CERU South Kensington — Restaurant in London

Really disappointing customer service. We wanted to take a table for lunch outside and since there wasn't a hostess, nor a welcome desk, we simply made our way to one of the available tables at the front of the restaurant. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a waitress popped out and in quite the rude manner told us that we "need to wait". I thought she was trying to say we need to wait to be seated by a colleague of hers and felt bad for being impolite and disrespectful towards the restaurant. I felt ashamed. I then told her that I can't see the hostess or anyone to welcome us and show us to a table and then I understood what she meant to say. She wasn't intentionally rude and didn't mean any disrespect towards us, just English wasn't her first language and she didn't know how to politely communicate with guests. English is not my first language either, I understand language barriers but it's the owner's duty to train their staff accordingly. In a society where over politeness is the norm and it is actually helping towards a more positive and welcoming environment, misuse of words and phrases and the lack of "sorry", "excuse me" and "please" can easily turn nothing into something. It can easily be perceived as rudeness and disrespect. Had she said something along the line of "sorry would you mind waiting a couple of minutes while I can prep the table for you", with a smile, it would have been perfectly acceptable. Instead, the way she communicated came off really rude and disrespectful and while I was able to orientate in the situation and understand what's happening I was already put off and simply left the place. I hold the owners responsible for not providing proper training and clear instructions to employees who haven't lived in the UK long enough to understand the basic norm of...

Came here for an early lunch after visiting the Natural History Museum one weekend. It's evidently popular as it filled up quickly. I love the decor. It has a warm, 'sunshiney' feel, and the bright colours are reflected in the food and the drinks. The service was excellent - very friendly yet professional. We started with virgin passionfruit mojitos which were really good. The waiter made a suggestion about how many of the small plates might be sufficient, as well as offering us the brunch menu, and in the end we went with 4 or 5 dishes to share plus a side of pitta bread. Incidentally we ended up with an extra dish we hadn't ordered, but when I alerted the wait staff they said we could keep it free of charge. The food came out as it was ready, not all together, which isn't usually my preference, but I enjoyed it this time, and of course the main benefit is you don't have to wait long to start eating! My favourites were the baby aubergine, the lamb and the zucchini fritters. But what I loved about all the food were the powerful and, in some cases, surprising flavours. It was like a taste adventure! I love Middle Eastern food but some of the combinations of ingredients we tried at Ceru were completely new to me. That is what I love...to go somewhere that looks nice but unassuming and have this kind of experience. I couldn't stop talking about it afterwards and was researching the Levant for quite a while after our visit. I'll...

I recently visited CERU and had a mixed experience.

Food: The lamb shank and Mediterranean breakfast were exceptional. Each dish was flavourful and well-prepared, capturing the essence of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. The overall quality of the food was impressive and left us satisfied. Other dishes were not so exceptional including a 'salad' composed of apples and mint

Service: The service was outstanding. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive, enhancing our dining experience significantly.

Concerns: Two issues detracted from our visit. First, it was unclear whether the food was halal. Although the waiter confirmed that most items were halal, this information should be clearly communicated on the menu, as it is important for many diners. Additionally, I was extremely distressed to see that some menu items, including wine, were imported from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. This decision is highly controversial and upsetting for many patrons, myself included. It would be wise for the restaurant management to reconsider this choice, as it may alienate a portion of their customer base who are sensitive to such issues. Moreover, it feels inconsiderate, immoral, and unethical to feature such products given the political...