L'Artiste Muscle

I've eaten here three times now (always lunch) and each time has been pleasant; the food is cooked to order and the wines are perhaps basic but good and at sensibl;e prices.
It is a small restaurant with wooden floors and tables placed close together, somewhat cramped but this adds to the atmosphere. There is a downstairs (not been down there so I can't comment) but upstairs you can see the food being prepared and cooked.
It is French through and through, perhaps rustic, but I have always found it to be of very good quality, fresh and excellent value for money. The service has always been swift, attentive and friendly. Excellent for a friendly bistro lunch and I will go back.

I went here with a big group of friends last weekend. I appreciate that serving a group of 25 for dinner is not every waiter's dream but, at the same time, everyone is a paying customer and it is up to the waiters to take charge of the situation. The waiters were unbelievably rude both during the meal and at the end of it. There was, as there always seems to be with groups, an issue with the bill. Instead of calmly sitting down with the few of us who decided to take charge to sort it out, the waiters (one of whom I think might have been the owner) proceeded to swear extremely aggresively at some of the female members of our group, one of whom was particularly intimidated. Aside from the terrible service, the food was expensive and below par. Two of my friends had to send their steak back (one of them twice). It struck me that they were more than happy to take a considerably sum of money from a group of customers but were not willing to provide a good service and seemed to presume that, because we were drinking, we could be fobbed off with average food. This restaurant is in a prime location and seems to think they are above serving people. That struck as particularly arrogant in a time when all custom should be gratefully received. In summary, I will not be going back here!