Halloumi Cheese
The Atrium Brasserie At The Kingston Lodge

The Atrium Brasserie At The Kingston Lodge

94 Kingston Hill, KT2 7LJ, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom

Cafés • Sushi • Asiatic • Fast Food


"We made a reservation through Groupon for Sunday lunch for four at this hotel, even though we are local residents and had never been there before. The hotel has a 4-star rating, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to try something new. However, we were disappointed with our experience. The dining room did not meet our expectations - the tables did not have tablecloths as shown in the website photos, and some had linen napkins while others had cheap paper napkins. Despite booking in advance and mentioning it was my daughter's 12th birthday, no table had been prepared for us. The menu was just an A4 paper, which is not what we would expect from a 4-star establishment. There was no drinks menu available, so we had to make do with what was offered. The food was mediocre at best - my husband's beer was described as stale, my pate was served with poor quality bread and not enough onion jam, and the prawn cocktail was average. The roast dinners were also disappointing, with poorly cooked potatoes and frozen vegetables. Dessert options were limited, and the lemon tart we chose was unremarkable. The lack of tea or coffee offered was also disappointing. Overall, the service and quality of the food need improvement before we would consider returning. It is a shame to leave such a negative review, but the owners should take note and make necessary changes to attract more customers. Additionally, having a consistent standard across all tables, providing better quality ingredients, and improving service would eliminate the need to rely on Groupon for business. The potential is there for this hotel to be a great dining destination, but changes need to be made."

Lyalena

Lyalena

175 City Road, Cardiff, Cardiff, CF243JB, CF24 3JB, United Kingdom

Pizza • Salad • Italian • Sandwich


"Visited on a Friday afternoon/evening on a work afternoon out as a large group and was not disappointed! Started with grilled halloumi cheese, no sweet chilli sauce or condiments to go with it but some lettuce salad on the side. Lovely thick pieces of halloumi cooked perfectly and a generous portion for a starter at the usual price of upwards of £3 and closer to £4. Totally worth it and with the pitta bread on the table, chucking a piece in there is a winner for the taste palette. The main event really was impressive, I opted for the £10.90 Lyalena Mixed Grill. Lamb shish, chicken shish and lamb kafta were the main components and were accompanied by rice, chips, side salad and a stunning mayo and chilli side sauce. Considering the very reasonable price, the portion size was more than impressive and realistically could have been a meal for two. If you’re a good eater and like the challenge of battling meat sweats though, it’s more than worth the effort! Located in the heart of City Road in the Welsh capital, you may struggle to find parking but a drive up and down the side streets should prove fruitful eventually. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the city centre though, so not completely off the beaten path. No alcohol is sold there either, so you’re if you’re looking for a drink with your food: it’ll be a soft drink or water. Overall, I found the staff to be friendly and helpful and the restaurant itself was clean and tidy, which is always a plus. It’s suitable for couples and groups and it’s worth a visit if you’re looking to try somewhere different and take in some authentic Lebanese food."