Extremely Disappointed with The Hand and Flowers – Poor Service and Unprofessional Management
I regret to say that my recent experience at The Hand and Flowers was deeply disappointing, particularly for a restaurant that holds two Michelin stars. After spending nearly £1000 on a meal, my expectations were understandably high, but both the service and the quality of the experience fell drastically short.
From the start, there were clear issues:
1. Unacceptable Waiting Times: We were seated at 1:05 pm, but didn’t receive our first course until 1:50 pm. For any restaurant, this would be unacceptable; for a Michelin-starred establishment, it was shocking.
2. Disorganised Service: Throughout the meal, the staff consistently failed to know who had ordered which dish, asking multiple times, "Who is having the fish?" or "Who is having the beef?" This is basic service etiquette that even a casual dining establishment should master, let alone a restaurant of this caliber.
3. Clearing of Plates: Finished dishes were left on the table for over 10 minutes, a clear sign of inattentiveness. At this level of dining, I would expect prompt and professional service throughout.
4. Lack of Communication About Dishes: I was never informed about what sauce was being poured onto my plate, and my guest had to ask what was being served with her fish. When she asked if the fish had been grilled, the waitress confirmed it had—but it clearly had not been. This lack of attention to detail is simply unacceptable.
5. Waitresses Leaning Over Guests: To make matters worse, the waitresses were leaning across our guests to pour sauces on the plates. Rather than walking around the table to serve the dishes properly, they made the dining experience uncomfortable and intrusive. This is something I would not expect even at a casual restaurant, let alone a Michelin-starred establishment.
After the meal, I contacted the restaurant manager, Mrs. Gavin, with what I believed was constructive and respectful feedback. To my surprise, instead of addressing any of these valid concerns, Mrs. Gavin stated that she had checked the restaurant’s CCTV footage to verify the timing of when our dishes were cleared. I found this response both excessive and dismissive. Rather than acknowledging the service failures, she was more concerned with proving that their standards were upheld—standards that were clearly not reflected in our experience.
Despite my honest attempt to resolve these issues directly, the response I received was dismissive and condescending, culminating in an email telling me the case was "closed" and advising me not to contact them again. It’s one thing for the meal to have been disappointing, but it’s another to be treated with such arrogance by the management.
Initially, I wanted to avoid posting this review, hoping to resolve the issue privately. However, the restaurant’s refusal to take any responsibility and the disrespectful tone I was met with leaves me no choice. I have since found many other reviews online that mirror my experience, with numerous guests specifically mentioning Mrs. Gavin's unprofessional attitude.
If you are considering dining at The Hand and Flowers, I strongly urge you to reconsider. While they may claim to be "just a pub," the prices are far from pub-like, and the service falls drastically short of the Michelin-starred expectations they set. Save your money, and avoid the disappointment of being treated like an afterthought at an establishment that seems to care little about its customers.