twotwentytwo at the Landmark Hotel

I can't remember the last time that I paid this sort of price for a meal and ended up this irritated. The evening began fine. The waitress who greeted me and got me a table was lovely, albeit out of her depth. That doesn't bother me as long as the service is well intentioned and nice. And from her it was. The waiting staff were clearly rushed off their feet as things were slow. Although the restaurant wasn't exactly packed to the rafters.

The problems really began when our main course came. At £23 in a restaurant like this (its not showing any ambitions of having a star for example.... its a generic hotel bar/restaurant). The steaks - both of them - were absolutely tiny and came medium to well done (we asked for them medium rare). I pointed the error out politely and fairly to the waiter (a different one), and he didn't ask any questions, he took it away and said that new ones would be brought out. Nice and professional... if a little disinterested.

After 30 minutes of waiting, it was clear that we were being punished for complaining. Eventually new ones came out. The plates were so hot that I burned my thumb just nudging mine. The steaks were anemic and yet again, medium to well done. I called the nearest member of the waiting staff over (who I think was the head waitress). Instead of listening, she immediately rebuffed my point by saying that "Everyone in the kitchen" agreed that this is medium rare. I asked why it has taken half an hour when it takes only a few minutes to cook a medium rare steak on the grill (as their menu states - its in their "grill" section"), and she countered that they put it on the grill and then put it in the oven and that's why it took so long. That would explain why it was over done.....

Overall, the attitude was completely disrespectful. I am generally nice and polite when I go out to eat - I'm not an eejit that barks at waiting staff and treats them like poo. And yet the contempt that the head waitress showed me was beyond rude. This is a hotel restaurant that doesn't care two hoots about diners coming through the door. They make their money from the people who stay in their hotel who have lots of money and no taste. In fact they probably make their margins from rubbish overly priced room service and may as well not run the restaurant.

If, like me, you are looking for somewhere fairly nice to eat in throwing distance of Marylebone station.... just don't go here.
Comment on this reader review

Beccy
3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, November 07, 2012