The Hunter's Tryst — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

Went in for Sunday lunch with 2 adults and 4 kids. We were seated at our table and ordered our drinks and food on the app at our table. Our drinks came as did our cutlery. We sat for nearly 45 minutes, so we went to ask what was happening. The waitress was pretty rude and dismissive and said “there’s 2 large signs on the door saying the web ordering isn’t working”….not true! There is ONE A4 sign on the very front door and we didn’t see that as we were walking in with 4 little kids!! She essentially shrugged and walked away to “find a manager”. A man then came over who was nicer and much more apologetic but still only refunded our food and made us pay for the 2 drinks we’d been nursing for 45 minutes. 2 free drinks to buy good will would not have killed them.

It would have been pretty basic to say to us as we’d been seated “just so you know orders need to be made at the bar as the app isn’t working” but nobody did. They knew we were there and just let us sit with 4 wee kids for an unreasonable amount of time. We then had to leave, all starving as we couldn’t really keep the kids happy for another 20 minutes whilst they actually made our order.

Won’t be back as this really was totally avoidable and could have done without the rude waitress essentially telling us it was our own fault for not seeing the A4 sign on the front door. Pretty poor for customer service and probably worth letting her know that an “I’m so sorry” actually goes a long way.

Following your response Hunter’s Tryst Team: I feel you may have missed the point! Your app not working wasn’t really a problem, would have happily gone to the bar but you need to tell people that as you seat them, or indeed when the waitress brought drinks and cutlery to our table, a small mention that all food orders needed to be made at the bar would have saved the situation from happening.

However, what’s more unforgivable was the rude waitress and poor customer service- that’s nothing to do with your app or your chef. The lady who spoke to us was blunt, rude and dismissive and that puts people off permanently. If she’d been friendly, smiley and genuinely apologetic we’d have stayed and spent our money with you. However she more or less blamed us and stormed off when she could see we weren’t happy! Have a word - that’s the face of your company and all due respect its customer service every time, nobody cares if the app is...

I arrived at 7.30pm on 16th July 2024 with a group of colleagues after a 4hr trip, to work in Edinburgh the following day. I ordered a pint whilst perusing the menu. The beer was very nice. The server at the bar immediately told us that there were no burgers, no lasagne, no chicken and only one or two portions of a number of other items. I settled on calamari as my starter and braised beef as my main. The beef arrived after about 15 minutes and was a disappointingly small portion which had dried around the edges. It was accompanied by raw vegetables (and I like all my veg al dente, but this was something else), and a blob of what I think was supposed to be potato gratin but which tasted of absolutely nothing. Nearly 30 mins after my main course my calamari showed up. Now.......I didn't get a picture of the main but remembered to for the calamari. Some chunks of uncooked batter arrived with some lettuce leaves and a piece of stale onion ring that must have been bobbing around in the fryer like a drowning sailor and had been cooked at least thrice. ( The burnt part onion ring wasn't included in the menu description). The whole lot sat in an inch of cold water (which I can only assume shows that the lettuce had been washed). No sauce and unfortunately no trace of any calamari. I'm shocked that a large chain like Ember Inns can allow this place to ruin any reputation they have as a company. One of my colleagues also reviewed his disappointing portion of fish and chips and a third colleague gave his entire meal away after seeing it looking so unedible on arrival. I only tend to leave reviews of places that I've found very good, and I eat out at least once a week. I couldn't let this go without mention and I hope I've saved some other weary traveler from an equally...

Hunters Tryst is an Oxgangs’ gastro-pub that has been there for decades, now part of the Ember Inns Group. As it was lunch time I paid them a visit and ordered at the bar a Potted Chicken Liver, Pork and Mushroom pâté as a starter and a Steak and Doom Bar Pie, plus a half litre sparkling mineral water.

Unfortunately, I got a dirty glass (water marks, I was told) for my sparkling mineral water given by rather detached-I- don't- give- a- F* type -of -barman James (who didn't greet anyone, or said thanks and/or enjoy your meal) but swapped by more polite barmaid. The water was not cold as their fridge was left unplugged overnight.

The pate was adequate with a tasty upper layer of natural and velvety fat.

Even though the bar wasn't busy it took ages for my main course to arrive, after my starter was finished and cleared by “Joyful” James. Thankfully my main course was delivered by the very polite and helpful barmaid to compensate James rotten attitude.

The steak (and sinew) pie had a despicable sweetish aftertaste and too much gelatine in it rather than a proper reduced beef stock/ale gravy which implies that it was not home made but bought in batches from a frozen food company, and microwaved on site. In contrast the side veggies were perfectly cooked, bravo for that!!!

All in all it had been an unremarkable and bland catering experience. Only 3 good points were: the barmaid's service, the spacious rooms and the strong Wifi.

And nope, I will...