Caravan

Returned here (not my choice) for business meeting. Coffee is still burnt, the staff are pretentious and their tapas is an insult to Spain. Am amazed how quickly their 'friends' rush to their support any time a bad review is written.
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Nice food, dreadful service from several different staff members: variably rude, indifferent, sullen.

Really not sure why we paid the £45 service charge...
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6 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, July 19, 2011

I wanted to like this place because I was a fan of the Providores that they previously ran in Marylebone, but quite honestly the food was awful. We ordered a selection of the tasting dishes and each and every one of them was under or over seasoned, slimey, or just a weird combination of flavours.

The staff were friendly but their service was poor.

The wine menu is not bad, but that's all it is. And one of the people had to send two glasses back because her wine was corked.

The only decent thing about the entire dining experience was the coffee which is first rate.

In a crowded market place this place (particularly when you look at what else is around it on Exmouth market) this place rally is going to struggle!
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Peter
2 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Saturday, April 09, 2011

I have been a somewhat regular brunch customer of Caravan for the past year, so checking out dinner there was well overdue. However, we chose to do that at about 9:30 on a very busy Thursday night, a night on which (in the interests of full disclosure) we’d just been told there would be an hour wait for a table at Morito down the road.

Caravan was just as busy, but given they are slightly larger, could accommodate us in about 30 minutes. We ended up seated in 20, and with no booking you’ll find no complaints from me of either establishment on a wait time – However, what was notable was the stark contrast between the attitude of staff of the two places. As I walked in the doorway of Morito, I was greeted with “Could you please wait outside the front door and clear the passage”….ouch! I’d barely stepped a foot in the joint, and this guy was abrasive from the get go. Whereas in Caravan, an obviously busy waitress immediately acknowledged us, gave us a wait time, and offered us a drink and a place to wait. Caravan 1- Morito nil.

Ok so this is about Caravan, and not Morito so I’ll end the comparisons. What do you get at Caravan? Well, I was surprised to see the menu hue very closely to the tapas offering of Providores. Which really shouldn’t have been a surprise given the shared DNA. So if you like the fusion of Providores, you’ll like this. However I felt this offered some better than the crazy breadth of dishes at Providores, as it was grounded in some ways, with definable main dishes, heartier “dishes for 2” and more accessible smaller sharers. Sure, there are a few ingredients people will have never heard of, but on the whole, I think the menu is more accessible fusion, with alternatives for those more in the mood to play a straight bat for the evening.

So here we are sitting down for dinner around 10 pm, after what was clearly a busy night, and we found the service to be impeccable. No tired sighs, so period of neglect. They were on top of everything, with cucumber cool demeanours and a likeable style. If your saw them, you’d immediately think too cool for school. But you’d be wrong, and guilty of judging a book by its cover.

The wine list has a more affordable spin on it than Provs and other peers. I felt there were a lot more value options to ensure that you can keep what was a great meal, still relatively casual in terms of price. And I think it is decent value: Dinner for 2 people was 5 shared plates, a beer, and 3 glasses of wine which came to £55….. lets call it £30 a head. We feel that’s a decent night out for 30 a head. Sure, it ain’t cheap eats. But its no more than you’d pay for the same food and drink at Pizza Express…. And I think that puts it all in context.

Accordingly, Caravan with its phenomenal coffee, awesome interior and lighting, great staff and southern hemisphere leanings, is recommended by me.
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Lenoir
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Worst customer experience ever. We were refused service on the grounds of being "too loud". We were sober, planning on having dinner. Our supposed loudness was the result of an impassioned debate (i.e. conversation). All I can take from this is that the Caravan Bar and Restaurant require their patrons to remain silent throughout their dinner and drinks. The barman asked us to leave on account of the volume of our voices. He explained that he thought we were drunk. The manager admitted that we clearly did not seem drunk in the least and acceded that we could stay for a drink if we wanted. We declined on the basis that we did not want to spend money in a clearly discriminatory establishment. Obviously this place has an unwritten clientele profile, and if you do not fit therein you are not welcome. If you disagree with discrimination, do not go here.
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, February 12, 2011

Had a fantastic dinner here, five of us and we all loved out food selections. The puddings are amazing. The waiting staff were lovely and very helpful picking up that one of the party was lactose intolerant and checking all the ingredients in his dishes without being asked. Great atmosphere too. Will definitely go back again for dinner and to try the brunch menu.
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BettieMcS
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, December 05, 2010

They put coriander in their bloody marys. This tells you everything you need to know about Caravan. If you like your staff from the "too cool for" school, and love having one too many ingredients in everything you eat you'll love Caravan. Otherwise avoid.
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Shappo - View all reviews by this user
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Friday, November 05, 2010

We tried Caravan for a second time today, for breakfast, following a disastrous first visit. The coffee is good, no complaints there. The food less so... it reads very well on the menu with obvious influence from Providores. In reality it isn't as good. Smoked black pudding with roast apple and a fried egg came with one slice of underdone toast. The roast apple was actually more like a sauce, spread over the toast which made it quite wet. It was very sweet. Solid, roasted apple wedges would have been nicer. The black pudding had a good flavour. The egg too. For £9 it should have been spot on, a bit of green would not have gone amiss.

Corn french toast was bland - and again only 1 slice. It could have been crisper.

Another note, their savoury muffins are the saltiest I have ever eaten.

Staff were very nice and friendly. This place looks the part but they could be more generous and accurate with the food.
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iliketoeat
6 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Saturday, October 09, 2010

Had fantastic dinner here with awesome plates and some of the best service I've come across in town, especially Chris the Aussie waiter! Every touch and detail was thought of and we felt very smug in our seats while people waited for their tables at the bar - get in early.

The coffee is a must to try and I almost died over the chocolate and espresso cake.
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Katherine
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, September 25, 2010

What a great place! On our way to Sadlers Wells for a Sunday matinee, stopped by for a Brunch. Menu has something for everyone, and all 4 of us were delighted with what we chose. Breakfast Martini is made even more awesome by the huge chunk of sourdough toast and delicious marmalade served with it. Great flavours (eg the cumin in the baked eggs in tomato / pepper sauce is genius). Chloe was the perfect waitress - efficient, interested in us and attentive without being intrusive: thank you. Felt like we could have sat there all day with no pressure on us to move on...which is what Sundays are about!
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Oldfield
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, August 22, 2010