Slightly Disappointed
For starters we had the Fishbone Seafood Antipasto - "Our seasonal plate of seafood and one or two delicious surprises". We were expecting prawns, scallops, mussels etc etc but were greeted with mild, smoked salmon, artichoke, olives, lettuce and dressing. We gave it a try but were terribly disappointed and probably the worse starter we have ever ordered in years of restaurant visits all over the world. Granted, we should have asked what the plate actually contained, lesson learned! For main course, Surf & Turf which was cooked perfectly with 'jumbo' chips. Well presented. Lamb Shank which literally fell off the bone and looked delicious. Fishbone Grill - very large plate but the sausage was crispy in the middle (burnt), this was mentioned to the waiter. I was especially looking forward to Creme Brulee but they had ran out! So I went puddingless. My colleagues took the Chocolate Fondant and Chaps Cheesecake. Both were eaten quickly as the portions were very small and took an exceedingly long time to be served. We were on the brink of cancelling the dessert and asking for the bill.

The restaurant is smart and modern looking and the ambience was just right to sit down and enjoy a meal. It was a Friday night, out of town location at 8pm but only about 1/2 full. The food is served on huge plates, good presentation but a little too big for the table size. We 'coped' with 3 people. Maybe this would explain why we had to request side plates for the bread. Not enough room on the tables for additional crockery. Oddly though that the glasses not being used were not taken away.

The menu was impressive but overall the standard was not matched. I would imagine the main chef was not working this evening and his replacement was inexperienced and slow. The waiters were young, average, seemed unenthusiastic and inexperienced. Water was not offered as standard.

We were celebrating a friend's birthday and wanted somewhere special. We were disappointed but may give this restaurant another chance. I'm hoping this was a 'one off' disappointment and will be better next time. On mentioning this to other people, some have expressed the same opinion. The menu and price is comparable to many excellent restaurants in the centre of Plymouth but due to its location out of town and within a hotel setting, should maybe reduce their prices and concentrate on other areas to get the public in. The hotel/restaurant has been open for 1 year now so should have overcome any teething problems.    [15 Apr 2007 04:45:21]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Lamb Shank

     ­Foodie