Great variety of food for £20 per person. My favourite being Chinese/Thai (more Chinese less Thai) followed closely by the Indian section which has quite a few items allowing me to happily ping pong between Chinese and Indian during the course of proceedings. I’m not too keen on sushi but Mrs is and she doesn’t rate their sushi highly. Children like the Indian, carvery and desserts. Lots to chose from basically if you’re a picky eater. The chocolate fountain was a big hit with the children initially but the novelty has worn off gradually. Attentive staff are always quick to clear the table for the next round. A friendly waitress offered to take pictures of/for us on our first visit which was very sweet. Good restaurant to visit with family or friends.
However, paying half price for our 8 and 9 year old daughters can be a bit of a hit or miss as they’re both taller than 140cm and although each time I book I leave a note but it always requires clarification at the till which quite frankly is embarrassing. We pay full price for our eldest daughter who is 14 and for us two but how can you expect an 8 or a 9 year old to pay full adult price. Like this last time we were charged more and I did not bother to contest when the staff at the till had said discounts were already applied after I enquired. This leaves a bad taste and makes me feel awkward making further enquiries and showing them how they got their math wrong. They obviously know what they’re doing. This is principally wrong and we are, therefore, now exploring other buffet options around York.
City centre location means they don’t have their own parking but plenty of options nearby. We always use the Castle Car Park (location code 27701 and 77011 for Minster Badge Holders) which is a 5-7 minute walk from the restaurant. Evening parking charges of £3.60 apply from 6pm till 8am next morning but it can get very busy on weekends and especially on races (at York Race Course) which attracts thousands into York but that’s only on a...
Read moreMy recent dining experience at Panda Mami in York left me feeling less than satisfied, especially considering the price I paid. While there were a few positive aspects, overall, I found that the restaurant did not deliver on its value.
Let's begin with the food. While it was acceptable, I couldn't help but feel that the price I paid did not match the quality of the offerings. As mentioned earlier, the Indian varieties lacked the authentic taste I was hoping for, which was a disappointment. Additionally, the BBQ counter was a letdown, with meats that were poorly prepared, merely seasoned with salt and pepper. This lack of effort in terms of flavor and preparation made the experience quite unappetizing, especially considering the price I paid.
Although there were some redeeming factors, such as the enjoyable naan and the chocolate fountain that my child loved, these positives did not outweigh the overall feeling of dissatisfaction with the value for money.
Furthermore, I was surprised to be charged for my 1.5-year-old child. While I understand that restaurants have policies, I believe it is unreasonable to charge for such a young child who consumes very little. This additional charge only added to my disappointment, as it seemed unnecessary and unjustified.
In conclusion, my experience at Panda Mami in York was underwhelming, particularly considering the price I paid. The lack of authenticity in the Indian varieties, the disappointing BBQ counter, and the additional charge for my young child made it clear that the restaurant did not offer good value for money. While there were a few positives, they were overshadowed by the overall sense of disappointment. I hope the restaurant takes these factors into consideration and improves both the quality of the food and the pricing structure to provide a more satisfying and worthwhile...
Read moreGRUBBY!! After looking at reviews and staying near York we decided to give it a try, our child was looking forward to the chocolate fountain, upon arrival we were shown our table, the kitchen is partly open, it looked unloved for a few years, the chinese section is OK at best, satay chicken was cold, no salt and pepper ribs, crispy duck just didn't taste right. The dishes are sat built into a worktop and towards the end the worktops are discoloured looking GRUBBY and sticky like it's not been cleaned properly for a while, whilst getting the crispy duck the main kitchen door was open and looked unloved and dirty with splashes up walls. There is a tepenyaki section and a grill but was only offered just meat by pointing to what I wanted, I thought tepenyaki was a chef cooking you a dish from different ingredients? Not here, I did lift a couple of India dishes to find just dry looking chicken (not tikka) within a sauce simply not appetising. The deserts were obviously the cheapest made to man! The ice cream was like those cheap cold mousse you used to buy years ago. No chocolate fountain. The drinks we eventually ordered came not really cold as we don't take ice, the large size is not a pint. The toilets are a disgrace, the sinks have orange crud all at the top and plug holes, the hand dryers have all dirty build up at the bottom, toilets stank of urine and most of the inside windows in the restaurant were dirty and shelves thick with dust! Owners if you read this review your place needs closing and a deep clean or replace the shabby stuff it's disgusting, clearly it's just about taking the money. I so wished we had just walked out and gone to the super clean, with smart looking staff round the corner at the Brazilian place. Panda mama clean your place up and have some pride in...
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