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 went to a Christmas meal ( a work function) at The Dorchester several years ago.
I can't remember what the main course was but the vegetables were like bullets. My colleague put her fork in one of them and it was so hard it literally flew of the plate and splattered gravy all over her dress. It sounds funny now but she was absolutely mortified to have brown marks all over her (probably quite an expensive) dress.

@theelephantinthegroup was this anywhere near Whitechapel? I had a near identical experience many years ago.

@itsabouttimetoo ha, think you just answered my question. Didn't RTFT.

Las iguanas was the very worst food at a restaurant I've ever had. So bland

The Ivy has the best pancakes ever! They melt lemon butter on them. Yum. Don't know about other meals. Only go for breakfast

There’s a restaurant called Cattle Grid in Windsor which is massively overrated. My friends were going on about it but when we went, the staff were so rude and ignored us for ages, even though there were only 2 other tables eating. The food was expensive and they were tiny portions. The bathrooms were horrendous. I wasn’t impressed.

A small Indian restaurant called Mint & Mustard near Cardiff.
It was a few years ago now but most of the reviews were raving about how good it was and I was so disappointed after looking forward to it. It was worse than any generic Indian takeaway I've ever had and was more expensive too. The food was really insipid, not much flavour at all, watery almost.
I don't know If we had bad luck on that day, and I'm tempted to try again just to see if I'm missing something, but I just can't bring myself to get food from there again and waste my money.

The Cricketers which was owned by Jamie Oliver's parents (but is now owned by a chain). Everyone raves about the place, but we had a very average meal at frankly extortionate prices. Thought it was maybe just a off night, but no, going back it was just the same. Think the fact they used to advertise constantly for staff said a lot about the place too.

@FluffyBooBoo I'm sure I know the Thai you mean. we went during eat out to help
Out and even with twenty quid off the bill, it was still overpriced.

Much better is Absolut Thai round the corner from The Kings theatre and it's BYOB.

Also underwhelmed by Tattu. The starters were lovely, but the main courses ( oh sorry Big dishes ) were ridiculously overpriced. For person who is going, stick to starters and cocktails.

Agree with Wahaca and Gaucho.

When I've eaten in Gaucho, it's been nice but not really up to the prices charged (and the wine I had there once made me throw up.

Wahaca, whilst I don't expect "atmosphere" from a chain, always seems to try quite hard but comes across as really soulless - and the food is never on point.

Similar to a few Pp I've heard some very meh River Cafe reviews too. My dad always reckons the worst meal he's ever had was in a Prue Leith place.

Ivy in Brighton is just awful. Krap chain food and posy waiting staff. Don't waste your money. Plenty of fab restaurants there

The Ivy

@Dollywilde The Pig near Bath?

Ormer in Jersey. The tasting menu. Bland, tasteless and vastly overpriced. It is closed now.....

The Newt. The whole experience was underwhelming.

The three chimneys on Skye but it was 17 years ago and has changed hands since then, tiny portions and felt like they would disapprove it you laughed was very silent

If you are a decent cook eating out is usually disappointing. Even when youre looking forward to it, and especially not having to bloody cook again.

The ivy in Dublin.

Hugely disappointing.

@WheelieBinPrincess

Ping Pong, I’m not sure they have them outside London. Went as a teenager and thought it was amazing. Two occasions I’ve been back and it’s like microwaveable packet dim sum, and the char sui buns had barely any filling.

Just because you put it in a bamboo serving basket with a few leaves, it doesn’t make it good.

I feel the same. My adult DC love it and often meet up there. They insisted on us going too as they were so sure we'd love it. The dim sum was pretty awful. Freezer to microwave mass produced on some industrial estate somewhere. Can't work out why DC love it, as they normally have good taste.

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

@VitalsStable

The Ivy. Any of them.

Yep. Same. Impersonal, haphazard service, terrible steak and the distinct feeling that you're in any other chain restaurant.

I thought Hawksmoor was pretty average, too, and REALLY expensive for what amounted to a run-of-the-mill dining experience.

People saying that Nandos is a cheap chain: my problem is that it isn't cheap. The portions are tiny, it's not well cooked or tasty and you come out of there still hungry. Opposite the local one is another chain that is less well-known but has a greater range of food. There is rarely a queue and the meals are really good.

I agree about Jamie Oliver's place at Stratford. I went a few years ago with some uni friends and our kids. The service was poor and the food was similar to lunch at my school, but with an extra £20 on the price. One friend sent his back. The waiter was rude, so my friend stood up to go. When they saw how tall he was, they got the manager and a replacement meal was produced. Awful place.

Bill's does do a good breakfast.

Rick Steins Fish and chip restaurant in Padstow, not the posh one, just the cafe. We waited in a queue for about 30 minutes, finally got in, and were sat on high stools in the window crammed in with so many other people you couldn't move. Very disappointing food when it came. Fish was dark brown and overcooked, and the triple cooked chips were just dry, sharp and crunchy. Never again.

Hawksmoor, my fillet steak had gristle in it.
My starter salad dressing was very watery.

Agree with The Dome in Edinburgh - it's got some fucking notions. Went in with reservation with my family and they clearly judged us (working class accents) and put us in what can only be described as a holding pen with all the others they deemed lacking.

@shrodingersvaccine

I tried to book a table at the Dome for my hen do in 2016, and by "hen do" I mean a quiet, respectful meal for me and a few friends. There were to be no inflatable penises or wacky sashes but they refused to take the booking even after I explained.

We ended up at Le Monde instead and we had a great evening.