Tamás Süveges
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A disappointing atmosphere ruined what could’ve been a special night
Let me start by saying we don’t usually go to high-end restaurants, but we wanted to treat ourselves to a romantic evening with a bit of elegance. Since this is the only restaurant in Dundee listed in the Michelin guide, it felt like a great choice.
The food was excellent—flavourful, well-presented, and clearly crafted with care. Portion sizes were just right: not too much, not too little.
Unfortunately, the experience as a whole didn’t live up to our expectations. There was a group of 6 or 7 people seated nearby who were incredibly loud throughout the evening. We could barely hear each other talk, which made it hard to enjoy what was meant to be a quiet, romantic dinner. The staff did apologise a few times, but nothing changed. The noise gave the place more of a pub-like vibe than the classy atmosphere we were hoping for. We were genuinely relieved by the quiet street outside when we left.
We also waited around 40 minutes between our starter and main course. The staff did let us know there would be a slight delay due to a large turnout, but that’s barely an excuse. It’s very likely that the table was reserved in advance, so the number of guests shouldn’t have come as a surprise. A restaurant of this calibre should have been better prepared for the evening.
There was also a small issue with how one of the dishes was handled. We wanted to try the venison but don’t enjoy rare or medium meat, so we asked if it could be served well done. The waitress seemed slightly surprised but said it would be no problem. However, the meat came clearly medium. While it was still tasty and we did enjoy it, we would have appreciated an honest answer if they couldn’t prepare it our way—we would’ve simply picked another dish.
All in all, the food was genuinely good, but everything else around it didn’t live up to what we hoped for. We were happy to pay more for a full experience, but sadly, it just wasn’t there.