bar & grill

[inga]

The dolphin bar& grill is very busy tonight -every table is busy although there are a few singletons like me taking up tables for 4. There are a couple of staff who are being kept busy! The pool is also very busy!

The menu at a glance doesn't look substantially different from when I came in just after it opened, but I have resisted the steak this time and gone for fishcakes and chips and a glass of sauv blanc which is unfortunately not as chilled as I would expect!!

[ds1]

I hear on the Dolphin jungle drums that Marina Kinnsman, the ex tenant liaison officer (problem solver extraordinaire and general tenant support lady) is now heading up the bar and grill! Good luck to her, I am sure she will run a tight ship.

Just don't mention the price of the chips....... ;D

[Brendan Martin]

Yes, Marina is in charge and has been running the bar and grill for some weeks now.

[nic]

I think the Bar and Grill seems to be getting worse rather than better. Now we simply refuse to eat there - we will occasionally have a drink or cuppa down there (the coffee is actually very good). I have no opinion on the price of chips but the prices are in general above what we would expect to pay for the quality of the food. There are ever decreasing choices available and when we raised this we were told it was because they don't get enough people - this surely must be because of the quality, the prices and the number of choices. I have tried for months to get them to put a simply salad on the menu - greek salad, caesar salad - with an option to add chicken - but with absolutely no success. We had hoped that this would be somewhere we could eat regularly and not bother to have to cook but our experiences mean that this is not an option. Very disappointing but with the prices of the other services in Dolphin Square endlessly going up and the quality of virtually all of the services going down in direct proportion we are not going to throw money away in the bar and grill as well. Such a shame - this used to be such a lovely place to live. It now reminds me of Bangkok where we felt as if we were being ripped off at every turn.

[Brendan Martin]

I am convinced people would use the Bar & Grill if it offered what the market wanted. It appears that Mantilla don't know their market. Or they are aiming at some other market.

In my opinion, the problem is that that market doesn't seem to want what they offer. It's what I call the Mantilla Dream. They have an image of the sort of clientele they want. The thing is this isn't Chelsea or Camden or the West End. It's Pimlico, a friendly, quiet backwater of a neighbourhood. No one really goes through Pimlico to get anywhere and it isn't a destination restaurant.

But, there are good value, good quality places you can eat around here, Nic. The Gallery opposite the tube station in Lupus Street offers good food at the a reasonable price. The Contented Vine, 17 Sussex Street; Dim T, 56-62 Wilton Road; About Thyme, Wilton Road; Chimes, 26 Churton St; and of course Pomegranates, Grosvenor Road are all places I've eaten in several times recently. And that's just six that I use. I'm sure other forum members have their own suggestions.

[billg]

Another good find is Akhbar - the re-launched Nutmeg along at the end of Lupus Street - and don't forget Goya just over the road from the School - always a good old fashioned Tapas or meal at a decent price.

[topfloorduncan]

[This posting has been removed we know it is from a forged name and address]

[Brendan Martin]

Thanks Neil. Nice to know you were here on Friday night to witness the event.

[nickfro]

[This posting has been removed we believe it is from a forged name and address]

[act08]

I am glad to hear that "nickfro" enjoyed his meal .The Brasserie and Clipper Bar were pretty awful before Mantilla came so I don't think anyone would be looking back with any regrets .
Didn't like the reference to " Gods Waiting Room ". Although you did make a reference to young and old enjoying themselves when you were in the Grill.

[Brendan Martin]

I took a friend into the Bar & Grill yesterday evening for a pre-dinner drink. We ordered a pint of lager and a large glass of Chardonnay. The cost: £10.60. We thought there was a mistake and asked the chap behind the bar.

He explained to us that the lager cost £3 and the wine £7.60! That is too high for what was a mediocre Chardonnay. (I had better in my fridge in my flat that we used later that night!)

The other person with whom we were chatting also thought the price was a bit high.

The £7.60 is what you might expect to pay in an hotel - but this is not an hotel.

The tragedy is that my guest swore she would never set foot in the Bar & Grill again. Speaking of feet, once again Mantilla have shot themselves in the foot. It's such a shame because the facility would be very convenient if its offering were priced properly.

[nic]

I had a bit of a chuckle rereading some of these comments. Despite what Nick says about Pimlico it is in fact a fabulous place to live. There may be the occasional Bentley but actually one of the reasons we have always chosen to live around here is that there are a great range of ages, socioeconomic groups, cultures. There are some great places to eat where the food is substantially better than the Bar and Grill (thank goodness otherwise I would despair for London) - Kazan, Caramel, The Contented Vine, Cyprus Mangel, Goyas, Seafresh will grill some fab fish for you etc etc and most of them are much better priced than the Bar and Grill as well, certainly much better value and service.

[nic]

PS I completely agree with Brendan that they are missing their market. A few of us marketing types threw around some ideas around and I offered to pass these on to Marina. She made an appointment with me and then went home minutes before we were due to meet and stood me up. As I never eat there because every time we have the food has been dire, I decided that it was her loss.

[Brendan Martin]

I just a superb lunch in Chimes on Churton Street. They are very English in their cuisine. I had a Poacher's Pie (venison, wild boar, rabbit, etc) and my partner had Chicken Pie (chicken and gooseberries. Both were fab, Great, light puff pastry, excellent filling. Brilliant. And they have a great menu of ciders to choose from.