The Queens — Restaurant in London

I chose to spend my birthday there and I booked an area in the pub. The pub is very nice and in a prime location but I'm afraid I have to say that the staff ruined my birthday with their dismissive and, at time, contemptuous, attitude. I rang the day before to have confirmation that my group was allocated in the terrace and I was reassured that this was the case. When we arrived, the terrace was given to another group and we were told that they put in a corner inside. It was an unusually hot day and it was boiling hot. But most of all, they never apologize or show any sympathy. I understood that there was some miscommunication between the staff but again, the attitude was pretty contemptuous and totally uncaring. We decided to move on and celebrate anyway. We were a small and very well behaved group, that was too shy to complain for fear of being impolite or ruining the atmosphere of the party. The staff uncaring attitude was way more unforgivable than the fact that they weren't properly trained, and it showed throughout the evening. And it wasn't even busy, as we booked for an early afternoon. For example, we ordered a magnum of Rose' that is meant to be served chilled. That was about £80. They took it out of the shelf and put in in a cooler bucket that was way too small for a magnum (2/3 of the the bottle stuck out) so, a part from the fact that it looked funny, it never got cold. All they had to do is to come to the table and ask: "sorry guys the wine is not chilled would you like to wait until it cools down in the fridge or would you rather chose another drink?" That question was never made and that option never presented to us. To add insult to the injury, they didn't even bother to remove the dust from the bottle! (that's what I mean when I say that the dismissive attitude here verges on contempt, throughout). Unfortunately, since I was busy entertaining people I didn't notice what was going on until the bottle was opened and few glassed served. When I realized, I was mortified and I could only apologize to my guests. We felt that since we opened the bottle and the wine was in the glasses, it was too late to complain and send the bottle back but really we did left with a bitter taste. As I said, that's not just lack of training, it's lack of care! On the positive the baked camembert was...

DECENT FOOD, DISTRACTED SERVICE 👎

After reading all the positive reviews, I expected the highlight of this place to be its service. I came here with my wife, hoping for a neighborhood pub with a welcoming vibe, but instead, we experienced the opposite.

The staff wasn’t exactly rude, but they weren’t friendly either. We were treated with the same indifference you might expect at a fast-food restaurant.

Two points that show the lack of attention to customers:

First, they mistakenly brought us sparkling water, and when they finally gave us the still water we’d ordered, they left the other bottle on the table. Calling them over to ask if they could take it away to free up some space was pointless—they’d already turned their backs and walked off. We couldn’t even ask for an extra glass.

Second, the only time the waitstaff came over to us was to place a “Reserved at 9:15 PM” sign on our table without saying a word.

They clearly lacked attention to customer service. We often saw them on their phones or joking around. I understand this is a pub, not a fine-dining restaurant, but like all neighborhood places, especially here in Primrose, I expected a more welcoming atmosphere.

To further confirm the lack of attention to service: you don’t order by speaking to the staff; you have to download an app. I find this very convenient for them, as it allows the waitstaff to keep chatting among themselves at the bar, but inconvenient for us. After a whole day working on the computer, I come to a pub to relax and have a good time, not to stay glued to another screen.

At least the food was good, and the atmosphere was nice as well. All it would take is a reminder for the staff to smile a...

Went here with some friends for dinner. Really quite dreadful. We ordered drinks and then, on trying to order dinner, were told by the waiter that the fish and chips (which two of the party wanted) was unavailable due to a large order of the same being consumed by the engagement party downstairs. The lamb was also unavailable.

The starters were fine but my main course, the pithivier, had a thimble sized amount of filling and the chips and cabbage were lukewarm. The ice cream attached to the brownie was chalk-like in consistency. We were also told, more or less, to hurry up and order dessert if we wanted it because the kitchen was about to close...at 10pm. There were only about ten people in the restaurant, including ourselves, the entire time we were there so it was obvious that the kitchen staff wanted to get out as quickly as possible. When we ordered coffees to finish, we were told that they had run out of milk and so only one of us had (black) coffee.

The hugely embarrassed waiter apologised repeatedly for all this but that's simply not good enough. For two of the main courses to be unavailable at 8.30pm on a Saturday night is unacceptable. There was a grocer shop open twenty yards from the restaurant so saying there was no milk was equally absurd. Go and buy some!

A really shabby meal in a shabby restaurant - but not remotely shabby prices! - that seems to think it can get away with it because it's in Primrose Hill.

Please avoid this place. It does not deserve...