Annoying London Restaurant "Cover Charge"
Jan 17th, 2006, 02:05 PM
#21
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We frequent a restaurant in London and it does show a cover charge on the menu...the owners are Italian, maybe it's a carry-over!.. anyway the bread is fabulous and the olive pate they serve with it is worth eveery penny of the charge. But a cover at Aberdeen...they 'd have to pay me to eat there!
Jan 17th, 2006, 02:10 PM
#22
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Aberdeen Steak House isn't the only "nasty" chain restaurant in the UK - most of the chains are, in fact. And now we have the American fast food chains here as well.
For good food at a reasonable price go to a pub. These days they are much more than drinking establishments, especially in the country. Draconian drink-drive laws have forced pubs to look for other ways to bring in revenue, and many of them have excellent food.
For good food at a reasonable price go to a pub. These days they are much more than drinking establishments, especially in the country. Draconian drink-drive laws have forced pubs to look for other ways to bring in revenue, and many of them have excellent food.
Jan 17th, 2006, 05:17 PM
#23
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I remember getting charged GBP 1.50 "service charge" per person at an upscale Indian restaurant in London. I believe it was called Veeraswamy. I was thinking "those greedy indian crooks." If given a choice, I would rather not have that popper chutney crap.
Jan 18th, 2006, 01:57 AM
#25
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Firstly, my commiserations on your choice of restaurant. As is now clear to you, you had the misfortune to pick the worst restaurant chain in Britain (and it was places like this that gave our food such a poor, and undeserved, reputation). This is also why you got stung (and there is no other word for it) by their cover charge.
Put simply, The Angus Steak houses never get the same customers twice. The natives know all about it and shun it, so it relies on a steady stream of tourists to fleece. These tourists won't be sure whether a cover charge is normal or not, and it's pitched at a level where people aren't going to make a fuss about it.
Incidentally, the Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses went bust a few years ago (Brits on here will know that for years there have been rumours about how they managed to stay open that long). They now trade as the "Angus Steak House". It's the same buildings (a few less of them I think) with the same menu, and I assume the same food. I am sorry to tell you that they seem to be doing excellent business, judging from the times I've walked past them.
In fact if you think about it, The Angus Steak Houses could sell the best food in London, or indeed the world, and we would never know about it as no British person has been in one since 1973. In the same way Tussauds could actually be really good and the Trocedaro could be the worlds greatest shopping experience.
There is another much more common scam, which is to include service in the bill and leave the credit card receipt blank - encouraging a tip. All sorts of otherwise decent places get up to this dodge.
Put simply, The Angus Steak houses never get the same customers twice. The natives know all about it and shun it, so it relies on a steady stream of tourists to fleece. These tourists won't be sure whether a cover charge is normal or not, and it's pitched at a level where people aren't going to make a fuss about it.
Incidentally, the Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses went bust a few years ago (Brits on here will know that for years there have been rumours about how they managed to stay open that long). They now trade as the "Angus Steak House". It's the same buildings (a few less of them I think) with the same menu, and I assume the same food. I am sorry to tell you that they seem to be doing excellent business, judging from the times I've walked past them.
In fact if you think about it, The Angus Steak Houses could sell the best food in London, or indeed the world, and we would never know about it as no British person has been in one since 1973. In the same way Tussauds could actually be really good and the Trocedaro could be the worlds greatest shopping experience.
There is another much more common scam, which is to include service in the bill and leave the credit card receipt blank - encouraging a tip. All sorts of otherwise decent places get up to this dodge.
Jan 18th, 2006, 03:07 AM
#26
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OK, David, why don't you go and suss out an Angus Steak House.
I actually went into a Little Chef last year because we wanted breakfast and there wasn't much else around.
I thought that you can't really spoil breakfast and in the past their breakfasts weren't too bad.
It was a big mistake. They must have changed their cooking oil in 1980
I actually went into a Little Chef last year because we wanted breakfast and there wasn't much else around.
I thought that you can't really spoil breakfast and in the past their breakfasts weren't too bad.
It was a big mistake. They must have changed their cooking oil in 1980
Jan 18th, 2006, 03:13 AM
#27
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Miss P, if you want a good laugh, have a look at this restaurant review of a Little Chef
http://tinyurl.com/8emq5
This quote echoes your comment about the cooking oil.
" I perused the photographic menu and ordered "The Olympic" breakfast. In the time it takes a microwave to ding, there it was on my table, served by someone dressed in a garment that was more stain than uniform and who looked as if she was depriving a village somewhere of its idiot.
The food looked exactly as it did on the laminated menu, and therein lay the central problem. It even tasted laminated, being coated with stale vegetable oil that acted as a barrier between it and my tongue."
http://tinyurl.com/8emq5
This quote echoes your comment about the cooking oil.
" I perused the photographic menu and ordered "The Olympic" breakfast. In the time it takes a microwave to ding, there it was on my table, served by someone dressed in a garment that was more stain than uniform and who looked as if she was depriving a village somewhere of its idiot.
The food looked exactly as it did on the laminated menu, and therein lay the central problem. It even tasted laminated, being coated with stale vegetable oil that acted as a barrier between it and my tongue."
Jan 18th, 2006, 03:18 AM
#28
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I don't need to check it out. The Guardian has done this for me (and has anyone ever seen a worse restaurant review than this? This is a corker.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0...803345,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0...803345,00.html
Jan 18th, 2006, 05:09 AM
#31
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It always put me off when I saw those places but I can see how a tourist can be easily taken if if they have never visited London before.
We were in London over new years and my other half saw the steak house and thought cool lets have a good steak one night. He thought it was like some of the US chain steakhouses he had been to a long time ago. I had to explain and he thought after 2 days there were too many on every turn and realised that yes its a horrible touristy chain and probably has awful food.
It's tough when you arrive to a new place to know where to go. We ended up eating at a lovely lebabese restaurant called Maroush reccommended by a Doorman we got chatting to one night. May not be the best in London but was lovely to us as they lebanese place in Dublin is very expensive and not nice.
I never encountered a cover charge and think its and rip off for London. It's standard in Italy and thats fine but I nvere was charged anyplace I ate in London. If there was live music I could understand a small charge for live entertainment.
We were in London over new years and my other half saw the steak house and thought cool lets have a good steak one night. He thought it was like some of the US chain steakhouses he had been to a long time ago. I had to explain and he thought after 2 days there were too many on every turn and realised that yes its a horrible touristy chain and probably has awful food.
It's tough when you arrive to a new place to know where to go. We ended up eating at a lovely lebabese restaurant called Maroush reccommended by a Doorman we got chatting to one night. May not be the best in London but was lovely to us as they lebanese place in Dublin is very expensive and not nice.
I never encountered a cover charge and think its and rip off for London. It's standard in Italy and thats fine but I nvere was charged anyplace I ate in London. If there was live music I could understand a small charge for live entertainment.
Jan 18th, 2006, 06:44 AM
#32
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Hi Roundtrip, I just made reservations for next week on toptable for 6 restaurants...2 had mandatory "cover charges" at around 1.50 GBP. Just wish they would add a GBP instead of this milarkey! BTW, an agent from Toptable called me on my mobile and asked if we could vacate the table at 9:30 we had reserved at Levantine at 7:30. I thought it was wonderful to get that call from the UK today...she was so sweet and just made my day...quoting her...BRILLIANT!
Jan 18th, 2006, 07:16 AM
#33
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david, that's a funny review! Unfortunately, places like these are the ones tourists mean when they talk about awful British food. I lived in London for almost 10 years, and never went into one, nor do I know anyone else who did. It's a miracle they managed to be around this long.
Though I must add that in all my years in London, the worst dinner I had was at San Lorenzo in Beauchamp Place, which still seems to be going strong. I remember thinking after we were there, that they must have two completely different kitchens; one for Princes Diana and her friends, and one for the rest of us.
Though I must add that in all my years in London, the worst dinner I had was at San Lorenzo in Beauchamp Place, which still seems to be going strong. I remember thinking after we were there, that they must have two completely different kitchens; one for Princes Diana and her friends, and one for the rest of us.
