Carters Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Absolutely superb - I had the Devon Duck, and my girlfriend had one of the vegetarian options which she said was 'superb'."
• "All the food was delicious obviously, and as it is fine dining the portions are tiny."
• "Each dish was an intense combination of flavours and absolutely delicious."
• "The chicken, clams and halibut were especially good."
• "The food itself was outstanding. A beautiful culinary journey that left us feeling utterly spoilt and in awe of the skill of the chefs."
• "The ingredients are sourced with care and plated with eye-catching appeal, the taste amazing!"
• "The food was amazing, unusual and new flavours."

Cons:

• "Some of the courses were interesting but after having had a couple of extremely distasteful courses we were literally dreading what was to come next."
• "Unfortunately the food didn't quite impress enough to live up to its Michelin star billing (and price)."
• "Food was less than mediocre, in fact it was horrid."
• "I think the desserts need the most work."
• "One of the worst meals I gave had and I go to a lot of good places."
• "Technically accomplished cuisine but the Chef's palate and mine are out of phase. I simply didn't find most of the dishes palatable."
• "Portions were too small for the prices they charge regardless if they are Michelin starred or not, they were tasty but I wasn't full neither satisfied."

Service

Pros:

• "It's a relaxed atmosphere with knowledgeable, friendly staff."
• "All of the staff were welcoming, friendly and fantastic with explaining everything about each of the food courses."
• "The service was impeccable, absolutely second to none!"
• "Staff attentive who couldn't do enough for you, so knowledgeable, treated us like royalty."
• "The service was fantastic, welcoming and not pretentious at all."
• "The service was outstanding: staff were so friendly and welcoming and attentive."
• "Service was excellent; friendly, informative and attentive but not intrusive."

Cons:

• "I don't like being interrupted mid conversation all the time."
• "OK, staff very friendly, but struggled to understand the guy describing the wines."
• "The staff pretentious in the extreme and the actual dishes eccentric."
• "Unfortunately the whole experience turned out to be a major disappointment."
• "Tasting menu is generally good if not perfect, but the wine pairings leave something to be desired."

Ambiance

Pros:

• "From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave dining at Carters is such a great experience."
• "Comfortable dining which is always impressive."
• "Inside this restaurant you will find a beautifully designed, relaxed setting that belies its size."
• "The decor is pretty dark but the lighting works well and due to the small size you get a good view of the kitchen."
• "The restaurant exuded a modern and relaxed atmosphere, providing the ideal setting for an evening out."
• "The atmosphere was great, relaxed and unhurried."
• "An absolutely phenomenal experience at Carters. My first time there and I'll definitely be back."

Cons:

• "The acoustics are very poor: I had difficulty hearing my dinner partner sitting opposite."
• "I must be getting old as I don't like dining in a restaurant that has such dim lighting, nearly black."

Value

Pros:

• "Cost of tasting menu completely worth it in my opinion."
• "OK, it's not cheap. However, it's worth it if you love being challenged and surprised by food."
• "It's not cheap but I think it's a fair price for the quality of the food and the experience."
• "Worth every penny of £40, 4 courses + nibbles, lunch menu in our opinion."
• "We paid for the Chef’s table experience and it was 100% worth it."
• "Fantastic night, great company, amazing hosts and a food journey that's worth every penny."
• "Absolute perfect dining experience! Service impeccable, by far the best."

Cons:

• "Lovely experience to have eaten the food but too expensive to go back."
• "Would recommend a slightly bigger portion (even on the 8 course taster menu)."
• "It is far too overpriced, more expensive than dinner at Le Manoir, The Ritz, or the Savoy as just an example."
• "I just think I could have had it somewhere else for substantially less than £75 a head with tastier food."
• "The food portions were minute, the wine measures small."
• "Caution: the price matches the experience."
• "Only lost a star because of the price."