The Shuffle House — Restaurant in Tunbridge Wells

Not the best experience, unfortunately.

I was there as part of a group, based upstairs, and ordered plenty of drinks and food. Several items of food never arrived and so after 40 minutes of waiting, had to all be reordered. These included several pork dishes and also a few of the calamari ones. This was an ongoing problem through the evening. When my calamari did arrive, it had clearly been rushed and was not cooked properly. The batter was soggy and made the dish inedible. A great shame as the pizzas looked pretty good when they came out, although they got cold quite quickly so I'd advise you get them down quickly if you order those!

Another observation which we made and was apparent as the evening went on was the pungent drainage type smell emanating from the toilets. These are located at the top of the stairs and I would advise the owners of this establishment to deal with this problem asap. Every time you walk in the vicinity of the toilets you can't help but breathe in the smell. It's gross.

I'd like to return to this establishment but not until everything runs smoothly and these issues are sorted.

Sept UPDATE after the venue's reply -

I think it important to add my reply here so that everyone can understand. When I write a review, it is always from my perspective. I don't go around and check what others think or might have done.

So on that basis, I can confirm that because my [first & only] food order did not arrive after 40 minutes I went to the bar to check and then re-order it. I did this because others in the group had also not had their first and only food orders arrive so clearly there was a problem somewhere down the line. I had already paid for it of course, so I wasn't charged a second time. As your team working the bar upstairs acknowledged this (who also mentioned that "our WiFi was not working this afternoon but it should be ok now") it was re-ordered satisfactorily. Unfortunately when this order came out, the food wasn't cooked properly, hence my comment about the soggy batter. I trust this is clear because the comment in your reply about the 40 minutes is chronologically incorrect.

As regards eating more food and then demanding a refund, you clearly have the wrong person and perhaps the wrong party as well, I'm not sure. That was not me. I was also not sitting outside as you state.

Yes, there was most definitely a smell from the toilets. I've just checked with my friends and they remember it. Maybe it was a problem only on the night, I don't know, but the pong was real that evening.

I hope this clarifies my comments from my original review and answers your...

You can see me raving about Shuffle House pizza in a previous comment. I thought they did the best pizza in Tunbridge Wells (the burrata & parma ham was incredible!!!).

Unfortunately things have changed. I usually don't post about negative experiences but I just want to provide this feedback in the hope things may change!

I've been a few times just to validate it wasn't a one-off but nope, pizzas are no good :( Overdone, burnt, crispy, not doughy nor cheesy enough. And just not 'tasty'. I understand the move to more exotic flavour toppings - I'm up for it - but they just aren't great.. especially compare to what they used to have before! They may be good if the base was improved but for now it's just not an enjoyable eating experience. And it's not just me who thinks it - those I was with also said they didn't enjoy their pizzas, and I also heard the lady on the next table talk similarly.

Please bring back the old pizzas! We won't be returning for now but really hope the pizzas return to their former glory so we can come back many times like the good old days!

Aside from pizzas the tapas, desserts, staff, and ambiance are...

I recently had the opportunity to dine at The Shuffle House with my family, and while I can't say enough good things about the food—it's truly amazing—the service was a complete letdown.

As a Latin American family that has lived in Sevenoaks for years, we often visit on weekends during the early evening when the restaurant is usually not full. Unfortunately, we have consistently experienced terrible attention from the staff. The hostesses were unfriendly and unwelcoming, which is disappointing considering the inviting atmosphere the food suggests.

What concerns me most is that the administration staff doesn’t seem to represent the warmth and vibrancy of our culture. Their awkward interactions made us feel uncomfortable and undervalued as customers.

It's frustrating to have such a fantastic culinary experience overshadowed by poor service. I hope The Shuffle House can improve its guest relations because I genuinely want to return for the incredible food—but not if it means enduring such...