THE PICO BAR & GRILL, 74 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TL

I’ve been wanting try out this place for sometime, as it is very local but I’ve heard mixed reports of the food.  As C and I walked in just over a week ago, the first area nearest the door looks a bit cheap with horrible budget furniture.  But down a few stairs is a larger restaurant-style area with tablecloths and proper chairs and so we asked the waiter who greeted us to seat us there.  He seemed reasonably friendly but the service went rapidly downhill from this point.  There were two waiters serving in this lower restaurant area and we tried valiantly to catch their eye in order to at least initially get a drink.  We both knew they had seen us but for some bizarre reason, they just refused to come over, even standing and chatting to each other whilst looking over at us at one point! Eventually after around 20 minutes, one of the two waiters came over, and said in a very grumpy fashion “Right. I’m ready to serve you now”…!  What followed was breath-taking rudeness which only seemed to slightly thaw when after completing our order, C smiled warmly at him and said “And now all we have to do is wait for our food” which garnered a minor defrosting of the waiter’s icy stare.  Kill ’em with kindness I say…

 

After Mr Happy had left, we both looked at each other in amusement at how disgracefully rude he had been and C said that frankly, if she wasn’t so hungry and tired, she would be up for walking out in disgust.  The wine arrived and the food followed shortly after, plonked down on the table with no grace at all.  The food was however very tasty but once we had each finished our respective glasses of wine, no waiter appeared to see if we would like another glass.   It normally bothers me when waiting staff constantly ask you how your meal is, but on this occasion it would have been welcomed. Again we tried in vain to catch their eye to order another drink, but as C suggested, we might as well pay and leave to go somewhere else for another drink.  Next up was The Rose pub down the road, where within 5 minutes of arriving we had been treated with more warmth and friendliness, than during the whole meal at Pico Bar.  Never again to Pico Bar but I think a return trip to The Rose will be in order soon.