Rock Garden

I went to Rock Garden as part of a special deal, and the only thing that saved this restaurant was the show that followed it! The food took so long we didnt even get dessert after waiting 30 minutes for it! Really not worth going to no matter what the special on offer.
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Bev
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, May 15, 2006

APPAULING, OUTRAGEOUS AND RIP OFF. I have been here three times, giving it a chance each time, due to its closeness and apparent 'cheapness' in covent garden. Alas every time they have disappointment me to the extent where it has filled me with rage! The service is so appauling, all the waiters and waitresses each time, take ages to do anything, are shoddy and got my reservation wrong each time. T

hey are so stringent on their timing for their 'cheap deal menu' and have ripped off my card once before and it took me 5 days to get my money back (after bank statements proved my card was swiped twice).

The food was standard and yet 11 quid for a salad. they CHARGE 15% service charge, not even Gordon ramsey charges that. This is obviously due to their knowledge fo their appauling service.

The gardening club had a band playing underneath so loudly, that the ash tray was bouncing off the table and when questioning the staff, they acted like we should put up with it.

Awful, rip off and just sub standard waitering. As someone said befor - if it wasn't for the tourists, Londoners would've lynched them by now.
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Lianna B
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, April 27, 2006

My boyfriend took me here after a day of shopping, I must admit that we were seated within 10 minutes outside and we were seated in a preferable place however the service was long, many of the outdoor heaters had run out of gas and we had to make do with sitting in below freezing conditions and after a good tasty meal, one of the staff insulted me, after id-ing us for alcohol when me and my boyfriend are both 19 and carry id one of the staff even went to saying that I looked 13 which was an appaling end to a good meal. Not something which is appreciated on a quiet evening out especially when the food and drinks are as overpriced as here!
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Misha S - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 4
Sunday, March 26, 2006

I had some family up on Saturday night for a show/pre-theatre dinner deal (8 of us altogether). We got to the Rock Garden for 6:30 as specified in our booking confirmation, and although there wasn't a free table immediately, the staff were really lovely, and within 2 minutes we were seated on one table (even though we had booked as two groups). To be honest I feared being treated like a 'second class' customer because of our cheap deal (£33 for 2course meal and show tickets), but that didn't happen at all. We had one waitress who was polite and helpful without being saccharine or overbearing. All food was prompt and pretty impressive. There wasn't a massive choice with it being a set-menu but between us all we had an interesting and tasty starter of meats, breadsticks, olives & cheeses, then for mains some nicely cooked and generously portioned roast chicken, steak, salmon or (an admittedly pretty bland) veggie pasta dish. A light & delicious white choc & raspberry cheesecake for dessert.

I may be biased since I wasn't expecting such good attention and care from the staff or the food to be so nice becasue of our pre-show rush, but the staff were always aware of our need to be out by 7.45 and were really prompt. Not sure if I would go back for a full price meal since the atmosphere was a bit weird with a lot of tourist-families (and we were definately pleased to be seated inside!), but for what we had, it was a bargain, and a tasty one at that.
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Liz - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 08, 2006

APPALLING. AVOID. This place would have had to close years ago if it relied on repeat trade rather than ripping off the unending stream of tourists that pass its doors and who will never return.

I visited with my family and friends as we passed on a Saturday lunchtime.

A sign at the entrance says "Try our world famous Burgers". World famous for being the worst? I've had better 'Gourmet Burgers' from vans outside sports events.

The general quality of the food reminded me of the Watford Gap service station on the M1 back in the mid 1970s.

I can't understand the official review under London-Eating. Was this the same place or menu? Please go back and re-review ( without your London-Eating teeshirt on). Just check out the reviews below - we can t all be wrong.
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RK
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Thursday, March 02, 2006

We went here as an early valentines week treat as part of a package deal. We had to wait ages before being seated and were given a seat outside... it was 6 degrees! The shared starter was delicious but the main (chicken on a bed of spinage and 'crushed potatoes') was over cooked and bland. Service was slow and not a smile to be seen. Very disappointing.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Thursday, February 16, 2006

The restaurant we went to on New Years Eve was in-hospitable, even when we complained (both on the night and afterwards via email). The whole set-up of the rock garden smacks of Mcdonalds, but with a more up market façade. The complaints are many, so I'll list them for simplicity.

1. We had to queue for about 25 minutes outside the restaurant to be finally seated at about 9.20 for a table booked for 9.00pm, it was cold!

2. The food was poor, poor, poor! It had a definite "mass produced" element to it, especially the risotto main my wife had which resembled porridge. For the price quite a poor showing we thought.

3. The bottle of wine we had was also fairly poor for the price.

4. The above complaints were raised at the time but there was a lack of time available to the waitresses/waiters. We would also question their competence to carry out their work under such pressure. The service was slow and in-hospitable.

5. The microwave was definitely working overtime.

6. Fed up of waiting, we had to actually get up and approach somebody to pay our bill. With a whopping 15% service charge, what service!?

7. We missed the new year welcoming at midnight due to waiting for our bill, one of the reasons for coming to London. We intended to leave in time to see in the new year either at the nightclub next door or one of the local bars. We were instead standing by the doorway waiting for our change, which was eventually brought to us by an abrupt waitress who was now in tears. She continued to give us some sort of lecture on how it wasn't her fault and some other things we couldn't understand (not the best thing to do to already unhappy customers). By this time we didn't ask any questions as we just wanted to leave and salvage something from the evening.

9. The whole evening gave a sense of profit making over service. I realise the whole point of running a restaurant is ultimately to make a profit, but sometimes the scales are tipped a little too far away from service.

We were looking for a pleasant experience which we didn't get. We did give the restaurant the chance to rectify the situation after the event. They apologised for us not having a good time, but basically denied any shortcomings on their part. As a "good will gesture" we were offered a meal from the "express menu" to the value of around £25. We spent over £100 on our original visit (plus service charge - work out how much of a "tip" that is!). They thought this was generous compensation for our experience. We declined knowing that at their prices we'd only end up spending at least another £50 to have the same experience again.

For a restaurant situated in a such a chic part of the world as Covent Garden, this restaurant is very poor.
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Paul McCabe
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Friday, February 10, 2006