From start to finish, this was the worst restaurant experiences I've had…read more
I visited this restaurant with my family one evening, and the first thing we saw was the unwelcoming stares of the waitstaff (a group of 5 or more people hovering by the bar, who couldn't have looked less enthusiastic if they tried). Eventually one of them mustered up the courage to approach us, after we stood awkwardly for 2 minutes. We were asked "Do you have a booking-". Considering half the restaurant was empty, and there was just 2 of us we expected a better response. We were told to wait while he checked - Again, we could clearly see there was space.
He guided us to the very back wall of the restaurant, right by the kitchen door. In his defence, there was a pretty big party of young people that were sitting by the window having the time of their lives (kudos to them), and it was clear the main manager wanted a certain atmosphere to be advertised at the shop window. We were not the clientele he wanted to advertise. Or perhaps he was psychic, and knew about the impending food poisoning we would have? There's that too.
We went to our table and begun looking at our menus. Beyond the remnants of what I can only hope was hot sauce or ketchup, I was able to see most of my menu. We ordered 1 starter (taquitos), 2 mains (chimichangas), 1 drink (caipirinha). Whilst waiting, the waitstaff constantly shifted and moved tables and chairs around us - perhaps this was their idea of creating ambience? At one point, a server lifted a chair near his head, and accidently dropped the foot of a chair on the tip of our table. Not only was his method of chair-lifting nonsensical, it was dangerous. He bellowed "sorry!" as he scurried to the other side of the restaurant to avoid reproach
The starter arrived within 7 minutes of ordering. My taquitos were piping hot, and yet they were dry and dehydrated (clearly precooked some hours before and thrown in a microwave). I wanted to be impressed by the mere speed in which they got to me, but then again that's what 90 seconds in a microwave will give you. Presentation was sloppy, my salad was dry, in spite of the Hellmann's salad dressing presumptively drizzled on top. My caipirinha was very syrupy, and although my glass was filled with at least 6 lime wedges, I did not taste the tartness, tanginess or sourness of the citrus that would have balanced the sheer volume of syrup.
Our main course came shortly after. Two chimichangas - AKA Two store bought tortillas filled with a flavourless mix of mince beef and kidney beans, topped with microwaved cheese and brined jalapeno slices. This was accompanied by rice that had clearly been precooked in bulk and reheated.
Outside of any subjective view, the food lacked the flavour, authenticity and basic effort one would expect from any establishment - let alone Mexican & Cuban cuisine, which is renowned for incredible flavours and colourful presentation. Our meal was cooked with minimal care or concern, and if the treatment we received wasn't already a clear indication we were not welcome at this restaurant, the food was the final rubber stamp on it.
