The Hartley: superb food and ...

Thomas

Call me a moaner if you like. I started the thread and indicated that I think the food is superb -- I wouldn't bother posting at all if it was just a crap place with nothing to recommend it. It goes without saying that the place is a very welcome addition to the area. But I had three bad experiences, service-wise. Interestingly, I was also served a rare burger -- raw not rare -- and they were EXCELLENT about it, admitted their mistake and promptly dealt with it. However, on every other level they were extremely inattentive and by the third visit with bad service (I had made many previous visits where everything was fine), I was compelled to complain, and to post here. The fact that they may have -- or had -- a problem seems borne out by the responses to my initial posting.

(I also find the "gastropub" excuse pretty lame. They market themselves as "dining rooms" after all.)

By the way, I've always found the staff quite friendly. But they just seem, I don't know, stoned. I'm not surprised at all that one of them was making decorative little tents out of matchsticks. Groovy. Now where in blazing hell is my credit card?

Peace, brother. If the owners are addressing this issue, I for one couldn't be happier because the food is great and I enjoy eating and drinking there. I'm looking forward to the next visit next week.

S

Indeed, Thomas, this Forum is usually about being critical not about moaning! And then, if we are moaning, for example about the Royal Mail, we do something about it. So, it's all very constructive.

Welcome to the Forum!

hello s & maurits, point taken...
just being critical, please excuse my moan!

just wanted to cause a stir on my first posting...
...and then james had to upgrade the forum software!
i hope this wasn't anything to do with me!


ps...completley agree re: royal mail - well done all helping here!

I completely agree about The Garrison. It is extremely professionally run- the service is friendly and as competent as you would expect in any top-class restaurant.

The Bermondsey Kitchen on the other hand - every time I have been in there the service has been terrible. Most of the waitresses do not speak fluent English - this wouldn't have been a concern if one of them had not understood that I was allergic to vinegar and had not passed on my request that my couscous not be dressed with it, and then could not understand while I was not happy! On another occasion the staff gave us the wrong bill for our two cocktails and then when we informed them of this, took over fifteen minutes to rectify the problem. In the end we had to add the bill up ourselves in our heads and tell them what the correct figure should be!!!

Firstly, thank you everyone for commenting good or bad on the service at the Hartley and other issues concerning this place in the past.I have found the forum a useful tool in gaining feedback for running a business in SE1 an appreciate your comments and views.In regard to this matter, i am taking steps to contol these issues and very soon i hope you will see some changes for the better.
If there are any suggestions or any problems with your visit to The Hartley please contact me personally or through the enquiries section of our website and i will be only to happy to help as best i can.

Dave - Hartley Manager

Dave,

in regard to this matter, i am taking steps to only spend my hard-earned in pubs with decent staff and service. preferbly ones that call them selves Pubs, and concentrate on serving the customer.

In the event that I lose all sense, and actually go back to THE hartley, it is very heartnin to know that i can contact you after the event with details of the problems of my visit. im sure that will make up for being ignored by the barstaff and made to wait ages for food (under)cooked by a grumpy chef

Ivanhoe - not yet so Hard Up that I'll be back in your "gastropod" for a long time

Beer.

The place claims to be & looks like a pub (unlike the 'kitchen). Yet there isn't a draught bitter on tap. Not a place to go for 'a beer'.

I did enjoy the food when I went, and the service was OK, but definitely not tip top. Memo to self: Must go back.

(Ivanhoe: what happened to you in there?)

They don't have any choice for vegetarians. Offering one vegetarian main course is just not good enough. The night I went, the vegetarian dish (risotto) had finished, so I had to have a starter as a main course. Which meant I couldn't have a starter, as there was only one choice of starter for vegetarians too! Sadly, they didn't give me a bigger sized starter so I went home slightly hungry and disgruntled.

Mapmaker,

If you're referring to my un-Ivanhoe style last posting, I think I was just combining brushing up my parody/pastiche skills with my general feelings about the Hartley (random use of Capitals is obviously OK as dave's the boss and he endorses it), and my extreme impatience with bland apologies for apologies ("in this instance, notwithstanding the aforementioned actual blahblahblah") that go on and on without addressing the issue (and often without saying sorry). Oh, that and my dislike of "gastropub" (which, IMO, often means no decent beer as well as no decent food - and charging well over the odds for both).

Is that what you were getting at?

guess you don't like the place then ivanhoe!
what places do you like to frequent in SE1?

also... it's great that dave is observing the forum and is keen to
better what is already a better place to socialise in SE1
well done him...