porTers Restaurant and Bar

Dining Dan (6 April 2007)

This was a great restaurant to find having walked around Oxford for the best part of the day trying to find something not too posh and not shabby. This was perfect, a great clean and fresh atmosphere, where you can watch the kitchen in action. The staff were great and the chef was happily checking up on the diners. Food was excellent and service was not forced nor painfully slow. In all well worth a visit for some romantic simplistic dining at a very reasonable price.

Catriona Dixon (28 February 2007)

My boyfriend and I brought some friends here one night for dinner and we really regret not having tested the place first beforehand as all of us were nothing but disappointed. Please don't waste your time or money at this place. We were very disappointed by it and for the first time ever we wrote a letter of complaint to them which was never acknowledged. One month later we emailed them the same letter to their enquiries address and asked them to acknowledge our email and letter and we have still never had the courtesy of a reply. If you wish to read the letter I have cut and pasted it below.

Re: Meal on Saturday XX January 2007

I am writing with respect to my experience at your restaurant last Saturday night which was most disappointing and which I felt necessitated this letter. My boyfriend and I love going out for dinner and are always keen to try new places so we decided to take some guests we were entertaining to your restaurant last Saturday night and we are both so embarrassed that we did.

I booked a table for four people at 8pm last Saturday night (XXth January). On arrival at 8pm I went to the bar and told a member of staff my name and that I had a reservation for four. He then informed me that the reservation was for 9pm to which I replied that it was for 8pm and then I was told to take a seat ‘wherever’. We were not shown to any particular table.

We were then shown the menus and when the waitress came to take our order we asked what the soup of the day was and whether the beef Wellington was on the menu that night. She had no idea. We ordered our starters and main courses, a bottle of wine and a bottle of water. The waitress then left the menus on the table leaving us to collect them up ourselves and pass them to a nearby member of staff.

One of the party ordered a steak and was not asked how he would like it done and ended up having it however the chef decided. I find it surprising that the chef never sent the waitress back to see how the customer would like his steak cooked. Another of the party ordered a burger and was not asked if she would like blue cheese with it. For this meal the chef did send the waitress back to ask.

Whilst waiting for our starter we were brought the wine which my boyfriend tasted and approved. The bottle was then left on our table. My experience in all restaurants is that the waiting staff pour everyone an initial glass of wine from the bottle; obviously not the case at Porters. When the bottle of water arrived we were then asked if we would like more glasses for the water; need I even comment on this question given that all we had were wine glasses which we were using?

With respect to the starters, two of us ordered soup and two ordered humous. The soup of the day was carrot and coriander and I have to truly say that the soup was hard to swallow as it tasted worse than seawater due to the amount of salt. I really cannot emphasise how salty this soup was. The humous was a lumpy orange paste which bore no resemblance to any homous anyone had ever had, in either taste or texture.

Following the starter, the waiter came to remove the crumbs from the table in the usual way except with the words, “I need to clear up that mess”, which was embarrassing, in front of company especially.

When the main course arrived the waiter appeared to have little idea what he had been asked to serve to us, asking ‘Who‘s having the pastry?’. All assumed that the waiter had the wrong order until we realised that what he meant was beef Wellington.

On ordering my main course I asked the waitress if an ingredient could be omitted and on arrival I found that my instruction had been ignored with no explanation or apology.

After our main course we were given incorrect dessert menus which were removed from us and replaced with the correct menus. One of the party asked what herbal teas were available to which the waitress did not know and had to go and check. On her return we then ordered our desserts and teas to which the teas arrived before the dessert.

For dessert, one of us ordered the crepes which turned out to be rubbery and unpleasant and not at all of a standard acceptable in a restaurant. It was also presented without a knife.

Whilst having our desserts and teas I found it very unprofessional to see two chefs come to the bar to help themselves to some refreshment behind and in front of the bar.

I do think that it has to be said however that despite the lack of waiting knowledge of the waiting staff, they were at all times very pleasant but I am afraid this does not make up for the terrible experience we had. Had we not been entertaining we most certainly would have said something at the time and I fear so to would our guests but to avoid a scene we thought it best to pay and go.

I really think that your staff need to be trained better and provide a much higher service than was had by us on that night. It was without doubt the worst food I have ever experienced anywhere in Oxford and well below restaurant standard, combined, somewhat unfortunately, with the most inept service. I placed my faith in you on a night when I had special guests staying for one night only in Oxford, and I have to say I feel very let down.

Yours faithfully,

XXXX