What a L’ETO down
Walking by the cake display by the café, it’s tempting to enter for a hot drink and dessert…
Before I start, let me preface this by saying I’ve visited L’ETO in London 3 times. Once in 2018, another in 2020 and finally in 2023, so things may have changed in the years between each visit. This will be a short post detailing the first and last time I visited.
L’ETO is a restaurant chain with over 40 restaurants in over 7 countries. With a unique interior design in every restaurant, it’s easy to forget about the outside noise and just enjoy the food that’s in front of you. My first visit was in 2018, when I first moved to the UK and was introduced to L’ETO by a childhood friend, while the second visit was in 2020 just before the pandemic, and the third was in 2023 with my partner. On all occasions, I was there mainly for the desserts.
The first visit to L’ETO was at Wardour Street in Soho, London. Before even entering L’ETO, you will notice that they have an open display of their selection of cakes and pastries for passing pedestrians to admire. There’s something about walking in the cold London rain and seeing those delectable desserts in the window that makes you wanna pop in for a drink and just devour all the cakes. The first visit to L’ETO was quite special to me, it was my first month studying and living in the UK, and I met some friends from middle school. L’ETO was the first restaurant I had eaten in London by myself without family, and what do I order? A hibiscus & rose ice cube tea, a chocolate fudge cake, and a cheesecake with berries mmm… The ice cubes are made from the tea, as opposed to regular ice cubes. By doing so, the tea doesn’t get diluted with water and its flavor stays the same. As far as how good it was, it definitely was different from normal sweet tea. I thought the ice cube idea was genius, and it’s kind of like a second drink. As the ice melts, you get to drink it after you finished the tea. The chocolate cake featured 4 layers of cake and frosting, with each layer having a thin layer of jam, and a chocolate ganache to top it off. The cake was incredibly rich, moist and decadent. Meanwhile the cheesecake had a graham cracker base and a very light cheesecake texture to it. Having them one after another may be unorthodox, but I thought that it highlighted the best of both cakes. The service was great, the staff were very friendly and I had a great time at L’eto chatting with friends and enjoying these cakes.
It’s safe to say that after this visit, I definitely wanted to return, as I did later in 2020 and then in 2023. I’ll skip 2020 as I had pretty much the same cakes as before, and in terms of quality, it was about the same. That can’t be said for my visit in 2023…
Now, it might’ve been because it was late, or that it was raining outside so we were miserable... but my experience at L’ETO was not a pleasant one in 2023. We visited the branch on Wardour Street in Soho, London. Let’s talk about the service, it was incredibly rude and disheartening. This was the first time I had brought my partner to L’ETO and I wanted it to make a good impression for them so we could come back again in the future. When we asked how we could order the cakes, they rudely told us to go up to the display and take note of the cakes (or pictures) then show it to a staff member. It was as if it was common knowledge. Unfazed, we ordered a drink and took turns going to the display. When I tried to take a picture of one of the cakes I wanted to order, a staff member rudely shouted at me, saying that I wasn’t supposed to be where I was. I looked at him in confusion before explaining that I was trying to check out the cakes. Again, he rudely stated that I was in a staff only area. I looked around and realized that I was standing at the bussing station. In my defence, there were no markings on the floor telling me I could not stand there. I apologized and explained I just wanted to take a quick picture, but they were adamant. So I moved, literally 2 steps over and he started mumbling under his breath. I couldn’t tell what he was saying as I didn’t speak the language, but one can guess it was a complaint about me. After I took the picture of my selected cake, I went back and ordered.
This time, I had gone for the red velvet cake. Visually, it looks great. It’s got 5 layers of cake with cream cheese frosting between each layer, a red layer of something at the top and a blackberry at the edge of the cake. Taste wise, it was very dense and underwhelming. Personally, I thought the cream cheese was too much, and the cake’s texture was too varied. The bottom was too dry, the top layer of cake looks moist but actually isn’t. The cream cheese isn’t even between layers so sometimes you may get just a spoonful of cream cheese and some cake. Perhaps it was the red velvet cake that day that wasn’t up to standard, who knows?
Normally this is the part where I tell you how much the bill was for the meal, but unfortunately I can’t remember the first visit as my friend had treated me as a welcome to London gift, and the third trip’s bill was footed by my partner (I swear I pay for food!). So I’ll skip ahead; was it worth it, and would I go again?
I’m torn. On one hand, my first 2 visits were great. However, my latest visit of L’ETO in 2023 has soured my impression. It didn’t help that my latest visit was with my partner on our anniversary, so those impressions are more impactful than the previous visits. I think the cake display is incredible and very inviting. There’s a reason why people queue up outside even when it’s raining to eat at L’ETO. I’m inclined to give the benefit of doubt to the staff members that were rude during my latest visit. I understand that I shouldn’t have stepped into the bussing station, but being rude and shouting at me wasn’t going to do anything apart from giving me a bad impression. Maybe they’ve had a bad day, I’m not sure. I think I would say it’s worth it, but maybe go during the day and not at night. I would try to revisit L’ETO again, but maybe at another branch.
Overall, I’d rate L’ETO a 5/10. A cake display for passing pedestrians is definitely a head turner, but maybe keep your eyes on the road.
Level 33, out from the hustle and bustle of Singapore
Above the bustling city of Singapore sits LeVeL 33 and it’s urban brewery. The atmosphere is reflective of it’s unique restaurant/brewery style; bright and exciting with a beautiful backdrop of the Marina Bay Sands towers.
I will admit, this restaurant was not on a list or on an Instagram reel that I watched. It was recommended to me by my partner when they visited Singapore as an alternative, because we couldn’t find another restaurant with a classy interior and a gorgeous backdrop while maintaining the integrity of our wallets. However, it was an amazing find so I thank them for it.
LeVeL 33 is described as the world’s highest urban microbrewery with a unique rooftop dining experience. They offer a unique selection of beers that are locally brewed with sustainability in mind, serving straight from tank to tap with no packaging whatsoever. The first thing to note when heading into LeVeL 33 is the location. Although it’s located near Raffles Place and downtown, it is situated up on level 33 of the Marina Bay Financial Center where it overlooks the Marina Bay Sands towers and the Singapore River. If you squint a bit, you can even see the Gardens by the Bay at night when the Super Trees are lit up.
High above the noise of a thriving metropolis sits LeVeL 33, where fine dining meets the beautiful backdrop of the Marina Bay Sands towers
For our dinner reservation at LeVeL 33, we were sat indoors due to the lack of seating out on the terrace, but that didn’t stop us from leaving our seats to admire the beautiful evening view, more on that later. We were shown the dining room menu with some delectable choices on offer, for example the Beef Tartare, and their signature raw and chilled seafood platter. In the end, we were convinced by our server to try out the Sharing Cut of the Day, consisting of a steak cut, slow roasted tomato, IPA & honey roasted garlic, 3 house made sauces and our choice of 2 sides. Along with our sharing cut was a side of their Housemade Spent Grain & Herb Focaccia and a lobster bisque for myself.
Doesn’t that sound delicious? Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
Let’s start with the basics. The bread. Personally, I’m of the opinion that bread is there as an accompaniment. By itself, they can be delicious provided they are made with great care and love. This was indeed the case with LeVeL 33’s Focaccia bread. It was fluffy and warm, when drizzled with the balsamic and evoo pairing they serve as a great appetizer and lead you perfectly into wanting more. Which incidentally, leads me to the lobster bisque.
The presentation of the lobster bisque was already different from what I had imagined. I would’ve expected the bisque to be in the bowl when served, but LeVeL 33 was no ordinary fine dining restaurant. Our server slowly poured the bisque around a portion of poached lobster with it’s caviar and fennel partner in the center of the bowl. My immediate thought to myself was, I’m not sure if I should gracefully taste this bisque, or devour it immediately. I opted for somewhere in the middle. The bisque was flavorful, like an ocean breeze in the summer. With every spoonful, I could taste the lobster umami in the bisque. No, I didn’t forget the poached lobster, that was equally delicious, although my only gripe with it was that it wasn’t hot, but I think that was intended. The contrast in temperature between the bisque and poached lobster provided a very interesting dynamic, allowing you taste the texture of both. The bisque also went very well with the focaccia bread, although the bread did turn cold pretty quickly.
On to the highlight of dinner, well, it is indeed a showstopper.
The Sharing Cut. Oh my, if only technology was so advanced that you could have a quick taste of the food. Today’s particular cut was a tomahawk,, matched with roasted tomatoes, and honey roasted garlic. Cooked to medium rare perfection, they were tender and delicious. You may think the portion may be a bit small for 2 adults, but with the mashed potatoes and fries with parmesan cheese they were more than enough to fill our hungry stomachs. The 3 sauces included were Chimichurri, Red wine & Stout jus and an IPA onion & roasted yeast. Each of the sauces paired delightfully with the steak and, while unconventional, the fries as well. The chimichurri sauce was minty, giving the steak a different taste, while the red wine and stout jus was as you’d expect with red wine and steak; traditional and well paired. I can’t describe the final sauce as I’m not 100% sure if I actually enjoyed it.
There’s nothing more I can say about the food apart from the fact that I will definitely return to try out the rest of the menu. Given LeVeL 33 is high above the city, the ambiance and serenity is not something you experience every day. The views were outstanding, the only unfortunate part about our experience was not being able to sit on the terrace to fully soak in the views of Marina Bay Sands. On a different day, I would definitely request a table outside and at sunset. Similarly, the service was great. Our server was very warm and welcoming when we arrived, and slowly explained the day’s specials and recommended us our incredible dinner. As dinner service got busy, they still came around to check on us to make sure everything was okay.
The dining room however, is not big and you may find your conversations being overheard by others unless you decide to speak softly. Toward the end of the night, a large group of diners were seated behind our table. I found that the space between tables were minimal and as the dining room got busier, it would get harder to have conversations without raising your voice. I also don’t remember the outdoor terrace having any coverings in case it started to rain, so do beware if you happen to sit outside on a day forecasted with rain.
Overall, I would definitely rate this dining experience a high 8/10. Definitely would go back and try their seafood and beers next time.
Follow me on Instagram
Or not..