Tamarai

Went to Tamarai last weekend and had the worst experience ever in a restaurant. We were a group of 4 girls and 3 boys happily celebrating our bi-monthly get together, hoping to spend some quality time at Tamarai.

The attending waitress informed us that because we had booked through Toptable, we were eligible to the Chef's Tasting Menu at £48 for two persons (normally £48 per person). We accepted the offer and opted for the Chef's Tasting Menu.

We were eating starters when the waitress returned to our table. She informed us that the offer she had made was for an even number of diners and, since there were seven of us, asked whether we wanted to order a la carte for the 7th person. We agreed to pay for 8 at the offered price of £24 per person and resumed our meal.

When the bill arrived, the total did not reflect the offer. We were billed for 7 Chef's Tasting Menu at £48 each. We queried the bill and asked to speak to the manager. The latter admitted that a mistake had been made on the offer, but that we had been told about it by the waitress and that we had agreed to pay the full price. Which is absolutely false and untrue. He did not accept our version, said the waitress had left and refused to contact her on the phone. The manager then came back with 3 bouncers and told us we had to settle the bill in full. We felt threatened by the bouncers and in fear of our safety, so reluctantly settled the bill in full and left.

To conclude: if you do not mind having bouncers coming to your table during a nice friendly reunion, then Tamarai is the place to be... Good luck!

I went to Tamarai last Friday for a late drink (after 11pm). The bar was very slow and the drinks just sucked - not well prepared at all, especially the cocktails. Place looks nice but I guess under wrong management. Would rather recommend a pub than Tamarai.

Service was shocking - food took forever to arrive and wasn't even the correct order, staff were totally unattentive and would need to be asked at least twice before we got what we had asked for (drinks, bill etc.). I would not recommend Tamarai under any circumstances.

My partner and I went to Tamarai last night and found that the food and service were both excellent. The atmosphere in the restaurant was just right - we liked the low lighting and modern feel. Will definitely go back and spend the evening there. It turned into a great bar after dinner. Ideal for young modern couples. Looking forward to eating there again.

I went to Tamarai 2 weeks ago and had a fantastic time. The service was perfect - not too 'in your face'. The cocktails were very original and beautiful and the food was absolutely gorgeous! It's a little bit dark but very comfy.

Food is overpriced, definitely trying too hard, and the portions are small. It's too dark to be that enjoyable, and the fact that it's 3 stories underground kinda detracts from the ambiance.

The best thing about Tamarai is the staff. They are attentive and polite.

The first thing I noticed about the place was how dark it was. It felt as if a restaurant had been set up for one night in a night club and tomorrow they will rip it out. The fittings were poor.

The food was merely adequate. I'd say it was trying too hard. The best thing was the amuse bouche; as for the rest, rubbish.

Would not recommend the place to anyone. (Perhaps it gets better after 10pm?)

What a find! Had a great evening. Service was very slick. On arrival the front of house knew our names and, although we were slightly late and were meant to be

straight to the table, our request to go to the bar first was no problem whatsoever. I would strongly recommend anyone going to do this - it would be a shame to not sample the cocktails (as good as any we have ever had) and soak up the uber-cool atmosphere before going to your table.

We had some finger starters to share on the advice of our waiter (variations on classics, all executed perfectly). Highlights included the dim sum and duck spring rolls, both of which are a must. We then had lobster, crab salad, beef salad and a green curry - all were again interesting and exquisitely executed variations on classics. Desserts looked great but at that point we opted instead for another bottle from the comprehensive wine list (an excellent Sancerre).

Attention to detail is what impressed the most - the whole evening there was a visible management presence ensuring smooth running and quality. Ideal place to take a date. 10 out of 10 from me.

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