El Puerto Restaurant — Restaurant in Wales

So many problems with this place. I think the restaurant is trying to provide a fine dinning experience however doesn't live up to this as firstly there are no menus on the table so you have to read an extensive menu above the food display counter (I wouldn't expect to get up to read and order food in this way in a fine dinning restaurant) also with no clear way to queue up it means you end up queuing around the tables and people eating ( waiters did show us where to queue but again with no clear way people still started queuing around the tables). Also where you order food there's sawdust on the floor which is strange. They do have 'budget' menus if you will so a starter and a main, but also say you order the beef medallions you literally have 3 very thin medallions with a tablespoon of peas, four slices of carrots and gravy. Therefore you order sides which aren't cheep either. I will say the starter of salmon gravlax and celeriac was delicious. For the price of the food is very average and the experience they try to provide I just expect alot more in regards to quality, presentation and service. We were a very large group (some older family members who are partially deaf) the waiter was asking who had ordered a cappuccino at one end of the table nearly everyone had repeatedly said no, I told them no but we are waiting for a latte and two desserts. To which he replied very abruptly something along the lines of what about the Cappuccino. Turns out the Cappuccino was for the partially deaf lady and couldn't hear from the other end of the table. The waiter got asked again for our desserts which he brought one. My dad then had to chase up the waiter and ask again for the dessert which wasn't great. For me the whole experience of the restaurant doesn't qualify as a fine dinning experience which is what they are trying to provide.

The bill was also really awkward to sort out as everything was on one recipe, which is our fault I suppose but would be handy if things were listed individually such a coke £ X3 instead of the total of the three cokes. Ask for separate bills if paying...

We were really looking forward to dining at El Puerto, but unfortunately, my experience was pretty disappointing.

Right from the start, things felt off. We were seated in a corner, and it was a struggle to get the attention of the staff. We tried waving them over a few times, but it felt like we were just being ignored. It’s not the kind of service I expected from a place like this.

What really bothered me was that it seemed like we were treated differently because of our age. The waiters were indifferent and even a bit dismissive, which made us feel isolated and unwelcome. We were there to celebrate a special occasion, but the atmosphere just didn’t match the importance of the evening.

To make things worse, my partner’s dish wasn’t cooked properly and had to be sent back. By the time it came out again, I was already halfway through my meal, and even then, it still wasn’t right. Given the vibe we were getting from the staff, my partner didn’t want to send it back again, which just put a damper on the whole night.

Another thing that shocked me was when I mentioned to the waiter that I’d stick to water since I was driving, and they responded by saying I could still have one or two drinks—as if encouraging drink driving. That kind of attitude is really concerning and totally irresponsible.

I also noticed some cleanliness issues, like sand on the floor near where we ordered food, which was unexpected and a bit worrying for a restaurant that’s supposed to be top-notch.

The final straw was when the waiter tossed the bill and card machine onto our table without a word. That lack of basic courtesy was really disappointing and left us feeling pretty uncomfortable.

After talking to others, it seems we’re not the only ones who’ve had issues here recently. I hope management takes this feedback seriously because it’s clear that there are some big issues that need addressing.

Overall, our experience didn’t live up to the expectations we had for El Puerto We left feeling let down and undervalued, which was...

If I had to put my experience in one word it would be underwhelmed. I am not a fan of the ordering system, having to go up to a counter to pick what you’re having whilst there are people stand behind you waiting to order, I just felt under pressure and didn't feel comfortable asking what multiple things were when I have a few tables of people behind me ready to order when I’m asking how much is this and what’s this mean and what not. Every glass/jug we had were dirty. Had to be at least 4 glasses and the jug. The wineglasses are something you would be given down whether-spoons which I was quite shocked at given it’s an upmarket restaurant you’d think the effort for little things like that would be down to a tee. The atmosphere was loud also like whether-spoons. Dress code said smart casual so I went and bought something smart casual to arrive and see people wearing gym shoes and a few in hoodies which don’t get me wrong doesn’t bother me but I wouldn’t of gone through the effort of getting something smart casual if it’s not needed. Then to the food. The steak was decent to be fair cooked perfectly and decent quality but they just went and dumped all of the sauce I had ordered with it all over it. I would prefer it on the side to add when I like to. The portion of asparagus was way to little for the price. Near enough a tenner for 3 stems. The chips were awful, tasted like real bad Chinese shop chips. The shrimp was nice and the beef ribs also very nice. Overall it wasn’t a bad experience but I was just a little underwhelmed after the good things I’ve heard for years. The service was good tho, the waiters were very polite and always had their eyes on the area to see how everyone was doing and if drinks were low or plates needed to be taken. Just a shame there was so many waiters so it wasn’t as personal as it...