The Florence, Herne Hill

Hello mb_to_the_zee

We just wanted to re-assure you that we have launched a brand new menu today, which should hopefully re-captures the imagination. Lots of innovative new dishes, along with some re-worked favourites. The whole menu is available at an introductory 50% off for Wednesday 3rd, and Thursday 4th November.

I hope that you will see your way to coming along to try it all out. I would love to order up a good few dishes for you to try. I can be contacted directly at [email protected]

Glad you seem to so like the rest of what we have to offer, and hopefully we have now completed the package again in your eyes.

(Just for the record, we have never tried to be, or have any wish to be considered a gastro-pub, just want to sell good pub food which people enjoy).

Phil Sutton
General Manager

2 Nov 2010 15:40

The Florence, Herne Hill

Hi JdsNW3

Glad you enjoyed your visit. We do indeed offer table service for drinks, so not sure what happened there I am afraid.
Had a look back at the date that you visited, and it was indeed a particularly busy saturday night. We always try and staff appropriately for expected trade, but sometimes we do get caught out. Hope you can visit again when normal service will be resumed!

7 Jul 2010 22:45

The Florence, Herne Hill

Dear PintyPinter

I am glad to hear that you have some positive thoughts about our pub, and hoped I could address some of the negative ones.

I would contest a touch that our menu is �gastro�. Whilst our menu may not follow the general convention of a number of other pubs (which can tend to all look very similar), we try to choose classic pub dishes, and add a modern approach utilising the skills of our chefs who cook everything on our menu from scratch � the only thing which we sell which we have not prepared is our ice cream, for which we prefer a local specialist from Battersea.

Whilst we would not wish or proclaim for our food to be regarded as cheap, I would say that for the quality of ingredients we use, and the care and attention to detail which goes into their preparation, we do offer very good value for money. As I have previously mentioned on this site, I do sympathise with customers to whom we have not adequately explained the reasoning behind our policy on separate side dishes, but would once again propose that a lot of our main courses do not require them, and perhaps pose the question that if you go to a fish and chip shop, then don�t you have to order the chips separately if you want them?

As to the service with receiving the wrong food, I can only apologise and ask that you let me know the next time you attend in the hope that I can offer my apologies in person, and go some way to hopefully redeem ourselves.

21 Oct 2009 13:16

The Florence, Herne Hill

Dear m4mac,

I must apologise for the service which you received last Saturday 15th, as this is certainly not the experience which we try to provide.

I totally agree with your comments about tips. My team are very aware that a tip is something which is something which should only be hoped for when they have exceeded the expectations of the customer whom they are serving. In this instance, they do not appear to have been able to meet our minimum requirements.

As part of our continuous ongoing training, I will be using your experiences as an example of how we can quite easily fall short, to try and ensure that it is something which you will not experience again.

With regards to our policy or serving sides, I can assure you that our entire motivation for this is to offer the customer a better choice for their meal. A great number of our customers appreciate the option of being able to share sides, get a selection for the table, or not be forced to pay for part of the meal which they do not particularly want. Something which I believe is reflected in the relative costs of our main courses compared to other establishments. It is a system which has proved to be popular in a number of our establishments for over 4 years now. I feel I must once again apologise, if we have failed to convey this sentiment correctly.

I would very much like if you could get in touch do discuss this matter further, to ensure that you never have to be dragged back to the florence, but would prefer to come of your own free will! I can be contacted at [email protected].

Kind Regards,
Phillip Sutton
General Manager.

26 Aug 2009 11:20

The Florence, Herne Hill

Hello Haldir,

Just wanted to apologise for the experience which you had eating at The Florence, as it sounds that the food which you were served was certainly not up to our usual standards.

I would be most grateful if you could get in touch to let me know some more details of when you attended, so that I can investigate the matter further Also to try and put your confidence back into the food quality and selection which we endeavour to be so vigiliant about.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

7 Aug 2009 11:11