Carnero Lounge — Restaurant in England

I will preface this review by saying I’ve been here so many times, I’ve always enjoyed it, the staff are usually nice, I like the general relaxed feel of the place but my visit last night really put me off.

They have a tapas selection on offer which I’ve ordered from lots of times before, my favourite is the sweetcorn fritters but the last few times I’ve been they’ve not had any in stock and the same was true for last night so I picked something else.

About ten minutes after ordering a member of staff approached us and said one of the other things I’d picked was also out of stock, she was neither apologetic or mildly interested in my disappointment. Again I picked something else as this point there was only one of my initial selections I’d actually get to eat.

We ordered two portions of buttermilk chicken, one with chipotle sauce and the other with katsu sauce (my choice) however when our food arrived both chickens came with the chipotle sauce (as pictured), I tried them both and they were both the same. When the same member of staff came over to give us our cutlery I said we’ve been given two of the same thing, she said that the two sauces looked the same, I said they also taste exactly the same to which she replied ‘oh right’ and then just walked off. No-one then came over to ask if our meal was ok so we just ate it.

There was no ‘let me check that for you’ or ‘oh yes you’re right I’ll get it changed’ so effectively I didn’t get the 3 things I’d initially ordered and chose to come here for.

We mentioned this to staff at the bar before leaving and they didn’t seem to understand what our issue was at one point saying they don’t even do katsu sauce with the chicken, I had to point it out on the menu. I felt silly for bringing it up.

I’m not a serial complainer, I tend to only leave good reviews but it was the pure rudeness of this one member of staff that’s really put me off going back. The food itself was nice, nothing to complain about there but as they have the same menu at the Cosy Club across the road and the staff were lovely there when we visited after here I think I’ll just go there next time I fancy the tapas.

Finally, as I said before I’ve been here so many times before and previously the staff were very accommodating which is why I’ve given this review a 3...

On paper, man, Carnero looks like a dream—vegan heaven lit up in neon, the kind of place you wanna believe in. But the dream gets stuck in the gears, corporate cogs grinding down the freedom you’d get at the smaller indie joints scattered around Derby. No swaps, no shifts, no spirit. Just rules, chain rules, nationwide rules that don’t bend, don’t break, don’t care.

Fries come out like corpses—cold, salt-burned or salt-barren, depending on the cosmic flip of the cook’s mood. And the lattes, brother, the lattes drift to your table like they took the scenic route through winter—lukewarm by the time they land.

Ask about allergens and you get blank stares, soft shrugs, “not sure, man” from the staff like they’re trapped in their own little kafka kitchen loop. You have to ask because the chef’s tossing dairy into every goddamn soup-of-the-day pot, even the ones wearing the vegetable badge.

And don’t get me started on the upstairs, the high sanctuary, the peaceful loft where the thinkers and readers and quiet freaks once dwelled—closed off now, locked down, exiled to the toddler circus downstairs where the shrieking pierces through your skull like jazz gone wrong.

School holidays are hell, pure and simple. A neurodivergent hell, where the noise eats your brain and the walls close in, and nobody seems to care anymore. Used to be a place that flexed and flowed with the people—book a group, hang with your tribe, drink long and slow—but now they throw up the NO like a stop sign on the road to community. Cold. Rigid. Unwelcoming.

This place, man, it used to be something. Now it’s just another burned-out shell on the...

Came for lunch today with my 2month old daughter and Mum. Staff were friendly on arrival however you have to wait to be seated to then be told you can sit where you like. Then get up to order at the bar. It's quite dark and dimly lit inside, especially towards the back of the place, it kinda feels like you're sat in a basement. They used to have dining tables near the front windows but these have all been replaced with coffee tables and couches instead. A shame as it's nice to have some natural light whilst you're eating.

Firstly I ordered tapas but was informed there was no chicken wings (not a great start), so I abandoned that and chose the buttermilk fried chicken and chips main instead. My mum ordered the house burger. When my food came out, I was lost for words as my chicken was literally BLACK. Surprised they could even serve me that and think it was acceptable, but the server left before I could gather my thoughts. I ate a few bites as I was so hungry but it honestly was disgusting, besides the fact it was burnt it was just completely bland. Asked for a refund and felt as though the waitress was pushing for me to take a refire instead, even though she agreed it looked burnt when she served it to me. I declined. My mum ate hers but later told me it was also bland and she only ate it as she didn't want to make me feel worse for recommending this place. We then went to the food court in derbion & the food was of much better quality, not what you'd expect from fast food as opposed to a nice restaurant. Overall I was really disappointed and definitely won't be returning to or recommending this...