Sambuca — Restaurant in England

I have visited here a few times and each time have had a different experience, mostly good. Today however ( bank holiday Monday) wasn't great. I appreciate it's a busy time but some of the very basics of hospitality were missing. Great to see hand sanitiser on entry. We waited 5 minutes which was good for the current Covid situation. We were shown to our table, on the way I slipped on some food on the floor.( I noticed there was a few bits of food on the floor after sitting down) Sitting down i could feel something was on the seat which I had to stand up and wipe the seat down. Food was ok this time, prawn cocktail great ( a small bread bun served with this would good, personal opinion ) and Lasgne was just warm in the middle. Prices are reasonable and they offer a takeaway bag if you haven't managed to eat all of your meal. Service is usually good but this visit I was not asked once if 'is everything ok' Music was too loud, couldn't talk without raising our voices. Maybe good on a night time but too much for a lunch time. Would of liked to stay for a desert and coffee but it wasn't a relaxing atmosphere. Waiters too busy clapping and singing,...I'm all for a good time but lacked attention to detail on the basic dinning experience. Finally, a visit to the ladies and there was no loo paper. Probably be a while before...

Wow what a let down today was. I have been a few times before and I have been able to hold back the urge to go on a rant but today was just too bad. The friendly service and warm welcome was lovely. My opinions had always been positive as I entered this restaurant, they usually change and change they did. We ordered 4 pizzas, 1 for me, 1 for my wife, 1 for my son and one for my mother who turned 78 today. It was her birthday meal. The pizzas came and they looked depressing, we soldiered on to eat most of the food placed infront of us. Anyway things only got worse. Sambuca have a routine of were if it's your birthday they get you up on a chair and sing happy birthday to you. They came out with the candle in the cake and asked my 78 year old mother to get up on to the chair. She feeling pressured into the act got up and was up there for a good 4 seconds before her knees gave way and she fell face first down the stairs. In horror I helped her up. The workers at Sambuca stood there and laughed. What a disgrace, escorting my mother out of the restaurant we left. On our way to the hospital we got a phone call asking to return to the restaurant or we will be sued for not paying the bill. Never go to this shambles of a place. I would just like to give a side note of that my mother is alright, JUST A FEW BROKEN BONES. Thank...

Off the cuff we tried Sambuca Chester le Street for a roast dinner in the height of the lunchtime rush. The staff were amazing at fitting us in after only a few minutes wait. Quite easily the best Sunday carvery we had in the local area...EVER...And then to find out it was only £9.00 a head, even better!! We paid £16 for a lunch last week in another local pub, it didn't even come close to today's food or service... Amazing!! We were served a healthy portion of soft and succulent roast beef... And then asked if we wanted to choose some or all the other meats too! Home cooked Yorkshire puddings, & veg that was perfectly prepared with just enough bite... And cauliflower cheese to die for! Thinking it was impossible to fit any more in,my husband found just enough room for the home made gelato, plumping for a mix of the biscoff & pistachio. Outstanding....and as good as anything we had when we visited Italy on holiday. 10 out of 10 ... We'd score higher if we could. Looking forward to next week's visit already!! Amazing freshly prepared Italian meals from the main menu also available on a Sunday, the Chicken Kiev for example is outstanding...offered on or off the...