I enjoyed this restaurant, so why do I think it is so poor? This was spoilt at the beginning and the end by surly officious staff. We had arrived to meet our host for a 21st birthday meal. My wife and I as well as our two children aged 18 and 21. On the ground floor we were greeted at the reception desk and checked in, then ushered into the lift, so far so good. Then a surly bouncer/security guy asked us to come out of the lift and asked my children for identification, which they didn’t have(we were going to a restaurant!) he said we could not go up. A really officious conversation took place which made my daughter upset. I pointed out that we are going to the restaurant and in which case surely they can be let up. He then replied if you let me finish I will explain (he had ample time to say they could go up to the restaurant before but insisted that without id they couldn’t.) we were then allowed to go to the restaurant but not the bar and be escorted through the bar to the table. In the middle we had food which was good and service adequate, view amazing. At the end of the meal(cost at about £600.00 for 8, I guess) we thought it would be great to go up to the next floor to the viewing area. Another security guy let us through only to be stopped halfway through by an officious manageress again asking for id a small altercation took place as the manageress said to the security you make the decision then”.what a spoilt evening but for our good hosts.
To summarise: no problem with asking for id, I understand that. But how about some friendly clarity when we arrived pointing out that without id they could not go up to the bar but the restaurant was fine. Perhaps they have had some issues with underage drinking; I felt a certain edginess between the staff. But that is no excuse for the way we were approached and talked to that night.