Would not go back for free

Posted by Michael from NJ, USA on 10/28/06

We had dinner on Nov. 25. Worst restaurant experience in London. (Racine, Rules, lEscargot were among the good ones). We chose the place based on the recommendation in Fodors. Good first impression as despite not having a reservation we were given a nice table. The wine list was rather thin and (understandably) Italian biased. As the appetizers came in, there was an oily, very displeasing smell from my wifes Grilled Sardines. She ate some and I tasted them too  wish I never did. My Goat Cheese appetizer was decent albeit uninspired. For mains we had Roasted Grouse which was less than average. When finished, although one of the appetizers was barely touched and there was a lot left from the main courses it did not cause any reaction from the pleasant but inexperienced waitress, nor were there any requests for feedback during the meal. Obviously she had no specific instructions from the kitchen to watch for any signs of trouble. After the meal my wife felt nauseated and later that night, was violently sick. Those sardines should have never left the kitchen. If I could smell them from across the table, surely the chef should have been able to do it too. Being that, incidentally, that happens to be his job. We dine out a lot and have a good understanding of fine food and service  subjective as that may be.