Bar Meze — Restaurant in St Albans

We had a lovely meal food was great but the evening was completely ruined by the waiters shocking attitude. When we were given the bill an extortionate gratitude charge had been added. We chose not to pay this but did leave a reasonable cash tip on the table. As we got up to leave the waiter came up shouting at us quite aggressively that we had not paid the service charge, completely out of order attitude! We pointed out a cash tip had been left, again quite aggressively he shouted how was he supposed to pay his staff wages for a 'good job'. Isn't gratitude a tip? Not your staffs wages?? The waiter then continued to follow us into the street (to add we were a group of women) still shouting that we needed to pay and we were being ungrateful out in public view, so unnecessary!! As I say a cash tip had been left however the waiting experience wasn't that great so not sure why we even left that; drinks were just plonked on the table, serving plates not cleared until the table ran out of room and when they did come and clear what food had been left on serving plates was just shoved without asking onto the plate I was eating from! In addition to this we were offered halloumi fries, it was made to sound as if it was part of the set menu but then we were charged for them (fair enough to charge but this needs to be made clear). Over all a lovely meal but would not be recommending due to staffs unbelievable attitude.

*edit in response to owners comments. I am not a liar the waiter was left and ample cash tip on the table, which I witnessed him putting in his pocket. He did very clearly state that the service charge was towards his wages and was quite aggressive over this. It is incredibly rude to asking for tips, yes tips should be given as we did not, asked for in such a manner! The waiter DID also follow us out onto the street yes he did not go any further than the small garden area out the front but he did call out to us in the street which is completely unacceptable. If this is the attitude to call customers liars I certainly will not...

Absolutely awful. DO NOT GO HERE. First impression was how they were so unprepared for our booking that we had booked months in advance. The food was mediocre (not worth the £45 per person at all) but the most disappointing part was the incredibly ridiculous small portions. I cannot stress how insanely minuscule these portions were, that were supposed to be shared between 4 people. Not enough for even one person. When asked if we can get more food, all they said was ‘no more’, even though other tables surrounding us were packed with food from the same set menu, customers full with food still left on their table. No effort to accommodate to us at all. BE WARNED, they add a mandatory service charge (for what service, I’m not sure). They added the incorrect amount for the service charge as well, so ensure to do the maths yourself to make sure they haven’t overcharged you the 10%. They added £3.40 to our bill and when confronted they responded ‘are you really arguing about £3?’. No effort to make us more comfortable, no effort to find any compromise, nor to go above and beyond to make it worth our while.

The whole service includes them grabbing dishes and chucking plates on the table, not taking any care to be aware of the customers and making sure to be polite or aware. It made for an uncomfortable evening, not knowing when someone was going to grab something from over your shoulder or throw another tiny dish of food at you.

All in all, a hectic service with very low standard food. Incredibly unimpressed, left very angry, and will certainly...

We love this place so, after a decade or more of eating here, I thought I'd share the secret. This is a restaurant that absolutely nails what it sets out to do...

This is a lively, friendly meze grill and the food and ambience is very Cypriot / Mediterranean. (I note some reviews saying it can get noisy - yes, it does at the weekends because it's always full and that's the kind of place it is). Treat yourself early or on a weekday lunch to sample the food at a quieter time.

The food is always beautifully prepared and comes fresh off the grill to your plate. You can choose to eat meze-style (the fixed options are easy, varied and plentiful) or have more traditional courses to your meal if you prefer.

My partner is coeliac but is always comfortable eating here - the friendly staff are knowledgeable about gluten and allergies - which means it's a place she can eat at without worry.

We eat here regularly as a couple but also come with friends, family and have even booked it for parties and work events. Always in the knowledge that it'll deliver.

As a final bonus you can pick a number of healthy choices so can indulge without feeling you've over eaten.

A real...