Chada Chada

Wandered into this restaurant after finding a huge queue at Busaba Eat Thai. We might as well have queued there as it took 40 minutes for our starter to arrive, and about 35 minutes before staff became aware of us trying to get their attention. In addition to this, it took three requests for water (pre-starter, during starter and during main meal) before we finally got any. Food was good, but then we were so hungry by the time that it arrived how could it not be?

Chose restaurant randomly after a day of shopping, lovely small restaurant with nice relaxing atmosphere. Had the most amazing steamed dumplings to start and then delicious halibut. So nice not to be eating in one of the same old chain restaurants, and have a Thai meal that wasn't ridiculously heavy and made you wonder just how many colourings/tinned ingredients had gone into it! Really nice fresh food, will definitely be going back.

Appalling service and attitude by an indifferent staff. The place wasn't crowded when we stopped by for late supper. The table we wanted to sit at wasn't ready, so the waitress asked us to sit somewhere else and wait. No problem. We waited five minutes, and no one was getting our table ready.

Suddenly, another couple walks in, is greeted by some other staff, who immediately accommodates their wish to sit at the unprepared table that I was waiting for. So he seats them and immediately puts down a table cloth etc etc..

I made it known that we were waiting for that table, but all the waitress said was that she didn't know we wanted THAT table. No apology, no attempt to acknowledge unfair treatment. No matter that we were waiting for a table already, and that these people who just walked in were immediately being served. Rather than cause a fuss and get the other couple to move (and have them also suffer due to the incompetent staff), I decided not to give this place my business.

Perhaps the food is adequate, but when one takes the Aston into central London for dinner out, one expects to be treated well. Go to Chada Chada if you don't mind being treated like second class citizens.