The Engineer

Avoid this place. Overpriced food. Not particularly well prepared or tasty (the kind of dishes that most people could easily cook at home without any culinary training or unusual ingredients). Small portions. Very limited menu. Pushy, unhelpful waiters. Slow service.
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Ashley
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Negatives: luke warm Sunday Roast. The beef was quite fatty and the Yorkshire pudding was burnt on one side. The 20 pound price tag also left a very bad taste in my mouth.

Positives: Veggies were good and followed up with an excellent Eton mess.

Overall: A disappointing, overpriced experience.
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Mark
5 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 1
Sunday, July 17, 2011

Booked for dinner and ordered wine at the bar before being shown to our seats. Romantic mood lighting and nice décor. Crayfish starter beautiful, although my ham hock was slightly over seasoned with lemon. Main of lamb chop on bubble n squeak was amazing, and my partners halibut was divine. I think the price tag of £78 for two starters two mains and a bottle of wine was justified. I cant wait to try the Sunday roast!! Lovely.
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R Morse
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, March 18, 2011

I am really suprised by all the negative reviews on this site. My husband just started work on Princess Road so we decided to try The Engineer for lunch on Saturday with the inlaws. I had been there about 5 years ago but thought we'd give it another go. The staff were as friendly as could be, the place was packed and jumping with a really great atmosphere and the food was absolutely divine. I am the most discerning bloody mary drinker (and have been known to send many back) and these were fabulous - well worth the £7. My smoked salmon tartare with poached egg was heavenly and my chicken and mash with cream and porcini muchrooms was perfect winter comfort food. My husband demolished his cheeseburger and we all had to try the goats cheesecake with roast butternut squash that my mother in law had. All in all a lovely lunch - lovely atmosphere, friendly staff adn great food. The service is a little slow but they are packed so its understandable. I wouldnt go here if I was in a rush but for a long drawn out lunch it was perfect. And yes its pricey - I certainly couldnt afford it on a regular basis but for a treat you cant fault it.
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charli
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, February 01, 2010

I went to this pub recently after having heard so much about it. I have to say that its location and also building make it really attractive.

First impression when you get in: the atmosphere is nice and cosy but certainly due to the limited space in the bar. It is definitely a place where to have a meal more than just one drink (except maybe during the summer when you can enjoy the garden at the rear) as there are different dining rooms (a big one downstairs and a couple upstairs).

First shock: the unfriendliness of the bar staff. Not really what you expect from a 'gastro-pub'. The restaurant staff is a lot more friendly and helpful.

Then the quality of the food: although everything looked very appetizing on the menu (and in your plates as well), we were all a bit disappointed by the results. Very well presented and original recipes/mixes of flavours but disappointing, especially for the price. The beef carpaccio was tasteless and consisted in layers of raw beef, without any olive oil or lemon. Although the lemon sole (which was recommended to us by the waiter) came with an uncommon and tasty truffle sauce, the fish itself was more than average.

Then the wine, also recommended by the waiter (who seemed really into his wines) was even below average.

When I see the comments of their Manager below, I have got the impression that the whole staff is over confident. Of course they have a good reputation but you get a feeling that they rely on: their location, building, decor and garden, and pretend that all the rest is quality when it is NOT.

Friendliness of the staff is a MUST in a gastro-pub and instead of getting upset by their customers' complaints, they should start changing now or they will lose the category of customers that are ready to pay for good food and service and keep the ones who are too wealthy to care.
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5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Thursday, December 31, 2009

Do not let the lovely decor, the extensive bar and their self-proclaimed “Best Bloody Mary in town” fool you. While The Engineer's Bloody Mary is better than some I have had, it in no way compensates for their rude and inattentive staff. My partner and I waited to be acknowledged by a waiter and be given a menu for the better part of an hour, despite repeated requests for service with any staff that would pass us by. Needless to say we declined ordering food when we were finally acknowledged, and requested the bill for our drinks. They took another ten minutes to locate our credit card which they had somehow lost and added what I thought to be a very cheeky 12.5 % “service” charge to our bill, for drinks we had ordered and collected at the bar. Had we not been so keen to leave, I would have contested this. The tables in the garden which were “all reserved” when we arrived, were still not occupied by the time we left.

Personally I would say don't bother. There are countless eateries, restaurants and cafes in the area, where you will get better value (and service!) for your money.
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Iris
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Thursday, May 07, 2009