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Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley: a very disappointing service

25/10/2010

26 Comments

 
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Readers of our blog will know that we’re big fans of Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley which makes it somewhat distressing to say that our recent dinner there was severely lacking. Indeed, had that been our first occasion to eat at MW, we really would be wondering what fans of MW see in the place. Reflecting on the year, we were in fact surprised ourselves to discover that we had eaten there on no less than six occasions previously but what that does mean is that we have a very good idea of what to expect from MW on a Saturday night; sadly, it missed almost all the targets.

In one of our earlier posts on MW, we said that ‘the restaurant is run with unassuming efficiency, precision and grace’. On this occasion though, it was less clear that the restaurant was being run with senior oversight at all and it certainly possessed none of those aforementioned characteristics. Marcus himself was not in the kitchen that night as he was travelling to Brazil, surprisingly though, nor was Head Chef Alyn Williams. Out front meanwhile, longstanding Restaurant Manager Giancarlo Princigalli has now stepped down while Head Sommelier Michael Deschamps was also not present. In other words, what for us has been the core of MW over the past year was absent and sadly, it showed.

It was in the area of service that they were caught out most. For the most part, staff serving our table lacked smiles, warmth and charisma. What we have loved about MW in the past and what has brought as back again and again is the personal attention that front of house give to their guests. From our first visit there, it has always felt like a personal relationship, and that continued to grow in time. They have of course a CRM system and normally, they use it intelligently to engage us in all aspects of the dining experience. This time around, despite it being Mrs CC’s birthday (and them knowing that fact), the new Maitre d’ (who we mistook for a regular waiter as he acted in all ways just like a regular waiter) didn’t even wish her a happy birthday. We mentioned this toward the end of the night when he finally enquired how we had enjoyed our evening and taken aback, he said that they were going to bring a candle out with dessert (as they had for eight other diners during the evening) and so didn't see a problem here; could they be less personal? It was sort of laughable.


For the food, it’s tasting menus only on a Saturday night and we chose the Gourmand menu with paired wines.  We have few photographs as we were never intending to blog this visit but the first three courses were in fact excellent. Scottish lobster with lobster bisque was just perfect, Foie gras, prunes and walnuts gave a unusual take on foie gras as it came as stacked cylindrical layers with walnut topping looking more like a dessert than a foie gras dish; we enjoyed it. Dorset crab with potato bread and pears was delicious but little changed over the past year where we've eaten something similar on a number of occassions, but we really hit the bumpers on the quail dish where despite it being perfectly cooked, it was so salted that neither of us wanted to eat it. They offered to send us through another but with the tasting menu, we elected to move on. The Cornish seabass that came next was perfectly cooked and totally beautiful.

On to the mains, Cornish lamb for Mrs CC and beef fillet for me. While there was nothing wrong with the main courses, there was no wow factor to them either. Two stars aspiring to three should have a wow factor on a main course. The lamb was underwhelming and while the beef was tasty, there were few discernable clues from the dish that you were eating in one of the country’s best restaurants.

Cheeses were nice enough but hardly difficult for them, the pre-dessert was okay but little changed since our July visit and the actual dessert, the basil parfait was also identical to that being served on the gourmand menu back in July, and possibly earlier. This time around however, the jelly atop the sherbet was so acidic that Mrs CC felt it burning her throat. The waitress clearing the dish said ‘yes, it can be a little strong’. No, this was not about flavour, strength or otherwise, this was unbalanced acidity. It was a poor comment on her part but somehow didn’t seem surprising that night.
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MW has been our go to destination over the past year but on the strength of this performance, is unlikely to be so in 2011. We’ve spent a lot of money there on previous visits and never minded the fact because it’s always been so good, but coming away from this evening, for the first time, we did begrudge the money we had spent that night. What’s more, by the time dessert had come, we just wanted to leave the restaurant and get home for an after dinner drink in more comfortable surroundings; usually you have to prise us out the door.

Every restaurant encounters change but they need to ensure that the change does not adversely impact the customer experience, certainly not to the extent it did here. They need too to ensure brand consistency. And maybe it was circumstances beyond their control but having so many senior staffers absent at the same time meant they were certainly not on their A-game.

Even since we started this blog earlier this year, the top end restaurant scene has become ever more competitive with the likes of The Ledbury getting a second star, Apsleys shooting for their (surely deserved) second star and coming soon, Heston’s Dinner just over the road at The Mandarin Oriental. We love Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley and indeed Marcus himself who has been so generous sharing his time and ideas with us over the past year so we dearly hope that this experience was a one off. However, the conclusion must necessarily be that if Marcus does want to spend more time outside the restaurant promoting the brand, he needs at least to spend some more time thinking about who will be in the restaurant in his absence ensuring that he’s not missed, because right now, his absence is noticeable and we do miss him sorely.


The above article sits in its unchanged form following the complaint we recieved from Marcus Wareing for publishing it. For those interested in our earlier reviews of MWB they can be found here: MWB review 1 and MWB review 2.

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26 Comments
Kavey link
26/10/2010 10:57:26 am

Any poor restaurant experience is disappointing but a previous favourite is doubly so because of the higher expectations.
Sad to read about how they dropped the ball.

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Edward Legge
30/10/2010 02:58:20 pm

Great review - I'm sure he'll learn from your feedback.

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Cathy
1/11/2010 03:33:23 am

This is why nobody knows who I am when I blog. I want the same treatment as anyone else. Then I can freely write about my experience.

I just read about your phone call and reaction from Marcus to this 'negative' blog post. I read it as factual.

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Mitch Adams
1/11/2010 03:56:59 am

A really interesting blog post, I have to say after reading about your telephone conversation I was expecting a far more brutal review.

As a business owner myself I can understand MW's disappointment at a poor review. As you clearly have a 'relationship' with MW, it may have been polite to try and raise your issues privately, instead of on a blog, with MW or the senior management team first as it appears none of them were on hand to deal with you on the night.

In my opinion the response, from MW was unprofessional and undeserved. Your review was not completely scathing, in fact it was very complementary in places, particularly regarding the first few courses.

A polite call asking you to come back with a free bottle of fizz may have been more in order than the rant you received.

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Le Serre Nuove link
1/11/2010 04:22:40 am

I recently blogged on MW too, but didn't find the same faults as you. Some of the food was underwhelming, but the service was slick without being friendly. That predesert has been around for since the start of the summer. Expectations have been raised, so it's fair game. Particularly as he has always said that he is the one ensuring standards, and that clearly isn't the case.

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Annina
1/11/2010 08:52:27 am

Cant see what the fuss is about. Quite mild criticisms actually.
Perhaps Mr Wareing needs to realise that the customers who pay his salary have an opinion too and are not just there to let him know how wonderful he is.

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BB
3/11/2010 04:39:09 pm

I was there last Saturday night for my first time. MW was not there then either but I'm unaware if any of the other senior personnel were about or if left to those lower down the ranks. Service was good on that night; friendly and informative but there was no one individual who made their presence felt as the Maitre d. I agree mains lacked 'wow' but they were v good and balanced with the rest of the courses some of which did have the wow factor. I was slightly irritated the sommelier recommended one of the most expensive glasses of wine on the menu but I only have myself to blame for that in not checking. Overall we had a great experience.

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thecriticalcouple
3/11/2010 05:02:22 pm

BB, we're really pleased you had a great experience overall. we've been huge fans of MWB over the year, hope that this was a one off and note in our above review that the first three courses and the sea bass were all excellent. despite all that has happened, we know that MW has put so much into making MWB a success and we wish him all the best in the future. we wish that this could have been resolved in a better fashion. TheCC

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tont
3/11/2010 06:46:23 pm

Why in the world I will go to the dinner and come back home and start blogging about, like something very importent happening in my life. You people are really waste

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Jill
4/11/2010 07:53:56 am

Tont, were you wasted when you posted your comment?

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tont
4/11/2010 08:59:18 am

Jill , no I wasn't
Its just sound stooped when people go out for one porpuse , to be a critic and spend your dinner to judge a restaurant, unless they have nothing to talk about.What a tradgedy

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mike
5/11/2010 05:19:24 am

Fancy not wishing you happy birthday, for shame. Happy birthday!

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thecriticalcouple
5/11/2010 05:21:47 am

thanks Mike, MrsCC is chuffed to bits, you've made her day.

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Emma link
5/11/2010 05:31:37 am

"... he said that they were going to bring a candle out with dessert ... and so didn't see a problem here; could they be less personal? It was sort of laughable."

What did you want to happen here? Genuinely interested.

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thecriticalcouple
5/11/2010 05:43:41 am

emma,
what we would have liked to happen is that when we sat down at our table, the restaurant manager comes over, welcomes us,wishes MrsCC a happy birthday and says that he hopes we have a nice evening.

the CRM sending a message to the kitchen that table 6 has a birthday so put candle on cake is I think impersonal.

while there has been much said about whether we have a relationship with the restaurant or not, it seems that we didn't have a sufficient relationship for them to wish MrsCC a happy birthday when we arrived.

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thecriticalcouple
5/11/2010 03:46:05 pm

This I think is really important because it defines service from restaurants at this level. Ben Chekroun, maitre’d at 3 Michelin star New York restaurant Le Bernadin in the book about the restaurant On The Line says:

I like [the restaurant] to be a very professional experience, but a little bit on the friendly side. Friendly elegant. Not too much fanfare or ceremony. I want the staff – captains and front waiters especially – to read the guests, if they want to chitchat a little bit or be left alone. Guests should have amazing service, without noticing the waiters as they serve and clear. And ideally, guests get the feeling that the staff is there to please you and are friendly from the heart, not because that’s what they have to do.

That is the essence of service at the best restaurants in the world in our view and clearly theirs. That's why they have a price tag to match. We think it's super important to understand what the stars means and why they can charge the prices they do.

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Lucy link
7/11/2010 12:37:26 pm

I'd have thought mentioning how unhappy you were with the service while you were still at the restaurant, rather than paying £600 and then whining about it in a review, would be the most appropriate course of action, but then, hindsight and manners are beautiful things, aren't they?

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thecriticalcouple
7/11/2010 12:45:56 pm

Lucy,
we did discuss it on the night with the maitre d' with nothing forthcoming.

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Lucy
7/11/2010 12:47:29 pm

Aha. But your review got you a phone call from MW himself - now that's a result. Happy days.

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bierfesten link
7/11/2010 04:29:33 pm

Attending a lot of bars and festivals and writing about them, I tend to not to write about every bad aspect of them, instead I speak to the appropriate person a day or so later if the experience was less than appropriate.

If you do in fact know the chef, a phone call or email would been the more appropriate action as mentioned by others in the comments here. A night when they are under staffed with senior people, missing a slight detail like a birthday is not a major oversight to most people. Food quality is something that should be addressed on the night though.

Look honest blogs about experiences that we all in enjoy, food, beer, wine an otherwise is changing the face of how we get the message across. I think both sides in this case would do things differently next time.

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Simon link
16/11/2010 08:06:46 am

It's great pity when diners start to think they own a restaurant because they happen, in their opinion, to dine regularly there.

If you know the restaurant and the staff so well I would have thought a phone call far more appropriate than a blog vomet

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Siepert77 link
3/1/2011 12:51:19 pm

I was genuinely amazed to see the amount of spite in the comments for what I felt was a very considerate if critical post. I do understand that some people might feel that your expectations were stellar but it is important to keep in mind the level MW represents and your disappointment seems absolutely justified. Thank you for taking the time to document the highs and lows of an endless string of wonderfully interesting restaurant visits.

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thecriticalcouple
3/1/2011 02:04:33 pm

Siepert77,

thank you for your considered comment. we appreciate you taking time to read the blog and make comments.

best regards

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Stuart
4/1/2011 03:09:04 pm

Thank you for your review; it seems accurate and understated to me. Expensive and celebrated restaurants need to stand up to their name every time.And someone has to hold them to that. Those people are called customers, who in the past had no voice. Times have changed, chefs!

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Martyn
27/10/2011 03:21:11 am

It amuses me how some people feel the need to criticize you for blogging.. It's what makes restaurants, and of course what breaks them. Surely you'd want to know what it's like to eat at a certain restaurant before you part with money, no?

It's what this industry is all about, chefs/patrons strive to do their best and to please the customers. Without critics like yourself our industry wouldn't be like it is today. Criticism, good or bad is brilliant. What ever is bad would be be improved on and it lets us see what we're doing good.

For MW to phone you and complain about this is rather ridiculous, accept your faults Marcus and work on them.

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hang on
6/4/2013 01:20:07 am

This is a blog for food enthusiasts, and serves as a purpose, no differently than a social chat might. Im booked in for my first Michelin starred meal, and will be spending about all the spare money I earn in a month. Blogs like this present an unbiased opinion on the value these establishments present. If you disagree with the opinions, then go elsewhere. If you want lies, go elsewhere. If you want to further line pockets of those less inclined to please, then again, go elsewhere.

Thanks for your frank reviews, CC; theyve aided my decision making, no end!

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