Manali D.
Google
We visited Ivy Asia St Paul’s for an early Christmas Eve dinner with friends at around 6:00 PM. As the restaurant was not very busy at that hour, they kindly accommodated us earlier than our reservation, which we appreciated.
The décor was charming and festive, and I was genuinely delighted to find a Christmas cracker waiting on the table — a small but thoughtful touch that immediately set a celebratory tone. The overall ambience felt lively yet comfortable.
The food itself was excellent — flavourful, beautifully presented, and with particularly strong menu options for vegetarians, which was a real highlight of the evening.
Unfortunately, the service significantly detracted from the experience. Our table server was slow and unorganised, leading to multiple mix-ups with our orders. From the end of our main course to settling the bill, the process took an astonishing 45 minutes — a time frame that included an unreasonably slow arrival of dessert.
When we requested takeaway boxes for our leftovers, we were told none were available, which was disappointing for a restaurant of this calibre.
The manager, however, deserves recognition for being prompt, decisive, and effective in addressing the issues caused by the service lapses. That said, it was frustrating that throughout the meal I repeatedly had to request managerial intervention just to keep things moving. Eventually, service was progressing so slowly that I had to get up myself to make payment.
While I understand that the festive season can be demanding for restaurants, the lack of efficiency and basic service training was difficult to overlook. Except for the service, the entire experience was wonderful — however, for me, service is a fundamental prerequisite when choosing to return to a restaurant.