Leila served up much disappointment

We honestly don’t enjoy writing bad reviews. However, we promised ourselves that we’d be honest and unbiased no matter what (press invites and all). What’s the point of this blog if it can’t help you determine the perfect place for a great dinner date?

Unfortunately Leila at The Gate Mall left us feeling disheartened. Neither the food or service felt worthy of the price. It’s not hugely expensive yet when compared to our visit to French Olive we left feeling rather shortchanged.

Once we’d been seated and placed our order we started to feel like we were in a waiters’ training school: that we were just the next unfortunate guinea pigs.

Staff watched each other (not the customers) and followed each other around the restaurant. We were served by at least 4 different staff members. They struggled to understand our wishes (which weren’t at all complex) and several just wandered aimlessly around. So while food failed to entertain us at least they we managed to keep us amused (for all the wrong reasons of course).

Bread

Ok Lelia this isn’t just a dig at you (a lot of other restaurants are guilty of this presentation crime), but why serve up traditional bread in a plastic bag if you’ve gone to the trouble of placing the bread inside a nice holder?

Grilled aubergine with feta

The first time this cold mezze dish arrived it was hidden under a lake of yogurt (and there was no mention of this on the menu), which unfortunately my stomach can’t tolerate. We explained this to one of our waiters and asked if it could come with the promised feta only. We waited and waited and finished most of the other dishes and then it came. This time it came (minus the feta) with a huge amount of garlic powder on it. It neither smelt or tasted pleasant and was left sat there in its processed garlic glory.

Kafta Bel Laban:

This was another dish that came drenched in yoghurt. Perhaps the chef once he cooks the dishes realizes  that he forgot to add the yoghurt in the mix and just pours it over the food for good measure. Hence the dish was cold, and cold kofta kebabs are not our thing.

Pesto Ras Asfour:

This tasty, creamy meat dish was perhaps the only saving grace on this outing (and to our surprise not drowned in yoghurt). The meat was tender and the well flavoured and the rich sauce provided a great accompaniment to the fries.

L&M Rating: 2