Midsummer Tap Milton Keynes — Restaurant in Milton Keynes

I was in this place Friday evening before last, there were only 2 people at the bar and my girlfriend and I were next to be served, unless your a person of colour that is.

This barman decided to serve someone who came to the bar after us, so I said to the guy remember this face so that you don't ignore us again by serving someone else and we would like to get served. He said that if I spoke to him like that he wouldn't serve me, so I reminded him that he wasn't serving us in the first place. He then went and whispered into who I thought was a barmaids ear not to serve us, so I told the guy behind us that he might as well try his luck with this guy if he wanted a drink, as he wasn't serving us anyway.

So I asked the barmaid that I'd like to speak to the manager and she said that she was, so I told her what had actually happened and she said that I was rude. I'm a doorman so I know what rude is and told her that if that was rude then she needs to get out more, and asked her if she was gonna serve me. She said if I carried on being rude that she would tell us to leave, so I reminded her that if she wasn't gonna serve me then I wouldn't be staying anyway so are you gonna serve me? She said no so I asked for her name for reference, she said Sienna and my girlfriend and I left.

We walked past at least 5 other places that sell beer and doubles and into Revolution de Cuba, straight away we were seen at the bar and I thanked the barman for not ignoring us as I explained about our experience in Midsummer Tap. We even had a table and actual chairs to sit at, instead of standing around or a bad back from sitting on a wooden bench and had a great night drinking and dancing until 2:20am.

I will say that the old barstaff from around 8 months ago at Midsummer, were always polite and knew how to count to 3 so It's a shame that none of them were working Friday night.

Then we have zero negative feedback showing, on other customer feedback sites? I was there last year and ordered some chicken wings, they were clearly overcooked and left in they're airfryer for to long not even cooked on the grill. So I complained and wasn't even offered any compensation, so I left negative feedback warning future customers and yet when you look on their review sites it's vanished and I can't be alone in this...

A Night of Promise Dashed by Unfortunate Events

My recent visit to Midsummer Tap was an experience that started with great promise but ended in disappointment and frustration. The night had begun on a positive note, with my friends and I eagerly looking forward to enjoying an evening out. The ambiance was pleasant, the drinks were flowing, and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement.

The bar itself was a cozy and well-decorated space, and we appreciated the wide selection of craft beers and cocktails on offer. The service, initially, was prompt and attentive, with the bar staff displaying professionalism and friendliness. This contributed to our early positive impression of Midsummer Tap.

However, the night took an unfortunate turn when one of the bar staff members recognized a member of our group and became visibly agitated. It seemed that there was a previous issue or personal grudge between the staff member and our friend. The situation quickly escalated, and despite our attempts to defuse the tension and maintain a peaceful atmosphere, we were asked to leave the premises.

This abrupt ejection from the establishment left a sour taste in our mouths. We were left feeling shocked, confused, and disappointed by the lack of professionalism displayed by the staff. In a situation where customers were not causing any disturbance or breaking any rules, we expected a more measured and fair approach to conflict resolution.

In conclusion, Midsummer Tap began as a promising venue for a fun night out but ended in disappointment due to a personal issue between a staff member and a member of our group that resulted in our unexpected eviction. The initial positive impressions were overshadowed by this unfortunate incident, and it left us with a negative experience. I hope that the management of Midsummer Tap can address such incidents more appropriately in the future, ensuring that all patrons are treated with fairness...

Thinly veiled discrimination from security staff, I'd go as far to call their actions racist!

Turned up as a group of 4 (25 year old men), asked for ID. One of our party didn't have ID so they didn't let him in. Fine. Another member of our party, also 25, walked in a couple of minutes after us who also did not have his ID. We asked him how he got in, and the security just waved him through. I go outside to complain with my friend who was turned away and as I'm doing so, I see two south Asian looking men also being turned away for the same reason! My friend who was asked for ID is also south Asian; my friend who was let through no problem looks Caucasian.

As I'm complaining to security about this, how they didn't ID my friend, they lie to me and say they ID everyone. When I call them out on their lie, only now do they raise the challenge 25 rule. Citing if bar staff asked anyone to present ID and they couldn't, security would get in trouble.

In a sense this all sounds fair and above board, however what 25 looks like varies so much depending on your own personal experience. It would seem the security either have no clue what 25 year old south Asian men look like, or they're using a flimsy rule to enable racist behaviours.

I won't be returning, I will caution any and all away from this establishment. I am grossly disappointed and outraged at the discriminatory behaviour of the security employed. If you or anyone you know has experienced similar discrimination by the staff at this venue, let them know. Don't be complicity to foul behaviour.

This happened Friday 22nd December 2023 around 20:30.

EDIT to acknowledge owner's response: What a ridiculous response. Rather than taking an opportunity for introspection, and a promise to be better, management decided to be passive. Management are complicit in the discriminatory behaviour of their security staff. Shameful and...