Azotea del Círculo — Restaurant in Madrid

Normally, I love this restaurant. Have gone often with my spouse. Going as a couple or a smaller party, you will find good food, drinks, and wonderful views. But the restaurant treats a table of 8 persons, celebrating, the same as a table of 2 to 5 people. Always 2 hours any reservation (it doesn't say it online but that is standard in Madrid restaurants, especially the city center.)

I recommended this place to a friend for her husband's birthday celebration and I do not know if she notified it was a celebration. Regardless, a table of 8 persons will require more time or more servers. It's the equivalent to 2 families or 4 couples.

We were going to sing happy birthday but server denied us dessert, asked us to quickly finalize our bill and exit. The server said he couldn't help us because his supervisor ordered him to close our bill and clear the table for the next party that was in fact standing at the door. He made it clear we took too long its our fault (maybe the floor supervisor was upset with us).

Our group paid and exited but I went back. I wanted to fix it. So, I politely and very apologetically pleaded for anything to go just to sing happy birthday outside on the gorgeous terrace. A second person joined the conversation, we were again reminded its our fault because one of the couples was late. Thankfully, half the group was outside (including the birthday person). But this still embarrassed me and the late couple that looked shamed.

So many ways to have avoided this: Server could have asked to place our food order due to the time limit. The couple would have understood, as long as they celebrated with our group.

Employees should communicate the time limit upfront to a large group. Possibly make small talk and ask if its a special occasion. A big group needs more time to order 3 courses and to pay, even if they were all early. Floor staff needs to be able to handle these situations and present solutions.

Ex: Phrased positively and politely, 30 minutes before the end they could say: "We are getting close to the end of your reservation but I wouldn't want you to miss out on our wonderful deserts. Can I bring you the dessert and coffee menus now or is there something else you would like to order before the end of your reservation?"

Employees should be kind and discreet. Welcome the late guests and explain the time issue as they provide all the menus to the late arrivals. Easy simple solution without embarrassing them in-front of the other guests.

During the reservation process, ask guests to please notify if it is a celebration. Celebrations often require more time regardless of party size. At celebrations, small and larger, some guests may order more than typical and select premium options (leading to more revenues for the restaurant).

Send a message to the reserving party that asks strategic questions. Include the menu in the message (or a special preset celebration menu that offers a free coffee or tea with your desert). Maybe allow guests to pre order items like cocktails, appetizers, or deserts and this will incentivize guests to read the menu before attending, speeding up the ordering process. Maybe if guests prepay certain items the restaurant gives them an extra 30-60 minutes block added to the end of the reservation; these options benefit everyone.

Deal with untrained personnel so it does not ruin the experience. And definitely, never kick out a paying customer that is wanting to eat more and/or embarrass them with their friends, family, or colleagues.

Maybe the online reservations platform (Google, The Fork, etc. ) needs to add the option to indicate a special occasion or a tourist visit or language spoken by the clients. Even adding the option of special notifications sent to restaurants to prepare for parties exceeding a certain number could help. This way both restaurant and customers are...

This comment is exclusively for the restaurant, the view remains amazing.

It was with high hopes and anticipation that my friends and I entered the restaurant on Monday, March 25th, to celebrate my birthday. Having visited this establishment three years ago and enjoyed a pleasant experience, I was looking forward to reliving those fond memories. However, what transpired left me deeply disappointed and disheartened.

Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room: the food quality. Despite shelling out nearly 200 euros for four people, our meal left much to be desired. With the exception of the artichoke and shrimp appetizers, everything else fell short of even basic expectations. The octopus lacked freshness, the minced meat seemed far from fresh, and the brioche resembled something one would find in a budget supermarket aisle. Even the burger bun lacked the freshness one would expect. It felt like we were served reheated, low-grade frozen food warmed up in a microwave.

Returning to this restaurant after three years, I had hoped for a consistent or even improved experience. Instead, I found myself questioning whether leftovers from the weekend were being reheated on Monday nights. Such practices are unacceptable for an establishment of this caliber.

While I could delve into other aspects, such as the unsmiling staff, the absence of sparkling water in a place like this, or the overcharging for tough bread, I'll focus on the crux of the matter: the food quality. I would have rated this experience a dismal 0 out of 5. Never have I paid such a hefty price for food that not only left me with an upset stomach but also a sense of regret for subjecting my loved ones to it.

I'm uncertain if this review will prompt any changes, as it appears that the business model may have shifted, with quality no longer being a priority. However, I hope it serves as a wake-up call for the management to reconsider their approach and prioritize the standards that patrons rightfully expect from a reputable...

Un servicio PENOSO. Could not be worse experience. I wish I could give less than 1 star. The food was either tasteless or too salty, either way horrible. The experience shockingly bad. We had the reservation at 10:30 and it took an extremely long time to get someone to take our order. We ordered drinks and starters and the waiter was rude from the begining, always snapping and saying that they only have what is in the menu as if we were not even allowed to ask questions. The worst part came when trying to order main course. Again a long time until we finally got someone to come. We explained that 3 of us don’t eat meat or fish and again rude response from hims saying that we have to eat whatever they have in the menu. I told him to please ask the chef if he could do anything and he said no way at this late hour, always talking in a bad manner. Finally he took our order and after 15 minutes another waiter comes to say tht the kitchen is closed and we will not have our dinner. That really shocked us because it was such a slow service from the start, so it wasn’t our fault. At some point the rude waiter came back and said that only 2 plates were available from what we ordered, telling me to shut up and listen to him, while none of us had spoken badly at any point. My husband could not take it anymore when the waiter shouted at me and told him what a ** service this was. In the end nobody appologised or said anything. It’s a pity because of the nice location but we will never return and will advise everyone...