The Basement Reviews Summary

Atmosphere & Decor

Pros:

• "The masks at the bar, neon sign and skull lamps make for an entertaining drinks night with friends."
• "Quirky, fun place, friendly staff."
• "Really nice atmosphere and setting."
• "It's warm with a great atmosphere and good music."
• "The restaurant and bar as a whole has an incredible atmosphere. Live DJ, beautiful and modern decor, and fully stocked bar made it feel hip and exciting."
• "lovely atmosphere with authentic music and rustic furniture."
• "Really cool place - great vibe, good food and nice outdoor area too."

Cons:

• "A lil too loud in the restaurant, though not sure what they could do about that."
• "Another thing was that the music was so loud I could barely have a normal conversation with my friend without shouting a little which over dinner isn't exactly ideal!"
• "Music is loud!"
• "It was full, rather loud and very very warm inside."
• "After passing the crowded space under the stairs and all the unavoidable smokers outside, you are met with the sweaty, dampness of a locker room."
• "The only things that make this a 4 instead of a 5 star review are that it felt a bit cramped."
• "The huge let down was the Churros for our desert, they were way over cooked and were really just a warm crunchy biscuit."

Service

Pros:

• "Very efficient friendly staff."
• "Fantastic restaurant with great vibes and a great menu."
• "The staff just rounded off the entire experience giving their own recommendations and helpful tips as required."
• "Wonderful, friendly, attentive staff."
• "Staff were very friendly and helpful, I contacted them before our visit to make a booking over email and they were very useful."
• "The service was also great, you can tell the staff are a true team."
• "Our server was the most attentive one we had during our entire visit to the UK."

Cons:

• "Service not that great... food pretty average."
• "The service was incredibly poor, with the server even apologising and recognising how bad it was."
• "Service was slow and the servers not particularly friendly."
• "is it really worth it for awful value for money, rude service & flat atmosphere?"
• "The servers were rude and patronising not only to us but to the table next to us and it made us feel physically uncomfortable to see/hear this service."
• "Service friendly and efficient."
• "Really nice and friendly staff but food..👎completely plain,no spices added."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The fish taco was the best but there wasn’t enough chilli and salt on the rest. Guacamole was okay, not great."
• "Most importantly the food is GOOD."
• "Tacos are some of the absolute best I've ever had!"
• "The food is always amazing and the staff a super friendly and so nice to chat with."
• "I got the fish tacos and pork tostadas and both were just perfectly cooked."
• "Eaten here a few times and never disappoints, best Mexican food I’ve had in Edinburgh!"
• "The food was tasty and served in large portions and both the drink and food menu were reasonably priced."

Cons:

• "I found the service lacking, the food was mediocre and over priced."
• "Food is fine, very average. Nothing to write home about and expensive for what you get."
• "The food is no better than any chain, and considerably overpriced given the portion sizes."
• "The queso has no flavor."
• "The food however was dry and bland. I had the wings, which were so dry the coating on them was layered on."
• "However, the food was not authentic mexican. It did not have the taste of mexican food. It needed more seasoning, it was bland."
• "The food portions have decreased in size, the prices aren't as reasonable."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "10/10, very good value for money."
• "Would highly recommend this place for the food,the service and the price is affordable."
• "Good portion sizes and very reasonably priced."
• "Although the prices may look a little steep, the quality and quantity of the food served makes it well worth it."
• "Food was delicious and a reasonable price."
• "with 2 pints of Heineken and a diet code and a day dream cocktail it came to £53 which we thought was very reasonable for the quality and volume."
• "The food was also very good and hot to the table however the portion sizes were a little on the small side for the price."

Cons:

• "They were also mildly expensive especially for being average."
• "Drinks are so overpriced (£ 4.25 for a pint of Estrella)."
• "Also the added service charge on the receipt at the end was a surprise as I prefer to decide myself rather than it being added on automatically."
• "Bit on the pricey side but to be expected given the location."
• "Extremely over priced."
• "For £11 that was a rip off."
• "A service charge of £4.50 for literally handing us drinks and that's it."