we went out as a birthday treat (13-3-10)
table was booked for 7pm, the restaurant was nice an full, the interior was fantastic and the atmosphere was buzzing.
we where seated at our table by a very brisk head waitress. given menus given and drink orders taken.
there was 3 of us, 1 friend ordered a chef special of a separate menu an myself an other friend ordered the rib eye steak both medium.
food all came together, presented more like pub grub, then fine dining.
the reason, i gave this place 1 star is, both steaks over cooked and very tough! i was a bit confused to why rib eye steak would be tough, so i cut down middle an basically it WAS NOT THE RIB EYE CUT OF MEAT. i love my steaks, an i've had enough rib eye to know there is no sinew running through it, or that the steak is cut along the grains of the meat?? made me think it was a rump or a flank cut, as my steak was really tough
i stopped eating at this point, an asked my friend what she thought of hers, i really didn't want to complain, as it was her birthday, she said hers was ok? so asked by my other friend what was up, so i told her an she tried both our steaks an pointed out my friends steak was tougher then mine! the birthday girl really does not like to complain an would have suffered bunched jaw muscles and a strained neck, rather then bring attention to a situtation.
i put my full plate to the side of me, where various waiters walked by?? eventully one came by to ask, where i asked to see manager, we explained and he tried to cut my friends steak, and basically couldn't! so offered us a replacement??
i said no thanks, and he offered us the fillet but i really wasn't going to eat anymore food from that restaurant.
so both meals went back (as in full plates minus a few mouthfulls of steak) we asked for the bill and the CHEEKY BEGGERS had charged us for the steaks we couldn't eat!! i'd lost the will to live an be polite at this point, an just asked for the money for drinks we've had an the 1 meal that was eaten, from my friends an when they came for the money, (£40.00 the total bill was £77.06)i simply told the waiter, there is payment for the drinks and 1 meal, we are not paying for the steaks or the service charge, which the waiter took the bill an money. no one came back after five minutes, so we got up to go.
this is the first time i have ever refused to pay for a meal, it was bad because i've had the lunch specials at this restuarant, some time back and it was nice. but after last nights steak-gate, i won't recommend having steaks at that resaurant! or going to it. the whole situation could have been handled better by the manager, when we did not want replacement steaks he simply should have taken the steaks off the bill, but the way i see it is, in paying for our drinks etc, they are still in pocket as it would have covered the base costs and a little more! read more