Pizza Express - Royal Festival Hall

Local people (9 August 2008)

On Saturday my friend and I went to this branch, which is local to me. We were kept waiting, in fact there was no one to greet customers at all. My friend was tired and using a crutch and so I suggested we sit down. My friend ordered some English tea, a tea bag in a packet and a half full cup of hot water was put down. Tea is served by pouring boiling water over it. Then I noticed some brown marks in the milk jug, this was disgusting but the waiter did not apologise and went of to get some more tea, saying it was the machine. He sullenly put the cup and the milk had been poured into a teapot. The hot water jug was dirty this time. Nevertheless, we ordered our pizzas; I had the Soho and my friend, Americana. I was really disgusted as the pizza was barely warm with hardly any tomato, no garlic and the tiny amount of rocket was not fresh. I could hardly cut through it - soggy and tough. When we asked for Parmesan we got the same sullen treatment, the waiter just dumped it on the table. My pizza was tasteless, greasy and spotted with black flecks, and the plate was very badly scratched and stained. We should have complained but we just could not deal with this waiter anymore. We were not offered any apology or discount for the dirty milk jug. We had had a lovely day out at the Lambeth Palace Parish Fete only to be marred by dreadful food and a sullen waiter, who was most unhelpful. Our bill came to £25.00, I did complain to head office asking for a full refund and compensation. It took five and a half weeks to get a measly £30.00 voucher.