Restaurants / Cafes National
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Red Hot World Buffet & Bar (Nottingham)
by mattconnect For my friend's 21st birthday, we decided to go to the Red Hot World Buffet which I've previously heard a lot about and booked a table the night before. On the day, they rang me to confirm the booking which I thought was quite professional... until we arrived at the restaurant itself. The frontage was small and we nearly ... missed the entrance. The big metal globe is evidence for everything that is wrong with postmodern signage. Entering the glass doors, we were greeted with an airport check in desk and travel decor which was sublime. It was the most interesting restaurant in terms of interior design I have ever been to- lamps attached to suitcases to the walls, A passport control desk, exposed ducts and pipes (like an airplane hangar), wide double doors, airport signage and so on... Thankfully we had all this to look at because despite arriving bang on time at 7.30pm, we waited for another hour before being seated. Ridiculous. The point of a booking is that we should be seated at the time of our booking. If we wanted to be seated at 8.30 we would have made a reservation at 8.30. Fine, it is a buffet restaurant, a wait is expected, but an hour is a whole new level of crazy. As we turned the corner to the buffet zone- wow- an oasis of food. It was, as my friend described it, like a supermarket in scale. Each station had a different world cuisine, matched by decor, sculptures and signage. Everything was very exciting to look at and each time you went to look for food was a different experience. I had sushi to start with (which wasn't too great- the rice was kind of hard and the seafood wasn't that fresh- but it was acceptable), followed by some dim sum (which was better than expected) and a first round a dessert (yes I have a sweet tooth and cannot resist). The range of dessert was amazing- great to look at and they had a great variety, but the actual taste was not that great. Most of them were not chilled enough and left exposed to heat up by the mass of people around it. However, the dessert section did have one redeeming factor which I will talk about later. At the 'Mongolian grill', the skewers were quite yummy and the teppan (metal plate) noodles (you pick the noodles, meat, veg and sauces yourself before they cook it for you) was quite delicious- probably one of the better stations. I actively avoided potatoes, rice, bread etc but they had a great range of pizzas and chips, curries and other dishes, which I didn't try as I went for the nibbles. The hoisin duck wrap was acceptable, the prawn tempuras were quite nice , but the vegetable gyoza (fried dumpling) was disgusting. Moving on to the fantastical dessert redemption: a pancake station and an ice cream station. The pancakes were made on the spot for you with a range of toppings or you can mix and match- I did not get to try the pancake but I would've gone for the BLACK FOREST pancake - it is chocolate as well!! I decided to go for the ice cream as it looked very exciting- they had bubblegum and blackcurrant and mango ice cream. I went for one called 'Sunrise Goldrush' which featured mango ice cream with real passion fruit and pineapple bits, with a scoop of strawberry ice cream topped with strawberry and passion fruit sauce. It was stick, sweet, sour- delicious. After this wholly satisfying dessert I went for my last round of food (to fill me up) and because it was near closing time (10.30pm), I wanted to eat my moneys worth. Overall, the experience was satisfying and enjoyable. Despite the wait, it was a feast for the eyes, but not quite for the tummy. Acceptable food but nothing totally overwhelming. You probably spent more time looking for what to eat than actually eating. The Price was £14 per person (adult), which is acceptable, though I would recommend that you book earlier and just stay longer and go in groups of easy numbers to get seated quickly- there were people who arrived later and got seated straight away as they were in 2's or 4's. VERDICT WAITING TIME: 0/5 (MAKES ME SICK) FOOD AND VARIETY: 3.5/5 (DROOLING SENSATION) DECOR: 5/5 (FEAST FOR THE EYES) SERVICE: 2.5/5 (UNAPPETIZING) PRICE: 3/5 (HOLE IN MY POCKET) OVERALL: 3/5 (BLOATED FEELING) Read the complete review |
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Harvester Pub & Grill
by Graham Hurley Went into harvester at the riverside retail park Northampton on Thursday. What a lot of rubbish I was dished up. The 8oz rump steak was so tough it took three hands to cut it, one was needed to hold the plate down. Full of sinew and grissle and really quite disgusting. The chips or fries were cooked in oil full of black bits and eyes. ... The creamy pepper sauce full of mushrooms. The person this was served to has an allergy to mushrooms. The other meal was chicken. belly of pork, fries and sweetcorn with sauce. What can I say apart from the belly of pork was nice. The fries as with the steak! The chicken had obviously just been killed as it still had feathers on the drumstick. The waitress was very apologetic and gave us two complimentary latte coffees. My meals cost £19.68p. Left 32p for waitress but I do not know why. This was my first visit to a Harvester and my last! Read the complete review |
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TGI Fridays
by kiss_me2070 The Restaurant = = = = = = = = The restaurant is located in the main town in Guildford and is just a short walk from the train and bus station. I have been to this restaurant a number of times so I thought I would finally write a review about my experience here based on my most recent visit. The restaurant can't be mistaken for ... any other due to the red and white colour theme of the restaurant. This is actually located next door to the Slug & Lettuce bar which is popular on Friday and Saturday nights. As you walk into the restaurant through 2 sets of double doors you will see that the main colour theme to the restaurant is red and white. A member of staff will be standing just inside the door next to a till which is where you enquire about a table for now or one that you have booked in advance. The member of staff will ask you how many people are eating and she will then show you to a table where she will ask if you would like any drinks whilst we look as the menu which had been given to us. During the week you don't really need to book in advance to eat here but during the weekend it can get rather busy here so it's best to book to avoid waiting. There are a number of different sized tables and chairs to the left and right hand side of the restaurant and on the far right this part of the restaurant is built up slightly. There are some booths with tables to the left & right hand side as you walk in. The lighting in the restaurant isn't that bright but at the same time isn't very dim either so you can read the menu clearly. They always have music playing in here which ranges in different styles and eras of music, most of which I find myself singing along to. The bar is located on the back wall of the restaurant and is also built on a higher level. There are bar stools that surround the bar if you just want to go in here for a few drinks. The restaurant goes right round to the left hand side of the bar where there are more smaller booths for couples and towards the kitchen there are larger sized tables and chairs for larger parties. This is also where the toilets are located. There are often balloons tied to chairs in the restaurant if they are expecting a party of celebration and they often use different coloured balloons to decorate the restaurant a bit more for a party feel. Children are always welcome to take a balloon if they ask a member of staff. On the wall to the restaurant is a range of different objects which I find really interesting. These range from large bits of rope, to signs, number plates and other objects. I think this gives the restaurant a different and slightly quirky look. The restaurant has a good atmosphere and feel to it. The table we sat at was very clean and the chairs were very comfortable. There were no traces of food on or around the table area and I even checked under the table too, and there wasn't any traces of food there wither. I couldn't see any tables in the restaurant that hadn't been cleared and overall the restaurant looked and felt very clean and tidy. The Bar = = = = = I am writing some information about the bar area as me and my friends often go in here for a few drinks at the weekends as we like the cocktails they do here. You don't have to be having a meal in the restaurant in order to order drinks at the bar. You can simply walk in the restaurant and go straight to the bar to order some drinks. There are stools around the bar area and there is a few tables in which you can stand at to put your drinks on. It gets quite busy in here during the weekend and sometimes you may have to wait a while to get served. They normally have at least 3 people serving behind the bar. Drink menus can be found on the bar of the bar staff will hand you a menu when approaching the bar. They do a large range of cocktails, beers, sprits, shots and other drinks. The cocktails come in different sizes which you can order by glass or pitcher. The drinks in here are not cheap and are rather expensive, especially when in comparison to other local bars in the area. Me and my friend's often order cocktails to share and you can watch the bar staff throw bottles and the cocktail shakers around as he makes your cocktail for you. The cocktails are always presented really nicely and always taste great. If you are not sure on what to order but like something fruity then if you tell the bar staff this they can make a cocktail for you to suit your taste. Although the cocktails are expensive they do taste delicious and can also be rather strong too so it's best not to drink too many. * Cocktails include - Bacardi Sweetheart, Long Island Iced Tea, Gremlin, Skinny Cocktails, Cucumber Martini, Black Pearl, Red Army, Sea Breeze, Green Eyes, Passion Driver, Mai Tai, Mojito, Hurricane, Jagerbull, June Bug, Champagne Cocktail, Kir Royale, Ice Cream Cocktails. * Beers - Budweiser, Corona Extra, Stella Artois, Brahma, Magners They have a range of different wines and champagne available to purchase by glass or bottle. The Menu = = = = = = The menu consists of a large range of different dishes suitable for a wide range of people. They have a separate menu for kids. Although I'm not going to list all the food on the menu I will list some of the food in each category so you can get an idea what food they actually do here. Being a TGI Friday's their menu contains mainly grilled food or burgers. * Starters/Sharers - Sesame Chicken Strips, Boneless Wings, Mozzarella Dippers, Loaded Potato Skins, Cheese Nachos. * Fresh from the Grill - Steak, Ribs & Shrimp, 8oz New York Strip, Surf & Turf Combo's, Jack Daniels Glazed Ribs, Jack Daniels Chicken, Jack Daniels Salmon. * Juicy Burgers - Classic American, The Monster, The Inferno, French Canadian, Chicken Finger BLT. * Southern Sizzle - Sizzling Fajita, Tequila Chicken Fajita, Cajun Cream Chicken Penne, Spicy Diablo Pasta, Chicken Fingers, Jack Daniels Shrimp, Fajita Salad, BBQ Chicken Salad. * Sweet Treats - Mocha Mud Pie, Apple Waffle Crunch, Cookies & Cream Sundae. * Drinks - Slushes, Smoothies, Milkshakes, Bottomless Glass (Coke/Lemonade), J20, Fruit Juices (Apple, Cranberry, Orange, Pineapple), Red Bull, Water. After sitting down for at least 5 minutes the waiter asked us if we were ready to order our food. By now the drinks we had ordered when we first arrived had been brought over to us. We told the waiter what we wanted to order and he asked if we wanted any additional drinks, we politely said no and he took our menus from us and left us to chat. If we decided that we did want any additional drinks we could call him over to order them. As it was a weekday I didn't really want a cocktail but I wanted something quite refreshing, so I ordered a Blue Raspberry Slush drink. The Slush drinks are just like slush puppies, but the ice is slightly bigger. This was served to me in a clear glass with a straw so I could drink the Blue Raspberry drink easily. This was a very refreshing drink and tasted really nice. I didn't have another one of these but I could have easily drunk another one. The Food = = = = = = I ordered half a rack of ribs with a Jack Daniels glaze. This came with onion rings, fries and some tangy coleslaw. My boyfriend ordered the full rack of ribs with a different sauce and his also came with fries, onion rings and coleslaw. We waited approximately 15 minutes before our food came out. The food was presented nicely and I was a little surprised when comparing my plate to my boyfriends, that although I had ordered half a rack of ribs, mine was a lot bigger than his full rack of ribs. After our meals had been served the waiter asked if we wanted any extra sauces or any more drinks and then he left us to enjoy our meals. There were 2 onion rings on top of the ribs and the Jack Daniels sauce was presented on the side in a small dish. I was expecting a little more coleslaw then what I actually received and I was a little disappointed by this as it was only a small spoonful of coleslaw. The coleslaw tasted ok, but I didn't find it very creamy and I have tasted better from the supermarket. The ribs tasted delicious and the meat fell off the bone easily. The sauce to go with the ribs was quite runny but tasted lovely with the ribs as it had a slight sweet taste to it. The fries were lovely and crisp and cooked to perfection. Overall the meal tasted very nice and the portions were a good size too. Not long after finishing our meals another waitress came to take away the empty plates and asked if everything was ok with our meals. She then asked if we wanted anymore drinks or any desserts. We declined this offer and asked for the bill. The bill was put on our table by our original waiter. The receipt is itemised so you can work out the cost of each meal and drink that each person had if you need to. We didn't need to use a card machine so we popped the money on the plastic tray along with the receipt and we also left a tip as well. The Toilets = = = = = = I visited the toilets once during my stay here. The cubicle I went in had some toilet tissue on the floor around the toilet. The toilet also hadn't been flushed by the previous person, so I chose another toilet. This toilet was clean and had a good supply of toilet tissue in. The lock worked perfectly and there were no signs of graffiti. The sink area was very clean and there was also a good supply of soap. There is a long mirror above the sinks which was extremely clean. The hand dryer worked perfectly so I was able to dry my hands after washing them. The Staff = = = = = = You will be allocated a waiter/waitress who will serve you throughout your stay at the restaurant and they will take your food order and also any additional drinks that you may wish to have to go with your meal. The staff are all dressed very neatly and all have the TGI's outfit on which consists of a red & white t-shirt or red shirt and black trousers. Most of them will have a small apron which is tied to the front of them and this is black in colour. Waitresses with longer hair, have their hair tied back neatly. Overall Opinion = = = = = = = = Me and my friends regularly meet and we normally go to Nando's, how-ever we decided to have a change of scenery which is why we chose TGI's. Although some of the dishes seem rather pricey when looking at the menu, it actually cost us less money here than it would of at nando's and the choice of food and portion sizes are a lot better here. The choice of the menu is very good and I actually found it quite hard to decide what to pick off the menu. I love the large range of drinks and cocktails they have here to compliment the meals. The service here was really good and during out time here our waiter was very good and extremely polite. Me and my friends really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere here and we would definitely go here again for a meal. I would also considering going here with a large group of people for a party or celebration. This is a lovely restaurant, with fantastic staff and a great range of food. Other Information = = = = = = = = = Address: 2 North Street, Guildford Surrey, GU1 4AA. Tel: 0844 692 0271 Opening Hours: Mon - Thurs 12:00 - 10:30pm Fri - Sat 12:00 - 11:00pm Sun - 12:00 - 10:00pm (review also on ciao) Read the complete review |
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1 review Address: Riverside Walk / Restaurant / Cafe National / Derby / DE12BB |
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1 review Address: 2-6 Shakespeare Street / Restaurant / Cafe National / Newcastle upon Tyne / NE1 6AQ |
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