ASK - Warwick Reviews

We had a very good meal there yesterday for a family party with outstanding service and I would like to congratulate all the staff involved. Nothing was too much trouble even to the extent that the birthday cake was brought in three times because we were not quite ready. Many thanks to all of you.

We have visited this particular ASK outlet on many occasions and to date have had very little to complain about. However, we noticed a marked difference with our dining experience yesterday evening. The food was somewhat lacking with a quite soggy pizza and less than inspiring special of terrina Mediterranea, but the real let down was the appalling attitude of the serving staff. In the past we have found all front of house staff to be very helpful and friendly, but on this occasion we left feeling battered and bruised. We had simply asked that our starter plates and dishes be cleared before our main plates are placed, however, this was met with a mixture of derision and astonishment that we the customer would make such requests. We endured stares and glares for the rest of the meal. Far from enjoyment, it was more like endurance. We have made a formal complaint regarding the individuals concerned. We know this is not usual of ASK and have enjoyed many a pleasurable time at the ASK based nearby in Stratford. Service with a smile, perhaps the Warwick staff could learn from?

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal last night. We had two teachers from Belarus with us and they were most impressed too. The soup and spinach and mushroom dip starters were really tasty and filling. We then chose ravioli filled with crayfish, salmon and prawns, which was delicious, unusual and came in a good sized serving. My husband enjoyed the chicken calzone and Ludmilla loved mushrooms al forno. The tomato and onion side salad was also what I consider to be a generous size and very fresh. This was our first visit to ASK but we will definitely return. Amy, our waitress was excellent, very friendly and smiley - superb!

I decided to try them since I tried their sister chain Zizzi which to date had impressed. The food was a disappointment – they forgot our olives and missed a main ingredient out of the special spaghetti. There was no offer of black pepper or parmesan with mains and we had to ask for salad dressing. I would not recommend the quality of the food since I found the starters, small for the price and main courses with little imagination.

ASK presents a gorgeous setting, and lovely carbonara. The spaghetti Bolognese, we had, was served incorrectly with the Bolognese sauce, and everything was mixed up with the spaghetti. I feel the honeycomb cheesecake dessert was exceptionally tasty, but dear at over £4 for a tiny piece, and with no cream. I feel, not enough effort was put in presentation of the food. Service was spot on, but it was a bit too spot on, as we felt a bit rushed. We could not savour the moment for too long. The ciabatta baguette with an olive oil dip, as a starter, was rather dull on presentation, and overpriced. I am not stingy but I love good value for money. They need to think about their prices and presentation.