any restaurant called the Ivy is going to be a bit expensive, so I was actually surprised that your breakfast with tea came in at under £30.
I also find it interesting that your streaky bacon is just bacon in the US, and your back bacon is probably what we'd call Canadian bacon.
Yes streaky bacon is different to what we call “normal” bacon - im not a fan of streaky bacon. British bacon is somewhere between streaky and Canadian bacon, usually unsmoked (but can get smoked) and not sweet.
Indeed. Thanks for watching!
I always enjoy a trip to one of the Ivy restaurants. £20 notes for a breakfast and tea in such a nice restuarant with excellent service seems fine to me. There are a number of other restaurants in wimbledon worth reviewing - if i picked one only it would be the Roxi Steak restaurant 2 mins from the mainline station. Great review Gary as always.
Thanks Rob. Glad you liked it.
I've never understood why any establishment would skimp on beans... surely the cheapest ingredient on the plate. Great video, as always. Hope you had a great Christmas.
It's to do with the fart GAS! LOL
Hope you had a great Christmas as well Michael.
I would think the portion of beans amounts to the size of the serving pot. A lit of people dislike loose beans on a plate these days (doesn't bother me) it's about the presentation in there
Amazed! Even on boxing day a new video!! Very impressive Gary!!
Thank you Michael!!
Hi Gary, my partner and I watch a lot of your reviews. We like your relaxing style and Gary’isms 😊
However, we feel you too readily hand out a 10! We feel the meal just could not be improved upon to warrant that rating. It should be exceptional quality, service and value to achieve a 10.
I also think two ratings, one for quality and the other for value would help. These then could be aggregated together for an overall rating.
Great Vids though and love the Xmas Jumper 👍
Hi my friend. Thanks and glad you both like watching. I gave this one a 7.5 :) unless you mean another video where I gave a 10. I have learned to be a bit more thorough with the reviews now and have thought about changing the system slightly. Thank you very much and have a great Boxing Day.
@@GaryEats Hi Gary, yes the comment about awarding 10 too readily was a reference to past Reviews. To be fair I’m not eating there!
But if you think about 1-10 Ratings, a 5 would be average, anything above 5 is better than average. So a 7 would be really good, then you’re going into excellent, exceptional and beyond improvement territory. I think this approach to ratings would help viewers get a better understanding of where a Restaurant is against its competitors!
The comment about two ratings means a venue with excellent food, but average value is clear to the viewer. The same applies to average food, but good value. The only risk here is that quality, service and value can be subjective. But that’s why we have ‘Gary Eats’ 😊
In any event, the Channel is great with a nice selection of venues and food types. 👍
I agree. Scoring could be the average of 3 x 10. Up to 10 for ambience and location. Up to 10 for quality of the food and up to 10 for value for money. Anywhere that charges a service charge, a rip off as far as I am concerned, that people just seem to accept as a given, like boat people, should automatically lose 2 points.
Happy new year. If you get a chance try Maria's cafe at the Borough. Love you reviews especially as they are often in London. 🎉
I will do Tom. Thanks mate!
I’ve eaten at both the proper island and the Tower bridge one, in each case the food was fantastic and the difference in price compared to something like a Harvester or Beefeater is not that much much compared to the difference in quality, the Ivy winds every time. However I do think their expansion is undermining their name.
Yes, if the original Covent Garden one made it's name largely on its hyper exclusivity, it's maybe going a bit too far in the other direction now by opening more accessible branches all over the place.
Interesting. Thanks for watching!
@@walterekurtz4320 When restaurants get too many outlets there’s always a danger of standards slipping (doesn’t appear to be the case with the Ivy as yet) or worse still being bought out by a Multi National and going down the pan. Sure hope this doesn’t happen here at least in the foreseeable future.
The company that owns the ivy also owns Bills and cote I believe
Well done Gary and son, 201k subscribers well deserved 👏 Felicitaciones Sue
Thank you very much, Sue xx
you can tell it's a 'posh' place just by the presentation of the dish. I feel they went for streaky bacon simply because it's easier to make the dish look more fancy presentation wise than it is with back bacon, but back bacon is king for breakfast and it's substance that counts most. £15 isn't too bad for a place like the Ivy though, I've seen way more overpriced 'posh' breakfasts
Indeed.
Hi Gary,
Dave from Australia here.
Another good one mate.
All the best for 2024.
Thanks for watching David! All the best mate.
I always thought that the Ivy was a very exclusive restaurant in the west end but now they seem to be everywhere.
Yes, Herring massively expanded and is now looking to sell off part of the chin.
Indeed!
Great review again.Your marks and comments seemed pretty accurate and i really enjoy cooked breakfasts like that but with mushrooms no tomato.I certainly agree with your comments about the price of the tea.I hope you had a good xmas and have a happy new year
Thanks for watching Paul. Hope you had a good Christmas!
I think the whole point of going to The Ivy is that you can feel you are treating yourself to something maybe a little more ‘upmarket’ and would go for a special occasion, or like you, at Christmas. I liked the fact they were rostis and not hash browns and I thought the quality of the food looked very good, but what is with the ‘green stuff’ so unnecessary unless they actually think it makes a full English look posh !! So not needed ! I thought the price was fairly reasonable for an ‘upmarket’ restaurant, I actually thought it would be more. I do believe The Ivy is famous for its Shepherd’s Pie, maybe give that a go another time.
Indeed Karen. I will give that a go sometime in the summer!
you done great Gary,despite being so busy over Xmas period,enjoyed all your reviews,
Many thanks!
Looks a lot better than the £8.95 full English I had in Tesco’s cafe this morning.
Not good mate?
Hi Gary and Son, one of my bug bears is a dripping pot!! Sitting here at 0200hrs wishing it was breakfast time! 🌹🌹🤗🤗😎😎
That's not outrageous for a signature restaurant.
I agree about undercooking, it seems to me that everything could have done with an extra minute or so to give it some bite.
I'd love to see some content from Chinese places in Manchester or Bayswater.
Happy New Year, and happy travels.
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
It’s not THE Ivy. Best fried eggs I’ve seen in a while.
Re Bayswater and Chinese restaurants, We visited a Chinese restaurant in Queensway this time last year. No complaints about the food, staff were a bit off hand but that's usual in Chinese restaurants especially one as busy as the one we visited. What was off-putting was the bill. It arrived as a total without itemization. It also seemed excessive. We requested an itemized bill revealing a plate we neither requested nor received. To top it all, a 12.5% service(?) charge was added. That was not declared on the menu. I mentioned this on their webpage and was promised " special " treatment on my next visit if I made myself known to the management. Pays to complain I suppose. :-)
@@lefuedebout Thank you for this anecdote. You sometimes have to keep your wits about you.
We've had a few very good Chinese restaurants in W London, where we were regulars - I think that makes a big difference - but they've gone now.
Another great review. When you're not reviewing, do you cook at home, if so, what's your favourite meal...?
Oooooo that’s a very tough question. I’ll get back to you on that. Thank you.
That rosti looked like it was made with frozen, pre-cut potatoes. That might fly if their breakfasts were under a tenner, but at their price point, it's a travesty.
I agree they looked commercially prepared.
Thanks for watching!
@@GaryEats Should have fried bread - not a Rosti or hash brown - that's American. 😃
‘Travesty’ is taking it a bit far - mildly disappointing would be more like it.
Happy Christmas Gary. I live a stones throw from the Ivy so I pass it most days walking the dog. Haven’t been in for a few years as Megan’s almost next door is our go to breakfast spot but I will give it another go.
Let me know what you think Tony. All the best!
If anybody asked me where London's celebrities enjoyed eating out I would reply "The Ivy"! Your recording and narrative showed what a lovely restaurant The Ivy is. I was surprised how reasonable their prices are when you consider their excellent reputation. I thought their breakfast, particularly the eggs, toast and tea were superb - lucky Wimbledon, lucky Gary!
This isn't The Ivy you're thinking about - that's in Covent Garden, but it's not like it was. They franchised the brand a little while back, which basically sealed its fate.
@@mattseaton3521 Yes, like the Ivy League universities. Rapidly going downhill, especially after the latest Harvard fiasco.
No one cares about America, mate @@moltderenou
Thank you for putting me on the right track! I thought The Ivy was an airy Art Deco restaurant - does this describe the Covent Garden premises?@@mattseaton3521
Thanks for watching Philip!
Timely review Gary. Off to The Ivy, Cardiff next week for breakfast. Looking forward to it.
Have a good one Brian.
Wow, I thought you were going to say £30.00. This sounds like an absolute bargain. I paid £15.00 at my local cafe the other day, although the that did include a large drink of fresh orange.
Wow.
Worth what you payed, in spite of the smoked bacon etc, the atmosphere was lovely and you can't compere it with a Cafe , so all in all you picked a winner again. Patrick & Sheila.
Thank you both. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
For me that’s more than enough beans on a breakfast.
I’m quite happy with the half a pot u put on at the start but definitely prefer back bacon on a full English. Streaky in burgers and books.
That's fair enough. Thanks for watching!
So much better than the last breakfast you had dished up to you - miniscule dried black pudding; burnt sausages and not to mention mushrooms. I love mushrooms but the ones in that breakfast I would have sent back.
This was a great advertisement for The Ivy, it looks inviting and eatable. And the cup of tea looks delicious.
Thanks for your videos, from Perth Western Australia. Robyn
Agreed, thanks Robyn
That looked very good and quite substantial, there was a good bit of toast there and beans looked enough. I could see that you were right about the rosti. A lovely looking place and the price didn't seem crazy, I could see myself having a breakfast there.
Good stuff. Lovely atmosphere!
The interior was beautiful with some lovely prints on the wall and you said something like,"posh but not too posh", I take that to mean, 'not snooty'. They didn't kick you out for your jumper or chivvy you along. You felt relaxed.@@GaryEats
Indeed. Paraphrased it perfectly.
So good they have a bouncer on the door, greatest food channel on RUclips!!!! Keep on eating!!
Lol. Thank you so much John.
£4.95 for toast.. FOR TOAST!
Indeed. Pricy!
Once again at nearly 11oclock here in Cyprus you are making me so hungry eating at the ivy restaurant.. yes my op went well , bless you Gary , can I be cheeky and ask if you were in the services at all . Happy new year 🎉
Thanks for watching Linda!
I like how he goes from super friendly uncle to serious AF uncle in 10 seconds at the start of every upload.
🤣🤣
That looked really nice. Great channel buddy. My go to review guy.
Appreciate that Wayne!
Food looked good, as soon as you cut into the black pudding I knew it was going to be good. Personally, I prefer streaky bacon to back bacon, fat equals flavour, but it needs to be cooked well enough so that the fat becomes slightly crispy. As for the undercooked rosti and tomato, I agree it's a matter of taste, but far better to have something slightly undercooked to your liking than something well overcooked, like your recent Harvester experience.
Thanks for watching!
Glad you enjoyed the Ivy, it’s local to me and I’ve ben there once or twice for special occasions. It’s expensive but the food is always top quality, I’d recommend the shepherds pie.
Thanks for watching! I'll take a look next time.
Really need to let customers know the price of tea in advance.
Not on the menu anywhere!
Looked like a nice breakfast, and I would have enjoyed it, thank you Gary.
Glad you enjoyed it Colin. You’re welcome.
You have reviewed far better and much cheaper breakfasts! We have an Ivy restaurant in Leeds now [for people with too much money]
I agree mark.
I went to the original Ivy in the west-end a number of years ago a couple of times. I didn't know they expanded it to 30+ cafes and brasseries! That breakfast did look decent and not over-priced, well it cost less than that burger you had a video or so ago! Like you said back bacon would of been nicer and crispier rosti and who doesn't want more baked beans? Some nice brown bread and butter to mop up those lovely bright egg yolks , wouldn't of gone amiss either!
Very nice Deadman. Hope you're well my friend.
Milk in after the tea? Gary, you broke my heart! Such a fine channel too!
😂😂😂😂
Haha I'm sorry Paul.
Great service. Infact an ace. Is that green stuff actually off centre court. . beautiful looking breakfast - £3:50 for tea ... You cannot be serious. Love these London videos. Superb video .
Indeed Paul. Thanks for watching mate!
Seeing as it's Christmas you'd think they would change their name to the Holly and the ivy 😂
Lol. Thanks for watching!
Another great review Gary, loving your channel!
Glad you like them!!!
I think that’s excellent value for a place like the Ivy, considering a Premier Inn breakfast is now heading towards £12 and that’s a low budget establishment. But I agree back bacon is far far better than streaky. I tend to avoid streaky bacon.
Yes. Much prefer back bacon.
🎉Streaky bacon is usually cheaper than back( cheap skates) it did like nice tbf , ditch the grass cuttings though ! Ty Gary as always🎉
Hi Gary..you and the polar bear chose to wear your Christmas jumpers..😆🤭..nice vlog as always..the only thing missing for me was a nice cool glass of bucks fizz..😯😆🥂
Lol!! Indeed Jan :)
Well chap the breakfast looked nice enough and a nice pot of tea and being in a nice upmarket establishment….thumbs up 👌
Thanks for watching David!
Interesting to try the flagship off Charing X Road. Went to Star of India veggie in West Ham this evening. Very nice food except trying to grab our thali trays several times before we had finished. Think I'll put a helpful comment on Trip Advisor.
I love that restaurant, though I've never had breakfast there. You're absolutely right, a nice balance between posh and relaxed.
Yes. Thank you!
Another good review Garry. Best wishes for the festive period.
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Nice one Gary this is what we all need a decent review and balanced on Restaurants like this as we all like a treat now and then but we want to know we are getting a fair deal
Thank you Mike.
Gee Gary, you are taking me down a nostalgic journey. I remember Wimbledon so well, especially the walk up the hill from the railway station, when I visited friends frrom Australia. Wish I would have know about *IVY’s.* That was a smashng looking caf, and I would have expected to have my sporran have a Myocardial Infarct when it came to paying the bill but in all, the price was moderate. It is hard for me to give an objective mark as *you did not eat your mushies and greens.* I would have given it an *8* oot O 9.5. Sorry mate; I am just in my quirky mood here. PS. We had a downpour lasty afternoon like I have never seen before. There have been a few fatalities in nearby towns, with flood waters coming up fast. A poor lady camper was washed away and drowned. I was at the Supermarket when the rain started and I was saturated after I made it to the car after the rain had eased. Found out that my Mobile Phone was waterlogged and could not be charged after I got home. The water was flwoing up to my front door and that has never happened before. I did tell the builders to put a Keel on the house but they omitted that when building the joint. That ambiance at IVY’s was quiote stunning. Take care “Old" Chap and see you later.
Please keep safe Angus. Thanks for watching!
@@GaryEats Many thanks Gary. Care for some rain???? Hang on, you have a lot of snow over there haven't you. Reminds me of my trip home in 2001 when I could not get across the Scottish border as the snow drifts were quite deep. I eventually got home but, my time was running out and I could only visit Scotland for two days, as I had to get a flight to Stuttgart, Germany for a business meeting. Three days in Stuttgart then back to the UK for 3 days and then back to Australia.
Very interesting Gary. I've been past a couple of these places but never been in. I'd be interested for you to go back and explore the menu a bit more at another time of day.
Merry Xmas !!
Have 'liked, commented, and now to subscribe!' Brilliant review channel, your style is honest and not sensationalist or over the top. Three reviews I'd love you to do would be 1. Totos italian restaurant in York centre, near to the barbican, 2. The Windmill Inn, in Redmile, Nottinghamshire, and 3. For a reminder of old memories, a Beefeater restaurant,
Random I know, but You did ask!! Keep up the good work buddy!! Happy new year!
I can do that Pete. Thank you!
You're very kind - I've already reviewed a Beefeater (wasn't a fan of it) but you can check out the video. Thank you mate and have a good New YEar.
The eggs look like the goods. Nice to see they’ve used a lid to cook the white on top, perfect 🤤
Thank you 😋
Hi Gary thx for the video it all looked very tasty ..hope you had a lovely Xmas and all the best for 2024 ❤
Thank you Christine. Hope you had a good Xmas.
Only just found your channel Gary, im hooked ! Great work mate, very enjoyable content
Thank you Paul. All the best.
If I eventually get to ivy it would have to be original flag ship opened in 1917,London W2.
Another excellent review gary
Thanks for watching Ian!
Happy Boxing Day Gary. Wonderful review as always. I agreed the beans rather small but I did spot they had been generous with the toast. And no mushrooms (yay!). 7.5 from me too !!
Haha thanks Stephanie. Hope you had a lovely Christmas!
great vid once again Gary, love the simplicity, keep it up
Thanks for watching!