Urban Restaurant — Restaurant in Northern Ireland

This is our first visit to Portrush, and we were excited to try this restaurant, based on the good reviews we saw here on Google.

We made reservations, and as it got close to our selected time to dine, we discovered that two other couples in our tour group had also booked a table at the same time. We figured we would ask if Urban could seat us all together once we got there and if they weren’t busy. They weren’t busy, so we asked the hostess if she could put us all together. That is where the trouble began.

While she did put us together, she clearly wasn’t happy to do so. She said she’d have to cancel two reservations and change the third. Which again, if they had had a restaurant full of customers, I could understand the frustration and would never have asked. But they were not busy. That seemed to set the tone for the rest of our service.

The (very) young man who came to take our order asked if we wanted drinks. Before I ordered anything, I asked if it would be possible to separate the bill so each couple paid for their own. He said no problem.

I ordered a pink gin bramble, my husband ordered a shot of Bushmills 21. After a while, the boy came back with our drinks, and spilled my drink as he handed it to me. He said nothing and walked away. It wasn't a small spill, and I had to use all our paper napkins to clean it up. I then asked him and also the two young girls who checked in at our table for more napkins. I finally got them on the fourth ask, well into the meal. By the way, the cocktail I had was a red pink slushie with no discernible gin in it, sweet and weak. Disappointing for the high price.

Two more people from our group showed up with their own reservation, and the staff seated them at a table next to ours. We asked if we could push their table a foot over to be next to ours, and again, the staff seemed VERY put out by it. Why was this request a big deal? We all noticed, because it wasn’t busy in there, that the staff gathered by the bar and were clearly talking about us by the way they were gesturing and smirking. Very unprofessional.

As for the food quality: The scallops were overcooked and had some grit in them, and the lamb was overcooked and tough. Other people in our group said their food was okay. It did not live up to the prices and the menu descriptions.

The real problem came when it was time to get the bill. They gave us a bill for all three couples on one check. We reminded them that we had asked for separate checks, and the server said no, we don't do that. We told her that we had asked ahead of time, and she said it didn't matter, that they would not split it. Okay, we asked if we could give them three different credit cards then, and she said yes, but you have to figure it out. So we did, and my husband went up with the three cards to pay.

Suddenly the manager walked over and slammed a bill down that now had the fourth couple’s check, the ones who arrived later with their own reservation who simply wanted their table pushed over, added to ours. My husband said why did you do that? We want to pay for just our meals! She said because we all sat together, and you are NOT allowed to leave until this gets paid. As if we were going to cut and run! This fourth bill had drinks from our order on it, which makes no sense since we ordered those before this couple had even arrived!

It was a complicated mess that didn't have to so if 1.) the boy had said no, we do not split bills or 2) they had kept the fourth party’s bill separate from ours. We left feeling frustrated, ridiculed and downright angry.

Hey, I get that owning a restaurant isn’t easy. I own a shoppe in the states and I deal with customers and yes, tourists, on a daily basis myself (we have a national park in our town that brings over a million visitors a summer into our area). But I can assure you that I would NEVER treat paying customers like that. We spent nearly $300 at Urban and should have had better service.

There are lots of other restaurants in Portrush, hopefully who actually appreciate...

Subject: Complaint Regarding Poor Customer Service on Saturday, 31st May

Dear restaurant proprietor

I am writing to express my deep disappointment following an experience at your restaurant on Saturday, 31st May. I was part of a group of 10 ladies celebrating a friend’s hen night, and unfortunately, the customer service we received was unacceptable and quite frankly, shocking!

Upon arrival, I politely requested if our group could be seated together, but was immediately met with a stern and inflexible “no.” When we were eventually seated, I asked the couple beside me, who were just finishing their meal,if they wouldn’t mind allowing us to take over the table once they left. They kindly agreed, and we shared a pleasant interaction with them.

However, shortly after they departed, we were abruptly and aggressively approached by a woman, who I can only assume was a manager/ supervisor. Her attitude was incredibly rude and unprofessional. In all my years of dining out and travelling internationally, I have never encountered such disrespectful behavior from a member of staff. She spoke to us in a condescending, almost hostile manner, as though we were an inconvenience rather than valued customers.

The encounter was so upsetting that all 10 of us decided to leave immediately. And we weren’t out the door 2 mins and we received an email to say our table had been cancelled!

What makes this even more disappointing is that we had chosen your restaurant based on the recommendation of a friend who is a regular customer and local to the area. Needless to say, after this experience, I will not be returning and will be advising my friends to reconsider as well.

Customer service should always be at the heart of any hospitality business. Unfortunately, what we experienced was quite the opposite. I hope you will take this feedback seriously and address this with your team to ensure no other customer is treated in the same...

Urban Delight in Portrush

Urban, Portrush — a name that suggests concrete and chaos, but fear not. This is no brutalist bunker by the sea. Instead, it’s a sleek little gem tucked away in Northern Ireland’s favourite seaside playground, and it’s got style, steak, and strong drinks in equal measure.

Booking a table online was an absolute doddle — no faffing about or forms that demand your blood type. A few clicks and voilà, we were in. From the moment we arrived, the staff greeted us with warmth and genuine enthusiasm, as if they’d been looking forward to our arrival all week (which, for the record, is exactly the sort of delusion I like to foster).

Inside, the decor strikes that delicate balance between modern chic and “we didn’t just throw up some exposed brick and call it a day.” It’s the kind of place where even the chairs feel like they’re in on the vibe — stylish, comfy, and vaguely smug.

Now, the food. Let’s start with the fillet steaks: cooked bleu, as requested — and no side-eyes from the kitchen staff, which earns them instant respect. Charred just enough to remind you it’s seen a flame, but still gloriously rare and unapologetic in the middle. Bravo. Meanwhile, the honey chilli chicken with noodles packed a welcome punch — sweet, spicy, and saucy in all the right ways. It’s the kind of dish that could make even a salad enthusiast reconsider their life choices.

And the cocktails? Oh yes. Bursting with flavour and containing actual, measurable alcohol — which seems to be a dying art these days. No watered-down fruit punch masquerading as a mojito here, thank you very much.

In short, Urban is well worth a visit. Whether you’re steak-obsessed, spice-curious, or simply in need of a decent drink in a stylish spot with lovely people, it ticks all the boxes. Go on,...