We’ve had three dining experiences here. The first when they opened (very good), and two dinners in the past two months. Having spent 12 years in the service industry, I can appreciate the need to keep tables full and moving. However the 2 hour reservation policy is at the root of our most recent poor experiences. This policy just isn’t appropriate unless your kitchen can keep up, which on our last two experiences, was not the case. Furthermore , if a restaurant wishes to allow for a three-course meal, and it chooses to book Christmas parties, this policy only penalizes other guests.
Food: I’ve had the same dish twice; once prepared incredibly well, and once poorly.
Atmosphere: I quite like the place, hence why we booked in for my birthday most recently
Service: We’ve had everything from exceptional service (which made the second experience with kitchen delays still above average) to literally most recently being told we had to leave as the 2-hr time limit was up. On this occasion (my birthday), we intended to enjoy a 3-course meal with drinks at each course. We did not. Our reservation for 5 ppl was seated after some delay at a table for 4. No complaints. There were two large tables with holiday parties, the restaurant was obviously busy. Our drinks were delayed. No complaints. Our entrees were delayed and poorly executed. Again we had no complaints. We did not rush to eat, but we certainly were not camping out sipping waters and taking up valuable real estate. Being kicked out at the 2 hr mark on a night when one cannot have a 3-course meal in the allotted 2 hours because the restaurant can’t keep up, causes even me to voice my critique. I really hope this local restaurant, that clearly has so much potential, reconsiders this policy during certain seasons. Perhaps also a contingency plan for when the restaurant can’t meet the demands of its own two-hour policy? I also hope they train all of their service staff, in what it means to provide a pleasant dining experience from start to finish, and how to gracefully relay communications. I would recommend giving this restaurant a try on a quiet night, or after 7pm, when the policy is no longer in effect. Should we revisit, these will be our criteria for doing so.
