Zizzi - Chiswick — Restaurant in London

My advice: learn from our abysmal dining experience and avoid this place. Rather spend your hard-earned money at an establishment that actually values and respects their customers enough to make an effort, where the operation is run smoothly, where the kitchen staff prepare the dishes as they are described on their menu without omitting two-thirds of the ingredients, and where the wait staff provide polite and attentive service.

We had ordered a selection of starters and side dishes to share. The waitress delivered them all at once, rushing off immediately without identifying any of them. One of the side dishes is described in the menu as “Rainbow Heritage Carrots: Heritage carrots with spinach and garlic”. However, all that was on the plate was a handful of carrot lengths. By the time we managed to flag down the waitress again, the carrots were already cold. She took the dish back to the kitchen, and redelivered it with four wilted baby spinach leaves placed on top of the now stone-cold carrots. As far as we could see, there was still no garlic. She sped off immediately, without either an apology or an explanation about why the cook had prepared, and she had delivered, a dish containing only 1 of the 3 ingredients it was meant to have. Since our visit I have looked at their menu online, where photographs are next to the description of each dish. The amended dish we were given looks nothing like the photographed dish on the menu, which is shown with lots of spinach and large garlic slivers scattered over the carrots.

Another side dish we had ordered was listed on the menu as: “Fried Purple Gnocchi: Crispy gnocchi dumplings”, and marked as vegan. It was delivered in a small bowl set atop a larger plate that also held a small dish containing a clear dip. There is no mention of this dip on the menu description of this dish, nor is it depicted in the photograph that is now on the Zizzi online menu. When I finally managed to flag down another staff member, I asked what this dip was, explaining to her that the listing of this dish on the menu did not name any dip, and that the waitress who had delivered it had sped off without saying a word. This older staff member (possibly a manager?) barked out: “Chilli honey” and turned to leave. I had to ask her to stop walking away and explain this, given that the dish is marked on the menu as suitable for vegans (and when the man at the front desk had asked us if we had any dietary restrictions, we told him that we are vegan and that I have an allergy to dairy). When my daughter reached for a menu on an adjacent empty table to show her the menu listing, the waitress told her not to bother, snapping repeatedly “I know my menu”. I was trying to explain that the dip was not even included in the description, that the dish is labelled on the menu as vegan, and that vegans do not eat honey. Her response to this was, “What’s the problem – if it is not vegan, just don’t eat it!”. It was glaringly obvious that the fact that a non-vegan food ingredient is served with a vegan dish, to vegan diners, without any warning, was of absolutely no concern to her. Luckily, neither of us had tried it. She then said that, at the time we were ordering this dish, we should have asked for a vegan dip to be substituted — even though we had no way of knowing that this dish was going to be served with a dip, let alone one that is not vegan! Then she snatched the honey dip from the plate and walked off in a pique, before returning 5 minutes later to slam down a small bowl of vegan garlic dip onto our table before stomping off again. This hostile reaction was completely uncalled for, especially as we had not even asked for another dip: we had merely asked for information about the dip that had come (unannounced) with the order, and once we knew what it contained, queried why a non-vegan dip was being served as part of...

Title: Unacceptable Conduct: Racism and Poor Customer Service at Zizi's

It is with deep disappointment and a heavy heart that I feel compelled to recount my recent experience at Zizi's. What should have been a pleasant dining occasion turned into a distressing encounter, marred by racism and abysmal customer service, all under the oversight of a manager who flagrantly disregarded professionalism.

Upon entering Zizi's, the first red flag was immediately apparent: the manager, conspicuously not in uniform, greeted us with a dismissive nod rather than the warm welcome one would expect from a reputable establishment. However, this initial discomfort paled in comparison to the blatant racism that followed.

Throughout our meal, my party and I felt an unwelcome chill in the air, as if our presence was an inconvenience rather than an opportunity for Zizi's to showcase their hospitality. This feeling of alienation was exacerbated by the manager's behavior, who seemed to go out of their way to avoid our table and failed to address our inquiries with even a modicum of courtesy.

Worst of all was the unmistakable undercurrent of racism that permeated the entire experience. From subtle microaggressions to outright dismissiveness, it was abundantly clear that our presence as people of color was not valued nor respected. The lack of diversity among the staff only served to amplify this sense of exclusion, as it became painfully apparent that Zizi's was not a place where all patrons were made to feel welcome.

In today's society, where inclusivity and equality are rightfully championed, it is utterly unacceptable for any establishment to foster an environment tainted by racism and discrimination. As such, I implore Zizi's management to reflect deeply on their actions and take meaningful steps towards rectifying the toxic culture that permeates their establishment.

In conclusion, my experience at Zizi's was nothing short of a harrowing reminder of the pervasive nature of racism in our society. Until concrete measures are taken to address these issues, I cannot in good conscience recommend Zizi's to any individual, regardless of their background. It is my fervent hope that by shedding light on my experience, we can work towards a future where all individuals are treated with the dignity and respect...

Had to amend my previous 4 star rating of zizI chiswick to 2 star based on tonight's experience.

We had a very poor experience in the chiswick restaurant today.

Lack of staff seemed to be the cause of it all.

We must spend about 500 pounds a year at zizzis but this may be our last. We frequent their restaurants as the food and service are normally quite good and the allergy handling approach is one of the best in the business.

However, tonight was a massive disappointment.

Our drinks order arrived after our starters were finished. No cutlery provided for the starters. Long wait for mains. When they arrived I managed to ask a waiter for two more large frascatis. My main order was wrong and the pizza was lukewarm at best. A wrong topping was on my pizza. Waiter did offer to get a new one but that would have meant a 20 minute wait at least and did not work for me. I asked for dried chilli flakes but got given a small dish of the roquito chillies. They are not nice cold on a pizza by the way. Those two further glasses of wine never arrived Wife's risotto had no cutlery supplied resulting in a wait of several minutes. Quite hard to eat risotto with your fingers. Losing patience, we asked for the bill instead of having dessert. Bill had the two glasses of wine that never arrived on it. Complained and bill was amended. Paid 71 odd quid for a pretty poor experience. What can we take from this? Avoid zizzis in Chiswick.

Update: I complained to head office shortly after. Initially the response was good and they said they'd be in touch after investigating for five business days. 15 working days later, no response. Not a peep, despite me chasing. Review amended to one star and we will never darken their...