Sean Creech (6 months ago )
I'm staying at the Ibis One Central for 5 nights (room 521), and this restaurant was the closest being off the main reception. After reading a few reviews I thought it worth a try, but I was mistaken. I arrived about 8pm and the place was quite dead, just a few customers. It is listed as "Smart casual" although some customers were wearing flip flops, t-shirt and sporty shorts. That's not my definition of smart casual.
The first server led me to my seat and I asked for the menu, but was offered a scan code for my phone. When the server couldn't get this to work on my phone, she tried hers but it was too slow to browse the menu. I asked for a traditional menu, and eventually got one.
After choosing an item I was told that the price would be higher, as the printed menus were old. 10 minutes later a different server told me the item I chose wasn't available anyway, as it was from an old menu. The second server showed me the menu on her phone and I eventually chose a mixed grill for 110AED. After a while the meal arrived. It was bland, under seasoned and and the fries were tasteless.
Not once during the meal did they ask if it was to my liking. I left half of it, it was well below average. I waited for around 30 minutes after the meal and none of the servers showed up, so I walked to the counter to pay. I am an exhibitor at the conference centre, and previously informed the server about the 20% discount they offer on their own website to exhibitors. They seem to have no idea about this. When I asked to pay at the counter, they had not deducted the 20% and laughed when I suggested the discount again. When I showed them the website they called the manager, who first said no to the discount. When I mentioned again it was on their own website, the manager honoured the discount. I should have not had to go through this procedure . It was an embarrassment. Again, I was not asked if I enjoyed the meal. 0/0 for customer service. 2/10 for the meal itself, and 2/10 for the environment which was downright boring.
Won't be eating here again for an evening meal during the rest of my stay.