Irish Coffee
George V at Ashford Castle

George V at Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle Cong, Co. Mayo F31 CA48, F31 XD56, Congleton, United Kingdom

Pizza • Irish • Seafood • European


"TL/DR: Bland, ‘old’ food. Interesting history. Sits on gorgeous castle grounds. NOT worth the price. Service team beholden to old ideas and traditions inconsistent with the needs of the modern dining experience. Let me admit a few things: 1) I’m an American and due to our history, I have developed a more sensitive radar to help recognize when my white privilege and colonialism are being put on a pedestal. 2) I don’t know a lot about the history there, why certain traditions have been preserved at George V, and I don’t pretend to know how the staff feel about working there. I bought a book on Ireland’s history to better understand the complicated relationship between Ireland and the crown. 3) I get it, it’s a restaurant review, not a history book. But when you name a place after a former king, we naturally get here. The quick and dirty becuase I have minimal characters left: the grounds are gorgeous the restaurant was built for George V and man does it feel and taste like it is deliberately maintaining old preparation techniques and ideas yikes the food was not good. It just wasn’t. It’s not the service team’s fault, but someone in charge who is choosing to hold on to a boring, outdated menu catering to old, rich white people (small changes could have made the meal interesting and like it belongs in 2022) the only diversity present was among the service team. It’s cringey as a diner. multiple people served us in a disconnected way: the person who sat us took our order (which confused another person), someone else spoke to us about wine and couldn’t answer other questions, someone else served it, and none of those were our main server I left this experience feeling disappointed and confused. How much of my experience is white guilt vs real restaurant problems? Should a restaurant rooted in royal history consider their representation of colonialism in 2022 a real restaurant problem? I absolutely think so."

The Sicilian

The Sicilian

2 Stanhope Road, CT14 6AB, Dover, United Kingdom

Pizza • Italian • British • Breakfast


"The Sicilian is a handy, family-run restaurant in the seaside town of Deal (Kent) offering delicious food, cheaper eats, from snacks to meals, and some of the best and reasonably priced wine in town. Located just off the High Street, the Restaurant is small (bijou), with additional seating outside for your morning coffee or one of their home-made ices. I dine here once a month, for lunch with friends. We usually each opt for the simple range of Panini to Antipasti Pasta and (collectively) a bottle of their local (Sicilian) wine. Time permitting (priorities) perhaps we’d start with a shared plate of ‘antipasto misto’, cured meats or cheeses, not to forget ‘pane e olive’, a trusted and fine accompaniment to the wine. I have always felt that the judge of a good restaurant is the soup, and have never been disappointed, but various pastas are on offer, the ‘Cannelloni Ricotta a Spinaci’ delighted my friend, the ‘Lasagne’ was among the best I have ever sampled. The baked aubergine with tomato and mozzarella ‘Parmigiana’ is another favourite. There is also a selection of pizza to suite many diverse tastes. Although we have often commented on the lovely deserts and pastries on display, we have yet to take the plunge, but ‘watch this space’ The service is friendly, we feel at home, loving the mix of authentic tastes. At the weekend The Sicilian offers evening dining, the ‘specials’ board giving an extended view of this cuisine from southern Italy."

Bacco Restaurant & Wine Bar

Bacco Restaurant & Wine Bar

25-26 Red Lion Street Holborn London, WC1R 4PS, United Kingdom

Wine • Bars • Pasta • Dining


"Booked a table on Saturday for a simple dinner for 2 before a birthday party. On arrival to the almost empty restaurant, I was promptly given a table by a fire exit, (which I asked to change to a table away from the door and in a more pleasant part of the restaurant). The chair at the first table had also seen better days and sank down as soon as I tried to sit in it, which was another reason I asked to move. On being seated at my new table I was given 1 menu, even though I had booked a table for two. The waiter seemed disinterested frankly. When my partner arrived she was left to sit at the table for quite a while without a menu until we requested one. We ordered our meals and drinks, then had to ask again for bread, instead of it being brought to us. The first course of fried calamari was tasteless and bland, with more breading than squid and at £15 a portion it was not good value at all. When asked if I enjoyed my starter, I told the waiter that I didn’t like it as it was very dry. My £16 spaghetti crab was smothered in tomato sauce and it could have been any kind of protein in there, tuna, sardine, it’s impossible to tell. My partners seafood orecchiette was adequate, but was still £18 Desert was a dark pannocotta which was ok. £8, we asked to share one and two were brought to us, so 1 was sent back. The bill came to £115 (including an obligatory 12.5% service charge), and with a top table discount on the starters and mains knocking £30 off that total to make it £85, I really don’t feel this place is either good value for money or worth visiting again. The food was bland and indifferent, much like the waiting staff and the decor. I feel this is a tired West End restaurant, knocking out overpriced and sub standard food to people on business or shopping. If you are going to spend £100 you should expect a great meal and considerate service. This was very far from that."