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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what is the worst restaurant you’ve eaten at in the uk

386 replies

Whereisthecoffee · 27/10/2018 15:41

Inspired by another thread , tell me about the worst restaurants you have eaten at in the U.K.
thanks

OP posts:
Whatsnewwithyou · 27/10/2018 15:44

An Indian restaurant in Ullapool (Scotland) - instead of a curry only thin sauce arrived on my plate. For some reason (must have been feeling extra shy that day not to complain) I ate it anyway and got ill!

AGHHHH · 27/10/2018 15:49

It was a Chinese buffet in Birmingham that's since closed down, probably because it was so fucking horrendous. Something with dragon in the title.

RTFT · 27/10/2018 15:51

A new pub, ordered a steak baguette and it had 3 tiny cubes of steak on it...and that's it. No onion, no side salad, no garnish. Been back since and it's not improved

Lizzie48 · 27/10/2018 15:56

I do remember going to a restaurant in a small town in Worcestershire with my DH and MIL, about 10 years ago, before our DDs came to live with us, so it would have been about 10 years ago. Virtually every meal we attempted to order was off, I felt like we were in an episode of Fawlty Towers. 

theWarOnPeace · 27/10/2018 16:00

The two worst chains are Jamie’s Italian, and Thai Square.... tasteless and inauthentic to the last degree. Thankfully, I usually get plenty of recommendations and scour reviews before commiting, so often we really enjoy eating out.

MawkishTwaddle · 27/10/2018 16:04

Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. Over-salted food, terrible table in a long, narrow dining room, rushed and arrogant staff, awfully slow service, astronomical bill.

We complained and were rewarded with a tour of the kitchens Confused. They regretted that because I'd had quite a lot of wine on a mainly empty stomach (crap food) so I was a bit vocal about my utter disappointment.

dontalltalkatonce · 27/10/2018 16:07

Burger King at the motorway services in Carlisle. It's rotten. The Leeds one is second place for bad.

CookingGood · 27/10/2018 16:09

The Severn and Wye smokers in Westbury on Severn, on the way to Gloucester. Had heard good things about it but omg it was dire. The place was freezing, it’s open plan and the Slimy chef was watching me eat the whole time and every time I caught him staring he winked at me shudders
Made me feel so uncomfortable. Saving grace was the cockney waitress, such a lovely woman, turned the heating up for us, was really attentive without being overbearing, kept us topped up with wine and recommended a lovely pudding.

I’ve heard they’ve renovated now but I’m not going back to see.

Madbengalmum · 27/10/2018 16:10

Mawkish, sounds just like our experience at Sat Bains in Nottingham. Why not just sort it out on the bill, I don't want a f***g kitchen tour!

BobbinThreadbare123 · 27/10/2018 16:10

A Gordon Ramsey comes to mind for me, too. Bread St something. Went in for brunch and the staff looked at us like we were less than the shit off their shoes. Slammed down plates, over salted and small portions. Crap burnt coffee. Extortionate price for what it was, too. Never again!
Also a restaurant, canalside, in Venice. I am pretty sure I had a ready meal lasagne dumped on a plate! It was still a bit cold. I didn't say anything as I was just a hungry student!

Rainbowturkey · 27/10/2018 16:11

Bill’s, I was vegetarian at the time and the first three dishes I ordered weren’t available- settled on a halloumi burger which was really bland. Haven’t been back since!

PiggyButtons · 27/10/2018 16:11

@AGHHHH didn't happen to be in Broadway plaza did it? I ate in one there which was pretty gross

MawkishTwaddle · 27/10/2018 16:11

Madbengalmum I just don't see the logic.

'Come - visit the scene of the crime and meet the person who cooked the meal you didn't enjoy.'

No, you're alright, thanks.

Atalune · 27/10/2018 16:12

Chinese restaurant in Edinburgh when I was a student. The chicken was NOT chicken and everything was covered in this msg translucent slime. It was 25 years ago and I can still remember it. Shudder.

CarryOnScreamingValenta · 27/10/2018 16:13

A pub restaurant where I asked for some chips. I got microwave chips still in their cardboard box.

NorthernFlowerHouse · 27/10/2018 16:15

Theo Randall wasn't great.

Waiter got my order wrong and I didn't want to make a fuss on a first date thinking that at his prices, everything should be pretty decent so got stuck with a plate of plain veg that took me ages to gnaw halfway through. Also the lemon tart had a distinctly cornflour taste.

Probably not the worst ever but I was disappointed.

bettybiggestballs · 27/10/2018 16:15

An English breakfast at a flashy cafe that’s since shut down. My bacon was entirely raw, when I said something to the waitress she walked away and came back with fork and gingerly lent over and picked up the bacon off the plate and stalked off without a word. A few mins later I called her over again to find out what was going on, she gestured in shock at my plate and said ‘well the rest is ok!’ She thought I was going to eat the rest which had had raw sodding bacon laying on it.

Witchofzog · 27/10/2018 16:19

A takeaway curry from a local Chinese. When my curry arrived it was two thirds oil. It had taken absolutely ages to arrive so I gave it up as a bad job and will never go there again

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 27/10/2018 16:19

A hotel restaurant in Salisbury. We were warned about the baked potatoes by some colleagues of dh who had stayed there before, so we asked how freshly baked the freshly baked potatoes were - and were to,d “Yesterday”! Shock. And there was a catering size tin of tomato soup on the kitchen pass, in full view from the dining room.

Bitlost · 27/10/2018 16:22

Frankie & Benny’s and recently Wahaca Brixton,

iklboogiemanunderthebed · 27/10/2018 16:24

Pub owned by a local 'celeb'. Food took ages to arrive (we'd only ordered baguettes & chips), mine was cold when it arrived, they totally forgot my dad's order and DH's lettuce was brown. There was nowhere to change DS so I had to change him on the dirty toilet floor putting my coat and cardi down for him to lie on. Then they tried to charge us for a bottle of wine we'd not ordered.

Never went back and it closed not long after.

Thatstheendofmytether · 27/10/2018 16:27

Most buffets especially "world buffets" absolutely shocking. One In particular in a town near us in Scotland, the place was manky there was one other table in yet they still forgot our drinks, the food had been out since lunchtime it was 5 o'clock by this point and most of it was bloody disgusting anyway. Cost a fortune. My dp actually suggested we go back there last weekend as we were trying to think of somewhere to go!

areyoubeingserviced · 27/10/2018 16:28

An Indian restaurant in Cambridge.
Went to the toilet and accidentally ended up in the kitchen . To my horror I was confronted with mice and cockroaches. I
Also ended up with food poisoning
This happened over ten years ago and I still can’t eat Indian food

DaisyDreaming · 27/10/2018 16:28

Chessington hotel, palma ham starter which was expensive. They must of not had any Palmer ham and dumped wafer thin cheap supermarket ham on the plate. We actually laughed when it was served.

claracluck78 · 27/10/2018 16:29

An Indian restaurant in Liverpool. Diabolical. It's shut now but used to be near the Adelphi. 6 out of our group of 8 ended up with dodgy tummy's from the food.