Stanley's Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Liverpool

Poor service and not reassuring knowledge of food allergies.

Arrived for pre booked afternoon tea for four people (one person gluten free). They took payment before seating. Once seated, the hostess realised table wasn't set for afternoon tea, then started an inquisition of when we booked etc as they didn't have us down as an afternoon tea.

Never took our drink order after seating. The hostess said waiters would take the order. The waiters weren't sure about drinks orders and unable to answer questions regarding gluten. They just kept saying "I don't know" repeatedly. To which I then had to ask for the supervisor.

The supervisor (Martin) came to the table and didn't understand questions about malt and gluten and really wasn't able to confidently give an answer either. His answer was that everything was all natural and plant based. - Which wasn't the question.

Gluten free tea sandwiches had a splodge of dark sauce (possibly a thumb print and potential cross contaminant) on one of the sandwiches. The manager had to inspect it before replacing it. And couldn't answer or apologise for the inconvenience or issue.

We then had to go chase down someone for our water glasses to be filled and they then took the water jug away, despite the table next to ours having a jug. The waiters were attentive on tables either side of us, but actively ignored us, and never asked or followed up with how the food or service was at any point during our time at table after the issues mentioned above.

The restaurant was more than half empty for the duration of our visit, so it's not like the restaurant was fully booked and overly busy. The supervisor, Martin came back to speak with us as we were preparing to go. We discussed the poor service and how things could potentially be improved going forward, and how it let down this experience of this visit. He blamed poor service on the morning team and told us if we return, to come back after 2pm in the future. We weren't looking to place blame on anyone. We asked for the service charge (we paid before meal) to be removed. When we got to the till, he said he couldn't find any evidence that we'd paid and it's a good thing we didn't decline the receipt when we'd paid.

The food itself was OK, but it was accompanied by very poor service. Would not recommend for a celebratory event, and have no plans to return on any future occasions.

Didn't take any photos of the food. There was nothing spectacular or special about the presentation of the tables or food that really made them...

Went downstairs to this restaurant in the afternoon to book a table. The lady was not understanding a word i said and was very annoying. We struggled through and finally booked a table for that evening.

Menu is tiny and didn’t have anything that jumped out at me.

Waitress was terrible. Tried pushing starters on us which we didn’t want.

Chair was rickety and dangerous so i swapped it out for a neighbouring chair from an empty table. The waitress didn’t even report it or take it away.

Ordered the same meal twice i said “fish and chips twice please.” The waitress then looked and my wife and said what would you like. Yeah I’m gonna eat fish and chips twice to myself. “I just said, she’ll have the fish and chips and so will i, fish and chips twice please.”

She asked if i would like any sauces for my fish and then brought 1 15ml pot between 2 people. Serious!! Had to ask for more.

When we visibly finished, my wife made eye contact with her to signal her attention; she saw us, then avoided us and went in the sideways direction.

When she finally turned up i asked for the bill. All of a sudden she’s super friendly and understands me perfectly.

Bill arrives, service charge 10%. Don’t think so!! We aren’t America you get a wage. I asked her to take it off she had to generate a new bill. She asked “was there a problem with service.” You’re not embarrassing me my dear, i have every right to ask for it to be removed.

Why does there have to be a problem with service if a customer doesn’t want to pay 10% on the bill. A pint of Stella is £6.50 as it is!!

I’m already paying the high prices. I don’t mind the prices although they’re high, you expect that, but 10% on top too. Don’t think so!

Food is nice don’t get me wrong but I’m not paying 10% for you to do the job you chose to do and get minimum wage (at least) for.

If i can’t pay 10% less on the bill then I’m certainly not going to pay 10% more.

If the prices are wrong and the staff need 10% of every £1 made to make ends-meat, then raise the prices on the menu!! Do not sneak service fees on to the bill when you’re already making a profit on customers being there.

We aren’t America -...

I had a dinner booked at Stanley’s as part of one of the Maya Blue Spa’s promotional deal, which included treatments, an hour in the spa, and a two-course dinner at Stanley’s, which had to be chosen from a specific “Maya Blue Spa menu”. They also charge for parking by the hour. Our time in the spa was lovely, but upon arriving at the restaurant, they had no knowledge of our booking, despite the fact I had been reassured via email & in person that we were booked in for 5.30pm. We were seated relatively quickly regardless of this issue, and the servers were very polite & friendly. The Maya Blue menu itself is extremely limited, with only 3 starter options & 3 main options (sides and drinks are extra). The tomato & basil soup starter was lovely and the bread roll it was served with seemed freshly baked. However, the main course was not good at all. The salmon was bland, so overcooked & dry it left a dusty film in the mouth, and it’s skin was so crispy is tasted burnt. The salad it was served on top of was basically just lettuce leaves and some roasted courgettes (which had a slimy, gel like quality to them), with a sparse sprinkling of mustard dressing. The chicken was also overcooked & dry, and was served with flavourless giant couscous & a very minty tzatziki style dressing that tasted slightly alcoholic/had an off-putting twang to it. The waiter was very apologetic when we informed him that the mains were of poor quality, but we were not offered any recompense. We were going to stay for dessert, but our main courses were so off-putting that We left and ordered a KFC bucket on...