Lavinya Turkish Cuisine — Restaurant in Uttlesford

Maria and others were lovely to us and very helpful, our seating was super comfy, everything was clean and they regularly cleared our table and were very attentive and their martinis were fantastic! Sadly though the mains simply aren't worth the amounts charged....our starters were tasty and all the portions were generous, but the lamb of one of our mains (lamb with yogurt sauce) was so tough and gristley that it was almost inedible and my partner left most of it! We would've complained, but it was our anniversary and we didn't want any angst during our celebration...and two of the staff (a waitress and the barman) were having a bit of a row right next to us, so we just wanted to keep our fun vibe alive and finish our meal. Lastly we didn't appreciate a substantial service charge being added to our bill, without us being asked first, but again, we didn't want to disagree with it at the time. Our bill, with service came to about £80 for the two of us and just wasn't worth it...next time we'll stick to cocktails, efes and a selection...

Overall, the service at this restaurant was extremely poor. Despite asking multiple times for tap water, we were continuously ignored until my pregnant friend had to physically go up to the bar to get it herself. Additionally, we were disappointed to find that the chocolate cake we ordered did not come with the ice cream that was listed on the menu. When we brought this to the attention of the staff, they did not offer any solution or apology.

To make matters worse, we didn’t get dessert spoons either, until one of the male staff who could have got them for us instead barked at a poor young waitress who clearly was quite new and poor thing looked close to tears.

A cocktail that we ordered never arrived, and we had to wait an excessive 30 minutes to pay our bill. This lack of attention to detail and disregard for customer satisfaction is unacceptable. We left feeling frustrated and dissatisfied with our experience. We will not be returning to this restaurant and would not recommend...

Last minute stop in as plans changed on Sunday evening. They were friendly and accommodated us quickly. The menu was a great selection, and if it was so late, we would have had a few starters, as they looked amazing. I had the lamb shank with was falling off the bone, pink in colour (perfection), and incredibly flavourful. With well seasoned mash. FYI....no veg. Partner had the chicken shish. Again, the chicken was cooked perfectly with a great flavour. Cousin cous was cooked and seasoned well with a tomato base and an array of veg and some flat breads. We decided to have dessert and as they came out, they looked so good started eating it and remembered to take a picture after.....sorry. They have a really lovely courtyard section and a good music selection on in the background. Overall, I would highly recommend a visit staff friendly, food tasty and decore inside with sparkly( which I loved). Would recommend a visit. No direct parking just...