The Elk in the Woods, Islington

At face value, anonymous, your comments are fair. However:

The booking for a large group was made a week in advance and also confirmed on the day. Both times it was agreed that, while some of the party would indeed order mains, others would be having light snacks.

My friend (as indicated in one of the reviews below) had visited previously for a drink and enjoyed it. On this first occasion, she was not bullied into ordering a main by uptight waiting staff. Hence the desire to return to share with friends.

Also, a quick internet search variously describes this place as a 'gastro pub', 'pub' and 'public house'. So the confusion is not simply with us.

24 Feb 2006 08:49

The Elk in the Woods, Islington

I too was with the large group below. What a farce!

Our group was in no way rude to staff, overly loud, or disturbing other patrons. We simply wanted a few drinks and some good food at a place that friends had said was really great.

The table service was unbearably slow. To be expected possibly, given numbers, however it was frustrating that we were not allowed to order drinks from and pay at the bar as other patrons were.

However, having the waitress standing over us saying �is that all you�re having?� in an irritated voice was extremely unpleasant. As was her loud comment, �but that�s only an entr�e� and �why are you not ordering a main?� to the friend beside me.

Neither did I want to be told that our group was costing the establishment money by not eating an amount deemed appropriate by stuff, or that the chef was new and �needed to be cooking mains tonight�. Excuse me, what?

An increasingly agitated conversation with a member of our party and the threat to add a per-head charge for not eating confirmed that we were truly unwelcome.

This place needs to decide whether it�s a bistro or a pub � it has proven it cannot reconcile both. I most definitely do not recommend it for a �beer in the evening�.

I will not go back. Nor, I suspect, will the 20+ people there to celebrate my friend�s birthday that night or the numerous friends and acquaintances to which we have related the entire, rather bizarre, debacle.

A shame, the d�cor was interesting and the lounge chairs were probably comfortable.

21 Feb 2006 16:05