Sicilia bella — Restaurant in Broxbourne

We have frequently visited this restaurant due to its local presence and the family-run atmosphere, which we found appealing.

However, during a recent visit with ten people to celebrate a friend's birthday, we experienced extremely poor service. The waitress handed food to one of our friends to distribute, and one of our friend's meals arrived only after everyone else had finished eating. Despite our repeated inquiries, our requests were ignored, and we were not informed that the meal was still being prepared until the last moment. To make amends, they sent us garlic bread at the end of our meal, but this felt inadequate. While the other dishes were acceptable, the chicken was notably dry and improperly cooked.

Although we did not have high expectations for the food, I feel compelled to address the unacceptable service and behavior we encountered. Initially, we had booked for twelve people and paid a deposit of £120. We were never informed that we would lose the deposit if fewer guests attended, as only two people showed up. When we requested the bill, they deducted only £100. We politely asked if the remaining £20 could be waived, but the waitress, who is the owner's daughter, responded rudely, insisting we needed to pay.

Given our regular patronage, we expected a more accommodating response, especially after the delays and poor service. We then requested to speak with the chef, who is the father, as we had previously engaged in conversations with him. One of our friends approached him, and he agreed to waive the charge, advising us to notify them 24 hours in advance if any guests would not be attending, which we accepted.

However, it was disrespectful for his daughter to speak to him in their native language about us. When we returned to our table, she continued to engage in the conversation, prompting us to ask her to stop, as we had already resolved the issue with the chef. Subsequently, the chef emerged, shouting at us for how we had addressed his daughter and demanded that we leave without paying.He raised his voice in front of other patrons, and one of our friends was physically pushed outside.

This approach to conflict resolution is unacceptable, especially for those who value customer satisfaction. I cannot recommend this establishment to anyone seeking quality...

This is easily the best restaurant I've ever been to. It gives you the options of eating in or taking away. I always take it away but for the 10/15 minutes I am in there waiting for my food, I feel like I am standing in a restaurant in Italy itself. I have always wanted to go to an Italian restaurant but I never found anything like this lovely restaurant. This place truly brings Italy to England and I am lucky enough to have it on my doorstep. The aesthetics of this place are amazing. It is well decorated, it has pictures from Italy on the wall that is a nice touch and gives it more of an Italian feel. It is also a very calming and tidy place. Even something as simple as the layout is amazing. The tables are well decorated and look cosy. There’s also plenty of distance between each table so you don’t get claustrophobic. Unfortunately I’m yet to eat in, but if I were to, I would imagine it feels like you are sitting in an Italian restaurant in Italy. They have also created a friendly atmosphere, making each customer feel welcomed. The staff are super kind and put it in the effort to welcome each customer. Each customer is met with friendly smiles. I could easily go there every day, it is just that amazing. I can only describe this restaurant as heaven sent. Not to mention, the food is exquisite, each mouthful is pure bliss. It is just as nice as it looks. The food is completely fresh too and well priced. I would say it is worth all the money. In fact, it is one of the cheapest places considering the amount of food you get for the price. The pizza’s aren’t like anything you have ever eaten. They’re massive and the smell alone is so fulfilling. Even something as basic as chips aren’t basic here. They are easily the nicest chips I have ever eaten. This place can take any basic food and turn it into a special tasty meal. I have no idea how they do it but it’s admirable. Everything about this place is perfect and I highly recommend this beautiful tasty place. If I had the option, I would give this place more than 5 stars. I try to make an effort to go as much as possible and I suggest...

I made a reservation at this restaurant to celebrate my birthday with friends, and I deeply regret my decision. (I have previously visited several times with my family)

The service was poor, and the staff were rude. We were asked to leave after questioning the deposit system, which had not been properly explained to us beforehand. The chef/owner instructed his staff, including his daughter, to make adjustments to our bill, which led to an uncomfortable situation. She became upset and began arguing with us, making inappropriate comments. She also attempted to publicly shame us by accusing us of refusing to pay.

Despite our repeated attempts to settle the bill and leave, the owner and staff insisted we leave without paying. This led to the owner aggressively pointing his finger in our faces, while staff physically pushed us out of the restaurant.

Even though we made further attempts to pay for our meal, they refused to accept payment. Subsequently, the owner contacted me directly via WhatsApp, using the phone number I had provided for the booking, and demanded that we return to the restaurant. He also made false accusations regarding the events that transpired and stated that he would involve the police and solicitors, despite having refused our payment.

This experience was extremely disappointing, and I would not recommend this establishment. This is not a true family-run business, but rather a poorly managed restaurant with...