Artisan Meze & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Eastleigh

I wrote a review a few years ago and it was glowing 5 stars. Sadly after multiple let downs I have to update from a 5 star to a one star review! I called Wednesday to book a table with my daughter and niece. I know they now have a second venue and it has now caused confusion as to where and when you can get food, so I thought simply asking would be straightforward. I was told by the owner that, they don't usually do food that early, but to come down and food will be available. I was impressed and surprised by this answer, but I gave my details and made the booking. When we arrived we found the venue closed! But the owner was ar the other venue across the street so I beckoned him over. I asked what happened to our booking, he replied that he wanted to do it, but it's not busy. I informed him that I do not live in Eastleigh and asked why didn't he call me and simply cancel my booking instead of wasting my time. My daughter and niece were stood there, so he offered us a drink.Who the hell takes 2 children for a drink instead of food? They aren't adults.

Ridiculously enough this isn't the first time we've been let down by this venue!

Early this year my daughter had an all day event in the area so approx 8-8.30pm I called to see if they were serving food. The same person answered and said to come down. But when we got there, the waitress told us the kitchen was already closed and I quote "He does this all the time!" We had spent 20mins in the venue before we could even be notified that we can't have food. Luckily we were able to get served in another restaurant

The food has always been good, but the organisational skills are a joke. They have bitten off more than they can chew with the 2nd venue. As a result both venues are failing. They need to get help with the management, because it will be a shame to see this business with a huge amount of potential, go under because of incompetent leadership

My original review (please go back to this)

This is my second time visiting this venue and it definitely won't be my last!

Firstly the staff are so friendly and family friendly. They always make friendly conversation with my children and make them feel special. They truly make you feel welcome.

Secondly the recommendation of the Turkish sauvignon blanc was spot on. I wouldn't typically pick it, but the recommendation came with confidence and I'm so glad. It paired so well with what we was eating. It gave us the full experience.

Thirdly the food was like last time lovely. I cannot recommend it...

It was an interesting and different exprience but the menu wasn't varied enough/ there could've been more choice on the menu. It was all very basic in our opinion but we do have very high standards.It appreared to us that the restaurant was trying hard to be an authentic restaurant but wasn't quite getting it/isn't quite there It was also expensive for what we had, we consider almost £6 for a bowl of homemade hummus to be slightly pricey. Different types of sharing platters would be a good idea but are not available on the menu. Staff were friendly enough, the food and wine was nice enough but unfortunately there was no 'wow' factor. Everything was very average/just ok. We weren't exactly disappointed but equally we weren't impressed and unfortunately will not be in any rush to go back. There needs to be more vegan and vegetarian options. My husband enjoyed the swordfish though. The restaurant has a welcoming feel for everyone, groups, couples, families with children etc. There is a garden at the back of the restaurant which is nice enough.. The restaurant is small and cosy. The toilet is clean and located on the ground floor, Everything is located on the ground floor. We didn't leave hungry. The overall summary is average on everything. There is definitely room for improvement,...

We originally planned to go to EVI, but it's currently closed so we came here. The decor was nice and cosy, although it was super quiet on the Friday eve we visited, which made the atmosphere a bit dull. We were informed they were only doing cold cheese/meat style platters, but that they were substantial, so we ordered 2 boards between 5. Unfortunately they were not, each platter was £30 (to serve 2), with single pieces of meat spread out to fill space on the board. The meats, cheeses, olives etc were like nice ones you'd get from a supermarket, disappointing for a restaurant. As a comparison, dedicated wine/cheese bars like Renoufs cost £16-18 pp and offer much nicer produce and probably double the amount of food. There was a good selection of wine on offer, although the bottle we ordered was from a different country than stated on the menu, but it was nice. Cocktails were also nice, however our waitress did not mention that the offer for 2 was only if they were the same, but this was honoured when questioned on the bill. Overall I would not go back based on this experience, however I appreciate this is not...