LEGACY OF INDIA MERIMBULA Authentic Nepalese and Indian cuisine — Restaurant in Merimbula

Wow. When I say this is worst service I’ve ever had, I mean it. Buckle up because this is a JAM PACKED review.

From booking a reservation, we waited 10 min to be seated by a lady, assuming it to be the owner/manager. She served us two dirty and wet glasses, and dirty plates. This next bit was the worst for me in particular, but as she placed my plate down she started quickly using her nails, picking bits of who knows what was left on my not fully washed plate … with the plate on the table, right in front of me. My poor partner looking at me with utter distraught. While we were ordering we asked her for some clean glasses, and she was telling us how they are fresh out of the dishwasher so they’re clean. Nonetheless, she took the glasses back to the kitchen, dried them, and returned them to our table… and they still had the same dirty marks on them 😐

Yes, we should’ve walked out after all that, but I’ve never walked out of a restaurant before, and I read other reviews saying the food was nice. We also honestly just wanted to eat at that point too so we were giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Speaking of walking out though, during our time there, two groups of customers actually ended up walking out after not being waited for their order. The manager literally complained to us while waiting us about how they left. Like that’s smart customer service 😬 Half the restaurant’s tables were uncleaned with dishes all over them, probably why it took a bit of time for us to be seated with the amount of unclear tables. Those tables stayed like that when we arrived and when we left, about 1h.

There were only two waiters on the floor, including the manager/owner, which was no surprise as to why they were understaffed with the verbal abuse the other waiter, a younger teen male, probably a family member, was receiving from the older female manager. Also while waiting for our meal, everyone was hearing the manager out back having a coughing fit. She came back out a few moments later, waiting customers while literally wiping her nose with her hands in front of them. One of the customers literally said to her ‘are you sure you should be working?’

From when we walked in, the whole restaurant was so quiet, it was so weird since it was half full. But the longer we stayed, the more we saw why everyone was so on edge.

NOW HERES THE ICING ON THE CAKE:

After waiting 30m for our food, this poor young teen comes over to us, probably sent by the manager/owner since she didn’t want to apologise herself, and says that they actually lost our order. Then yes, we finally left 🥲 wasn’t going to wait a total of 1h+...

Very bad customer service. We were first time in the town. This lady with rude tone said to us “oh you should do booking before coming “ I reply saying we didn't knew as first time in town. Still no smile or softness we just walked away. Extremely rude behavior.

To follow up with my previous review and reply to the owner. Firstly I would like to thank you for your keenness on serving us again, however, unfortunately we were there just for the 1 night. Secondly, I would disagree with the word you use ‘Perceived” in your reply. We were in search for place to have our dinner after long drive from Sydney. Your place was one of the few that were open at that time (7PM). I know we did not prebooked or called before going to your restaurant, and mind you, we had been to many restaurants before without making any bookings with no issues, either we will be told kindly that no tables are available or will be warmly welcomed. As we entered your restaurant that evening, a lady asked “Are you guys group of 9?”, my husband replied “no, sorry, we just walked in”, then she sighed and said “you guys need to call or make a booking before coming” in really unhappy and unwelcoming tone, we pulled out of restaurant straight away without saying a single word, as talking to such a rude lady is just outright futile. There is nothing to perceive here as her approach and ways of handling customer was as clear as water and anybody can see clearly that she does not know how to deal with customers or she does not know how to handle her work stress. And I guarantee that you as an owner too is aware of her attitude as attitudes like this not just once upon a time thing. Also, the restaurant that evening was not jam packed, we could see plenty of empty tables there. Lastly, with two small hungry kids along, after a long drive, this experience had made our Merimbula experience really bad. I truely wish you do take some proper steps, it will really effect your business in a proper way. Wish you all the...

Summary: We visited Legacy of India, Merimbula for dinner on 6 Oct 2024 and experienced a 1.5-hour wait, poor food quality, and misplaced priorities. Diners were left waiting while the restaurant focused on delivery orders, leading to one of the worst Indian dining experiences I've ever had. Save your time and opt for another option.

Detailed Review:

Waiting Time: We endured a frustrating 1.5-hour wait for our food. Oddly, the Seekh Kebab entrée and Butter Chicken were placed on our table right away, but the rest of the dishes arrived after a further one-hour delay. The restaurant seemed more focused on fulfilling Uber Eats and local delivery orders than serving their in-house guests.

Food Quality: The food did not make up for the long wait. The dishes lacked the flavor and authenticity expected from Indian cuisine. Having experienced Indian food across the world - from the renowned Shami restaurants in the foothills of the Himalayas to Jungfrau in Switzerland and Darling Harbour in Sydney - this was by far the most disappointing.

Restaurant Priorities: The service was clearly directed towards deliveries, not dine-in customers, making the long wait even more aggravating. It felt as though seated guests were neglected.

Verdict: As a food critic who has sampled Indian cuisine across global locations, this was the worst Indian restaurant I’ve ever visited. You’d be better off getting a meal from McDonald's than spending your time...