Discover Hertford Online Forum

Reply ID 962

i dont have a view of the place...

Reply ID 963

have been a couple of times. the last time there was a new chef - it was his first night, and we waited over an hour for starters... is nice enough in there, nothing fantastic though. maybe they were just shut for the day??

Reply ID 964

'fraid not. There was a sign in the window thanking their customers and saying they were closed from Monday. I wonder what will take its place? It's a good location for a restaurant, they just didn't seem to make a go of it.

Reply ID 965

Pizza Express, who own Cafe Pasta, are closing all of them. I don't think they make enough money although I was always impressed with them. Apparently there's a new mediterranean restaurant opening there shortly.

Reply ID 975

[quote] have been a couple of times. the last time there was a new chef - it was his first night, and we waited over an hour for starters... is nice enough in there, nothing fantastic though. maybe they were just shut for the day?? [/quote] didnt know they needed chefs in places like that!!!

Reply ID 976

Talking of service, I went to Cafe Rouge earlier in the week and the service was crap. Clearly they were understaffed and those that were there weren't exactly motivated. It took half an hour just to get a coffee and a beer in a dirty glass!

Reply ID 977

[quote] Pizza Express, who own Cafe Pasta, are closing all of them. I don't think they make enough money although I was always impressed with them. Apparently there's a new mediterranean restaurant opening there shortly. [/quote] and still people flood there......................why?

Reply ID 978

Have to agree with Justin. I've been a bit spoiled over the years, working in central London and being taken out by suppliers to some good restaurants where they have got their service bang on. Most of the places in Hertford are staffed by students who don't seem to have been given any training and the timing of the food means that you are sitting around for ages waiting in between courses. I haven't been to all of the eating places in Hertford (I've only lived here 8 years!) but the ones I've eaten in and enjoyed have been Ask and Shahenshah. I haven't been to your place yet Justin but I'll give it a go soon and give you my "expert" opinion. At the moment, Hertford seems to be a collection of restaurants like those in the current Gordon Ramsey series.

Reply ID 979

I ate out at the Hillside last night and it was excellent. Delicious food,wonderful waitress whose name I didn't get but believe she is Lithuanian,cosy atmosphere and efficiant service.Couldn't fault anything and will definately be returning.

Reply ID 981

[quote] I ate out at the Hillside last night and it was excellent. Delicious food,wonderful waitress whose name I didn't get but believe she is Lithuanian,cosy atmosphere and efficiant service.Couldn't fault anything and will definately be returning. [/quote] thank you, the waitress would be my wife who is the manager... see u soon.

Reply ID 982

[quote] Have to agree with Justin. I've been a bit spoiled over the years, working in central London and being taken out by suppliers to some good restaurants where they have got their service bang on. Most of the places in Hertford are staffed by students who don't seem to have been given any training and the timing of the food means that you are sitting around for ages waiting in between courses. I haven't been to all of the eating places in Hertford (I've only lived here 8 years!) but the ones I've eaten in and enjoyed have been Ask and Shahenshah. I haven't been to your place yet Justin but I'll give it a go soon and give you my "expert" opinion. At the moment, Hertford seems to be a collection of restaurants like those in the current Gordon Ramsey series. [/quote] yes , some good points there. finding staff is a problem for us too. you cant teach people an attitude, and therefore it is difficult to find staff with more on their agenda than wages... i dont work on weds and thurs, and its difficult to get cover to enable the same levels.

Reply ID 986

My girlfriend and I went to Cafe Pasta last Friday (14th) and walked out after ordering our drinks. It was the first time we had been in a few months, and the place had really gone downhill. The waitress was rude ("You can have this table if you're quick") and it took what felt like a week for her to take our order. On top of that I couldn't hear my girlfriend talking as they were playing "Ebeneezer Goode" a bit too loud. So we sacked it off after ordering our drinks and went to ASK down the road. It's not as if they were the only cheapy pasta place in town.

Reply ID 1031

I'm just glad that we are loosing one of the pasta places for something a little different. However, that building seems to be cursed. Remember previous owners? Who remembers the original Italian, Then Don Fillipos, then the excellent mexican, then cafe Pasta.I'm sure I missed a couple on the way. I will Hertford had a Mexican again. Rather than 6 curry houses. The british have no sense of adventure!

Reply ID 1122

Justin My wife and I have eaten several times at the Hillside and think it's fantastic. We do have one gripe however and that is that you seem to operate a 2 sittings policy on Friday and Saturday evenings. When we go to restaurants we like to make an evening of it. We like to have an unrushed 3 course meal with a couple of bottles of wine and normally would expect that to take about 3 hours. We attempted to book a table for 8pm last night but were told it would have to be at 9. We tried to do the same on 12th of June but again were offered the 7 and 9pm options which will never be acceptable to us. I estimate you turned down approximately £180. Can you afford to keep doing this? La Ciboulette got our custom instead and we enjoyed our meal. Gary

Reply ID 1132

I had an excellent meal at the Hillside before but I too loathe the 2 sittings set up. This is a London thing I experience often and it is very annoying. The food is the best in Hertford, though it needs to be careful of the offence this policy can cause !

Reply ID 1149

But surely as the Hillside is open 'til midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, a 9pm booking would still give you three hours? Last time we had a 9pm booking we left at gone midnight (though only just).

Reply ID 1156

With reference to two sittings, I can see both points of view, but I think it is a terrible thing to do. It is putting across the image of profit before the customer. Its not like we live in a Theatre zone, where it makes more sense. I eat out every Saturday night in Hertford or Ware, and I really enjoyed the food at Hillside, and I mean really enjoyed (The lamb was great), but I shall not be returning for two reasons. 1. The "Sittings" do not suit me. i.e too Early, or too late. 2. The price. I heard it was pricey, but was suprised it was not actually the food prices. It was the drink. It over doubled the meal price for our group, and I know it put a lot of people off. Sorry Justin, just my view. The food was fantastic, and the service was too, but the drink prices pushed it too far for me. I would recommend anyone who has not been to give it a try. Even if its simply to remind you that there is more to Hertford that pasta and curry!

Reply ID 1172

ok, i just returned from holiday after 2 weeks, hence my late reply. All the points are taken on board but first i will mention the 2 seating policy. We are a very small restaurant which im sure you all appreciate. In order for us to stay open, we cannot simply afford to just sell 7 tables on a weekend night, we have to turn them over. Our policy has always been like this on friday , saturdays. Customers have always been our priority, but no business can survive by losing money can they. Due to the mass volume of people wantinf to eat on a fri, sat, we can sell each table twice and regulary turn away in excess of 30 more. I work on my own in the kitchen , and i have to be happy that the level of food leaving my kitchen is high and also that guests can enjoy a 3 course meal with coffee and still not be rushed through there meal in the 2 1/2 hr, time scale. i think a pretty good job is done there. We can only work with the space we have and hope that people can appreciate this, otherwise there would be no hillside.. Gary, having read your post, i hope you would consider booking a table in the near future, and if and when you do, ask to speak to me when making the reservation. and dude, im baffled that you find the drink too expensive. we have a fantastic wine list in my opinion that has been carefully selected with varied prices to suit all. - our house wine is cheaper than pizza express - so is soft drinks - lowenbrau is £2.75 pint, for a real quality lager, the barge charge £2.95 for san miguel. so unless you state where your gripe lies , i cannot defend... p.s any body from this board wishing to make a booking, please ask to speak to me when doing so. pps. thanks for all comments good and bad, we are grateful for any feedback. ppps, there are more than 2 nights of the week, we are open 7 days. thanks justin

Reply ID 1174

id also like to add we are "your" local restaurnt hopefully offering something individual to you, i cant drag people in through the doors, but me personally, id sooner support my local quality restaurant than a hi st chain, but thats just me...........innit.

Reply ID 1175

Think you have a strong/valid case/points there Justin. 5th Wedding Anniversary coming up soon may have to give you a tinkle and beat the rush.....

Reply ID 1176

Are you planning on opening Sunday evenings? (I know you need time off and stuff, just wondering for future reference).

Reply ID 1177

sunday nights - we did persevere for a month and was a complete no go. we hardly ever get enquireis either on a sunday nite. the plan is that hope fully the weather will clear soon and maybe, possibly doing a gourmet/theme night, poss bbq, one sunday a month. thanx

Reply ID 1183

Odd, I always thought Sundays would be reasonably popular. We tried for this Sunday - basically it was going to be our honeymoon :) I'm sure we'll do a midweek soon, instead.

Reply ID 1186

Just to say, since my partner and I moved in 3 months ago, we've eaten at the Hillside twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, (taking each set of parents once) and have been impressed both times by the food, drink, atmosphere and friendly staff. It is a bit too expensive for us, however, to make it too regular a thing. Don't get me wrong, it is value for money (as has been said before), just that high quality = high price! :) Just my two penneth...