shooples's Qype profile

We were greeted with a cheery hello and the staff were very attentive but not annoyingly so! Really nice atmosphere with a proper pub feel and the food smelled delicious - I wish we'd eaten there.

Really nice local pub tucked off Upper Street and away for the sometimes annoying Friday night crowds! They obviously try really hard, nice touches like vases of flowers on the tables etc. Food is nice enough, not overly gastropubby - certainly still feels like a proper pub.

I was really shocked at how rude and obstructive the staff here were. We had a fairly tasty lunch, pricey but about par for the area, but the acoustics were awful and we could barely hold a conversation. Service was included in the bill, probably because the uninterested staff wouldn't get a tip otherwise - plates were just slapped down in front of us and we barely got more than a curt nod. It's set out more as a dining hall than a pub, not the sort of place you can just go for a drink.

The main reason for our visit was to check out the cocktail bar which I was considering hiring for my 30th birthday. We arrived about 1.40 and the restaurant was busy though not full, but the rude waiter declared he was too busy to let us see the room, even though we made it clear we just wanted to pop our heads round the door. I suggested we eat lunch and he could show us afterwards, to which he agreed.

However, after we had eaten the waiter said he had to ask the manager, who informed us that the room was booked from 2-7 and as the guests were up there decorating she couldn't let us see it. I can't imagine who would object to letting someone look at the room for 20 seconds when they were only decorating it, but she refused to even go and ask and was totally unapologetic about the situation. It really was such a simple request, I'm not the sort of person to make a fuss and am rarely moved to write reviews of places, but I was shocked at the attitude of the staff and I feel we were cheated out of the money we paid for the lunch. I wouldn't return there for even a drink, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone.