We had heard that the famous Connaught Hotel dining room was to be closed, so four of us turned up for lunch on March 6th, not having been there either ever, or for getting on for twenty years. It was so bad it was funny. The lauded dining-room was closed. so we were put in the tea-room, together with maybe a dozen other bemused diners; the head-waiter was spectacularly rude. For example, when one of our party asked for a third slice of beef from the trolley he was treated as if he were Oliver and had virtually to wrestle for his portion. The food, with a couple of exceptions was reminiscent of any Railway Hotel circa 1960: Take the starters (please). My smoked trout was rock-hard, tasteless, and garnished by sliced olives, with fake scales made of cucumber. The whole thing presented a la Fanny Craddock. My wife's Kipper Pate looked (and I was told, tasted) like Pedigree Chum, with more of that cucumber on the side. Oysters cannot be spoilt, and nor can smoked salmon - which was at least wild. For a main course I selected the mixed grill, but was unable to distinguish any of the meats except the kidney, which was more reminiscent of a musket-ball than a once-living organ. I could go through the whole meal, but would bore all. Suffice to say that with the exception of the Roast Beef and Souffle potato, which were superb, the quality of food was ghastly. In summary, we may have eaten at a time when staff morale was low, the Gordon Ramsey connection only just having been made public, but I for one am delighted that more acceptable offerings will be replacing what we were offered. By the end of the meal we were suffering mild hysterics because of the appalling rudeness of the staff and the naffness of the food. A second example of the many service failures occurred whan I asked for more Souffle potato. "I'm sorry but the Chef says it will take him half an hour." I persisted and another plate arrived in less than five minutes. Ho Hum! Not that this was cheap. We did drink reasonable wine, but £480 for lunch for four people is gets us something pretty superb most places. Roll on Ramsey!
