The Orange Tree Bar and Grill

We booked a table for my dad’s birthday meal (5:15 reservation, we arrived at 5:05) and it turned into one of the most disappointing dining experiences we’ve both had. My dad had travelled from another city, and I’d been raving about this place as somewhere special to take him for his birthday. On arrival, the lady at the desk greeted us and explained our table wasn’t ready but it would be 10–15 minutes and we’d get a text once it was. That was completely fine with us, especially as we’d arrived a little early. But by 5:50 there was still no text. Meanwhile, people who arrived after us were being seated. I rejoined the queue to speak to a member of staff and a woman in front of me, who had just entered the restaurant with a 6pm reservation was shown straight through, despite us continuing to wait. When I questioned this, the same lady who had greeted us was clearly flustered but came across quite rude as she insisted it was “first come, first served” when I pointed out others had gone through before us. She brushed it off by saying she hadn’t been on the desk at the time so it was out of her control, they had two large parties in. There was no sympathy, no remorse, and no accountability. I spoke to three other groups who were also frustrated and completely left in the dark about what was going on with their bookings. It wasn’t just us, the front-of-house was disorganised and dismissive this evening. We were told on two occasions that the table we’d been allocated was still occupied by people who had been there since 2:30, meaning they had been there over three hours. In our opinion, guests should be given a time limit to avoid the chaos and disappointment caused for everyone else. Instead, paying, reserving guests were left waiting and frustrated. To try and smooth things over, a gentleman (who didn’t even work there but at The Broughton) kindly stepped in and offered us complimentary drinks and starters. We reluctantly took this, but unfortunately I was served an alcohol free pint I hadn’t ordered and an undercooked and cold starter. The bar staff themselves were excellent. Clearly run off their feet but attentive and doing their best. The gentleman from The Broughton also went above and beyond, but it shouldn’t have been his responsibility to fix things. The main course, when it finally arrived, was delicious, but everything leading up to it was below par. For my dad’s first visit, after travelling from another city, and for his birthday meal, it was embarrassing and hugely disappointing. Despite the good food in the end, the experience has let a bitter taste, resulting in my dad not wanting to return and a dampener on his birthday.