To ask what’s the most overrated restaurant you’ve eaten at?

[Hairbrush123]

I think for me, it’s a restaurant called “Tattu”. They’re dotted all around the UK and was so excited to try it but the food was so average yet they charge £100+ for two people based on a starter and main . Everyone who I know has been there absolutely loved it so maybe it’s just DP & I!

What’s the most overrated restaurant you’ve been to?

I'm rarely disappointed in a restaurant but I'm a bit obsessive about researching places ahead of time I worked in the industry for a long time.

My basic formula is at least 4.4 on Google Reviews cross-matched with Eater London's 'best of' lists, so far it hasn't let me down

I come from Harrogate and didn't know there was an Ivy there, but I haven't been for 2 years. Is it where Loch Fyne used to be?

I'm a bit hmm at people saying Nandos, KFC, Wagamama etc

For the price Nandos charge I would absolutely expect them to be better. Years ago I had a mushroom and halloumi burger; it was the best part of £10 and it was tiny. It was also kind of sweaty.

I would honestly rather eat in McDonalds (not least because I bloody love McDonalds so I'm absolutely not being dismissive of chains).

I've been to Betty's in York and I would have liked it if I'd had the wit to book in advance and get a seat upstairs. Didn't like the downstairs at all. But the cake was lovely!

@WheelieBinPrincess

I went somewhere got lunch recently (west London wanky gastro pub) where everything on the lunch menu came with accompanying ‘gem’.

Halloumi wrap with gem. Brioche burger with gem.

It was just gem lettuce. Why couldn’t they just say gem lettuce

Yes what is this about!

And why is everyone so keen on gem lettuce?? It's just lettuce!

@Shehasadiamondinthesky Absolutely! If I wanted to make it myself, I wouldn’t be paying you £9.50 for it. The deconstructed food phase was abysmal, like the IKEA of catering.

Carluccio's. I had some kind of vegetarian thing that was basically half an undercooked and very hard butternut squash with a bit of something indecipherable in the middle. It was also lukewarm. They also gave us a bottle of wine which had had two glasses already taken from it (not by us!), and were grumpy when we asked for a full one.

@Siriisatwat

Fuck yes, The Ivy (the original). So, so awful.

Dh had sausage and mash, said he’d much better at the local cafe for a fiver.

And I make a far superior shepard’s pie. Waste of money.

Fair enough, but why eat sausage and mash at a posh restaurant? Surely the idea is to eat something fancy that you wouldn’t make yourself ?

French restaurant at the Belfry. Six pieces of venison for £30 & no sides offered.

We had our wedding reception there though and the food was excellent.

Pollen Street Social. Still makes me shudder to think about.

elephantinthegroup was it Lahore in Whitechapel? In fairness the chicken on the bone was delicious but only available Wed to Sun and everything was cooked in an open plan kitchen.

Yet another vote for one of The Ivy brasseries. Been to one before and enjoyed it. Went to the Soho one last week and was so disappointed. Service was shocking and ruined the whole night.
Oblix at the Shard was also disappointing. You need a headlamp to read the menu and the portions were laughably small - and I'm really not a big eater. A lot of money for little value.

Jamie Oliver's when they were open in the bull ring Birmingham - bloody olive oil overloaded, luke-warm, bland, sad looking food.

@Shortbread49

Although I live in York and I really like bettys the best time to go is for breakfast

I agree! I was there at 9am this morning and my Eggs Royale were perfect.

I snort whenever I hear MacDonalds refer to itself as a 'restaurant'...

Fair enough, but why eat sausage and mash at a posh restaurant? Surely the idea is to eat something fancy that you wouldn’t make yourself

Wasnt that the whole point of the (original) Ivy though, so called 'British classics' or I once read it described as 'nursery food' aka what Nanny used to serve to posh kids in the 50s.

@BigSandyBalls2015

I don't get the Five Guys hype at all. Just an over priced burger.

I love 5 guys but I only ever have chips and a milkshake. Bloody lovely.

Oh also Manchester was overrun with cool/ 'not just your average burger' type burger places for a while (possibly still is). Solita, Gorilla, Almost Famous - others I can't remember the name of. They were all, without fail, very average. Well to me anyway though I fully accept I'm not their target market as even before I went vegetarian I didn't particularly enjoy burgers. DH is obsessed with finding the perfect burger though so we went to a lot of them before I told him hed have to continue his quest without me.

@Bananalanacake Ivy is just down Parliament Street from Bettys - where Edinburgh Woollen Mill used to be

Delauneys....i do love the actual place but was dissapointed at the 80s style menu

Fair enough, but why eat sausage and mash at a posh restaurant? Surely the idea is to eat something fancy that you wouldn’t make yourself ?

Because that was the thing at the Ivy.

Classic British food. Plus, It was the snobbery and exclusiveness of going there. I remember when you had to book a table months in advance (I was such a wanker way back when).

Wasnt that the whole point of the (original) Ivy though, so called 'British classics' or I once read it described as 'nursery food' aka what Nanny used to serve to posh kids in the 50s.

It was.

@MrsLeclerc ironically the IKEA food is surprisingly decent!

@dannydyerismydad

Sketch. Great atmosphere and decor, but food was average and not great.

And L'Ortolan. Went when I was pregnant. Ordered the set menu which came with a glass of wine. They CHARGED us for my glass of wine because I'd given it to my husband and the deal was a glass of wine per person, not 2 glasses for 1 person.

I don't get this, your table consumed 2 glasses of wine. Hence charging you.

Another for The Ivy. Totally overrated and very expensive for mediocre food. Unfortunately it is THE place to be seen at in my town.