1 /5 Jamie Pem: We booked a table for 10 people on Saturday evening to celebrate my mum’s birthday, and I’m really sad to say that the experience was far from what we had hoped for. What should have been a special family celebration ended up feeling disappointing, largely due to the attitude of the staff.
As it was a special occasion, I decided to treat myself to the steak. All the meals arrived at the table except for my side of chips. While everyone else began eating, I was left waiting. I politely mentioned to our waitress, Alexandra, that my chips hadn’t arrived. She simply said she would check and walked away. When she returned, she told me they were being cooked, but there was no apology for the delay or acknowledgement that my meal was incomplete.
I found myself sitting there with a steak that was quickly going cold and a very small garnish on the plate, watching the rest of my family eat their meals during what was meant to be a celebratory dinner. It was quite uncomfortable.
After waiting a while longer, I asked again if the chips would be much longer. I completely understand that with a large table, things can sometimes be missed — these things happen. However, the response I received felt blunt and dismissive: “They are coming.” There was still no apology or reassurance. I felt as though my concerns were an inconvenience rather than a simple request to complete my meal.
By that point, I was so disheartened that I had lost my appetite. I was on the verge of asking for the steak to be taken back altogether, as it had gone cold by the time the chips finally arrived. Even then, there was no apology for the delay.
It was upsetting, particularly as this was meant to be a special evening for my mum. Instead, it left us feeling uncomfortable and eager to leave. For the prices being charged, I expected a far higher level of customer service and basic courtesy.
Sadly, this experience has left a bad impression on all of us, and we would not feel confident returning. I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as with better customer care, the evening could have been very different.
