Toby Carvery Metrocentre — Restaurant in Gateshead

I'm giving it a star for giving it something, even though it was a total waste of time. I hope my review is useful. We came to this restaurant yesterday and the service was anything but helpful or practical. To make myself understood, I'm a Spaniard who has been living in Scotland for five years and my aunts are visiting so we decided to go down from Edinburgh to Newcastle to visit it for the first time.

Three weeks ago my partner's family and I went to Toby Carvery in Washington and we were treated well. My partner's mother is allergic to red peppers so the waitress recommended that she only order chicken, so I understood that some things from Toby Carvery can be eaten when you have a special diet since it is baked.

Well, here's the problem. One of my aunts is on a special diet, she can't eat very heavy or spicy food because it makes her feel sick. I thought I could eat the same as my partner's mother since there hadn't been any problems in the previous experience at Toby Carvery.

When we arrived at this restaurant yesterday we saw that there were two tables occupied so the restaurant wasn't full, I was surprised since I know it's very famous, at least in England.

The waitress served us quickly but without enthusiasm. That is, I tried to explain to her somehow my aunt's stomach problem to understand what food could be easy to digest. She went to ask, since the atmosphere was already strange to be honest, I didn't feel comfortable at all, at least they didn't make me feel that way.

When the waitress came back she said that all the meat in the carvery contained black pepper and capsicum and that it wasn't possible for she to eat it, without giving any kind of option or opportunity to recommend something else. She asked me if we wanted to order food for the rest of the table, so I told her to let us think about it since we had to think of an option for the person who was left without food...

We think that from then on the waitress got upset and once again I tried to ask about allergens and without any consideration she refused us to order any type of food from the menu for the person who had the problem. I don't think anything like that had ever happened to me before and we have been to many restaurants in different countries...

Seeing the negative treatment from the waitress, we decided to leave since we were not going to leave a person without food. So we decided to go to the Pizza Hut in the mall and the waitress was incredibly kind and incredibly friendly so I was very grateful for the change. I won't go back even in...

Our slot 11.30am on Christmas day, we were told we had to be gone by 1pm. 7 adults and 2 toddlers. The queues were that long at the carvery, 3 of the adults didn't actually sit down to their Christmas dinner until 12.30 giving them a mere 30 minutes to very quickly eat their dinner and dessert. The staff didn't seem to know what was going on, we had to ask someone to collect our plates after our starter, this delayed us getting out carvery as there was no room on the table for anything else. Staff were stood talking and were clearly ignoring people when people were trying to signal them to ask a question. The mask potato was completely inedible. It was hard and lumpy with no flavour. The roasties were cold in the middle, the cauliflower cheese was hard as rocks with little cheese sauce, the macaroni cheese was very dry and tasted like powder. The meat was beautiful but everything else was extremely disappointed. Some people's plates were taken away whilst they weren't there in order to hurry us along, myself included. I was with my baby at the toy machine to keep her entertained for a bit and when I came back to the table a couple minutes later my unfinished plate had been taken away, I would of liked to eat my Yorkshire and the rest of my meat but never mind. The desert was absolutely gorgeous, no complaints from anyone there, apart from having to shove them down Extremely quickly. Our starters were okay, but absolutely not worth what we paid, there were very basic. The meat on the carvery and the deserts were the best things about the whole meal.

Unfortunately, we will not be returning to toby carvery next Christmas, or any other time of the year. That's it for us now, the carvery is just absolutely awful apart from what I've stated. Myself and family are getting together again today 27/12/2024 to do our own Christmas dinner together at my...

To Thy Toby Carvery, a short passage from my last visit:

Jess, the Server Extraordinaire

Jess, through whose hands passed every dish and goblet, carried herself with both dignity and warmth. Her knowledge of her audience was encyclopedic—nay, bordering on poetic. With deft movements and a voice sweet as birdsong, she anticipated our needs with uncanny precision, offering suggestions not as impositions, but as gentle invitations to delight.

Tyler, the Carver of Fine Meats

A true marvel of modern meatcraft, Tyler approached his station with the solemnity of a royal butler and the flair of a Covent Garden artiste. Each cut was made not merely with accuracy but with reverence. There was an artistry to his carving, as though he were not portioning roast but unveiling sculpture. The meats were rendered so tender and succulent under his practiced blade, I half-suspected the animals had been raised solely to appear in his capable hands.

Claire, the Managerial Maestro

Above this splendid tableau presided Claire, a manager of rare talent and composure. With an air of command softened by maternal kindness, she ensured that all ran smoother than a steam carriage on freshly-laid track. She drifted among her staff and guests alike with quiet efficiency, correcting no fault before it arose and orchestrating the entire affair with invisible strings. It is my belief that were Claire given stewardship of the Empire itself, she would have Britannia running early, under budget, and in gleaming silver.

In summation, my experience under the care of Jess, Tyler, and Claire did not merely satisfy—it uplifted. It was service not of mere function, but of ceremony. And in a world that too often forgets the beauty of attention well paid, these three souls reminded me that excellence is timeless.

I would love some cake the next...