What a L’ETO down
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.
