TERRIBLE!

We booked one9seven for a very special dinner for 6 guests on Friday the 8th October 2010. If it was my choice I would give them no stars... As we entered the restaurant there was a drinks reception for an artist... Fine. Until we sat down for dinner and still people kept coming in and walking around us while we were trying to order and subsequently eat. There were also children running around the whole time. Not the "relaxed dining environment " we were expecting. After ordering we saw another group of six, move tables as they were "fed up of people walking/chatting/using flash photography around them." As the debacle of the surroundings continued, after an hour we thought it best to complain to none other than head chef Stuart Ferguson. Who better to sort out a complaint than the proprietor and the man who claims that "outstanding quality and service is paramount "... We told him; "That as we had booked over a week or so before, we would of been warned about an open drinks reception for an artist that may of disrupted our meal" He then said "this is usually what it is like." I would like to point out that no where on it's website does it say that it is an art gallery, but again a "relaxed dining environment" and a "restaurant". Without any apology he then told me with a wry smile "you should come on Tuesday." This is coming from a man who has "spent time in some of the world's best kitchens." He made no effort whatsoever to offer any sort of resolution to our complaint and walked back into the kitchen. He may be "award winning" but it's certainly not in customer relations as he left us seething, needless to say; NO! we didn't want to see the dessert menu... The food was good, not bad, but not fantastic. Certainly not "modern and exciting" The tomato and chili gel had no chili, the parmesan custard pots were not the consistency of custard but that of dairy lee (?) The cabbage that went with the venison was also raw. I would avoid this restaurant at all costs, there are better more welcoming places that deserve your custom than this pretencious, rude and arrogant restaurant or should i say art gallery?

R L - 08/10/2010 | report this review