Corners - (Near , South East)

2 /5 will balcombe: We recently visited this new restaurant for a family meal. The interior is beautifully presented and creates a really nice atmosphere, so first impressions were very positive. One of the main reasons we chose to visit was for the tapas, which unfortunately isn’t served during the daytime on Sundays — something we hadn’t realised beforehand. As a result, the menu felt quite limited. I opted for the burger and, at £18, I was expecting something a bit more impressive. Sadly, it didn’t quite hit the mark. The portion size was smaller than expected and the overall quality just wasn’t there. The bun in particular was disappointing, and the dish looked more like a kids’ meal than a premium burger. I regularly order burgers when dining out and have had much better elsewhere for the same price — or even less — which made it feel poor value for money. The beer was also slightly flat, which didn’t help the overall experience. On a positive note, the service was pleasant and attentive, especially considering it was fairly quiet at the time. It’s a shame, as the venue itself has a lot of potential. With some adjustments to portion sizes and better alignment between pricing and quality, it could be a much stronger offering. I hope they take this feedback on board, as it would be great to see them succeed.

5 /5 Evie Groves: Hadn’t booked a table but after a very warm greeting was shown to a lovely cosy table. Waitress was lovely and polite. Recommended a couple of things off the menu. Love the decor. The new owner introduced himself and you can see he’s put his heart and soul into this new business. Very nice vibe. Food was delicious. The lamb was like butter. Melted in your mouth. Delicious olives. Great service. As a local I will be back and back again. Good luck and many thanks.

1 /5 Hanna Burt: It’s really sad to ever have to leave a bad review for a restaurant, particularly one which is new and independent. We waited 20 minutes for our drinks order to be taken, were told the ticketing machine had stopped working so our food was late, and the food when it arrived was nothing to take home (flavourless lentils for £12? Hummus with crisp bread instead of flat bread?). Considering the much higher price point, that just isn’t good enough. We won’t be returning but wish the team best of luck for the future.

1 /5 Georgia Zambakides: It was an odd experience - we came a week ago and had a lovely experience. Took my parents back here today and had probably the worst meal I’ve ever experienced. When we arrived we were a bit surprised as no one acknowledged us for a good 5 minutes. After waiting over 40 minutes for food it finally arrived, however I noticed something was wrong when my pancakes were rock hard. All the food felt like plastic & I can only assume it had been left for ages or reheated badly. The food also looked very different from what we ordered a week before. We sent it back & we’re told it was being redone, however 15 minutes later our food arrives having just been ‘re heated again’. Steak now black!! The worst part was, the manager ran off upstairs and didn’t bother coming down to see us / apologise, just left the young waitresses to work it all out. I felt so sorry for the waitresses as they were lovely. All in all a shocking experience and we certainly won’t be returning any time soon. Such a shame given the amount of other nice new places arriving locally recently.

1 /5 Niki: I’ve now visited twice. The first time, I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt given the earlier negative reviews and the fact the restaurant had just opened. Unfortunately, my second visit — this time for breakfast — confirmed that the issues haven’t improved. On our first visit, the food felt overpriced for what was described as “tapas.” A £19 cheeseboard arrived as a small plate with a few pieces of cheese, a slice of apple, and barely any crackers. The beetroot portion was generous at least, but the octopus was overcooked and burnt, served with tiny slithers of potato if you could call it that. The mac and cheese was probably the highlight — tasty but no truffle, and the least disappointing dish of the lot. The “pardon peppers” never arrived until we asked an hour later, only to be told they weren’t in stock... The orange wine was served warm, the ice never came until we reminded staff, and we even had to ask for a window to be opened. Overall, it felt disorganised. We also asked for a special seat given the birthday celebration and sat at the toilets. I hadn’t planned on writing a review, but today’s breakfast visit was even more frustrating. The café wasn’t busy — just a quiet Sunday morning — yet things still went wrong. Coffee was good, but the food orders came out completely mixed up. My friends received the correct meals, but mine was wrong. I ordered the salt beef bagel and instead received a salt beef hash. By the time my correct order arrived (after my friend had finished eating), it was frankly inedible — a sloppy pile of sauce with some leaves and very few fatty beef bits lost in it. I sent it back and asked for the salmon instead. That dish was removed from the bill, and the staff seemed embarrassed, which I appreciated, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. It’s disappointing because the place clearly has potential, but there seems to be a real disconnect between the kitchen and front-of-house staff. After two visits with repeated issues — forgotten dishes, incorrect orders, poor execution, and slow service — it’s hard to justify returning for a third. I genuinely hope the management listens to the feedback being shared here and elsewhere. With some serious improvements in organisation, consistency, and kitchen standards, this could be a great spot. Right now, though, it’s falling short. Please sort it out.