James Joyce Irish Pub Madrid — Restaurant in Madrid

Avoid this place at all costs. Let me elaborate. It may seem like your typical Irish pub, nothing out of the ordinary. However, the staff, particularly a waitress with black hair (I didn't catch her name), were incredibly rude. Here's what happened: During a business trip to Madrid, I decided to treat 20 of my guests to this pub based on positive reviews. But after just two hours, one of my guests had their belongings stolen, and that's when everything went downhill.

I attempted to engage with the staff to review the CCTV footage, or at least have them check it themselves, but they were completely unhelpful. To add insult to injury, the aforementioned rude waitress not only refused to assist but also demanded that we leave the premises, effectively kicking us out. I didn't want to create a scene, so I called the police and waited outside. Suddenly, when the police arrived, she changed her tune and became cooperative.

Despite having spent a total of 800 EUR at this establishment, I deeply regret it due to the appalling treatment we received. I feel compelled to warn others: steer clear of this place. They have zero regard for customer satisfaction or safety, and they'll kick you out without a second thought. It's truly shameful.

To those reading this, I want to emphasize that I'm an experienced reviewer with hundreds of reviews and over a million views. This is unequivocally the worst place I've ever encountered, and I urge you to take this as a serious warning.

As for the owners, I anticipate a response to this review. However, if you're planning to apologize, know that it won't rectify the situation. We've all returned to our respective countries, and your apology, if it even comes, won't undo the distress caused.

Adding a reply to the reply I got: I was not expecting a better reply. It appears the manager's conduct mirrors that of the employees. If footage exists for real, it would contradict your assertions. Our group of 20 individuals maintained a consistently friendly atmosphere. Reviewing the CCTV footage would confirm this reality, rather than relying on...

Very disappointed. Made a reservation for 3pm specifically for a Sunday roast. The person who replied by email was very friendly but wrote "can we ask you to arrive for 2:30pm please", which is a little ambiguous. Does that mean the reservation is at 2:30 or they just want us to try to get there a bit earlier if possible?? Anyway, we tried to get there for 2:30 but weren't able to get there till 2:45. When we got there, one of the staff told us quite smugly that they gave our table away because we were late. I hadn't received any phone call or anything to check if we were coming or not. Everyone knows there is a 15 minute window in which it is acceptable to arrive late for a reservation in Madrid (though were we even late when I booked the table for 3pm?!). I then showed the girl that I had made the reservation for 3pm and she was joined by another girl who noticed a note on our reservation that we wanted a roast, to which they proceeded to laugh and tell us that there were no roasts left! I don't know how you can run out of roasts by 2:45 (last week we tried to get one and were told they usually run out at about 4:30) and also if someone books a table specifically for a roast, why weren't they put aside? All in all a poor experience. Left sad and roastless out in the rain

UPDATE: RECEIVED A VERY KIND EMAIL RESPONSE FROM A MAN CALLED MATT WHO I ASSUME IS THE OWNER. THE SERVICE IS VERY GOOD ON HIS PART. STILL PENDING THE ROAST, I WILL UPDATE THE RATING IN DUE COURSE :)

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2023: Excellent customer service from Matt who went above and beyond to make up for our previous bad experience. Seems like a really lovely man. Went for a Sunday roast today, which although not the best roast of my life, is good for British/Irish expats craving the taste of home. There are also some other classics on the menu like shepherd's pie and fish and chips and it's a very good place to go to watch football and other sports. The girl who served us today was also very nice...

Watched a Formula 1 race here with my good friend who lives in Madrid. We had reservations for 4. Upon first impressions, everything was great. We arrived on time and ordered some drinks and appetizers since the others were running late. We were approached by the owner warning us that if the others didn't show up soon, he would take our connected table away. This was about 30-40 minutes after we arrived, despite us ordering to justify holding the table. About 15 minutes later, he physically removed our table from us so he could cash in and put more people there, leaving us all in a corner with a small table. Extremely rude, unprofessional, embarrassing to us, and made the two who were late feel terrible. I'll be sure to avoid this bar as long as I am in Madrid. The owner is a complete knob.

[I will add to this as there is no way to respond. I apologize for my strong language, but I won't for my review. It is humorous for you to shame me by adding that my parents would be ashamed. Yet you and your behavior are for whatever justified. All though you were kind to me when I made the initial reservation, you were extremely rude to the point that two years on, I remember the interaction very well when we sat down that evening. The Pub was full at the time, despite the covid epidemic, and if it were one of your employees I would not hesitate to let it go. But to be treated the way we were by you, Mathew, was a great disappointment. I will modify my stars in the review for atmosphere and food, as I personally did enjoy that. But your attitude and decisions made that day were a shame in itself. Again, I apologize for my description of you but will not modify my initial review in any way. All the best to...