Flat Iron Westfield London — Restaurant in London

Our recent visit to Flat Iron was regrettably marred by an egregious display of hostility and incompetence, primarily at the hands of an individual named Alejandra. Her condescension, unwarranted hostility, and disregard for professional decorum turned what was meant to be an enjoyable evening into an unpleasant ordeal.

Upon being seated, we placed our order with an affable male server. However, a simple request for ketchup—directed at Alejandra, who was nearby—precipitated an abrupt shift in her demeanor. This minor request inexplicably provoked prolonged, intrusive staring and an unsettling fixation on our table. Her unwarranted surveillance created an oppressive atmosphere, wholly inconsistent with hospitality standards.

As soon as we had taken our final bite, Alejandra, without solicitation, cleared our table and presented the bill. When informed we had not requested the cheque, she withdrew it but continued hovering near us, persistently scrutinizing our table. This intrusion was not just discourteous but indicative of a deliberate effort to make us feel unwelcome.

Attempting to continue our evening, we ordered additional drinks, at which point the deterioration in service escalated. I requested a classic margarita without hibiscus, only to be informed that the margaritas were pre-mixed—an omission in disclosure that was particularly disappointing, as customers reasonably expect freshly prepared cocktails at an establishment with a bar. Opting for a tequila tonic instead, I requested a double, which our server acknowledged. However, Alejandra interjected condescendingly, declaring, “This is MY section,” and insisted my drink could not be made.

Rather than argue with an evidently incompetent employee, I asked her to call our server, which she falsely claimed she would do. As a result, my drink order was completely neglected. After an unreasonable delay, I had to ask the hostess about my drink, which finally arrived an hour later.

Violations of Consumer Protection Laws

Flat Iron’s conduct raises serious consumer protection concerns: • Consumer Rights Act 2015 – Businesses must provide services with reasonable care and skill. Alejandra’s hostility, unwarranted surveillance, and failure to fulfill a basic drink order fall far below this legal standard. • Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 – Failing to disclose that cocktails were pre-mixed rather than freshly prepared may constitute a misleading omission under UK consumer law. Patrons have a reasonable expectation of transparency, particularly regarding food and beverage quality. • Equality Act 2010 – If Alejandra’s treatment was selectively applied to us but not other customers due to a protected characteristic, this could raise legal concerns under anti-discrimination laws.

Final Remarks

Alejandra’s conduct appears to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt and diminish our experience rather than an isolated lapse in professionalism. Her behavior reflected an unseemly power play—one wholly incompatible with customer service principles. It is deeply disappointing that Flat Iron employs an individual so palpably unsuited to a hospitality role.

To prospective patrons: I strongly urge you to take your business to establishments that value professionalism, respect, and hospitality—rather than one where staff feel emboldened to impose their hostility upon...

The service was simply not acceptable. We asked politely to be seated somewhere else instead of the spot suggested by the blonde woman who I believe is the hostess, nothing dramatic, a completely normal and reasonable request. Shockingly! she took it personally. From that moment on, we were ignored and literally serving ourselves.

When our food arrived, it was missing an item, and I had to run around the restaurant just to get someone to check on it, and when the steak finally arrived, it was DRY AND COLD. We were also missing a fork and had to go get it ourselves.

After we finished our meal, we waited and waited for someone to bring the check. No one came. Meanwhile, every table around us was being regularly attended to, checked on every five minutes. The lack of attention and basic service was glaring!!

Once again, I ended up walking around to find someone to ask for the bill. When I walked inside, I came face to face with the same hostess who seated us, and she literally ran the other way, asking a colleague to deal with us instead. Completely unprofessional and frankly, childish behavior! That alone says everything.

Is it really okay for an entire staff to agree on not serving a guest simply because the hostess took something personally?!!!! That’s exactly how it felt, as if they were following some unspoken rule she created on the spot!

I truly don’t understand why some staff take things so personally when it has nothing to do with them. And why is it so difficult for someone to honor a customer’s basic request, like choosing where they sit, especially when half of those tables were empty and remained empty even after we left? it’s a basic part of hospitality!!

It’s frustrating, and honestly sad that a returning guest who visits Flat Iron every single time they’re in London and recommends it often, ends up being denied the simplest level of respect just because a hostess has major insecurities about being disagreed with!

Let’s not forget the “missing” item from our order. It wasn’t truly missing, it was clearly left out on purpose. The waiter had asked me directly what kind of steak I wanted and how I’d like it cooked. He wrote it down in front of me, and I have no doubt that same paper went straight to the kitchen. So how does it magically not make it to the table? It felt like a form of punishment for simply asking to be seated elsewhere.

And the funniest part? We were charged for service. What service, exactly? This isn’t charity, if you can’t do your job and you’re more interested in turning the workspace into a place for your personal feelings and ego trips, then don’t work. Simple as that. And definitely don’t come asking for a service charge when none was given.

U R better than this flat iron, at least...

Decided to go for a meal with my wife for our 9th anniversary. My wife loves steak, and we had one on our first anniversary, and I thought it would be a sweet thing to do again. The booking process was very easy and the restaurant kept in touch with us. It was very easy to find for us, and even though we were a touch late, it was fine. We were politely and professionally met and seated immediately inside as requested. When the server came over again, polite professional and friendly. You could really feel that this individual was an honest and kind individual. We chatted about the menu, and she was very informative and helped us decide. The food appeared very promptly, and I was not disappointed in the quality. The sizes are not as enormous as you have seen in some social media, but this is not what I was looking for. I'm firmly a quality over quantity type person. My wagu steak was on point, so much so that I had to try the flat iron to compare. Again, it was very good, but I chose well originally. The mash potato was outstanding also. The chips were fine, but I'm definitely a mcD fries fan, so it's not my 1st choice. Now, some unexpected things made this meal exceptional. I'm a wheelchair user, confident and friendly, so it's lovely when others go one step beyond. In this case, when the server took our order, she actually squated to our level to talk to us. This made it a very lovely personal experience. At the end of the meal, she brought to our table a lovely gesture of ice cream in a glass on a board with happy 9th anniversary. Another kind gesture was made that I'll keep to myself but I won't forget. I'm a firm believer in "passing it on," and this will be on my mind. So to the staff I thank you for this kind special meal.

With regards to accessibility, I never tried the WC as I know there are several at westfield. The restaurant was totally accessible and plenty for space to manoeuvre a wheelchair. The lighting is dim, and noise...