Lina Stores City - Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in London

Usually I don't spend too many words on a review but this time I think it deserves them all.  Dinner with my best friends at "LINA STORE" at 19 Bloomberg Arcade. I ordered “Linguine con Granchio e Limone” as written on the menu in Italian and explained in English as “Linguine, Crab, Amalfi Lemon, Garlic” which sounded like a decent combination. When the dish arrives, I am struck by this intense smell of butter, not to mention the poor presentation that made me feel like I was in a fast food restaurant. As I’m taking the first forkful to enjoy the pasta, the strong smell of butter has transformed into the dominant flavour of the dish, along with some parmesan (in seafoods dish?) and lots of chilli (that wasn’t mentioned in the menu by the way) so the much coveted crab pasta did NOT taste very much like crab at all - probably due to the scarce presence of the crustacean in the dish and the terrible quality of the same, not fresh but canned. And where is the lemon? Evidently the chef left for Amalfi to collect it but did not return in time to put it in the sauce. In short, a £15 pasta of poor quality. But it doesn't end here, I tell my disappointment to the waiter who absolutely didn't know how to handle the situation, practically zero customer service skills. He listened to my complaint but didn't give a damn, replying that that was their crab pasta, take it or leave but pay anyway, without even offering me a different alternative since all the pasta was still on my plate.  To sum up, we can say that the LINA STORE experience was terrible (I’d add that they pass themselves off as an Italian restaurant with a tearful story on their website), worthy of a true story "Padre Padrone" this is what you get to eat if you like it otherwise go to bed without dinner, but at least Father Master wouldn't have stolen £15 from me. My friend could also talk about the dish she ordered, the “Ravioli di Pollo e Funghi” which only had one tiny piece of mushroom on it and the “Agrodolce Sauce” tasted more like soy sauce, but that’s maybe another review… Conclusions: Food terrible, non-existent customer service and with all due respect for ethnicity having a Bangladeshi chef in an Italian restaurant is like asking an Italian to make a good spicy rice.  Do I recommend LINA STORE to you? ...

Nestled within the vibrant Bloomberg Arcade of London, Lina Stores beckons with its elegant setup, adorned with a mesmerizing display of various liquor bottles that evoke the ambiance of a sophisticated underground bar. Conveniently located near the tube station and surrounded by an array of dining options, it promises a culinary experience to remember.

Drawn by its glowing reviews, we eagerly ventured into Lina Stores, hopeful for a memorable dining experience. However, our excitement was tempered by the frustratingly slow service that plagued our visit from the start.

Despite the initial hiccup, the vermouth cocktail, infused with hints of cloves and cinnamon, offered a tantalizing glimpse of the culinary delights to come. However, the lengthy wait of over an hour for my drink dampened our spirits considerably.

As we waited for our orders to be taken, the sluggish pace of service only added to our growing frustration. Nevertheless, when the starters finally arrived, they showcased the kitchen’s prowess in crafting delectable dishes. The focaccia and burrata, adorned with crushed black pepper and olive oil, proved to be a delightful combination of creamy textures and savory flavors. The nduja bruschetta offered a unique and flavorsome twist that left us pleasantly surprised.

Moving on to the mains, the ravioli, truffle pasta, and lamb pasta delivered on their promise of rich, flavorful indulgence, further redeeming our dining experience.

The grand finale of tiramisu, affogato, and burnt caramel tart provided a sweet conclusion to our meal, each dessert offering a symphony of flavors that left us craving more.

Despite the culinary excellence on display, the subpar service marred our overall experience at Lina Stores. With long waiting times and poor attentiveness from the staff, our visit fell short of...

IGNORED OUR TABLE!!! This was the 2nd time we visited this particular branch, the 1st was in August 2022 with a group of 11 we pre-booked and back then the staff were aggressive and dismissive and we felt like they just wanted us to get out. This time we visited in a group of 4 (pre-booked as well), for a small birthday dinner. We were seated at the bar for the best part of 10 minutes before moving to our table. Our initial server was delightful and extremely well-mannered, she took our order and brought out drinks and starters. After this, I assume she was either finished with her shift or possibly on the break as someone else brought out our mains, this person just placed our dishes on the table and walked away in silence. WE WERE THEN IGNORED FOR 40 MINUTES, sitting at our table with empty plates, with the intention of ordering desserts and paying the bill. After at least 10 tries of getting someone's attention, someone finally came over after me craning my neck, standing up, pointing, all you can imagine and she took our order and brought the bill. We were sitting on a bench and above us on the 1st floor, someone had dropped an entire tray of cutlery probably whilst moving or polishing them and it was right above our heads so gave us quite an unpleasant scare. Overall, we felt unwanted, only 2 staff members seem to actually care about our table and the rest were just rude, angry, and continually ignoring us. The bill totalled £191.38 and they added a £20.88 service charge for non-existent service?! I usually always pay the service charge and leave a cash tip to show gratitude as I myself work in hospitality and understand that great service should always be appreciated. But I wouldn't recommend this branch to anyone unless you're looking to get treated rudely by staff who clearly don't want...