Burrata
Stk Steakhouse Stratford

Stk Steakhouse Stratford

18Th Floor At The Gantry HotelStratford, London, United Kingdom

Steak • Brunch • Chicken • Steakhouse


"At our table, we noticed that the adjacent table received STK's signature bread right away, while we hadn’t even been offered any. After ordering drinks, we waited about 10 minutes before our waiter came over to ask how everything was. My husband mentioned that we were still waiting for our drinks, which arrived shortly after he asked. We ordered our meals, and my husband chose the calamari starter, which was impressively large. We both opted for steaks. As we were enjoying our conversation, another couple seated nearby received their bread and dip almost immediately. This made me wonder if we had been forgotten, so I asked a staff member if we had missed out on something.... we were indeed overlooked, but thankfully the bread came shortly after. Once our food was finally ready, it was delivered by a different waiter (a runner) to a table next to us and just left there instead of being brought to us. After a while, we managed to get another waiter’s attention to bring our food over. When our meals did arrive, they were quite nice. The asparagus was good, and the truffle fries were delightful—hard to go wrong with deep-fried fries, really. After finishing our meals, we had empty plates in front of us for about 20 minutes. I wanted to order a warm cookie, but at that point, I had lost interest in what was meant to be a special meal, and we just wanted to return to our suite. When we finally asked for the bill, it seemed they were aware we weren't completely satisfied. The bill was £140 after a discount (I had opted out of the optional service fee of £17.50), but we were actually charged £152. I didn't bother to argue about it. For a restaurant that prides itself on its service, we expected much better."

The Orange

The Orange

37-39 Pimlico Road London, SW1W 8NE, FSA Food H, United Kingdom

Pub • Beer • Wine • British


"Yesterday afternoon, I visited The Orange Pub for the first time. It had been on my list for a while due to all the great things I’d heard about their food. Unfortunately, the poor service has left me unwilling to return. Our group of six was served by a waitress who, despite not using a notepad to take orders, managed to get one of the drink orders wrong in the first round, though she did apologize for it. When it came to the main course, she still didn't write anything down. Five people at our table received their meals, while I waited around 20 minutes for mine. When the waitress eventually approached, she informed me that I would have to wait even longer. I asked how much longer, but instead of answering, she walked away. Later, she asked my tablemates what I had ordered—while I was in the bathroom—clearly forgetting my meal, which could’ve been avoided if she had just used a notepad. A friend had to ask about my food again as I continued waiting. Despite knowing she had forgotten my order, the waitress only apologized to my friend, who had raised the issue, not to me directly. The constant uncertainty around my meal became a major distraction throughout lunch. Half the time I watched five people eat, and the other half, they watched me. The experience was frustrating and completely avoidable. The staff handled the situation poorly, and I never received a direct apology or any gesture, like a snack or drink, to make up for the delay. It's such a shame, because the food was fantastic."

Momo

Momo

25 Heddon St., Mayfair W1B 4BH, FSA Food H, London, United Kingdom

Bars • Coffee • Drinks • Moroccan


"My wife and I visited Momo for the first time tonight (8pm). I was a tad apprehensive at first as prior reviews had highlighted potential service problems and excessively loud music. Our experience proved my apprehensions completely unnecessary. Music was lively but kept at a comfortable level. Service was quick, staff personable and attentive. The only point with loud music was a charming 2 minute intermission wherein the staff began to dance, chefs banged on (presumably) pans, and chanting ensued. Livened up the place and ended well before it had overstayed its welcome. Crucially, the food was delightful. The lamb hummus was packed with flavour, and I just had to order more pitta for it. The briouats trio was similarly delicious, though a small portion size (6 bites worth) but to be expected for a starter. The tagines made the night (my wife and I shared the beef and lamb tagines). Tender lamb, broth full of flavour and perfectly balanced spice added depth while highlighting the flavour of the lamb. The beef's pomegranate glaze was a refreshing, modern twist which I found perfect next to the classic flavours of the lamb. Chocolate namelaka for dessert, which had a welcome simplicity in its flavours chocolate ganache and buckwheat ice cream, tiny dollops of jam, and chocolate crumble like my mother used to make. Less is sometimes more, and after the complex flavours from starters through to mains, I found the simple dessert to be the perfect way to send us off."

The Refuge By Volta

The Refuge By Volta

Oxford Road, Manchester I-M60 7HA, United Kingdom

British • European • Vegetarian • Contemporary


"Excellent! We spent around four hours here on a Tuesday afternoon sampling their food, savouring their coffee and scabbing their free wifi! I 'll start with the basics. The Refuge is conveniently located on Oxford Street just a two minute walk from the train station. The casual seating area is huge with plenty of places for different sized groups to sit, there 's even an Apprentice Style boardroom table. The vibe is very relaxed but when I entered I noticed a lot of business people (or people clearly working). The decor is fantastic, as mentioned its a huge open space but the dark wooden finish makes it feel close and comfortable. The lunch menu isn 't huge but they clearly want to keep things simple and do them right. I had the beef burger accompanied by skinny fries and it was delicious. Just the right consistency so you could pick it up without it falling apart. It was generously topped with salad and the 'posh big mac ' sauce finished it off nicely. If you want to eat you 'll have to head through to the dining area as they don 't serve food in the lounge beware this was very busy, even on a Tuesday, so you may need to book in advance. After lunch we headed back to the lounge area and had a coffees while we chatted. The coffee was great, I had a flat white which was just off on the good side of bitter. We also ordered snacks later in the day the Almonds cooked in bacon fat are a must try that might sound gross to some people but just wait until the bacon flavour hits your taste buds! To access the free wifi you 'll need to sign up wth your email address but then it 's all yours. I haven 't even received a spammy email a week later. It 's really hard to fault The Refuge the staff were attentive without being too in your face, which I suppose is important when people are using their premises for business meets! All in all a really great experience and a lovely place to spend the afternoon working."