How might one describe the sentiment of this review?
We took a large party here for a birthday meal last night and... hmm. On a previous trip, the Silent Reviewer and I had a pleasant enough meal, but somewhat forgettable. I was definitely on the fence - but I've definitely picked my side now. The problem I think is the service - both in the kitchen and in the dining area. With a heaving restaurant last night, the whole place was heaving and there was a clear struggle to keep up. It took an age to get water to the table, and even longer to place drinks orders. the SR refused to order anything after the first drink was consumed - taking too long, he gave up the will to live. We had been asked to leave by 8 - which would have been fine as we started just after 6 - but we didn't get our meals until 7:45. I had to ask for a glass of water 3 times before I managed to get a drink; my sister didn't even get her main meal without having to call someone over to point out the empty space in front of her... drinks forgotton, drinks and food mis ordered, it all felt like much harder work than it should have been. At the end, we had an automatic service charge applied, despite the shambles of service. We didn't pay it. Food wise - it was as much as a fusion restaurant would be expected to muster - I don't think I've been to a place that calls itself fusion that has been really able to execute multiple cuisines effectively, and Bar Soba didn't impress. Steamed mushroom buns were flavourless, katsu curry underseasoned and too spicy for me (also didn't taste like any katsu curry I have ever had before). The fries and satay sauce however, was delicious. Teriyaki beef was simultaneously tough and undercooked. I'm perhaps being tougher in my review than I should - but the frustration of slow service infiltrated the whole experience to some extent. On the other hand, their cocktails are pretty delicious. Those did go down a treat (bar the Chilli Shoulder, and Green Mean Tequila Machine) - personal favourite for me was the Aichee Martini. It was here that Bar Soba excelled - if they perhaps had more staff to work the bar, kitchen and floor, and focused on the cocktails and decent snacks, I would personally think that it would be long term a more successful venture. The only other reason I've given this place a 2 star rather than a 1, is the lack of fight over disputing the bill at the end - after already having drinks (wrong ones and ones that never showed up) taken off the bill, it still felt insulting to fork out a service charge given the lack of it - but once pointed out, it was removed immediately. It's a saving grace, although only a small one. So after my rather long whingy review, the summary would be - more cockatils please, more staff, forget the food, I'll come back - otherwise, I won't be bothering. Cheers!
negative