The Arlington — Restaurant in Norwich

My family and I (all seven of us) decided to have a meal here based on a strong recommendation from another family member. The restaurant itself looked clean and well-maintained, but unfortunately, the behavior of the staff and management did not match the appearance.

When my food arrived, the first thing I noticed was a black, curly hair on my plate. I pointed it out to a staff member, who seemed disinterested and lacking in both personality and enthusiasm. My plate was quickly taken away to be “remade.” However, when the “new” dish arrived, the pie was conveniently flipped upside down and broken—hardly a coincidence.

When we received the bill, we were surprised to see that no discount or complimentary dessert was offered. Having worked in hospitality for years, I know it’s standard practice to offer some form of compensation in cases like this. It’s a simple way to maintain a restaurant’s reputation and avoid negative reviews. Well, as you can tell from my one-star rating, that courtesy was not extended.

When we politely asked for a partial discount on my meal, the manager responded defensively and seemed irritated. Though he eventually agreed, it was done begrudgingly, and he stood near our table arguing with us in front of other customers. To make matters worse, another table also had to send their food back to the kitchen, proving this wasn’t an isolated issue.

The manager repeatedly blamed the situation on it being a “busy night,” yet both dining areas had plenty of empty tables. If this was his definition of busy, I can only imagine the disaster that awaits on occasions like Mother’s Day or Christmas.

To top it off, the manager even questioned my integrity, saying, “Well, I didn’t see the hair.” So, for anyone doubting it—here’s a picture. Also, as I was leaving, I saw the chef step out of the kitchen with a full beard and no beard net, which all but confirms where that hair came from.

This entire situation could have been handled so easily with basic professionalism and courtesy. Instead, it was turned into an unnecessary argument.

I do not recommend this place at all—an embarrassing display of poor service and management.

And to the restaurant: I strongly advise against replying to this review unless you want to further prove my point about how...

"Thai Night Out - A Lovely Evening at the George Hotel Restaurant

I recently attended a Thai event at the Gorge hotel restaurant, and I was impressed by the pleasant and warm service. It was my first time trying one of their events, and I was excited to sample different Thai dishes.

The starter, belly pork, was moist and soft, not chewy at all, with a lovely enjoyable Thai chili sauce. The fried chicken was also tasty and juicy, which I loved - the fresh chili sprinkle around the plate and the touch of fish sauce and soy sauce marination added a nice flavor.

For the main course, I had the Thai curry, which I thought would be beef but turned out to be chicken. In my opinion, the chicken was cooked to perfection, but the sauce was a letdown - it lacked the depth of flavor and the rich flavor that I expect from a good Thai curry. On the other hand, the pork dish was a highlight for me - the sauce was rich and tasty, and the pork was tender.

However, I was disappointed with the bowl of vegetables, which seemed overpriced and lacked the authentic Thai flavor. In my opinion, a dry stir-fry would have made it more authentic. It was just a mix of onion and pepper with some soy sauce and fish sauce.

As for dessert, the coconut element wasn't my cup of tea. I think they used coconut flakes or coconut cream block instead of fresh coconut, which didn't work well for me. But I enjoyed the fried banana with chocolate sauce - the light batter was a nice touch, and the banana was sweet and flavorful. The sticky rice with mango was okay; I loved the fresh and sweet mango, though it wasn't the highlight of the dessert course for me.

Overall, I had a lovely evening and really enjoyed the experience of Thai food. I'm looking forward to another evening with you when there's a next event. Many thanks to all the kitchen staff and the house team for a...

Don’t know about the food as we walked out! Our awful experience started with the unwelcoming lady on reception who was very vague about our booking. We were finally shown to a table. There was an open jug of water already on the table. When I asked if this could be replaced, we were met with utter rudeness. It was non verbal but very obvious. We couldn’t now continue in this place so we left and went to the Red Lion, Eaton, can’t recommend Red Lion enough. Lovely lunch in the end despite the awful experience at the Arlington/George. First...