Sea Pebbles — Restaurant in London

Unhappy with both the food and the service.

The greeting and seating was prompt, efficient and friendly; the kids were indulged as they discussed where they wanted to sit. This was the best part of the experience. After that it sort of went downhill.

First, the bottle of Stella I was served was barely chilled, I would normally have sent it back but decided to keep the peace. Then my baked sea bass was served with whole areas still covered with scales. I absolutely detest this - I like eating the skin of the fish, and expect a fish restaurant to understand the importance of cleaning the fish properly, inside and out, especially when cooking it whole. Again, I chose not to send it back, for the sake of time and keeping up appearances for my kids and visiting niece.

Otherwise, my fish was fresh and well cooked, though a bit too lemony in my opinion. My niece from the US wanted to try a proper English fish and chips meal. The portion was generous, but she found both the fish and the chips to be too bland. I tasted the children's chicken nuggets and found them tender and tasty.

I didn't have the chance to give the waiter feedback about the fish scales I'd been served, because he never come back to check on us. In fact long after we had finished eating I sat there slowly getting mad because while diners next to us were getting their bill we were still waiting to be offered dessert. I eventually got the attention of another waiter and told him we'd like some dessert and the girls were waiting for their ice-cream. He served the kids their ice-cream but did not bring back a dessert menu nor ask the adults if we wanted anything. So we sat and watched the girls have their dessert; we were not offered another drink or coffee (which I wanted), and eventually I got some-one's attention again and asked for the bill.

One of the things I like about eating out in Hatch End is the diversity of people you normally see socializing together. I wanted my niece to have that experience, but there was a surprising lack of diversity at at Sea Pebbles last night. I think we might have been the only obvious non-white group. Not sure why, may just have been a random thing at that moment.

We've been before and liked it. Not sure if last night was just 'one of those things' or if their standards...

Really disappointed about the customer service.

Although the Restaurant and the takeaway is the same company and the restaurant accepts card payment and for the takeaway service they do not accept card payments. Cash only! This is really inconvenient as for a £35 order they made me go to the Post Office for cash on a Sunday afternoon when just 3 feet away the waiter was using the POS and obviously they were accepting card payments.

I asked if there is a genuine reason for not accepting card payments for takeaway but they said there is no reason, they just don't want card payments for the takeaway and therefore the customers without cash at them have to take a walk to take cash from one of the cash machines in Hatch End. The closest cash machine wasn't working and the next one was at the Post Office.

This is customer service at its worst! No respect for the customer at all.

Definitely won't come back for fish and chips until they don't accept card payments at the takeaway.

And this being said, the fish was fresh, and the chips were good. Foodwise you can't fault them but they need to step up the customer service level a...

We was recommended to this restaurant on arrival we were asked for our order we asked for a bottle of rose wine.This was plonked on the table with 2 glasses unopened We had to not only open it but pour it ourselves. The avocado pear was served warm with prawns that were more like tasteless shrimps. My husbands had a hair in it. The chips were nice but the salad was served with limp/stale rocket leaves on top. The fish was ok but not a lot of taste. Staff were casually hanging around as if waiting to go home.Service was non existent This was more like a cafe than a restaurant Last week we sampled Smiths at Ongar Essex to which we would give 9/10 plenty of friendly service small portions but nice flavour. I would give pebbles 0/10 Our regular restaurant is Friends in Frien Barnet which supersedes both of these not only value for money but tasty consistent with friendly service were you are waited on. The management at Sea Pebbles needs to shake up the place I overheard a customer ask how trade was as it seems to be dropping off I wonder why? We will not...