Reviews of La Zia Maria, Cranbrook
Review by Tracy shackelton on 23rd April, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 20-04-12
Hi again, well you exceeded my expectations yet again, fine food and drink wonderful friendly staff simply the best .
had a lovely time celebrating our anniversary cant wait to return in the summer and sit outside overlooking the duck pond.
Thank you to all concerned you do a great job and thank you for listening to my requests and getting them spot on.
Food was delicious , PLEASE GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED XX
Review by Beth on 6th April, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 6 April 2012
Well, what can I say?
The food was average to stale - the garlic pizza bread was burnt in spots and the garlic so harsh that it hit the back of my throat in lingered (not nice). My starter was greasy with stale rocket. Mum's starter looked more supermarket meats rather than cured Italian hams.
Then the main - mine was alright although the swordfish smelt fishy, which is a bit of a worry. Mum's gamberoni had far too much sauce for a plate you eat with your fingers. But the most dreadful was my sister's main. She ordered sirloin steak in a sauce. It arrived, the sauce was correct but the meat white - think pork-white. She alerted the waitress (a scared looking girl), who returned the plate to the kitchen with apology and without fuss. However, we were surprised when she returned moments later with the same plate of food in her hand. She simply said "the chef confirms this is sirloin." My sister explained politely that she diagreed and would not be eating an unidentifed meat, thank you. The waitress disappeared with the plate.
When she returned, some minutes later, she had clearly been crying and was more nervy than ever. She offered a refund, which we accepted, and asked what she would like instead. Matter over. You'd think.
Until my sister got a call from the female owner later the same afternoon asking what the problem had been. So she explained. And the woman explained that she was wrong. To which my sister laughed and simply said "well we'll have to agree to disagree" and put the phone down!
Oh, and the dessert menu shows photos of the desserts as a dessert menu in an Indian restaurant would. Weird. And they were pretty average too.
We will never be returning.
Review by Jess Middleton on 6th April, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 06/04/2012
Awful!!! Attended today for lunch and for the main course I ordered a sirloin steak. The meat I was delivered was white and the wrong texture. I told the waitress who took my plate to the kitchen, the chef insisted it was indeed steak and I should eat it. I declined this offer, it was taken off the bill and I thought the matter had been dealt with but I have just received a phone call, some five hours later, from the lady owner. She has called me to tell me I was wrong and had no right to send it back. She called me at home and just had a go at me, raising her voice and talking over me! Needless to say I shall never be going back and would not recommend anyone else to spend their hard earned money there.
Aside from this issue, the food was average and over priced for average. There was only one waitress who was run off her feet and the restaurant was very cold!
Review by Elton Matthew on 27th June, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 25/06/11
We had my wife's birthday party and must say how wonderfully we where treated by James and his staff. The food was as good if not better than what we had in Italy.
BRILLIANT!
I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYONE!
Review by Nicky Cook on 20th June, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 31/05/11
I was quite surprised to read this previous review by Izabella, I have been meaning to make a review to say how wonderful my meal was and the whole expereince and atmosphere of La Zia Maria, that me and my husband shared togtether, apart from this particular women making a SONG AND DANCE!, she was quite clearly emotionally distraught as all the owner done was offer to put another shot of gin in her drink. THE PREVIOUSE REVIEW WAS NONSCENSE AND I WILL BE RETURNING FOR the exceptional food and atmosphere!
Review by Izabella on 31st May, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 31/05/11
Very rude lady owner made me leave the restaurant in tears and shouted after me on my way to the car. All this because I very politely asked her to make me another gin and tonic as my original drink had far to much tonic in it.
Review by TRACY SHACKELTON on 21st April, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 20/04/11
we visited this place last year and was so impressed we returned for our 1st Anniversary, all my requests were met, champagne chilling in the ice bucket rose on the table and in a quiet corner, it was superb, I asked for words to be written on the desert plate which were also done for me, it was simply the best, ignore bad reviews,visit yourself and make your own mind up you will not be disappointed
we will always return here for our anniversary, thanks to all concerned in making our visit so very special .
tracy x
Review by Caroline on 16th March, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 12 March 2011
When we arrived, there was no warm welcome, the owners avoided eye contact and didn't even acknowledge us as if we were an inconvenience. I made eye contact with a waitress who took our coats and wasn't even cheerful! Starters - calamari were small and melon was not ripe but overall ok. Main courses were a total disaster... My husband's calzone was tasteless and my fried fish was a badly-filleted fish (no-one was quite sure if it was bass or bream!) which still had partial head bones and fin attached under the batter and I was left with a mouthful of bones! When I explained this to the waiter they took it back to the chef who explained that this was usual but would take it off the bill. I also explained the poor welcome by the owners and apparently I am not the first to have said this! Pity they have done nothing to remedy this! We did not stay for desert or coffee and will not be returning ever again
Review by Helen on 18th February, 2011
Add your review Date visited: Feb 2011
I just don't understand the negative reviews of this restaurant.
This was some of the best Italian food I have had outside Italy.
The service was personal and quick.
The setting and restaurant itself is lovely.
We will be regular visitors here in future.
Review by John on 19th January, 2011
Add your review Date visited: Christmas 2010
I can recommend this restaurant as been fab
Great food( better than places in Italy) friendly great service from James and his staff.
Furthermore having read some of the reviews people do like to write has can only be described as negative rubbish.
Would deffenetley recommend to anyone!
John
Review by Marston on 16th November, 2010
Add your review Date visited: Saturday 13th November
We eat at Zia Maria three or four times a year and last Saturday's visit did not disappoint.
Warm welcome, friendly and efficient service, delicious food and a great atmosphere. What more could you want for an evening out.
Review by Zoe on 28th September, 2010
Add your review Date visited: July 2009
We have been to this restaurant on a number of occasions, the first four or so being very impressed with the service and the food. The waiter who was there on these four times was superb, very friendly and jolly, and the waitress was the same. Every time we went, we were surprised by the lack of other diners, the last time was just before Christmas when most restaurants are packed with Christmas parties and offices bookings, they were dead. At the time of our last visit I was eight months pregnant and from that time to the next time we visited over seven months later, we were looking forward to a meal out with friends to a restaurant we had all thought very good. We arrived and as our daughter was only still very small was quite shocked when the waiter (possibly owner?) made it very clear it was a huge inconvenience to open the front door to let us in with a pram - regardless of the fact we were the only diners! The meal was a total disaster, and this was solely down to the service. We were charged a full price for our friends daughter's meal (a child size portion of pasta) charged extra for a sprinkling of parmesan for her pasta, then to top it off a service charge on top of that! He was most perturbed when we opted not to pay the service charge as we really did not feel the service we had received deserved a reward! I would say that this man alone has totally changed our image of the restaurant which is such a shame, and we have not returned, even though it is only about five miles from where we live! Since this happened we have heard quite a few other tales of his rudeness.
Review by g marsh on 24th September, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 12/09/09
I can only commend that the food and service was excellent.What a great restaurant to have in Goudhurst I can only wish that we had one in our village.Credit to all.
Review by Adrian on 15th September, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 5/9/09
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
It Was a PLEASURE to have my 50th birthday a day that i will always remember Thanks to everyone at LA ZIA MARIA GRAZIE
Review by jan rawbone on 14th September, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 12 September 2009
My friend reserved a table for Saturday evening and the restaurant was busy as would be expected for a Saturday evening. Our table was too close to other diners and the waitresses were almost sitting on it each time they passed.
Food was fresh, but I would have like more than the four prawns I found in my main dish.
Although the waiter was friendly, the same cannot be said of the waitress and service was disappointing.
My friend decided to leave a tip as we rushed out to get our taxi. Only when she got home did she realise that they had added a 'discretionary' service charge (for a table of two!).
Well, it was my first and last visit and we intend to try the other local restaurant next time.
Review by Mark on 7th September, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 4th September 2009
We went as a group of four and were extremely disappointed. The starters were ok but then the problems began. We ordered 2 veal and had to send both of them back - tough, tasteless & insipid. That left the other two of us eating our mains, which weren't much better - over cooked vegetables and a very bland looking sea bass. One of the veal meals were replaced with a fillet steak, the fillet was poor and the spinach side made our friend feel ill. Two of our party ate their mains and then watched the other two eat theirs much later which doesn't make for a nice meal out. Oh and they also ran out of Vodka! We were in this god forsaken place for about 2 hours and only twice were we offered drinks. Very poor service with a patronising smile to boot. The dessert menu was a picture affair detailing various frozen delights mmmmm.... yuck. Then came the bill, no offer of discount for such a disappointing dining experience and if fact the replacement meals were charged at full price. £170 for 4 mains, 4 starters and a few drinks – are they mistaking Goudhurst for central London perhaps?! Very expensive for a load of *rap. In summary, Poor food, useless chef, poor service and very expensive - all washed down with a "well this place is being sold soon" so we could care less attitude. The waiter may be a nice guy but we were looking for a decent meal not some chit chat. Utter rubbish and we will never go back. It has taken all of my will power to not return and demand a full refund so please vote with your feet on this one and stay clear.(The following evening we went to the newly refurbished chequers just outside of Goudhurst and it was superb, the total opposite of this place.)
Review by Maria on 18th August, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 11.08.09
Well,here is a positive review of La Zia Maria in Goudhurst. After having read the negative reviews I wondered whether the other people were talking about the same restaurant. We were there 11 August 2009, so much later than the people who wrote the other reviews. We had a very friendly waiter who spoke fluent Italian, although he was English and was very kind and helpful. The food was delicious. The atmosphere was wonderful, the music lovely and the service quick. From the kitchen we could only hear someone whistling happily. Can certainly be recommended in 2009!
Review by lizzie on 20th January, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 20.1.08
MY son, husband and i visited la zia maria for lunch and were overall pleased with the food. Although when we asked if our son who is a few months short of 3 could have he meatballs but as a childs portion instead, the waiter told us that he could but the price of just over ten pounds would be the same. Not the best of starts. As i said the food was pretty good both starters and main. Once we had finished these the waiter came and took our plates and asked if we would like a coffee but no mention of deserts. We had coffee and waited about ten mins for him to ask us if we wanted deserts still to no avail. The table behind us had theirs and were onto coffees so we decided to ask for the desert menu. The waiter then told us that the restaurant was now closed and we couldn't have any. Obviously annoyed by this we ordered the bill. Suffice to say he got no tip, may be i should have told him to use some common sense. On leaving his last words to us were sorry about that. Unfortunately we won't be returning as it left a sour taste in our mouths
Review by Colin on 13th August, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 13/8/07
When La Zia Maria opened in Goudhurst the residents of this wonderful little village were delighted..
News soon got around that the Arestaurant although looking like it could be on Fulham road certainly did not have the service or food expected.
Obviously living only 200 meters from the restaurant both myself and my girlfriend had to try it out.
We have been three times, I would love to say that I have gone back because it is infact as good as any top Italian restaurant pretends to be but instead I go back because of a morbid disbelief that a restaurant can actually be this bad.
The food is below average for any Italian restaurant, you would honestly get better pizza in Pizza Express and better pasta in Cafe Pasta. This is however not its worst point, the food is exceptional compared to the service.
On our first visit the manager spoke only to me, he did not acknowledge my girlfriend who knows a lot more about wine than I do, but very time she asked a question he looked at me and answered. As the restaurant had just opened it was packed but instead of the buzz of happy customers all you could here was the Italian waiters arguing at the top of there voices much to the embarrassment of the diners.
Unbelievably we went back! The second visit was on a cold December evening. La Zia Maria like most of the houses in Goudhurst is listed so there are many, many 'cold corners'. We were seated in an empty restaurant (the word was getting around) in one of those cold corners. After we had ordered I asked the waiter if it would be possible to move to a warmer table as the wind was literally whistling through an open chimney straight at us, our waiter then gave m a rather superior look and told me that the other tables were reserved for four people... The restaurant holds around 60 people, it was 9pm and it was mid week in a restaurant with a bad reputation. We sat in our cold corner for the rest of the meal with not another person coming through the door.
My last visit was this evening, I decided to get a take out pizza.. Surely this could not go wrong.
It went like this....
'Excuse me do you do take away pizzas?' a long pause
'Yes'
'erm could I have a menu' another long pause
'Yes' yet another longer pause where the waiter stared at me until his friends seated at the bar gave him the laughs he was longing for.
The waiter who then gave me a menu and disappeared leaving me at the bar with his appreciative audience but not even offering me a drink.
I looked into the restaurant at a table of four people the only customers in the restaurant. It was probably there first and last visit.
After about ten minutes the stand up comedian/waitor came back. My appetite had gone I asked for a beer, only to be told that we do not serve beer, he told me ther were two pubs in the village if I wanted beer, his audience laughed and I walked out to his punchline...
'but they dont do pizzas!'
His audience at the bar gave him a standing ovation and I left feeling sad, but a least knowing I will never, ever go back.
Brit Quote: |
|
On this day: |