Trader Vic's

I really wish I had cancelled dinner at Trader Vic's and paid more attention to the bad reviews I read on Top Table....

What a total disappointment! Let's view the positives: the setting is lovely. The staff were attentive and friendly. They work hard for their 15% service charge. The mai tai was great (and worthy of it's hefty £11.50 price tag). Unfortunately that's where the positives end! The food was horrible. I mean truly horrible! The cod croquette starter was like 3 frozen potato croquettes from Iceland that had been baked and thrown on a plate. They may have once shared a room with some cod but there wasn't any cod actually in them. The chicken in deep fried dough was the same except the chicken was some kind of paste. The "pork stew with black beans" consisted of cheap pork ribs that were mainly fat and gristle. The "black beans" were actually red kidney beans and was the main constituent of the stew. It looked a little like gruel. I did wonder whether I had wandered into a soup kitchen. The dessert was nice. The fortune cookie had no fortune in it. My bad luck for ever stepping foot in Trader Vic's I guess.

This is one of the first times i have been utterly horrified by a top table deal. It is not good value for money. It was not good for my digestion either!! The 15% service charge is a bit of a joke. I do not mind paying for good service but good service does not include removing unfinished drinks from the table or removing plates whilst others are still eating. An epic fail for what could be a really nice restaurant. I had such high hopes but such a poor outcome. The Park Lane Hilton should be ashamed to have the establishment in the same building.....
Comment on this reader review

JC
2 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Friday, June 29, 2012

A friend and I had a nice evening here recently. I like the tiki bar theme and have been to one of their bars in Abu Dhabi. Cocktails very good, fresh and fruity, but a little pricey at around 9-10 pounds each. I was pleasantly surprised by the food and especially enjoyed the Szechuan prawns. Service was a little slow but otherwise fine. Crowd seemed older than you'd expect, a bit business-like. The bill must have been expensive but thankfully I wasn't paying!
Comment on this reader review

Claire
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Thursday, January 05, 2012

Never again. I know the food and drinks here are vastly over-priced. But we were in the area the other day and thought we'd drop in. Keeping in mind that a) it's a Tiki beach bar-themed place, and b) it was the hottest day of the year in the UK, I quite naturally assumed that well-tailored, ankle-length shorts would be fine.

Au Contraire. A VERY rude "manager" refused my wife and I Entry to the empty bar with a dismissive wave. We wandered round the corner to the VERY much superior Fakheraldine, which is about 3x as formal as Trader Vics. 'No trouble with my attire there, oddly, and we had a great meal. No more money for Trader Vics.....ever.

With a "manager" like that, I can see why this place is failing.
Comment on this reader review

0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, June 28, 2010