La Tasca (Docklands)

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed such a sudden decline in La Tasca? La Tasca used to be one of my favourite places to eat, I loved the atmosphere, the vast menu, the prices and the service.

About a year ago I noticed that the prices had been hiked yet the portion sizes and menu had got smaller. They had removed some 'classic favourites' which was extremely disappointing! Because I loved it so much I gave it 4 more chances, hoping each time they would prove me wrong.

Last night however, was the straw that broke the camels back so to speak! I will NOT be going back! Evening started well with a lovely glass of white riocha, service was friendly and efficient, then food came!

My friend ordered prawns which were white! and not cooked! She also ordered the chorizo which used to be double the size, she had about 6 bits of sausage which didn't even fill half of the plate! I ordered mushrooms which had obviously been sitting around for a while and tasted like they had been regheated and a rather dry tortilla that tasted bland.

We sent the prawns back and they returned bubbling but the oil had turned to gloop! Completely inedible! We sent them back again! and declined a further dish! When the bill came they had the cheek to try and charge us for the inedible gloop! Which of course I refused to pay for.

One positive is that they had a sax player playing live and two couples actually got up to dance! Old guys, very energetic! Hilarious!!!!

So disappointed in the decline of this restaurant!
Comment on this reader review

Rebecca
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Having experienced La Tasca elsewhere I visited this restaurant with a friend Saturday evening for a quick, and cheap meal. It was very busy and we had to wait quite a while before we were even noticed. We asked for a table for 2 and were told we would have to wait 40mins. We waited outside, and were eventually seated by a waiter who pushed a table into the bar waiting area. We had to eat in front of lots of people waiting for a table. We then had to wait for someone to take our money off us! Eventually we walked to the door and cornered a waitress. VERY POOR SERVICE.
Comment on this reader review

Carrie.
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Terrible.

Slow service, overstretched waiting staff, bland unauthentic tapas. Was very glad I wasn't paying for this one.
Comment on this reader review

Gethin - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Saturday, May 26, 2007

Just came back from this restaurant. We went there as a group of 8 people for lunch and were forced to order the set menu instead of Tapas even though technically we qualified for the latter option. The set menu is overpriced. A jug of sangria for £12.50 where half of it is ice is appaling as well. The food was ok, but nothing extraordinary, not worth the price we were paying for it. Service was appalling, and tip is added anyway. I have booked the place yesterday and called them in the morning to update the number of people attending. When we arrived, however, they did not have any reservation in my name!!!

Bottom line, zero value for quite a lot of money.
Comment on this reader review

Vladimir
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, April 05, 2007

I was unlucky enough to eat in this restaurant last evening having been to the nearby cinema. On entering we were hurriedly shown to a table by a waiter who seemed so disinterested in myself and my guest that I was unsure if he was actually aware of us with an ever so slight 'follow me' head flick. having dumped the shabby looking menus on the barely clean table he was off even before we had arrived - in fact having to sidestep him to get to my seat! The evening did not improve. We were offered some bread and olives while we perused the menu. The bread did arrive some 10mins later; not sure what had happened to our olives but couldn't get our waitresses attention again to ask. When we did finally manage to get her attention she asked if we would like more olives. I had to inform her of the curious mystery of the first batch. We did finally receive them. They were not very inspiring and had little flavour. They were soggy, bruised and bland. The most shocking thing about this little selection was the addition of a bottle (stuffed with a wine cork as the proper stopper had probably resigned in shame!) of watered down (!) balsamic vinegar. Yes, watered down. As one tipped the greasy little bottle the brown liquid inside was actually transparent. When it hit our dry french stick (or should that be spanish?)it hardly even coloured it. Wholly unacceptable. In fact absolutely disgusting! Tapas was equally shameful, patatas bravas were re-invented as cubed chips with an orange tomatoe sauce spooned on top which was sickly sweet and ridiculously processed. I would seriously question whether there was any tomatoe in it atall. Mixed seafood was chewy, cold and tasteless, brochette atun was clearly from a tin and spanish tortilla was unpalatably dry. My guest braved dessert and chose the strwaberry ice cream - I would recommend you skip this option and try Tesco Value Straberry Ice Cream as it is of infinitely better quality. This was one of the most shocking meals (food, service, atmosphere) that I have ever had. Please do not offend your mouth or stomach by visiting this place. Truly awful. If you want good tapas, go to spain. I dread to think that visitors to this country may think that this is representative of the cooking available. *shudder*
Comment on this reader review

Richard Cunningham
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

This restaurant is in a nice location and the sangria isn't too bad, and these are the only good things to say about it. The food is consistently bad enough to make your taste buds weep, and is a far cry from authentic Spanish food. Every Spaniard I know that has eaten here (and I include myself) agrees that it is truly awful.
Comment on this reader review

rachel - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, October 11, 2006

I recently went to one of your La Tasca Restaurant located at West India Quay in London. I planned a group birthday party there with 25 people in our group there. We book on Thursday prior. When we got there and for the duration of the night they had one waitress for our party and the rest of the restaurant. With no dedicated waitress for the group we knew mistakes were destined to happen.

Through out the night orders had to be repeated with long delays and given to the wrong people. We were told when we made the booking that we would have to use the set group menu and it would be a slight longer wait for anything outside of that. On the night there were no set menus out, only the regular ones, which cause initial delays. My girlfriend and I also picked the restaurant due to it's reputation with paella. Well on the night 2 paellas were ordered, one being for us and was told that would take approx 30 mins.

Most people had received their meals and one of the paellas did come out, but the one for girlfriend and I was delayed 2 and half hours to only find out there had been a mistake and it would take another 30 mins. It was my girlfriend’s party and she was one of few that didn't get served on the night. We asked for 20% discount for the poor service as well as the missing or delayed meal but never recieved it.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 4
Thursday, August 31, 2006

Several visits to this restaurant during lunch time. Service is acceptable but the quality is unstable as staff changes frequently. Food is rather ordinary, prices are a bit on the high side, however for this location acceptable. Salad tapas are below level, sea products are not above average. Paella is sometimes cold.
Comment on this reader review

franx
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Thursday, August 03, 2006

Took my mother out for her birthday and being as she loves Spain and all food Spanish this was number 1 choice. Had also been to another La Tasca branch before hand to try out.

Service was a little slow getting to us at first but they always checked everything was fine, on the whole good.

Food was very good, tapas portions are normally small in Spain, i believe these portions to be more generous. Paella was amazing, the squid was fab.

This is a Definite favourite for me.
Comment on this reader review

Victoria
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, July 25, 2006

If ever a Spanish person eats here he/she will always think that the English can't cook or don't appreciate good food.

Terrible food, rubbish service and also overpriced. The squid was ice cold - straight from the fridge, the tortilla seemed at least a couple of days old (all soggy inside) and the paella had hardly any ingredients.

On top of that the mineral water was £4.50. This place caters for big groups who don't really care what they eat.
Comment on this reader review

Dutch_Food - View all reviews by this user
Wednesday, October 19, 2005