The Junction Tavern, Kentish Town

We booked a table for 7.30 on the last Saturday in January. In the morning we received a very perfunctory and slightly rude phone call telling us that we needed to reconfirm our booking. This was a definite first for both of us and should, in hindsight,have set off alarm bells. The phone call was so objectionable that we mentioned it, in perfectly acceptable language, to the waiter.

We then ordered our meal. As we intended to have pudding we ordered a light STARTER of olive oil bread and olives plus a bottle of wine. The idea was to enjoy the meal at a leisurely pace, we had two hours, and maybe even order some more of the same before our main course.

Barely half an hour after arriving the manager turned up at our table plonked down our main, course even though we hadn`t finished our starter, and waltzed off before we could say anything. It was obvious that we were expected to, sit down, shut up, eat up, drink up and get out in short order. Our table was obviously needed, probably by some favoured locals, and we were the patsies.
What followed was bizarre. After finishing the main course l asked the manager why he had served us the main course before we had finished the starter? The conversation was as follows:

Customer: "Why were we served our main course before our starter".

Manager: "They aren`t starters they`re nibbles".

Customer: "The menu clearly states that they are starters".

Manager: "If you had wanted them as a starter you should have ordered them as a starter"

Manager then flounces off in an almighty strop leaving the two of us staring at each other incredulously.

Which begs the question. When is a starter not a starter? Obviously when the outstandingly rude and arrogant manager decides that he needs your table and, as he`s never seen you before, you are going to have to go.

If you enjoy the status of favoured local then l`m sure this is the place for you. The food was perfectly ok and the decor is stylish and welcoming. However, if like us, you are coming as a first timer, I wouldn`t bother.

8 Feb 2009 14:22