- 整體 4
- 食物 2
- 服務 4
- 氛圍 3
A late supper following a wonderful concert at the Sheldonian. My nephew and I were guests in the Old Bank Hotel, so it made perfect sense to eat in the restaurant.
Overall, the experience was a happy one. The front of house staff are a delight and willing to get things right. However, an overly long menu lacking in any clear identity should have rung alarm bells from the start. Adequate starters of Octopus, potatoes & Chorizo was better than a lacklustre chicken and ham hock terrine with an inoffensive, if pretty tasteless, pear chutney. My nephew, who eats everything put in front of him, felt the potato portion was overly generous as a starter.
My seared duck breast, roast celeriac purée and braised red cabbage was a crashing disappointment. Grey, dry, overcooked duck with flabby skin was just an insult, and should never have been sent from the kitchen. That it also managed to arrive cold was quite an achievement. The celeriac purée was very good indeed, the red cabbage overwhelming in its abundance. A huge plate of sad mediocrity. Front of house were engaged, concerned and stylish enough to remove the duck from the bill.
Our choice of wine was unavailable, and we were offered an inferior bottle ‘at the same price’ as though this were a bonus. We chose a very good Bordeaux at a much better (lower) price point. Additional mistakes on the final bill just added to the irritation. That said, it is worth repeating that the staff are absolutely lovely.
As indeed was breakfast the next day. In the same restaurant, with equally well-trained and smart staff, the contrast could not have been greater. The highest quality ingredients, treated with understanding, respect and care, gave us a breakfast to remember. Truly excellent bacon, a perfect, herb-infused sausage, coarsely textured, sublime black pudding and great coffee too. It was astonishingly good. Morning chef, please talk to evening chef.