Restaurant Ember — Restaurant in England

Only make a reservation at this restaurant if you are 100% sure you can attend, otherwise you will be charged a cancellation fee, no matter your circumstances!

I was really looking forward to dining at this restaurant for the first time as part of a birthday celebration, but sadly I had to cancel my Friday evening booking due to suddenly becoming very unwell. I informed the restaurant at 2pm the same day — well over five hours in advance of our 7:30pm reservation — and explained the cancellation was due to illness. Unfortunately, I ended up spending the night in A&E and required emergency surgery.

Despite this, I was quickly charged £60 for the cancellation (£30 per person), even though the booking policy states they may charge a fee for cancellations made within 24 hours — not that they definitely will. I understand some people may try to use illness as an excuse, which is why I offered to forward my discharge letter from the hospital to prove the situation was completely genuine.

I fully appreciate that restaurants need to protect themselves from loss of revenue due to late cancellations, and I accept that a cancellation fee may be justified in certain situations. However, given the seriousness of my circumstances, it’s extremely disappointing that the restaurant didn’t even acknowledge my email, let alone offer a refund or a gesture of goodwill — even something like a voucher to return another time. £30 per person is a significant amount of money to lose for cancelling over five hours in advance. I had the decency to call and follow up with an email rather than simply not showing up, which gave the restaurant every opportunity to rebook the table for a busy Friday night.

It’s deeply disappointing that a restaurant I was so excited to try showed absolutely no empathy or understanding, especially when I made every effort to communicate honestly and respectfully.

If you’re considering booking here, just be warned: only do so if you are 100% certain you can attend. If anything unexpected happens — even something as serious as a medical emergency — this place shows no flexibility and clearly has no interest in responding to genuine, reasonable communication.

It’s a real shame, because I was genuinely excited to visit. Sadly, given how quick they were to take my money and how little regard they showed for the position I was in, I won’t...

The online booking locks you in with a deposit which I don't like but can understand why. The website is poor, online menu is a bit confusing and pretentious. When we arrived we were greeted by the the front of house who I found curt and unprofessional. The restaurant was compact and busy. Music was great but a bit too loud, smelt a bit smoky. Our seating was odd, the table underneath some coat hangers, my seat too low for the table, my wife looking down on me perched on an uncomfortable looking bench. The young lady who took our order was really nice. Food came out quickly and was really nice, served like tapas. I can see where the good reviews come from. Wasn't too expensive, they didn't do the stealth tax on the booze either. I drove home smelling like I'd been to a BBQ which I found a bit disconcerting, had me thinking about air quality. Maybe I'm getting old. If you're in your 20s 30s I reckon you'd enjoy it more than me. If you have children or you're getting on a bit I'd go to the smoke pit in Northampton. Similar flavours and trendy atmosphere but more relaxed and professional.

Edit - Turns out the rude front of house is the owner, he tracked me down on Facebook just to insult me and pressurise me into removing the review. Such a shame, the food is good.

Edit - I have downgraded the review from a 2 star to a 1 because after I blocked the owner on Facebook he took my mobile phone number from his place of work and continued to harass me with mild insults. He did so with considerable intensity which I found confusing so I have issued a cease and desist notification. I pray this is the end...

2nd time dining here and sadly was a rather disappointing menu from the first time. I booked for 12 people and to be fair only 2 of us didn't find anything we'd particularly like to eat. Previous experience had been fantastic but ordered at least one dish, cheesy potatoes, that were delicious first time round but were overcooked and like tiny potato bullets served in an unappetising way. The cheese muffins were dry AF despite the sauce and garnish. I do understand that the menu changes due to produce availablity and perhaps I picked a bad week for myself and my son. However, everyone else seemed to appreciate the cuisine with great vegetarian options and the service was fantastic to the point my partner was treated to a free birthday cocktail and surprise fudge birthday dish. My son, having SEN issues, had difficulty with the menu options but was particularly drawn to having the steak, perhaps it was my fault that I didn't ask for it to come plain, but he spent more time trying to wipe off the sauce than eating, please could you add a plain option in future? I know it's not what you want your diners to experience and it's no reflection on your chefs but please take into consideration that some of your potential customers have neurodiverse issues, particularly 'fussy children'. My son is also sound sensitive and perhaps the music could have been a bit quieter. I don't want to be a moaning Minnie and I did really enjoy a previous dining experience here but was left extremely disappointed personally to the point that I ended up taking my son and myself to KFC afterwards...