A UK friend and I met up with some work-related friends of mine from the US (that couple and I are traveling separately and decided to meet up). They chose the place because they had been on a previous trip and were amazed. Well, this time we were all disappointed. Let me start with the food so quick readers don't have to read further. Two leg of lamb steaks, a braised lamb shoulder and fish & chips. The fish & chips were bland and flavorless, confirmed by my UK friend. The shoulder was *OK" but looked lonely on the plate with no side dishes. Because it wasn't shredded or pulled, but came as a chunk, it was an unattractive grey mass in the middle of a large white plate. The leg steaks were tough as old boots and cold. The salad garnish was nice. The tiny pot of potato salad was an odd addition that frankly made the whole dish slightly more underwhelming. This was a dish that screamed "I need mash!" (see photo) As another reviewer said...disappointing selection of beers. The server was nice enough to help the American who was unfamiliar with the British beer types, aided by me (previously lived in the UK) and my UK friend. After trying all 3 (yes, only 3) on tap, he decided on the safe lager. He would have like a porter or a blond ale, but there were 2 IPAs and a lager. Our arrival was awkward. We had the only unreserved table, which was fine. But they made a fuss about getting us a nicer table...which was appreciated...but we were fine. We were re-seated swiftly. But I ended up next a blazing hot radiator which I had to constantly avoid bumping my elbow against and getting burned. A slight touch almost ended in a full glass of wine all over the table. (It was REALLY HOT and the table was butted up against it) The server didn't understand our American accents and brought us "2 jacks" (Jack Daniels) instead of 2 checks (bills). And she had a difficult time answering questions about the menu. Part of that was because she didn't understand the American accents (we each have slightly different accents), and partly because she didn't know the menu. She was a British, native English speaker. In Central London, wait staff NEED to have skills to work around different accents. It's the most multi-lingual city in the world. She was pleasant, though. Overall, with the awkward (but by no means unpleasant) service and the mediocre food, I wouldn't recommend The Surprise. I was at another Young's earlier in the day for lunch with similar experiences of service nd food. So maybe it's a corporate issue. read more