The Flask, Highgate

Visited the Flask this Bank Holiday Monday on the back of many reccomendations from friends. It turned out that i'd actually been to the pub several years ago and enjoyed it then, so early signs were good. Then it went wrong. It wasn't particualrly busy, but an odd queueing system had formed at the tiny bar behind which two people were serving. Many, not noticing the queue would manage to get their orders in first, (serves us right for being 'British' I suppose!). The drink selction was okay, but they failed to mention that the IPA was off until after we had ordered it. after a drink outside, (nice beer garden), we took a seat inside and ordered food. Again, the system here is a little odd. For a Gastro pub they don't offer table service, so you have to join the queue at the bar and order individually. Additionally, you have to pay there and then reagardless. To start we shared Whitebait, which itself was good, but came without any cutlery, (only offered to us after we'd finished by using our hands), and it came not with fried parsley but with unfired watercress! For main we ordered one roast belly of pork and one bangers and mash. Long after ordering, after expecting the food to be served, we told there was infact no B&M, so i also went for pork. The service was very slow and both dishes turned up badly burnt, a small fatty cut of meat and again with no cutlery. Despite how things were turning out, we went for desert. Simple instructions of 2 rhubabrb crumbles - one with ice cream, one with custard - were totally forgotten. Both came out with custard. (incidentally, the exact same mistake happened to the couple alongside us). So as mine was taken away, my firend asked for cutlery (again) and tucked in. Then mine turned up a good 10 minutes later, minus a spoon. I asked if i could get one and I watched the waiter walk off and serve to more people, including their cutlery(!), before I went up and asked the spoon in person. The service was a complete shambles, the food mediocre and overpriced and it is a surpise they still pedal themselves as a Gastro pub. Go for a drink in the summer then move on somewhere else. I'd have preferred Strada on the high street and half the cost and double the taste and efficiency!

25 Mar 2008 12:30