We originally booked the Northern Quarter branch but got an email that our reservation had been moved to Deansgate due to the Northern Quarter branch closing until further notice. Closer to the reservation date, they also sent an email asking to confirm the booking.

On the day of the booking, today, we were running late and the receptionist called us to check we were still coming. I asked to shift the reservation a little later, and she very kindly obliged.

When we arrived early for the new booking time, we were promptly seated and our drinks-and-sides order taken.

The drinks and first round of sides arrived pretty quickly. After that, it was round after round of delicious food served be the very personable and attentive William and Carlos. They made sure all the tables in our area were well-stocked with various meats and garlic bread. At the end of the meal, they brought around some wonderfully cinnamony pineapple, which is always worth saving space for.

Although the staff members cooking and serving the meats seemed to work like a well-oiled machine, the rest of the staff weren't as organised. The staff members who weren't assigned to serve meat were very hard to get a hold of. I had to stand at the bar to order more sides because the ladies never even looked at the tables on our side of the restaurant. Then I had to stand at the bar to order a drink and to follow up on the sides that still hadn't arrived after so long. Then I had to stand at the bar to ask for the bill. When I went for the bill, there were people from another table trying to pay because they couldn't get a hold of anyone to pay either. We were all told to go back to our tables because we should have asked for our bills from there. It just felt like things could have gone better if someone were assigned to at least glance at our tables from time to time.

When the bill arrived, we'd been charged for four drinks instead of three. Fortunately, that was quickly fixed and we were able to pay and leave promptly.

In all fairness, we still had a nice time despite the difficulties throughout the meal. I think if not for William and Carlos, we might have felt like not coming back to this branch of Bem Brasil. But who knows? Maybe next time, the other staff will serve all tables instead of just the ones in their path to the other side of the restaurant.