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Ravi Shankar
133-5 Drummond Street, NW1 2HL, tel: 02073886458
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Cuisine: Indian
You Sum It Up!:
Price:
Very Reasonable
Food:
Good
Service:
Acceptable
"The food is actually not bad, if a bit overpriced. But I have had the worse service experience ever in my life in this bhelpoori house.
A number of other friends said they have had terrible service there. My friend was asked to leave the premises once when she sat a table for two, and her date got a bit late. I had also had bad service earlier but nothing on this scale.
I popped in one day in the afternoon with a friend, and we ordered a couple of soft drinks. Not knowing that an order of a dish was also compulsory, we asked for the bill when we were through.
The behaviour of the management was simply indescribable after this. A young fellow came up, leaned his hips on the next table and asked "what did you order?" and "you have to buy a meal" as though upbraiding a couple of schoolchildren. When I said that we had not been told that this was the case, a number of them gathered round saying things like "this is a restaurant and a meal is compulsory" and that "we cant walk into a restaurant and just have a drink." They said that we would have to pay an additional cost of a meal even though we hadnt ordered it.
At this point I was shaking with anger. I said that we would report them to the police if they overcharged us. They backtracked and brought me a bill for the price of our drinks. I paid and asked for a counterfoil. They initially refused, brought me the wrong one, and then literally threw it onto the table, all accompanied by continuous chatter about "who do these people think they are" and "we are running a business here." The chatter continued until we paid and left. The words dont properly convey the aggression and dismissiveness with which they were uttered.
Both of us were so stunned that we could not respond properly. We were not told beforehand that a food order is compulsory, nor was it mentioned on the menu. The restaurant was totally empty in the late afternoon. It doesnt really have the look of a restaurant and could easily be classed as a cafe. Regardless, I would actually have been happy to order a dish if asked decently.
The behaviour of the management was mind-boggling. It was nothing short of deliberate and persistent harassment till we left the restaurant. We were systematically intimidated and humiliated. I got the feeling that they had done this before. It seemed unbelievable at the time, but there I was. "
Kabir 28th June
"I've been here many times over the years and the Ravi Shankar has been around for a long time.
Consistently good food at very reasonable prices. Like most places in Drummond St, a predominantly South Indian menu, but with a selection of Gujarati favourites and there are daily specials too. Make sure you have a dish which comes with their fresh coconut chutney - it's to die for!"
Chris Sadowski 12th November
Ravi Shankar
133-5 Drummond Street
NW1 2HL
tel: 02073886458
web:
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