Marco Pierre White - Steak & Alehouse

Very, very disappointing! Catalogue of errors!

Firstly – when we arrived we were told we hadn’t booked a table. In actual fact we’d booked a table through the restaurant’s own website but due to a problem with their online booking system the date showed up incorrectly in their computer. I showed the maître d’ my confirmation email, he was apologetic and said if we wouldn’t mind waiting he’d sort a table out for us – to be fair to him he was a personable chap and seemed genuinely concerned that their system had messed up.

Secondly – after waiting 50minutes we were brought to a table and I gave the waiter our Groupon Voucher, he than berated (!!!) us for using a voucher, told us we hadn’t even got a reservation, started going on about logic, slapped down 2 menus on the table, with 0% finesse and a 100% insolence in his tone of voice directed us to what we could not have unless we paid extra for. His manner was that of a spoilt brat who’d been told he couldn’t have any sweets. Crass is the word I’m looking for! For a service business I’m surprised this chap has a job.

Thirdly – I asked for peppercorn sauce instead of béarnaise sauce with my steak, the food arrived - there was a pot of béarnaise sauce and a pot of peppercorn sauce, the bill arrived - we were charged for the peppercorn sauce as a side. Admittedly it’s not the cost of the sauce just the “cheap-ass” behaviour that riled me.

Fourthly – Asking for the bill once, twice and finally on the third request we received the bill.

Fifthly – There was a table of 8 trader type guys seated in the middle of the restaurant, cursing at amazingly loud vocal levels – which changed the atmosphere from buzzy to loud and aggressive.

In short:
- The steaks, chips, onion rings and sauces were tasty.
- The maître d’ and a male waiter with glasses were both lovely and on the ball.
- Unfortunately the 1st waiter who seated us at our table managed to lower the tone of the service beyond repair.
- This place is a mess, good food, bad atmosphere, some good staff, some excruciatingly bad staff – the prices do not match the overall service and atmosphere – we won’t be going back.

Wow, how can a 'good' restaurant be so bad, I received a plate of food, that had I cooked myself, I would be mildly embarrassed to serve to my partner.

I had a steak that was not even approaching hot, it was unseasoned, flavourless and very fatty. The food was bland at best and far far from cheap. I don't expect to pay top dollar for an experience worse than my own very average cooking!

Bad, very bad. The onion soup had a nice flavour, but tasted nothing like onion soup! The T bone steak was alarmingly chewy and overdone, the bearnaise too gooey, the much awaited triple cooked chips had the texture and taste of crusty socks you may find under your washing machine on the day you move out. One dish failed to arrive at all. The hostess was ditzy to the extent we worried she was suffering from a stroke. The other argued when we complained about the food. The wine list was excellent though, and the fillet acceptable. But with the high expectations utterly dashed, coupled with the high prices, we will not be returning!