Jaimi C.
Google
We were extremely disappointed with our recent visit, which unfortunately turned into a very negative experience. We attended as a small group for a Christmas meet-up. While the starters were acceptable, there was very little atmosphere, which was surprising given it was the weekend before Christmas and the restaurant was almost empty.
The main courses were where the experience deteriorated significantly. Several dishes were incorrect, and when one member of our party finally received the correct dish, it bore little resemblance to the description on the menu and was covered in mushrooms, which she could not eat. Another guest ordered the turkey dinner, which was missing advertised items such as stuffing and pigs in blankets. Overall, the food quality was extremely poor. The turkey was dry and lacked flavour, the lamb shank was tough and dry, and the seabass had a slimy texture and tasted overly salty. None of us were able to eat our main courses.
We raised these issues multiple times, yet no meaningful attempt was made to rectify the situation. We spent almost three hours in the restaurant, largely waiting for staff to resolve the bill. As the mains were inedible, we informed staff that we no longer wished to have the pre-ordered desserts included in the set menu. By this point, we were the only table left in the restaurant, the singer had finished, and we were left sitting in silence.
At this stage, the situation escalated. We were told that if we did not pay for the desserts, we would be treated as “walk-outs” and reported to the police online. We made it clear that we were willing to pay for the food and drinks we had consumed, but not for the inedible main courses or desserts we had not eaten. Staff repeatedly attempted to negotiate, offering to remove only one set menu from the bill or suggesting we go to the bar next door for a free round, which was inappropriate as we had a five-year-old child with us and simply wanted to leave.
Eventually, we paid for what we had eaten and drunk, although staff were clearly unhappy with this. After two of us had already paid, we were then told a service charge had been “forgotten.” Given the circumstances and the poor service, we refused to pay this. The waitress responded that this was unfair as she had not cooked the food.
To make matters worse, a visibly intoxicated man, who we were told was the waitress’s father, entered the restaurant from the pub attached to the restaurant and began confronting our group. He had to be physically held back by the waitress. This was completely unacceptable and extremely distressing.
Having dined at Gino’s on previous occasions, this experience was particularly disappointing. Based on our visit and conversations with locals, it appears quality may be slipping and the rumor is that Ginos will be closing in the new year. I would not recommend this restaurant, spend your money elsewhere.
