Dined here yesterday evening prior to a show at the Philharmonic Hall. Booked online as reviews seemed generally good.
Unfortunately, we were disappointed. On entering the pub/restaurant, the atmosphere seemed very much a drinkers pub, very dark and not particularly pleasant - gave us Wetherspoons...vibes other than the building itself is clearly old and ornate. The bar staff were welcoming however and sent us upstairs to the restaurant. The dining room is just a large room with a bar in the corner, plastic flowers on the table - not what we'd anticipated, which was a shame.
We ordered a sharing starter between us, then a chicken pie and burger for main course. The pie was supposed to be served with cornish clotted cream mash and thyme roasted carrots. I'm no chef, but the mash seemed like it had been microwaved, as it was in an oval shape and tasted like ones from the supermarket. I'd hope this wasn't the case, but it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. The carrots, consisted of 1/2 a carrot, cut in 1/2, were practically cold and dry, as if they'd been cooked earlier and left under a hot lamp. On the plus side the pie was really tasty and hot. My Husbands burger was what it said on the tin - nothing special, but ok. Needless to say we didn't bother ordering puddings.
It's a shame, as I'm sure with some tlc the building could be beautiful and so much more could be made of the dining room. Staff wise, the bar man was really friendly, with a big smile. The waiter and waitress didn't engage with the customers and didn't seem to want to be there.
Overall, we were fed and it was in an ideal location for the Philharmonic Hall - right across the road, but wouldn't go back.More