Grand Union Ravenscourt Park Review

Best for: Wonderful weekend late license.

Great: A reassuringly relaxing interior

Clichés, oh I do hate them, but I concede they can be useful. They are incredibly stale, monotonous…; I’ve made my feelings clear. ‘At least its Friday’ is one that particularly irks; I guess I find it agonisingly generic to say such a thing with heartfelt empathy. On one of those thankful Fridays, I found myself with an equally cliché-wary companion in West London at the Ravenscroft incarnation of Grand Union, a chain splattered over the capital.

Entering this rosily furnished hub of chic, floral patterns and cuddly, ornate leather seats that were endearingly dominated by the dark wooden flooring and tables, the notion of relaxation transmitted effervescently. Grand Union was a real good-looking bar, its early 20th century swagger made it a real head turner, it had a phwoar factor, and the bar staff were pretty friendly too. Plus points, yes it certainly has those. But unfortunately, with this in mind, I am forced to offer another rotten cliché: style over substance’.

If one can stretch the mind to imagine this bar as a physical human being going for job interview, then they would have an impressive CV. The interviewer would be tantalised by their versatility. The range is almost like Superman: is it a bar; is it a restaurant; is it a nightclub? Well, on Friday and Saturdays, it is all that with a late licence until 3:30 am. But instead of ‘Superman’, it would be ‘BarelyAverageMan’.

The selection of alcohol is vast, my pal and I enjoyed our ‘Long Island Ice Teas’, but many a place in London has a bountiful batch of booze. As for the restaurant; well; we couldn’t escape one of the biggest clichés, rife in eating out at the moment: Gourmet Burgers. For my money, what that translates to is ‘overpriced’ and ‘overrated’. In the case of Grand Union, the ‘Caesar Burger’ I ate and the ‘Smoked Chilli Burger’ my mate had was met with abject apathy. Derision swept over us with the burnt offering of our fries side order, for which we had to pay extra.

Of course there was a variety of ribs and other Americana and global tinged dishes on offer, but from what we sampled we were disappointed. Quite bitterly smited in fact, as the menu on paper looks superb. I’ve dined at restaurants of the fast variety and pubs that have supposedly less thrills than Grand Union and been much more satisfied at a lower price.

Unlike the menu, the DJ set wasn’t so pretentious. With funk, indie and soul being spun, one would have to be as miserable as Morrissey circa 1986 to not enjoy classic tracks like Michael Jackson’s Don’t Blame It On The Boogie.

I don’t consider myself cool and I’m definitely not a snob, but the way the dance floor shuffled to the beat was slightly cringy. It reminded me of a Christmas do from The Office. I was half expecting someone to do David Brent’s famous disco Dad, crash and burn dance.

Reviews of course are subjective. The place was fairly full and those inside seemed habitually happy, but for me the union wasn’t grand, it was a mismatch. Unless one lives in the area, it certainly isn’t worth travelling to. However, being open late at the weekends is a definite perk, people in the proximity of one of the numerous Grand Union joints could do a lot worse for a nightcap into the small hours.
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Grand Union Ravenscourt Park Description

Stunning decor, late licence, fabulous cocktails...

The Grand Union Ravenscourt Park is situated in the heart of West London, featuring The Grand Union's renowned eclectic decor, an impressive open kitchen and spacious outdoor seating area.

There's a late licence until 2:30am and DJs playing an eclectic mix of Soul, Funk and Indie to get you dancing. The surrounding area is known for having superb gastro pubs - GU's gourmet burger menu, extensive selection of fine wines, fabulous cocktails and beer are sure not to disappoint the area's refined clientele.

The Grand Union Bar and Grill is an independent chain of branded houses situated in and around London. Each venue is thoughtfully designed, with an eclectic mix of contemporary and vintage styles. Servicing a broad clientele in some of London's most popular areas for dining and drinking, The Grand Union's unique atmosphere suits every occasion....read more

Grand Union Ravenscourt Park Opening Hours

Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: American
• Average Price: £10
• Dress Code: Not Specified
• Website: Visit the Grand Union Ravenscourt Park website
• Group: GU Group