Hola

Absolutely agree with the previous review. Went for a spur of the moment bite to eat with a friend last Friday night and had a great evening. The house red was lovely and the food delicious. We asked the waitress if the house platter (for 2) was enough for a whole meal and, though she advised it was, we couldn't resist ordering something else as well. We had enough food to feed a small army! For £30 plus tip I found this excellent value and well worth a return trip. Whether the retaurant was just getting on its feet when the first reviewer visited, having an outstandingly bad night, or... something else... my experience was about as far from what they describe as one could imagine. We are popping in again tonight for more of the same!
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Jess
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, November 11, 2008

We stumbled on Hola last Friday night and contrary to the previous review we had a great time. The service was attentive and the staff all very polite. However, the highlight of the evening was the food. We kept ordering one or two tapas at a time and when each arrived they had been freshly cooked and were all delicious. The pork and bean stew and croquettas were particularly good. The food was complimented by a good wine list and the house red is good value. Finally try the creme catalana and the freshly ground coffee. Wonderful. We will certainly be back.
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Kim McAndrew
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Monday, August 25, 2008

When Café Neo closed and we heard that a tapas bar had taken its place, we thought we’d give it a try. It’s a small one-room restaurant on Whetstone High Road, so we weren’t expecting the next Barrafina but we didn’t think it would turn out to be the worst meal we’ve had the displeasure of paying for this year.

From the second we sat down, we knew we’d made a mistake. The owner was behind the bar, criticising the staff in full view of us and the one other table that was occupied. A lovely American waitress brought our drinks and told me it was her first attempt at a Mojito so she hoped it was ok. It was perfect - plenty of crushed ice, fresh mint and juicy lime wedges. Sadly, this was to be the only highlight of the meal.

First, a mute Polish waitress brought us stale bread and then tried to insist it was fresh. We were eventually brought fresh bread, but there’s really no excuse for serving up yesterday’s chewy baguette to anyone. Next came Serrano ham, which was a little greasy but otherwise fine. Garlic mushrooms came swimming in tasteless butter that could have done with a couple more cloves and some black pepper. Edible, but hardly the tasty champiñones al ajillo we make at home.

The three worst offenders were the pimientos de padrón, the Spanish omelette and the patatas bravas. The pimientos were greasy and completely devoid of the rock salt that makes them so delicious. When we asked for some rock salt, we were told to use the salt on the table (no) or the miniscule amount of rock salt that came with the oil and balsamic for the bread. The patatas bravas were clearly roasted, not fried, which is just plain wrong. The sauce arrived separately - something I’ve never encountered before - and it was clearly from a jar and had never seen a fresh tomato, garlic or parsley. It was hot, thin and bright orange. The 'Spanish omelette' was not cooked in the middle so neither of us touched it.

While we’d been struggling to decide which of these dishes we could actually eat, the owner had sat down at the table behind us to re-write a menu and continually made nasty, sarcastic comments to both waitresses. The American girl shrugged them off, but the Polish girl clearly didn’t understand his insults, which made them seem especially cruel. It’s unnecessary to be rude to your staff anyway, but to do so in full view of your customers is completely unacceptable. We only hope that both girls see sense and seek alternative employment elsewhere.

Having eaten very little, we asked for the bill and watched as the owner snarled, 'But they haven't eaten anything!'. He asked for the omelette to be brought to him so he could poke it and discuss it with the waitress in the middle of the restaurant. Very unprofessional. It was taken off the bill but it was still painful to pay the remaining £30.

I can’t see this place lasting long, unless the residents of Whetstone have completely lost their sense of taste. It seems a shame, because a really good tapas bar would make a welcome addition to the area and Hola just fails on so many levels. Definitely one to avoid.
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-K- - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Friday, August 08, 2008