The Union Paddington — Restaurant in London

Nice food but awful service! We visited as we were in the area and the menu looked great. The server came and we placed our order, choosing starters and then main courses. The server brought our drinks and starters and suddenly a main course appeared at the same time. We queried this and the waitress (nor our server) said "oh the kitchen didn't know"? Well I'm not sure in which reality anyone would want their main course and starters together. Just a little common sense would dictate that. The woman huffed and said she could put my partner's burger under a heat lamp while we ate our starters but it would be spoiled. She didn't offer to have the kitchen prepare it again fresh when it was appropriate to serve it. Then my main arrived too. The waitress stated that we hadn't made it clear to the server that we wanted things as a starter and then mains. I said to her that stating "we would like these to start and then for mains we would like.." so we really weren't sure how that could be at all misinterpreted as we wanted all our food to arrive together. I advised the waitress I wasn't willing to pay the "optional" 10% service charge. Anyway we ate our food which was quite nice in fairness but eating starters and mains together meant we didn't get to relax and just enjoy our food. It was just all plonked on the table. As soon as we had finished we were presented with our bill.. no apologies were forthcoming and we didn't see our server again at our table. The waitress was very huffy. She didn't offer any sort of compensation or a drink as a gesture of apology etc. It was "heres your bill" the second we finished eating and we left just 45 minutes after we arrived and £60 lighter. Very very disappointed as the food was tasty but we we're rushed and didn't order the bottle of wine we had intended to order with our mains etc. Massive amount of customer service training needed here I'm afraid. The customer experience should be paramount and we felt like as soon as we raised the servers error we were no longer welcome and they had no interest in resolving or apologising. So our relaxed meal for my partners birthday was ruined and we left and found a local pub to...

Well we're do I start, other then the worst service I have ever received, as soon as we arrived we was told to move our pram as it was blocking a walk way in which we obliged, then all of a sudden the pram was moved without our consent along with my wife's purse which was in the pram, by who we now no to be Althea manger. It was pointed out to her that you should not move our pram without informing us first. And she apologised, and then to our surprise she blocked the same place up whilst arranging tables as we had, so totally contridicting herself and the company's policy and as a result coustumers were struggling to pass freely so I pointed out that she was also blocking a walkway and was told Iim doing my job stop interfering. I then told her that we was still waiting for a soup that we had ordered 30mins ago which I was completely ignored. So I approached the bar and told the young man serving about the exsperice we have had, and he apologised. I then asked to speak to the manger which he said was (Emilia) and I could not believe it was the same person I had all the trouble with, so she came over with the same attitude and said I had been rude. At that point it was clear she has no idea on how to manage or how to treat paying coustumers. So I informed Emilia that a complaint will be made by myself. I am also a manager and have been for more then 15 years and would never treat my staff or clients/ public in that way. I only hope the company request that Emila take an intenseive managerial course ASAP. Until then I will never go back there shame as I have lived in Paddington...

Two stars for the good location, but the rest is very sub-par. Service leaves a lot to be desired. There are so many good restaurants in London, and in this entire area near Paddington/Little Venice in particular, why spend your money in a place where the food is mediocre, the drinks are uncreative, and the service is so poor. Won't waste time about the details of the poor service (I could write paragraphs). Honestly, if you just want a bite to eat and decent beer, go to Zizzi's next door or anywhere else along the canal. Or better yet, go 200 meters to Little Venice and go to Summerhouse, or Waterway, or Prince Alfred, or literally dozens of other places where the servers care about their customers. So much more character in other places other than The Union Bar & Grill. Too bad, I've lived in Little Venice for 3 years, and I was hoping this place would be better. I've been here a few times and it is consistently poor.

1 month later: don't be fooled by the manager's offer to "give us a second chance" and "discuss it with you." I tried to call the number Emilia the GM gave me (that she posted) and no one answers. It's just the manager's way of pretending like they care. Par for the course, unfortunately, when it comes to The Union Paddington's customer service. Do yourself a favor, go to the 50 other good restaurant/pubs within walking distance...