Five Rivers À La Carte — Restaurant in Walsall

My wife and I got married in August 2021 at Park Regis Hotel in Birmingham. We found out that the full booking of the venue and catering is done via the catering company themselves who were Five Rivers. We initially were in contact with Hemma who helped us with our initial enquiries and quotes as well as information about the venue itself. I would say this is the only small gripe that I had where questions about the venue (especially more obscure ones) would have to be relayed back to the actual venue themselves on occasion and then wait for a response. This is not a fault on Five Rivers as they have many venues under their portfolio but please be mindful of this as it is worth having your own rapport with your venue as well (i.e. I had to manage hotel bookings, parking etc with the venue directly). After discussing the options available and associated costs we signed an agreement and booked a tasting session which would be handled by Ravi as the head catering manager (who would also manage our wedding day itself) and be our main point of contact going forward. At the tasting at the Five Rivera restaurant, we met Ravi who was very approachable and helpful whilst discussing the plans for the day. We then sat down for the tasting session which was amazing, trying dishes from the extensive menu options that were intriguing to us (some really interesting dishes and takes on traditional Indian recipes were available so I do recommend you branch out - Beetroot Halwa for example was lovely and we chose it for our wedding dessert!) Once we finalised on the menu we were happy with we proceeded with the booking. Ravi was also really knowledgeable about the order of the day, transitioning from ceremony to reception and drinks requirements and how the bar would be managed (please listen to what he says). On the wedding day itself, we did run into some delays with the ceremony which caused some frustration with ourselves and our families but Ravi could not have been more helpful and really supported us by keeping our guests happy during the afternoon. He and his team managed and coordinated a quick turnaround for the evening reception (less than 2hrs) From the moment we entered for our reception we experienced a first class service from Ravi and his team who delivered on speed of service /professionalism and were attentive to our guests' needs. The food all tasted amazing and we had no complaints at all (Which is a big thing for an Indian wedding). We were even told by family members who were initially skeptical about the menu we had chosen that they had never enjoyed better food at a wedding before (is it possible to get better complements at an Indian wedding??). Much like the rest of our suppliers. Ravi and team went above and beyond for us and my wife and I are so grateful for what they did. I would have no hesitation in recommending the service offered by Five Rivers and Ravi to anyone that is lucky enough to book one of their assigned venues. Thanks...

I recently had the unfortunate experience of dining at 5 Rivers, and I must say it was nothing short of a disaster. From the moment I stepped in, the ambiance set the tone for a dismal evening. The lighting was so dim that I had trouble even reading the menu, and to add insult to injury, the temperature in the restaurant felt like I was dining in an icebox. I could practically see my breath.

The service, or lack thereof, was another major letdown. Despite the restaurant being eerily empty, the staff moved at a glacial pace. It was as if time itself had slowed down within those four walls. A one-hour wait between starters and mains is simply unacceptable, especially when there's no apparent reason for the delay.

Now, let's talk about the highlight of the evening – the food. Unfortunately, it was nothing short of a culinary catastrophe. The sheek kebabs resembled more of a Sahara desert landscape than a flavorful dish, as they were inexplicably dry and tasteless. The chooza makhani, on the other hand, was a perplexing mix of flavors; the overwhelming sweetness left me questioning the chef's understanding of balance. As for the lamb rogan josh, the dish seemed to have mistaken itself for a vegetarian option, as it contained a laughable three bits of lamb. I had to play hide-and-seek with the meat in each spoonful.

As if the appalling dining experience weren't enough, the prices at 5 Rivers reached new heights of audacity. Charging a jaw-dropping £4 for poppadoms – a dish that is practically a giveaway in any self-respecting Indian restaurant – is a clear indication that the management is living in a financial fantasyland.

In summary, 5 Rivers is a restaurant that manages to combine a lackluster atmosphere, snail-paced service, and a culinary experience that leaves much to be desired. Save your time and taste buds, and consider dining elsewhere if you have any regard for your...

After reading some good reviews I really had great expectations for great food and service. However here is my experience at this restaurant.

08.05.22 on a Sunday evening I visited this place with family.

Attentive customer service I must say.

Asked for jug of waters which has been served but unfortunately jugs were not very clean as anybody can see the limescale mark made the jug’s very murky which looks very unpleasant to drink from.

I must say starters were good course of meal and they are the winner here. Papri chat, Amritsari fish and chilli paneer was good although chilli paneers bell pepper and onions were undercooked.

Lasani chicken was very average and was not spicy as it described by the order taker.

Prawn dish has no flavour of prawns. It was a very ordinary curry house prawn cooked in gravy.

Vegetable and cheese Kofta does not tastes cheesy to me and the sauce was way to sweet.

Chicken and lamb biryani’s were clearly the looser dishes among with other dishes.

They don’t know what is the authentic biryani taste like? They put pilau rice and normal lamb and chicken (which cooked for curry) in a pot with some herb and spices and then wrapped with a pastry then put dum in oven or Tandoor. Yes it was a dum style biryani but clearly it was not a proper biryani. Tasteless, bland and no flavours at all. Utterly shame on you guys selling this as a biryani. To make authentic biryani you must Cook your chosen poultry separately with specially blended biryani spice, yogurt and herbs. Then mixed with little more than half cooked basmati rice, herbs and flavours then dum in oven and tandoor for half an hour.

I really am dissatisfied and disappointed with quality of food from this restaurant.

I don’t recommend any one to visit this place except you like to experience some very average and bland food but paying premium price...