Lion & Unicorn — Restaurant in London

Terrible customer service, inability to deal with group bookings.

I selected this venue due to it being child friendly for my birthday gathering in December, as myself and my guests are largely young families. My group size was 15-20. I had booked it a month in advance. Approximately a week prior to the booking I received contact from the venue demanding a pre-order. I explained that I was short of time being a busy and working mother. I also had some non covid related health issues which meant that I really didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with the admin of collecting everyone’s orders. I called the manager and explained my situation he insisted that it will be an easy process, as guests just need to click on a link and tick items wanted. I told him, I will circulate the link but if some guests do not fill it out then they will be happy to select whatever is available on the day, or go without. I was happy to be flexible. Given covid a couple of people pulled out, majority of people actually provided pre-order and a couple of people found that kids menu wasn’t available and neither were options for specific dietary requirements. The venue were very rigid and difficult with my guests on this matter. 1 to 2 days before the event I had reminded my guests who told me of the difficulties. I got a phone call from the venue the day before my event. They were very rude and demanding that I must provide pre-orders. I told them that guests will be arriving and are travelling from far away locations. I told them that I was in a bus, with a young child and could not talk. Whilst on the underground, I wrote them an email explaining my guests difficulties but reassured the venue that my celebration lunch was proceeding and that anyone who didn’t provide an order will either go without or just take whatever available. The manager just sent back an email cancelling my entire booking! I was left to organise a new venue for my guests. Luckily a brilliantly friendly pub in Finchley came to the rescue. They were fantastic and catered wonderfully, without pre-orders!!! I had 20 guests, all who ate well and were looked after. Children were welcomed and catered for perfectly. That venue is called The Bald Faced Stag. Im afraid this lion and unicorn were simply unable to cope with large groups or with someone who was going through personal emotional stress and wanted just some basic customer service. Terrible place. I do not recommend it! Especially as the manager was utterly rude to me whilst I was crying on the phone to him pleading for him to just be a little more understanding and to honour my booking. Ugly,...

First off the setting is lovely, the front garden, inside and back garden are equally lovely. However, the food and service lacks a lot. We had come on a recommendation and were excited to try this place. Two adults and two hungry toddlers on a midweek afternoon, the place had a handful of customers. We ordered drinks and asked for a child seat and some fries to satiate the kids whilst we chose the meals. When they delivered the drinks we had to ask again for the baby chair as they had forgotten our first simple request. We ordered two main, one from the full price menu, one from the lunch menu and a kids meal for the little ones to share, this has been sufficient anywhere we go, they are only young and don't need a full portion each. When the food arrived the burgers looked good but come with no garnish, just a basic burger and chips. But it was the kids meal that was the shocking, there was a fairly big portion of chips, served with the tiniest burger ever. It was basically a slider, and for £9! £3 less than the main off the cheaper lunch menu. We would have been better ordering that for them to share had we known the portion was so stingy. The kids burger bun was stale (or overtoasted couldn't tell which...) and the tiny burger itself was overcooked and hard. It was not pleasant to eat (us adults ended up sharing it as the kids couldn't even bite it). When I went inside to pay the bill, I was not given a receipt to check, I had to ask for one after paying and they had added 'discretionary' service charge without asking me if I wanted it. That's not discretionary in my opinion. It was a steep bill for 3 basic meals and 3 drinks (the kids had water). I also did not appreciate paying service charge when the only service was taking our order and delivering the food, nothing outstanding there. The cutlery was unceremoniously dumped on the table, we weren't asked if the food was OK, we weren't asked if we wanted anything else, and I had to go inside to find someone to pay as no one came out to check our table at all. Maybe I'm spoiled as we just moved back from Portugal and service there is top, even in a basic cafe they will lay your cutlery, check on you and be more engaging than a basic plate drop, but I don't think it's much to ask, especially when charging those prices for basic pub food. All in all a big let down. I had really high hopes and as a local to us...

I’ve always associated this pub with large, loud groups of people talking in vaguely posh accents but saying things like “peng”. I guess that’s quite Kentish Town, but this place maybe more so, probably because it’s off the high street so it seems like it thinks it’s better than all those “basic” (another word they’d use) high street pubs. That said, the last minute situation this Sunday called for a quick call around for a table of 6, and the lovely manager figured us something out within 5 minutes, which is a huge factor in this review. I just want to clarify that “last minute situation” is not meant to imply I am one of these “I’ve got to get me cheeky roast in or I’ll perish” people; we had guests and they wanted to expose themselves to their first roast. We arrived and were seated immediately in the garden, which was pleasant enough, but left something to be desired. I got a pretty good lime and soda and then we had roasts. My partner had the veggie roast which she said tasted like a book, and I had the beef which was a bit dry. The vegetables I’d say were average and the Yorkshire was just a big dry blob without much personality. Not enough gravy. The solution, which I’m happy to share, was to get enough English mustard on your fork that you burnt the inside of your nose a bit and could only taste mustard. I know what you’re thinking, “isn’t that every roast?”, and you’re right, but this one was particularly characterless I’d say. The Americans quite liked it! But I know that they have the smug satisfaction that they aren’t going to be met with chagrin every time they suggest another cuisine to be eaten on a Sunday in their country, so I understand their...