ASK Italian - Milton Keynes — Restaurant in Milton Keynes

If I could give zero for service I would. Such a shame. Menu changed for the worst. We have been coming for several years. Sadly, the service has dropped terribly. On arrival, the lady read our pre-booked request to go in a booth and sat us opposite the toilet. I asked not to be near the toilet, and she protested it was a booth. She was clearly annoyed. It was not a boith. She then sat us on a table. A white couple came in, and guess what? They got a booth. Yes, we had reserved. Then we ordered our mains plus the side which never came. Politely, I told the waitress it never came, so pls ensure it's removed off the bill. She then replied "yeah that's fine." Actually it is not fine. An apology would have been nice. Later the other manager came and we gave her our dessert order. I also told her the side never came. "Yeah, I know she told me". Another bad attitude. " Again, no apology. They then went off and had a chin wag about it. Walk round like robots no smiles. Standard really dropped. Maybe they need new staff. Too busy, not enough staff? Neither one of them said sorry until I mentioned it twice, and " apology would have made it better. As I started to post this, she actually came and said, "I apologise again, I cancelled the order for you cos you nearly finished your food". Firstly, you did not apologise to us, so saying "again" is a lie. Secondly, please do not lie. You lose all credibility as an organisation representative. The manager came at the end and said I have taken the drink and dessert off the bill for you. To be honest, even the dessert was either not defrosted on the base or far too old. We always have the same dessert. It was awful today. My americano was watered down and not like before. Corners are cut, the new menu is awful, and the service is at its worst. Wish we had the skinny little lady. She always remembers us and treats us well. You've lost 2 loyal customers. We do not recommend...

My partner and I had an appalling experience at ASK Italian and feel compelled to share it to warn others.

To begin with, we found a large piece of plastic in the bruschetta – an absolute health hazard. The dish was taken away, and I clearly stated that I didn’t want it replaced because I was completely disgusted. While we were still processing this, someone came over to inform us that the chef had said the plastic was from the rocket packaging — with barely an apology or any sign of concern. It was brushed off far too casually for something so serious.

As if that wasn’t enough, my partner’s calamari starter came out freezing cold and badly cooked. It was obvious that it had been left sitting for too long before being served.

When the mains finally arrived, things only got worse. My pasta dish was cold and completely lacking in flavour, and my partner’s pizza was delivered sloppily on a board — the server had her thumb practically on the pizza as she struggled to place it down while it was sliding off. Totally unhygienic.

Throughout the meal, it also felt like the staff were speaking about us, casting glances and whispering while gathered near the bar station. It made the whole experience uncomfortable and unwelcoming.

To top it all off, no real apology or compensation was offered. At the end of the meal, a staff member casually said, “the bruschetta has been taken off by the way,” as if they were doing us a favour. We were then handed the card machine, which was pre-set to a 20% tip — an outrageous assumption given the circumstances.

There was absolutely no remorse, no accountability, and no attempt to make things right. I’m honestly shocked by the entire situation and will never return. I’d advise others to think twice before...

Very disappointed with experience here today (Bank Holiday Monday January 2nd 2023) Not only waited 45 minutes outside (with NO staff explaining how long it why until I went in to find out - apparently regardless of the copious amount of empty tables, they only had two "chefs" in hence the wait) but when taken in and seated, the waiter couldn't have been less interested if he tried. From the quick interactions, he took drinks then came back for food. As a vegetarian the lack of choice was very disappointing. Basic lackluster are an understatement. 2 pizzas (1 of which is a Margherita) 1 pasta dish and a few starters. When will businesses realise Vegetarianism and Veganism is here to stay and are increasing in numbers rapidly. Anyway, I chose this place due to being a Blue Light Cardholder (but this doesn't work on Bank Holidays apparently) but couldn't use it. Prices were a bit excessive especially for drinks and desserts. Food was actually not bad when it came and came in a good timeframe. Waiter returned to explain about desserts and their lack of a few, which was also very frustrating. Overall, service was average at best and that's being kind. Waiting time and lack of communication; dispite plenty of staff buzzing about, was shocking, and attitude and lack of customer care need to be addressed, as well as management of staff and "chefs" for a Bank Holiday. It's clearly going to be busy on a Bank holiday and plenty of people left to go elsewhere... I wish I had to be honest. Food being half decent means it's a two star. Wouldn't bother going here if Vegetarian or Vegan. Much better, cheaper and more efficient...