• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Restaurants

Manchester M17 8EG
0161 749 9966

implosion07 said
Horrid, overpriced rubbish - AVOID!
La Tasca was probably one of the worst restaurant experiences I've had.

The place: La Tasca doesn't LOOK bad from the outside - it has warm colours etc. but it seemed a bit dark. There were a lot of small tables which seemed to fill up quickly as soon as it struck noon, so I ate outside where it was less crowded.

The staff: The place seemed understaffed. There were 4 or 5 people waiting maybe 30 or more tables, and it took half an hour for them to take my order. This was after being given a 'lunch special' menu which wasn't applicable that day. I asked for water, expecting tap, and was brought a tiny bottle which cost me £1.10. The manager tried to argue with me when I sent food back in disgust.

The food: Absolutely disgusting. My Patatas Bravas arrived lukewarm, and were essentially pre-cut, deep-fried potato pieces with sweet pre-made tomato sauce. This was advertised as a spicy dish; it wasn't. The Calamari were lukewarm as well, and had the texture of rubber bands. Nearly impossible to eat. The garlic mayonnaise was warmer than the squid, which was rather worrying. I sent both of these back to the kitchen.

My garlic mushrooms were salty but at least edible, and my salad was pathetically small, dressed only with tasteless oil rather than 'house dressing', and with parsley instead of coriander. I ate these only because I was hungry from waiting so long, and paid £8 for my trouble.

The pros:
- Nice decor
- Large menu
- Offers a £5 off minimum £10 spend voucher
- Fairly cheap lunchtime food, but only 4 days a week

The cons:
- Restaurant was dark and crowded
- Uninterested, incompetent and rude staff
- Expensive bottled water rather than tap
- Food was cold
- Food was prepared with wrong ingredients
- Food was over-seasoned
- A la carte was expensive
- Portions were small even for tapas

DO NOT EAT HERE.

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Altrincham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Altrincham WA14 1EB

implosion07 said
Brilliant food, friendly staff - and discounts!
We first went to the Slug and Lettuce after hearing about the 'Love Slug Club' on their website. By signing up to a mailing list, you get £5 off a minimum £10 spend. The newsletters themselves sometimes have other discounts...like 20% off your bill if it's raining!

The Place: Conveniently located near to Altrincham Bus Station, the Slug's decor is contemporary, with neutral colours and leather sofas/chairs. There's also a bar area with a few stools and small tables, and no shortage of room. Things tend to be fairly quiet between 12 and 1 for lunch, so there were seats near to the windows. The only problem is that the staff tend to leave the door open, which lets in the smoke from customers standing outside.

The Staff: Friendly and always helpful. They offered to take 15% off our bill when our 2 steak pies arrived cold, and even gave an explanation (the oven thermometer had broken). Plus, they had no problem with all three of us using one £5 off voucher each!

Menu: Varies seasonally, featuring old favorites like fish and chips or steak pie, and more exotic offerings like tempura vegetables. Certain items (like the chips) are frozen and reheated, but everything is of very high quality for pub food, and portions are VERY generous (even the water)! And desserts are always 2 for 1 - so you can get 2 desserts for just under £4!

The pros:
- Good music, clean place, nice homey atmosphere
- Helpful staff
- Varied menu
- Generous portions
- Discounts including 2 for 1 on desserts forever

The cons:
- Smell of smoke from outside