The Spaniards Inn — Restaurant in London

We have nothing but extreme disappointment and dissatisfaction with the treatment we received from one of the staff members at the front of house during our recent visit to the Spaniards Inn restaurant this Saturday just gone, 2nd December. The behavior and attitude displayed by this staff member was not only unacceptable but also tarnished what should have been a memorable evening for us.

From the moment we arrived, it was evident that the lady in question was unhelpful and obstructive. When one of our guests arrived early and mentioned that two individuals were unable to attend due to being diagnosed with COVID-19, the front-of-house staff member reacted with an instant obtrusive demeanor. This then continued once we had all arrived, before I had even had a chance to sit down, she was stood at the end of our table and it was disheartening to witness her lack of empathy and respect for our situation, especially given that we had already notified the restaurant in advance to ensure that no food had been prepared for the absent guests. Furthermore, we were shocked to learn that this staff member was pushing that the restaurant expected us to pay for the two meals of absent guests, stating that the Christmas terms and conditions state this on the booking email, upon review, it became evident that the restaurant's terms and conditions did not specify that guests must pay for meals in the event of their absence, we were completely aware and understanding that the deposit would have been kept. It is really important that your staff are able to present guests with accurate information. Not only had the guests paid a deposit, but their absence was due to a contagious illness. In such situations, it would be more appropriate for your staff to show understanding and compassion. The front-of-house staff member's aggressive and patronising attitude ruined the atmosphere of our evening and caused anxiety for some of the guests, who ended up feeling very uncomfortable for the duration of the evening.

Whilst we are very understanding that working in a restaurant may be extremely stressful, and the lady who works at the front of house may have been having a bad day, it is not OK to behave the way she did, and not even acknowledge her mistake and rectify it after. We also do not want any food waste either but guests falling ill and being unable to attend is unfortunate and out of anyone's hand.

Speaking to the manager, their response to our complaint was far from satisfactory. Instead of acknowledging the distress caused and making a sincere apology, we felt as though we were being given the cold shoulder. As longtime guests of your establishment, having visited the Spaniards Inn for years and with family members also frequenting the pub, this experience has cast a dark cloud over our future desire to return.

I must mention that the food served at the restaurant was, without a doubt, delicious. However, the overall experience was overshadowed by the negative attitudes displayed by a majority of the staff members who served us. It is worth noting that one staff member, a lady with red hair, stood out from the rest due to her approachable and friendly demeanor. We would like to commend her for her exceptional service and genuinely warm attitude, as she was a shining light amidst an otherwise disappointing evening.

Considering the significance of our visit, which was intended to commemorate Christmas and enjoy a lovely evening at your establishment, it is disheartening that our experience was marred by the disrespectful and unprofessional behavior exhibited by your staff. We sincerely hope that you take this complaint seriously and address the issues raised, ensuring that future guests do not encounter a...

We came to the Spaniards Inn for a belated fathers day lunch on Sunday 21st. We were greeted by staff who were very polite and friendly, and on being seated, we were warned that the kitchen was busy and that there would be an approximate 1 hour wait on food. Our waitress advised that if we were hungry, we should order some starters, which would come sooner and that our mains will continue to be cooked and will be ready within the hour. We were perfectly happy with this, and whilst we hadn't originally intended to order starters, since there was a wait and we were quite hungry, that was what we did. We then received our starters 45 minutes later, finished those and awaited our lunch. After a further 45 minutes after our table was cleared, I asked our waitress when our food would arrive, as by this point it had been a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes since we had ordered. She went to check with the kitchen and came back to let us know that there would be a further 30 minute wait, and specifically said that this was because we had ordered starters and therefore it would take longer. This was after she had specifically told us to order them, and that our mains would still arrive within the hour, when we had never intended to do so. At this point, we paid for our starters and drinks and left the restaurant. Waiting over 2 hours for food, and being told that the reason for this was that we ordered starters, when we specifically were advised to do this, is unacceptable. The waitress got very defensive and rude and maintained that this was our fault, despite us following her advice. Frankly I'm frustrated that we even had to pay fully for the starters without some form of compensation. There was a lot of discontent on the tables around us, and in addition to the slow food, we had to ask our waiter 3 times for tap water, and ended up having to go collect it ourselves from the bar. This is the second time I have visited the Spaniards Inn, and both times the service has been unacceptably slow. Following the first experience, I gave it the benefit of the doubt, as it was Christmas and I understand that its a busy period. But for both occasions to be marred by poor and slow service, and for the staff to be rude and confrontational when we have asked to remove the service charge, is extremely disappointing and I'm surprised it hasn't been improved. The food at the pub is really delicious, and its letting...

I really didn’t want to leave a review for this place. It’s a beautiful, historic pub and perfect in theory after a day on the Heath. But including today, I’ve had three bad experiences out of four, all down to the staff, and today was exceptional.

We arrived ten minutes early to find our table ready in a cosy spot. I took it as a good sign, especially after the last time, when staff insisted we (three adults) sit in with a random children’s party in a private room upstairs, even though the pub was empty.

However, the entrée came out with hard, overcooked scallops. The mains had okay fish, but everything else on the trout dish was less than ideal. The potatoes were somehow hard and overcooked, the prawns were tough, and the mussels were so dry they crumbled.

During dinner, the neighbouring table complained they’d been waiting an hour and a half for missing dishes. The waiter apologised, saying the kitchen was having a bad day “quality-wise” because they’d been so busy. But theirs was the only other occupied table, and their conversation with the waiter dominated the room, until they left for Nando’s.

It’s worth noting that getting to the toilets wasn’t easy, as staff were standing around chatting and blocking both the kitchen and toilet entrances, so they didn’t exactly seem rushed off their feet.

We were offered a dessert to share as compensation for the quality of the food, but a few minutes later told the kitchen had closed. Instead, we were treated to staff arguing loudly about how one of them hadn’t had a cigarette break, then they started setting up for the next day, while we were still eating. This was around 9:30 p.m., an hour before closing.

To be fair, our waiter genuinely wanted feedback and gave us £15 off a £90 bill (one starter, two mid-priced mains, three beers, and water). But the food wasn’t great and the overall experience was poor. I wouldn’t voluntarily bring people here again.

Even then, I wasn’t planning to leave a review - everyone can have a bad day. But as we waited for our car by the garden exit, the staff came out with desserts for themselves and told us to leave. On the whole, the staff came across like a bunch of teens, impatient to have the place and the desserts...