Most overrated restaurant you've eaten in?

[Cheshire Cat]

I've been disappointed by most restaurants I have eaten in - especially the chains (Cafe Rouge, Nandos, Pizzawhatever etc). I particularly hate having to order overpriced "extras" such as £10 for a few vegetables because they are too mean to include a proper serving as part of the main course.

Prefer to go for a curry.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Actually I've just thought of one. Anyone remember that Due South place on the seafront? It closed a few years back. Now the owner/manager of that place had ideas well above his station and ability.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I've been disappointed by most restaurants I have eaten in - especially the chains (Cafe Rouge, Nandos, Pizzawhatever etc). I particularly hate having to order overpriced "extras" such as £10 for a few vegetables because they are too mean to include a proper serving as part of the main course.

Prefer to go for a curry.

Nando's is what it is. I don't think it's therefore over-rated.

 

[Westdene Wonder]

Cafe Rough (you may know it as Cafe Rouge).

I've been to three in my lifetime. I experienced distinctly average food and lazy service in all three. Gave up on them in 2005.

Give Cafe Rouge at the Marina a try particulary with a voucher which are often available

 

[Guinness Boy]

Actually I've just thought of one. Anyone remember that Due South place on the seafront? It closed a few years back. Now the owner/manager of that place had ideas well above his station and ability.

Yep. The most overrated place in Brighton by a country mile in its day. All style and no substance. Tiny flavourless meals served at great expense by clueless hipsters.

 

[fleet]

The Coal Shed near the Laines - horrifically overpriced - they even charged per after dinner chocolate with coffee at something like £1.50 a chocolate! The steak was enormously expensive and frankly disappointing. It was also cramped and a bit uncomfortable.

 

[smudge]

Another vote for Coal Shed.

 

[Notters]

Is that the La Choza tipped in today's Sunday Times as one of the three best Mexican Restaurants? and described in last week's Telegraph as offering "build your own tacos and tostados far superior to high-street chains" Looks like you have a personal winner Notters !

We just had terrible service, ignored for over an hour. Guess we were unlucky. Poor food too.

Edit: half the places listed in thIs guardian article aren't great. Far far better places than Pompoko

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....aurants-brighton?client=ms-android-tmobile-gb

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

some of you are just mentioning crap restaurants!

I used to love la choza but then we went there after my wife turned veggie. She ordered a veggie meal and they brought out a meat one for her and then absolutely refused to accept that she'd ordered a veggie meal and that they'd got it wrong despite all of our group hearing my wife clearly. They were just pretty rude about it to be honest. We were a fairly large group and the place is pretty small- maybe they were just struggling with that but in general the service there is NOT good. If i'm going to get their food which to be honest I'm unlikely to go out of my way for I'll just go to the hare and hounds instead.

Oh- and Due South is my other one. Ideas WAY above their station. Much better fish was available at the time in Brighton (and it wasn't a patch on into the blue in Shoreham) but the prices suggested that it was borderline michelin star. Not surprised it closed at all

 

[looney]

The franchise places are taking over completely........some are ok, some not.....very few any better than 'ok'. Can't beat a decent independent but becoming much harder to find.

Bearable (IMHO) :
-Byron
-Zizzi
-Cote
-Cafe Rouge

Avoid where I can :
-Nandos
-Frankie and Benny's
-Ask
-Pizza Express
-GBK
-Wagamama
-Spoons (although accept prices can be remarkable)
-La Tasca
-any of the 'World Buffet' places (not just the food, they are chaotic and filled with people who seemingly are all involved in food balancing competitions)

Interesting list and tend to agree, ive never been in a franchise Pizza place, hut or express as I'm not paying their stupid prices. The American Diner style is OK, went to one in Churchill square last year but cant remember its name, Wagamama is bearable but Ask, Prezzo are places I wont go back to. Im working on my new years resolution not to go into Costa and Starbucks type places anymore atm.

 

[Exile]

Agree entirely with Cafe Rouge. rude staff. The staff were completely non-plussed when I complained about the massive thumb-mark in my pain au chocolat.
.

Bit churlish to complain about their efforts to lay on the full French experience.

 

[Braggfan]

Eastern eye. Slow, poor service. I'd heard people say they thought it was the best curry in Brighton, and although I wouldn't say I disliked it as I find it hard to dislike curry in general, I would say it was really really average. Very disappointing and probably in my worst 5 curry's of all time.

 

[halbpro]

I would say that the food at La Choza is quite good, but I also didn't have great service when I went there. It wasn't awful either, but they did seem to forget about us a little bit and it took ages to get the bill. On the other hand, they were very friendly when they remembered we existed.

 

[heathgate]

Rick Stein - The Seafood Restaurant.... average service, average fare... not average prices.

Paul Ainsworth's 2 restaurants in Padstow are far better.

 

[The_NitramJohn]

Nando's

Went to one at O2, waiting for RUSH gig to start!

Dreadful place!
It appears to be nothing more than a sit down Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Unless I am completely missing the point, you get nothing more than a chicken breast & you then pick a bottle of sauce of your choice, to dip your chicken in [emoji43][emoji848][emoji15]

Must have the worlds laziest chefs!

Ah well, learn from experience. That's one mistake I won't make again!

 

[Notters]

Interesting list and tend to agree, ive never been in a franchise Pizza place, hut or express as I'm not paying their stupid prices. The American Diner style is OK, went to one in Churchill square last year but cant remember its name, Wagamama is bearable but Ask, Prezzo are places I wont go back to. Im working on my new years resolution not to go into Costa and Starbucks type places anymore atm.

Have to recommend MOD down the marina though (as I have on the Restaurant thread), bloomin' brilliant place.

 

[looney]

Have to recommend MOD down the marina though (as I have on the Restaurant thread), bloomin' brilliant place.

Just went to jimmy's on the Marina last year, I hear its closed which isnt a bad thing. Im over food snobbery, if the foods good and the company as well then I am happy. To me Days is like heaven but each to their own.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Rick Stein - The Seafood Restaurant.... average service, average fare... not average prices.

Paul Ainsworth's 2 restaurants in Padstow are far better.

Interesting.
We went to Steins last year on a bed and breakfast deal, the whole the day was top notch, lovely room with a roof terrace looking down the Camel Valley, very good but relaxed service, nice food, with perfect portion size, and a breakfast to die for.
And all for a reasonable price which, I think, they do every Jan-Mar.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Nando's is what it is. I don't think it's therefore over-rated.

I disagree HT. We only went there because some work colleagues of Mrs CJ absolutely RAVED about it. They described it as being an actual restaurant, and good, and although I wasn't expecting anything amazing as it's a chain, I was not expecting the crap, overpriced fast food experience that we had. I can only guess that the people who recommended it generally only eat at KFC or McDonalds.

As I posted earlier on the thread, for the amount it cost we could have gone to one of the perfectly decent, local independent restaurants instead and had a proper meal.

I don't really understand why it exists, hence it is overrated. Millions seem to disagree though......

 

[Springal]

I disagree HT. We only went there because some work colleagues of Mrs CJ absolutely RAVED about it.

Is the problem not more to do with your seemingly easy pleased mates? FWIW I don't think I've ever seen Nandos big itself up more than anything it is.