Which hyped restaurants have you found underwhelming?

[Kickinthenostalgia]

Went to happy restaurant london today and I just didn’t get the hype. It was okay as far as restaurants go, but I just found it a little underwhelming considering the hype it gets. DP, DS and my sister absolutely love it, they’ve been about 4 times, dd has been twice, she told me she prefers hard rock and tbh I have to agree with her.
what restaurant hypes did you find underwhelming?.

In Manchester, 20 Stories. Went once a few years back and never returned. Massively style-over-substance. The food was very mediocre for a premium price, and it was blatantly obvious that the huge markup on a very ordinary meal was funding things like matching bodycon black lace dresses for the waitresses. The views are good. That's all.

Oh noooo! I hope the biggest injury was to your pride.

The noise level was shit too - too much granite and metal, which is OK in Pizza Exprss because it gets the punters out quickly.but not in such an upscale place. The staff were supercilious. My boss loved it - no idea why, apart from the fact he was young and rather full of himself, so Quaglino’s fitted in that respect.

The Hand and Flowers Marlow.
The food was almost inedible it was so salty and the service was dire. We haven’t been back.

Jamie's Italian back in the day was average long waits and underwhelming food
Gleneagles breakfast - everyone raves about it I found it meh

Chains - TGI Fridays, Ask, Zizzis, Prezzo - all very overpriced for the food. But maybe I'm spoilt with really good independent Italians and cafes.

I know it’s fast food rather than a traditional restaurant, but I thought Five Guys was a bit rubbish.

Loads of people I knew talked about how good it was but the only novelty for me was buying a beer with my overpriced burger.

And is the giant vat of peanuts in the middle of the restaurant a standard offering? You’d never catch me eating out of that, given the number of grubby hands that have probably been dipping in there- absolutely grim!

I love The Ivy!!! Been to a few. Maybe it was because we had such a laugh but I like the food and the atmosphere. Nice vibe x

Everyone seemed to talk about going for "a cheeky Nando's", so when I made my first visit I was disappointed to discover that it was just a load of boring old chicken and chips with nothing naughty or humorous about it. Maybe I just chose the wrong branch.

The Ivy chain (the original was great)
Soo many others over the years that have started well and gone down hill.
We don't do it. It's just spending for mediocrity.

Happy is just a tourist restaurant. It's not meant to be good value or good quality. It's like going to Angus Steak House and being surprised it's shit.

I always wonder how Pizza Express has survived. Very overpriced pizzas that get cold within less than 5 minutes.

I've got an Ooni stone at home and our pizzas remain hot and crispy based so why can't Pizza Express do better?

Not a restaurant but spud man

We met ds,did and dgd in Liverpool at christmas,turned a corner and there was his truck

I'd watched a few videos on fb and everyone raves about his spuds

Ds went for the chicken curry and I tasted a bit

It tasted like basked beans and farts mixed together

Did found a pink hair in her food (cheese and coleslaw)-impressive as he wasnt actually there (this was a sunday)

God knows what that hype is-people queue for hours!

ours is so dark inside too. it's a beautiful old building but you almost need a torch to read the menu!

agree about Pizza Express, went recently and if we hadn't been in a rush I'd have sent my pizza back and it's about £5 more per pizza than anywhere else I've had better pizzas!

Me too - and as I said below if you go for the 2 courses at £20.99 what’s not to like?

Hand and Flowers. It’s basically a pub. No al a carte so you have to have 3 or 4 courses whether you want them or not. Mega money for nice but uneceptional food. Wine starts at £50 and goes higher very quickly. Evidently Tom Kerridge doesn’t make any profit which is quite the achievement.

Yes, Mowgli! I went a few years ago and wasn’t impressed.

Rick stein fish and chips, worst dry chips ever from a fish and chip shop. Fish just okay. Massive queue out of the door for some mediocre cardboard that cost a fortune
I don’t have high standards either, I love a local chippy

Dishoom breakfast. It was nice enough but the way others had raved about it I expected something far better.

I agree with the Mowgli Street Food, went after a curry lover I know declared it the best curry they had ever had. There was nothing exciting about any of the food we had and the roasted cauliflower was just a big plate of mush too.

The food in Dishoom was ok, not quite sure why people rave about it, but they really rushed us ... big queue outside and they wanted a quick turnover.

Been to The Fat Duck twice ( I know, la-di-dah). First time was AMAZING and blew our minds. Delicious and innovative.

Second time, several years later, many of the same dishes (except the ones we really remembered from the first time for their flavour rather than being performative had disappeared) and it felt like the sparkle had gone.

Maybe it's just the kind of place you only really visit once.

I'm also an Ivy chain hater. Been given gift vouchers a number of times, keep going back, keep being disappointed. The service is awful.

These were all some years ago now:

-Jamie Oliver's in I think Islington. Small portions and just average
-Tayabs. Massive queue, absolutely squished inside and average food. Much better place we frequent on Bricklane, but friends visiting insisted on trying Tayabs!
-A place in Shoreditch where Madonna and other celebs had eaten. It was very expensive, underwhelming and some of the food was just far too salty for me.

Yep terrible service in the Ivy in Victoria ... mains arrived before starters ... no drinks ...

Can highly recommend the Cheltenham Ivy - we're regulars and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Used to be a Lloyd's bank and is a stunning building.

We went to Jamie's Italian in London and were so disappointed, I've cooked better pasta myself and I'm no candidate for Masterchef.

I don’t necessarily dislike it but I’m a bit meh about Nandos. My two adult children absolutely love it though.

I came to say this and find it’s the first response!
Chewy flavourless pork belly with rock solid crackling that would have broken my teeth if I’d persevered. Rare steak served well done (repeatedly), after being sent back and returned at various stages of medium to well done.
Complaint met with blank looks from staff, full bill, no acknowledgement that perhaps this hadn’t been a stellar dining experience. Even though the steak orderer didn’t get his meal (still incorrectly cooked) until the rest of us had nearly finished.
Was not cheap.