We booked a table for a birthday at 14:00, and arrived maybe 13:50. The lady told us we hadn’t made a reservation, but after showing them the emails, they eventually admitted they hadn’t been notified by reservations team but would keep the next available table for us. Ok I thought, mistakes happen, and said we’d stroll the gardens and be back in ten minutes when she suggested the next table would likely become free. Sure enough the next free table they gave away to another group without a reservation, now I’m a bit confused, but she said then the next (next) table after that was guaranteed ours in ten minutes and would we wait outside. An older couple, in their seventies, in the cold, this won’t do. Thinking alternative venues for lunch? She comes out and says after ten minutes another ten, but then it’s definitely ours… another ten go by and then another ten… right so eventually we get ushered in and seated, but what’s this, only small snacks available? Kitchen closed at 14:30, we missed the cut off by a minute apparently, waiting in the cold, our own fault, but rules are rules. We’re celebrating a birthday here, can’t have the the birthday boy eating crackers for his birthday lunch - could we have the real lunch menu - you know, the thing we booked? Well, after some tutting, they brought out the actual lunch menus. I’ve worked kitchens, it’s not easy, that’s why you rely on your front of house not to screw up. But if they do, they should own it, not blame the customer, don’t take them for granted and they won’t take you for granted. We ordered our mains and then one of us ordered a starter as well and she started complaining she had to reset everything in her order taking machine and start from the beginning (seems odd and absolutely made up…). A few in the group were waiting 35 minutes for their drinks to arrive, which is like an hour after we booked the table for. Petty, passive aggressive crap. It felt like we were being punished because someone on their reservations team messed up. They were annoyed we were there, and we felt it. And while It’s easy to blame the staff alone but the truth is this looks more like a management failure. From reservations issues to poor staff training to not readying capacity for unexpectedly busy days… look the food was good, but this place is four star pricing for two star service. That’s the reality. The positive energy of the group celebrating a birthday was sort of fighting upwards against the negative energy of the staff pushing downwards that were over worked or simply lacked the interest in their job. Not sure anyone in our group would recommend this place, but maybe we just had it on a bad day, not sure. If you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion, I would consider an alternative, go with a safer bet.