Cafe Royal Reviews Summary

Service

Pros:

• "Very impressed with service and a short wait for the kitchen to bring our meals."
• "The service was friendly and gave enough space between courses that we had time to digest without wondering if anyone would ever come to check on us."
• "Staff were brilliant especially the manager 'Anna'."
• "The staff was efficient and a pleasure."
• "Friendly, quick and professional service from staff at bar."
• "The wait staff were attentive and friendly, even with the restaurant being extremely busy."
• "Service and staff were great, very friendly and helpful."

Cons:

• "On arrival, we were seated and after 20 minutes had to wave at the waiter to make a drinks order."
• "The whole experience spoilt by quite bossy manager whos attitude influence other staff members."
• "Our waiter clearly had drunk a bottle of vinegar before coming to work."
• "We had to wait a while to find a seat."
• "The service was frankly awful with waiters/waitresses either run off their feet or badly trained and not coping."
• "We experienced rude and unhelpful staff."
• "Service was very slow and uninterested."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "We ordered 6 oysters - Asian which was garlic, ginger and soy - OMG these were absolutely the most beautiful, freshest oysters I've tasted."
• "The shellfish platter (hot) was incredible- and we are from New England US so we know seafood! The Cesar salad was as well."
• "We had bar food I.e. chips and sweet potato fries, delicious! and, I went for a yummy chocolate dessert."
• "Delicious food! The mussels, steak and potato leek soup are highly recommended."
• "The scallops were beautifully presented and delicious. The rest of meal was equally as lovely."
• "The seafood sampler was worth every penny."
• "The food was great. Tried the Scotch egg for the first time and it was delicious!"

Cons:

• "It was painfully average."
• "The cider batter fish & chips was really poor. The rib-eye, which was ordered medium, came as very well done."
• "Starters were OK, however burgers well below par."
• "All food, with the exception of the muscles and oysters, frankly fell short of expectations."
• "Sadly after high expectations; quite possibly one of the worst meals of my life."
• "Generously put, the food was mediocre. We sent back one dish which was inedible."
• "The food was terrible. It was bland, frozen, and inedible."

Ambiance and Decor

Pros:

• "A great meeting place with exotic victoriana, edwardiana and decent beers."
• "The art nouveau style windows and the lovely decor make it feel like a really special place."
• "Great atmosphere. Beautiful ceramics on the walls depicting important historical discoveries."
• "Fabulous bar, love decor and high stools next to the bar so comfortable."
• "Beautiful place with an interesting history."
• "The restaurant boasts a fantastic selection of oysters and seafood dishes."
• "Spectacular interior within a grand building with very interesting history."

Cons:

• "The place was also dirty and there’s dust everywhere."
• "A little pricey and table lighting too dim."
• "£100 for two people for upmarket pub is too much"
• "The portions were tiny and the prices were outrageous."
• "The sofas under the window were looking a bit dirty and in contrast with the beautiful design it was a bit disappointing."
• "Unfortunately the music was far too loud and very intrusive."
• "The space is undeniably beautiful, hence the four stars, but it just had a weird atmosphere. A little bit stuffy or uncomfortable."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "10/10 and I will definitely be back"
• "Highly recommend."
• "The prices were very reasonable."
• "19£ for six oysters is really reasonable."
• "Which as an American, I found to be incredibly reasonably priced."
• "Service was attentive and it was great value for money."
• "Highly recommend."

Cons:

• "Food is decent but slightly pricey."
• "It can be a bit pricey and it's hard to get a proper seat sometimes, but it's always worth a visit."
• "Ordered another white wine and were horrified when the bill arrived for £81.84. £18.40 for 2 white wine and £12 for 1 red wine plus £7.44 service charge."
• "A bit on the pricey side(a shade under £20 for a glass or wine and pint of beer)."
• "It’s unjustifiably expensive and quite disappointing."
• "This place is seriously overrated and badly overpriced for what you get!"
• "Very expensive food and didn't have the quality to back it up."