Roosters Kitchen — Restaurant in Mole Valley

Dear Rooster Kitchen,

On February 11, 2023, I went to Dorking with my family for a program. We googled a restaurant where we could have a nice meal. We chose Roosters Kitchen because it has Mediterranean cuisine and good reviews.

We reached the restaurant around 5 pm. My wife and I are two people. They showed us a table for two just at the entrance of the outer door. We are sweating because we come from a long walking path and we do not prefer right in front of the door for our health, we asked if you would show us another table. They did not accept.

Meanwhile, I realized that the male and female waiters were speaking Turkish among themselves. The waitress was very grumpy and aggressive. The waitress insisted that they could not show the male waiter another place, that the places were full, so they could not give another table. We came to this restaurant to have a good meal and go. We are not here to argue. What is this attitude?

As someone who has lived and worked in Turkey for many years, I speak Turkish very well and I think I have a good command of Turkish.

I asked if they were Turkish. They said they were Turkish. I asked if you could show me another table, but we don't have a table for two so we can't accommodate that. If you are going to eat, sit here, they showed an attitude like saying. We had to sit at the table in front of the door.

However, they directed the two people behind us to another two-person table inside. When I saw this, I said, "There was no table for two, why didn't you show us this place even though we asked? The answer she gave us was that she didn't know that place.

Then they took us to another table. Maybe the food can be good, I don't want to say anything about it. However, Turks say "our customer is our benefactor", but I have never encountered such a treatment here.

The lady who did this, in particular, was the waitress with glasses and brown hair. Doesn't a person ever smile? Doesn't it show a smiling face to the customer? I beg you if you have to work there, don't. Unfortunately, I did not have a pleasant meal time. However, one gentleman waiter and another waiter who said he was from Uzbekistan were very polite and knew the job.

Would I go again? I would like to go and see if there is any improvement in human relations with the staff, not just regarding the food.

Meanwhile, many tables were still empty throughout the meal. Be you, if the customer speaks English to you, continue to speak English with him. When speaking to you in English, please do not speak Turkish, which may be your mother tongue as staff. respect your...

Third time in this place, the food is good (although I found a hair in my salmon today) but the manager is too annoying, checking on us (and all the rest of the customers) thousand times and trying to be funny but he wasn’t at all. Our first visit was ok, food was yummy and expensive but kind of worth it. Second visit was uncomfortable because the amount of time that we were disturbed by the manager with silly jokes and comments. We decided to go today to give the place a third chance but the manager wasn’t nice and also a lady in blue was too serious and unfriendly with a grumpy face that make us feel uncomfortable.

Today, firstly the manager told me were to sit on the table that he gave us, when I told him that I wanted to sit in other chair he said no, my choice wasn’t right and it was better to sit in the other place. Then I asked for salmon with rice instead of potatoes or chips but apparently that option “wasn’t available” so I asked for a bowl of rice and didn’t give us the chips but they charged us 5,50£ for a tiny little bowl of rice. Hello? Then, he was pushing us to leave, checking really weirdly my friend’s tiramisu and taking away as he decided that my friend finished it. When we paid he said that the bill didn’t have tip expecting a reacción from us but definitely we didn’t plan to leave a tip at all after all his show and uncomfortable moments over our dinner, he got upset and rude while we paid putting weird faces. Definitely we will not come back. I can’t recommend this...

What a fabulous addition to the restaurants of Dorking! We discovered Roosters Kitchen by accident just after it had opened a few weeks ago and have been there 3 times since! The weather was nice when we first visited so we sat outside. We were greeted with so much warmth by Jengis, (This may not be the right spelling!) but when you go there, you’ll know exactly who I mean. He seated us, brought the menu and our drinks. Oh wow when our starters came we shared each others’ to get a variety of tastes. Each starter was delicious and very generous! Our mains were equally scrumptious and generous. Everything is fresh and authentic, beautiful Mediterranean flavours, in a class of it’s own in Dorking. Plus a good variety of Vegan and Veggie choice too. Oh we just love the place. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly, great for family and groups to get together and enjoy great food in a light, airy, attractively decorated environment. Jengis and his team have hit the ground running and I wish them a very successful future in Dorking. Hope to see you soon, I’m having a word with Cagla’s Mummy and Uncle to take me there for my birthday...