The Mayflower

Have been here a few times for drinks and food. I had to write this time about the appalling service and attitude from the bar manager. We ordered food before 8pm, friends did same about two minutes later on the same table number (they paid separately). Our food (two fish pies) came promptly but they were still waiting at 9pm.

We saw people who order ages after us get served. Whenever we asked just given an offhand 'five minutes more' or another 'ten minutes'. They seemed quite annoyed we were even asking, saying they were busy. The couple next to us waited about the same amount of time for TWO SANDWICHES!

In the end I went in and complained, asked for a free round of drinks or some money off the bill as we had been waiting over an hour. The bar manager was rude, said absolutely not and that it was our fault for paying separately. He said it was perfectly acceptable to wait over an hour for food and have four people served an hour apart.

So just note that they really don't care about the customer in this place - even a smile and a big apology would have been enough, but they can't even be bothered to do that. Food is good pub food but not worth it.
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Pip
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Monday, July 28, 2008

I go really often to the Mayflower as I find it is a special place. For a very good prise, you can have the most beautiful selection of food. The soup is delicious and fantastically served, the main courses satisfy the most various tastes of customers. They have a selection of steaks and burgers, of which the Kobe from Japan is my favourite!

I am really surprised of the negative reviews, as the manager of the restaurant is a gentleman, and, even if I can understand the staff can be different at any time, I have always found very helpful and cheerful people!

I spent my Valentines dinner in there too and they had special menu and decorations that made our simple dinner out a very special moment, full of gifts and surprises!
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MamaG
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, June 20, 2008

I am extremelly surprised about the earlier reviews. I live fairly close to the Mayflower, so I have been there a number of times, so I am truely confident that my opinion does not have sampling bias.

First of all, in terms of food quality, I truely believe that it is one of the best in London - for £30 per person you really get excellent food quality - great steaks, sea bass, sole... really good.

The wine selection is also very acceptable - definitely better than most restaurants of similar price range I have tried in London.

In all honesty , I sort of agree with the service bit - the manager is not the friendliest person in te world. Nevertheless, it is not always him with whom customers deal with - his employees are typically much friendlier, even if there is a relatively high turnover.

Atmosphere is fantastic, quiet, beautiful river views , and the place is full of history and character.
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Jsoe Luis Pellicer
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, April 01, 2008

I visited The Mayflower on Friday 18th January in a party of three and felt compelled to write a review as that was the last time I will be visiting. I have eaten there before and enjoyed a very good paella, but the service and friendliness, as other reviews have stated, are extremely disappointing.

The manager/front of house, who is described on their own website as 'fun' and a 'gentleman' really was not! He gives the impression that he is doing the customers a favour, and greeted one group with a very curt 'you can sit there or here'! After several glances, making eye contact and smiles in his direction, he glared directly at me and walked in the opposite direction, when it was clear in a quiet restaurant that we were ready to order our food. I must point out that the waitress who served us was friendly and efficient, but this was truly overshadowed by the frosty reception and service we received.

Less than 5 minutes after ordering our food, our meals were served. Our fish pies had clearly been microwaved, the fish was overcooked and dry and the layer of potato was overly thick, with not very much fish underneath. For £11.50 I would expect more than a microwave meal!

I normally let the establishment know if I am not happy with the meal, but in this instance I was with my mother-in-law and the meal was our treat, so we didn't want to complain or appear to be awkward (and I am glad now after reading these reviews!). To top it off they add 10% service charge.

Furthermore, on our way out we were looking at the old photos of the area on the walls and the 'gentleman' needed to walk past us. Instead of a 'thank you', 'goodbye' or even a 'please' he said very brusquely 'excuse me' as if we were blocking his way onto a tube train in the rush hour.

Our experience was such a disappointment as the location of the pub is fantastic, especially for riverside drinks in the summer. There's absolutely no way I will be visiting the Mayflower again, which is a shame as the location is great.
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Charlie
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

As per other recent comments, a rude landlord, completely overpriced food and all the atmosphere and lively banter of a closed library. A fantastic restaurant in Tunnel Road 2 mins walk away deserves to drive this place into the ground but unfortunately this "pub" is marketed as a tourist destination these days where repeat visits are unlikely in any case. Really dire and a great shame as under previous management this used to be pretty much the best place to go in the area.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, November 15, 2007

I have lived in this area for 12 years and have been back to this pub and restaurant quite frequently - because I can't believe it can be so consistently bad. The food is apalling - even at luchtime, when the portions are so large and badly cooked that the waste must be truly apalling. The manager is so rude one wonders why he is still working here when it clearly makes him so miserable. A place to avoid - but such a shame becuase the location and the building deserve so much better.
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Jenny
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, September 04, 2007

I booked a table for Friday night at 8.45pm. When I booked I was warned not to be late as the kitchens close at 9pm.

I duly ensured that the party arrived on time.

We arrived on time, but you can imagine my surprise when they insisted that the booking was for 8.30pm and that we were fifteen minutes late. Not a welcoming start to receive such a rant from the staff.

We were shown to our table and given the menus. We ordered wine which arrived very swiftly. However, we made the fatal mistake of asking for breadrolls whilst we studied the menus but were told by the waitress that the manager won't allow customers to have bread until their main course has arrived!!

We waited for fifteen minutes whilst the waiting staff and manager completely ignored us. We became anxious that the kitchens were due to close and no one had taken our order. We asked the waitress to take our order but received a shrug of the shoulders and was told only the manager could do this.

After waiting a further fifteen minutes we walked out, paying for just the wine we had consumed.

Faulty Towers sums this place up. The manager obviously thinks that his customers owe him a living rather than the customers pay his wages. He employes young eastern european waitresses who are very personable but are so afraid of doing what the customers asks in case this offeneds the manager.

Don't venture here until the manager either changes his attitude or leaves.
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Friday, June 01, 2007

Tried the Mayflower’s restaurant out two nights ago (a Friday). Rang to book. Needn’t have bothered – turned out they could only find three tables’ worth of people stupid enough to eat there.

Sweet but hopeless Eastern European staff managed by the fifty-something licensee, who took our order. My girlfriend asked how they served the tuna steak and was told ‘Pink, very pink.’ He seemed to have great confidence in his fish, so I chose halibut. The starter, deep-fried Camembert to share. One bottle of £15 white.

Starter came – two small deep-frozen, deep-fried medallions of Camembert in breadcrumbs with an enormous, admittedly fresh, salad of iceberg leaves. Disappointing.

Mains arrived. Dreadful. Tough grey tuna and dry, flavourless halibut served on a plate that was frying-pan hot. I kept quiet about how bad my halibut was thinking my girlfriend was enjoying her tuna. She gave up halfway through. Inedible.

I wanted to complain; she ‘didn’t want to cause a fuss’. Asked for the bill. Waitress immediately said ‘£53’. Quite a shock. Asked to see the bill. Waitress went to counter and came back with a scrap of paper on which was written: ‘£53’. Nothing else. Asked to see a breakdown of the bill. She came back with the pages from the licensee’s pad on which the order had been taken. I then said I wasn’t happy with the food. She grinned helplessly. Asked to see the manager. My girlfriend, not the complaining type, was embarrassed and went downstairs.

Landlord turned up and immediately went on the offensive, saying I knew nothing about food and I must have liked it, as I hadn’t complained when it arrived. Shocked at his attitude but did my best to stay calm as he became more and more abusive and accused me of trying to con a free meal. Culminated in his shouting that I should leave and I was ‘banned for life’. I threw a twenty on the table, he stormed off and I went downstairs.

By the time I got downstairs the landlord was outside smoking a cigarette and telling anyone who would listen that I was low-life scum who was out to scam a free meal (my girlfriend was listening to all this as she waited for me). As I left he relaunched his attack, standing inches from me with his face twisted with rage. He became physically threatening and I had to remind him that I was on crutches (broken foot) and in no position to defend myself.

For the record, I work in food-and-travel publishing and my girlfriend is a doctor. We are not in the habit of scamming pubs for free food.
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 1
Sunday, May 13, 2007

Ridiculously overpriced food. This used to be a decent pub but has now turned into a (bad) tourist attraction and the prices really are laughable.
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Alice
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, April 27, 2007

Went there today, and can only describe the food as VERY AVERAGE to POOR

Baked potatoe, chilli and salad £5.90!!!

Grilled Tuna, new potatoes & salad £12.95, I asked if the new potatoes could be substituted for chips, and was told yes, but it would be classed as an extra portion at £1.75 I DECLINED

I eat out about 3 times a week, and this is the most bland food, i've come across.

Dont bother would be my advice, the website say's they have 38, years culinary experience, which I find hard to believe, save your money and go to McDonalds instead, it's also cheaper!!!
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neal SE1
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, October 18, 2006