Ella Mae Syer
Google
I had heard great things about this restaurant from friends and family, so I decided to book it for my birthday. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a really disappointing experience from start to finish.
We went on a Sunday evening around 5pm, and although the restaurant wasn’t that busy, the service was chaotic. We had about five different servers throughout the evening, all of whom seemed confused and uncoordinated. It was clear there was no leadership on the floor — the manager was just walking around aimlessly instead of actually organising the team.
Our food arrived at completely different times. The pasta came out first, and we waited a full ten minutes before the pizzas arrived. When they finally did, the presentation was sloppy — they looked rushed, one was burnt on the edges, and there was a hair under the pizza on the plate, which was off-putting to say the least. The risotto was bland and lacked flavour. On the positive side, portion sizes were generous and the décor of the restaurant was quite nice.
We were asked if we wanted dessert three separate times by three different staff members — another example of how disorganised everything was. When it came to paying, the manager tried to take my card out of my hand to put it into the machine, which as someone who also works in hospitality, I know is not acceptable unless the customer asks for help.
Adding to the poor experience, Just Eat and Uber Eats drivers were hanging around the entrance near our table, which was distracting and didn’t create a welcoming environment. We took one of the pizzas home, but the takeaway box we were given was dirty on the bottom — not something you expect from any restaurant, let alone one with a good reputation.
Sadly, despite the nice décor and portion sizes, the overall experience was far from what I expected and certainly not birthday-worthy. I won’t be returning
