Cava — Restaurant in Portsmouth

My boyfriend and I have been to Cava 5+ times over the last three years for special occasions such as birthday, anniversary’s, etc and have always had a pleasant experience with good food and drinks.

Unfortunately, we will not be returning after last nights visit. This is purely because of the manager who is condescending and just down right rude.

We booked two seats at the bar down stairs for Valentine’s Day. We prefer to sit down stairs as it is quieter and more intimate. We had good drinks and our first two courses were very good. When our main course arrived (mine being the steak and his being the chorizo) my steak was cold. Not room temp but cold while his was hot as if it just came off the stove. When our waitress asked how everything was I mentioned it and she immediately took my plate and advised it would be corrected.

When I got my plate back the contents were sloshed back onto my plate in a less than desirable manner. They had slid the steak and vegetables off the plate then sloppily put them back on. The steak was slightly more warm.

The manager then came by and asked how everything was. I took the opportunity to advise things were just “okay”. He immediately came closer to me and asked what was wrong. I told him what had happened and what the kitchen did to fix it. He became very defensive and condescending. He stated steak has to rest after it is cooked and it is supposed to be served at room temperature. We all know steak should not be served at room temp. He then stated they don’t use the same plate or vegetables when they re plate. I advised they most certainly did both things as the half eaten carrot I had on my plate before was still on my plate. He continued to be condescending. He then went to the kitchen to confirm they did in fact use the same plate and vegetables as well as they did not re plate the dish properly. He then tried placing the blame on me saying I had eaten 3/4 of the steak prior to saying anything and that if he were to cook me a whole new steak it would take 20 minutes. I advised I ate one piece of steak prior to alerting the waitress who then took my plate. He gave an empty apology and advised he would take the steak off the bill. I stated he didn’t have to do that and replied “Oh I’m going to” and walked away. None of this conversation was quiet, the entire downstairs could hear the way he was speaking to me. Everyone was very quiet watching this play out.

At this point our appetites were ruined due to the way he treated us. I asked for our food to be boxed along with the dessert, and our bill. The manager then went to the other end of the bar and was talking to our waitress and making pointed looks our way.

Everyone else in the staff seemed to be lovely. Including one male bartender/ waiter who we have had in the past that gives off such good energy. We were talking to him about the sauce on our second course and he was very nice.

I would use the word unfortunate to describe our visit. Again, we will...

Terrific prix fixe meal, but be cautious in which items you choose. Cava is currently doing a 4 course meal for $48, plus tax, drinks, and gratuity. With two cocktails expect to spend around 180-200.

The first course we selected was a Butternut squash soup, and tuna tartare. The soup was delightful, and creative in incorporating marshmallow and chocolate. Flavors were bold and played off one another well, with the chocolate underscoring the depth of flavor in the squash. The tartare underwhelmed; the tuna was of excellent quality, but the dish was bland and would have benefited from some salt and acid, or perhaps some oil to enrich the lean tuna.

Second course improved upon the first. We chose stuffed piquillo peppers in a rich tomato sauce, and patatas & steak (essentially steak frites). Both dishes were top-notch. The piquillo pepper dish came with two peppers in a sauce, and each was several generous bites. The steak and potatoes was fantastic, but could have used more steak. You received a couple small bites of steak along with a few dozen tiny cubed and fried potatoes. Each bite was a terrific blend of the crunch of friend potato shell and pillow soft interior with tender, well-seasoned steak. There was an aioli used lightly as the base of the dish that added richness and depth of flavor also.

Third course we chose the Day Boat Scallops and the paella. Again, the dishes were beautiful in presentation and flavor. The paella was a good, reasonable portion with plenty of bites of protein scattered throughout. The rice was fluffy, fatty, and golden brown. The scallops had a lovely fry to them but retained delicate tenderness and were served on a rich complimentary sauce. They had a mild, pleasant chew that you can only get with very fresh, well-cooked seafood.

Our dessert course consisted of chocolate cake and an almond torta. The cake was dense, rich, and featured a nuttiness supplied by hazelnuts. The torta was crumbly, moist, and served with fresh strawberry and a rangy lemon curd. Both were well-executed.

Cocktails were more of a mixed bag. For such a fine restaurant, the quality of the liquor seemed lacking. The scotch and whiskey selection was severely limited, though wine and gin seemed go offer plentiful options. I would advise against the Rupaul with whiskey - the sherry in it overwhelmed the drink and let to a too-strong dry note. The rum-based drinks were more pleasant, and they were well-made - but I've had better similar drinks elsewhere. I think if we head back we'll split wine instead as the restaurant seems go offer more options and quality on that front.

Overall the experience was a positive one. We sat at the bar, and our server (the bartender) was attentive and friendly. There's a few items that could be improved, but given some of the challenges everyone has been experiencing during the pandemic I'm willing to cut some slack. I'd be happy to go back and experience the other dishes on the menu...

Wow. What an awful experience. Myself and two friends decided to have a quick night away and my friend was dying to try this restaurant out based on what she had heard. She booked a reservation in advance and we were excited to try a new place. I would say the evening started out fine but it only takes one rude person to ruin the experience. Our waitress towards the end seemed to pass us off to her manager or maybe he jumped in to help I am not sure but my friend asked him for a recommendation for a dessert wine. When she asked for his recommendation he said “ok” not “ok give me a minute or I am not sure let me ask the bartender” just “ok” in a tone that led us to believe it was burden for us to ask what he recommended. After a minute or so if him just clearing plates and fiddling around I asked in a nice non confrontational way “do you have a suggestion”. He did not like that and was appalled and immediately went on the defense. He told me to wait and be patient because he needed a minute to look at the menu. I am not going to be able to explain this well but overall his tone, attitude and aggressiveness towards me was very uncomfortable. Based on his behavior giving this place one ⭐️ . It is important to note one of the friends I was with had been a server for years and we are always very understanding and respectful. We know it is not an easy job especially dealing with the public but I did not deserve to be spoken to in that manner. We we work hard as well and wanted to enjoy a nice dinner together and did not go there to be scolded or given attitude. Everyone can have a bad day…. I get that but this was beyond.

The other server who was bringing our plates to the table was very sweet and I feel bad he...