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Elephant Castle

Elephant Castle

Amwell Lane, AL4 8EA, St Albans, United Kingdom

Pubs • Full • Lunch • Drinks


"Staff friendly and helpful but meal absolutely dire. 1 to 1.5 slices of shaved meat with reheated veg, and deep fried spud chunks. Think Wetherspoons on a bad day but double the price. We went a few weeks back and both received 1 small slice/shaving of beef in a £21 per person meal £14 roast £7 starter). The slice was propped up with cabbage underneath to make it look bigger. My wife gave a good review on Facebook for everything but pointed out the 1 slice. At the the time, had I been bothered, I would have highlighted the deep fried roasties My wife had a good response from the owner, saying 1 slice was not policy and offering us a complimentary roast if we came back. We went back today and honestly had a worse experience. To start with, the squid in panko breadcrumbs starter was in batter. This had been OK last time. No one said we 've run out but can substitute, is that OK? To be fair they were OK, just not what was advertised, or ordered. A little overpriced at £7 for 5 or 6 deep fried, battered squid rings with 1 small pot of flavoured mayo, and no salad. For our main, we again ordered 2 roast beef, and remembering we 'd had to wait 10 mins after receiving the meal for the horseradish to be delivered last time, we specifically said with horseradish , and the waitress confirmed. 30 mins or so after our starter, 2 roast beef arrived cold, and with no horseradish...we asked again. While the waitress was gone, my wife said, where 's the gravy? We 'd been given a gravy boat last time but none this time. So 5 minutes later a waiter arrived with the horseradish. Then we asked for the gravy, and he said the waitress would be out soon. 5 minutes later, the waitress was serving another table so we called her over...could we have some gravy? Another 5 minutes and we realised the waitress had appeared again, serving someone else...can we have that gravy? Oh, you want extra gravy? No, we just want gravy, no extra about it. While we waited again, now more than 20 minutes after a cold meal was served, my wife pointed out that if you put her 2 slices next to one another, they matched...it was 1 slice cut in 2. I did have 2 slices, but 1 was just a half slice of chewy meat. Eventually the gravy arrived. Last time we were here, my wife thought the carrots were tinned, and I said, no, no, they 'll just be Brakes...and indeed, I checked, everything in the plate is pre prepared by Brakes. If you have a roast here, think Wetherspoons, but double the price...£14. I checked one of the pubs I used to work at on Richmond Hill, and theirs is £14.49..fully prepared and cooked on the premises, with 2 to 3 slices of thick sliced beef. E&C, 1 to 1.5 slices of shaved meat with reheated veg and deep fried spud chunks and stuffing. They give you deep fried potato chunks and call them roasted potatoes , deep fried stuffing balls that wouldn 't have looked out of place in the barrel of a flint lock, and their yorkies and veg are reheated pre prepared Brakes Brothers produce...appalling. To top it all off, they tried to charge for the complimentary meals, and when we sent the bill back, they also tried to charge me for my first pint, that I returned, due to it having sediment in. I had to go in to discuss the issues and get the bill rectified. I vowed not to return last time, and was persuaded by the complimentary meal...never again, not even for a complimentary meal...the worst roast I 've had. The only positive was the staff trying to help. Even then though, they 're saying why didn 't you say? ...we did that 's why we were offered complimentary meals and came back this time. Appalling!...never again."

The New Inn Pub

The New Inn Pub

Mayshill, BS36 2NT, South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Steak • Seafood • British • Vegetarian


"I was excited to revisit the New Inn after many years, as it used to be a favorite spot of mine. My group of 8 had pre-ordered at the request of the New Inn, but we were told 15 minutes after our booking time that our food was just being prepared. An hour later, our food still hadn't been served. After checking with the staff, the manager assured us that our order was next. Another 10 minutes passed before our food finally arrived. The gammon came with sides that we didn't like and were not mentioned on the menu. The portions were oversized, which was nice, but they were too much and off-putting. The salad trimmings were of poor quality. The fish in batter was enjoyed by those who ordered it. The main meals were okay, but I would have preferred better quality over quantity. We had to chase the staff for a glass of water, and even after being offered dessert menus, no one came to take our order. When we decided to follow up at the bar, the manager seemed more interested in finding out which staff member had failed to take our order than in solving the issue. The service was okay but could have been better, as no one checked on us after our meals were served. It seems like the staff could benefit from more positive training from a supportive mentor. When we asked for the bill, it took a while for it to be brought to us, so we ended up paying on the way out. It's a shame, as I had fond memories of the New Inn, but I am unlikely to return after this experience."

The Mezzanine

The Mezzanine

Upper Ground, Lambeth, United Kingdom

Pizza • Kebab • Mexican • Asiatic


"We have been dining at the Mezzanine in the National Theatre for many years. It is by far the most convenient dining option for theatre patrons before or after a performance. They are very practiced at meeting curtains for their customers before matinees or evening performances at up to three theatres at once. But the ambience is also sufficiently relaxing for diners after a performance. Given this priority, the food is surprising good and reasonable value. My experience of the steaks is that they are not as good as advertised (Buccleuch Estate), but the menu choice is very good. Just make certain to ask for all sauces on the side because they tend to be very strong and smother the natural taste of the food (even poured all over the pineapple ring on top of the roast pork chop, and preventing the duck confit from being crisp on the outside). Some tables have good views of the Thames and the South Bank promenade, but most are well inside the concrete building. Still, I have tried many nearby restaurants over the years and some, like RSJ, are quite good; but you can't beat the convenience of the Mezzanine combined with the reasonable quality of the food and atmosphere. The serving staff are obliging and youthfully charming at all times. Front of house is very well managed. The kitchen could use a little more care and taste in preparation. They do try when asked by the obliging staff, but it is a matter of culinary training that needs to be considered. They also have to work under the pressure of most meals being prepared in time for curtain-up!"

Melih Bbq

Melih Bbq

1177 High Road, RM6 4AL, Redbridge, United Kingdom

Pizza • Halal • Turkish • Barbecue


"Very disappointed with food quality and service. We had booked a table for 13 people, 3 of which which were children. On arrival we were greeted by a lovely waitress who took us to our seats, but then proceeded to ask us to pass the plates and cutlery down the table to where the other guests were yet to arrive. So we set half of the tables, which is bizarre to ask a customer, but she was a lovely girl so it wasn 't a big deal at the time...until things went really downhill. We ordered 3 x £40 mixed grill platters which are meant to serve 3 4 people and asked for rice only, no bulgar. All 3 platters were brought with half rice and half bulgar; we asked the waitress to correct this, and she was apologetic and came back with a bowl of half rice and half bulgar again, we asked for rice on, so she went back and got a bowl of rice. Bearing in mind each platter is meant to serve 3 4 people, I struggled to serve the children an adequate portion they had 2 tablespoons of rice each; that 's how much rice was served with the large grill. My 10 year old niece then pulled out a long strand of hair from the kofteh she was about to eat; absolutely disgusting! Unsurprisingly, the cook wasn 't wearing a hair net, which I presume is standard?? I tried to be tactile and not draw too much attention to the situation to other eating customers, so quietly pulled the waitress aside and gave her the hair; she apologised and had another kofteh cooked (actually felt sorry for the girl, she looked mortified). The crunch came when we went to eat the chicken wings and baby chicken so many were raw pink and red raw meat! We told the waitress and she was insistent that it was cooked, but took it back believe me we have cooked chicken before and know what raw meat is. We were shocked when the same chicken was re cooked and then served back to us bear in mind, by this point the chicken had already cooled down from the first time it was cooked, centre was raw, and then re cooked and served again! There was no way we would 've touched it; also keep in mind that some of the chicken had come off different guests ' plates and were bitten into how were we supposed to know which piece was who 's?? So bizarre, I 've never had this happen, even in the cheapest small café. By this time to be honest we were off our food. The meat wasn 't great really; some was ok; the chicken shish was ok, the lamb chops were also ok; the chicken kofteh had no flavour; the kofteh was very greasy; the rice was wet. On a high note, the lahumajun was lovely and so were the dips and bread. When it came to the bill, we made it clear the chicken should be taken off, as none was eaten by anyone. When the waitress came and handed the bill over and was asked if the chicken was removed from the bill, her response was I 'm just a worker who else are we supposed to ask then? Why the attitude?! We had the right to complain after being served raw meat! The cook/owner then came over, leaned over me, with a plate of chicken hovering above my head and my face in his armpit, and started to argue with another guest that we didn 't ask for the chicken to be well done; no spacial awareness or respect for one 's space whatsoever. I didn 't realise we had to request for our chicken not to be raw; absolutely ridiculous. He knocked off £15 and for a £170 bill and the awful experience, I think that was insulting. He then knocked off a bit more, and we just accepted as wanted to get out of there. The same waitress came back and cleared the table, slamming the plates onto the trays no manners whatsoever and clearly showing she 's pissed off. Such a shame; all other guests witnessed this while they were trying to eat; could 've been totally avoidable. Why risk your reputation? I 've never had to ever make a complaint like this before, let alone write such a review. If you choose to eat here, check your meat is thoroughly cooked, or you 'll be poisoned!"