PizzaExpress — Restaurant in London

Wanted a easy meal tonight pizza and calamari Notting crazy - when we arrived everything was great ordered our drink and food but thats where it ended - I'm not sure what happened but the service went from great to NONE EXISTENCE

Food

Calamari was terrible I mean we have had it all over Europe and North America and this was the worst I've ever had we ate 1.5 pieces and left the rest (6 pieces) - i'm not sure I would call it Calamari more like soggy donuts - I mean it was bad and the dipping sauce was not good either

Pizza was good could not say it was amazing but we enjoyed it nothing amazing just decent pizza

Drinks Ordered Still water and Vodka Sprit Got the Vodka quickly - I order a double - it came in separate glass and a glass with ice and a sprit on the side The glass with ice when it arrived was mostly melted I drank the water out first so it didn't water down my drink - I poured the vodka in the ice glass then the sprit and the ice was gone the sprit was room temperature like really? Had to ask for another glass of ice just to cool the drink off Mean while still no water - had to ask the waitress about the water and told some guy was getting it ( its been 20min water should be fast) the water actually came cold and full of ice but took too long I ordered a second double vodka and same thing the sprit was warm and this time they per poured the vodka in the ice glass (or the water glass case the ice was agin melted, so had to order extra ice that came in large chunks this time totally different than the first glass of ice LoL ( constantly was not there)

Service

At first service was great when we arrived at 845pm but within 20min it was non existence - when asking about where the water was it seem like I was insulting the waitress - Knowing we sent back the calamari they never even mentioned if there was an issue (when anyone send back almost the full order - staff should know to ask if there was an issue - after I finished my second drink we waited over 25min before we had to ask for the bill (my kid lithely asked for it) in 25min waiters did not come to ask if we wanted anything else or the bill littler sitting there looking around even made eye contact with who I think was the manger in his Paris shirt he seem to only case about take out orders - here the best part - after the kid asked for the bill the waitress when to the man in the Paris shirt and you could tell they were discussing our bill as they both looked at us a few times as I was straining right at them they had the chance to make it right but blow it off

Seems like they are more focused on the take out here. I usually tip even though I know you don't in Europe or the UK especially in London (the most none tipping people on earth) So we took our change with us.

Check my review for Steak and Company from the night before so you know I'm not just bashing here

Also noticed the review before ours fro someone there 3hrs before us so you know they were not...

From the get go we were made to feel like we were an interruption and a disruption to the two wait staff we interacted with - That they didn't want us there and had interrupted a quiet final hour in the restaurant.

The older female waitress actually tsk'd and rolled her eyes at my partner when asked for a table. It was 10pm, with an hour to go before closing.

Given they were clearly annoyed that we might keep them late you'd expect quick service but they left us with the menus for nearly 10 minutes. Enough time for me to look up how far it was to another pizza restaurant nearby which we should have gone to instead all things considered. It was that apparent how bad her attitude was. But we eventually had our order taken by a second waiter. I asked about a voucher card and the response was snippy and arrogant, which was the theme for the night from him.

Compliments to the chefs and the manager as the food arrived really quick, it was very good, and the manager was the only person with any warmth and friendliness that evening when he arrived with our food.

The other two acted like they owned the place, arrogant and aloof. When paying I mentioned the voucher card again and got told the same thing twice about knowing the balance. I simply said "I do" to which the waiter let out a sarcastic "wow!", fake amazement on their face like they were on some reality TV show. It was incredible, ridiculous and disgraceful. Partner couldn't believe it.  He did the same to my partner when he declined desserts.

I paid, did not add gratuity, and went to the manager who was clearing up to tell him. He seemed nice, he offered an apology but that was it.

I haven't been to Pizza Express since the start of the pandemic. There is a lot of competition in the market now, and we were giving it a try as a way to end a long day celebrating a birthday and hoping for an enjoyable late night meal to end it off. And aside from the food being thankfully quick and good, it did the opposite.

The irony is we were left at 10:45 and other customers who had been there since before we arrived were still eating and chatting, so the need to make us feel burdensome, unwanted and rushed was completely bizarre and unnecessary. These two wait staff seem to think it's their right to show disdain and derision in their job, despite there being another review 10 months ago saying they were going to address the issue - whether it was with the same older female waitress or younger arrogant male waiter I don't know.

Glad I didn't pay full price, and won't ever be back to this restaurant and do not recommend it to anyone unless they want to play the lottery of getting these two as their servers. Appalling. They were more interested in chatting with delivery drivers at the door than their jobs. And for Pizza Express in general I honestly can go another 4 years without...

Dear Pizza Express Customer Service,

I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the service I experienced at your Pizza Express 88 Cromwell Road,SW7 4EN, London / UK on January 20, 2025. I had booked a table for 37 people at 18:45 and had also pre-ordered food (14 Margheritas and 15 Penne Bolognese) in advance to ensure a smooth dining experience for my group.

However, when we arrived just 10 minutes after our booking time, we discovered that: Our reserved table had been given to another group. Our pre-ordered food was served to an entirely different group of customers.

This level of mismanagement was deeply disappointing, especially for a group of our size. To add to the frustration, the manager on duty not only failed to accept responsibility for the mistake but also did not offer any form of compensation or resolution. The lack of professionalism displayed by the manager was astonishing and far below the standards expected of a reputable establishment like Pizza Express.

I trust that you will take this matter seriously and address the issues raised. I would appreciate a prompt response outlining how you intend to resolve this situation, along with any steps being taken to prevent such incidents in the future. Additionally, I expect appropriate compensation for the inconvenience caused to my group.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your...