The Marlborough Arms, Tottenham Court Road

Please do not frequent this pub.

It's not that the place is terrible - it feels like a cosy boozer - it's that we got treated so shockingly unbelievably badly on Saturday night that I hope this place gets boycotted. It won't happen but I'll tell the story anyway:

I had booked the back dining room for my party. I rang to say there would be 20-30 people, the manager told me that was fine and that I'd still have the back dining room. Two weeks later, we arrive, and none of the staff know about it. Not only do they not know about it, they swear quite loudly and stomp around in front of us when they find out. Nice.

A massive argument ensures with the NEW manager who informs us she 'wouldn't have taken on a booking for less than 40'. Erm, OK, but someone else did, you have to honour it unless you tell us otherwise. She walks off without saying anything. No apology.

Doesn't come back. Eventually, we get a lawyer friend to say some legalese and get cross in a controlled way, and we get the dining room.

(Which, by the way, is great - high banquet chairs and feels like you're eating in a stately home's drawing room).

Then we start ordering food. It takes ages. It comes without cutlery, so we had to pilfer that from the bar. Mine came without garlic bread, despite it being on the menu. Someone else ordered ham and eggs and it came without eggs. Believe it or not, the eggs turned up on a plate after he'd finished, and the manager tried to tell us that's how they always do it (!). My food arrived and I put my hand up to indicate where I was, the barman put it down on the surface nearest him - 2 tables away - and walked off. On a number of occasions, the staff barged past us and almost knocked people off their feet, they were having loud arguments behind the bar, swearing, and not even disguising their disdain at actually having to serve people beer.

All in all - horrendous service, and all these people, especially the female manager, deserve their jobs to be given to people who deserve them.

The food is nothing special -pies and burgers - and overpriced. The bar was covered in dirty glasses and half eaten food.

The mulled wine was OK, and they do serve Crabbie's, but not even that can redeem them. Zero rating - this experience made me really angry.

We actually complained to them as we left, to the two senior staff. I told them that whilst I'd had a lovely night (due to my friends not the pub) their service and demeanor and attitude was shocking and we suggested to them that they should have treated us better as we were paying customers. The barman said "We don't follow a customer is always right policy". How rude. And the blonde manager said "But we gave you a plate of free chips so I don't know why you are complaining."!!

Please don't go to this pub! They don't deserve your money!

6 Dec 2010 13:20