Our recent experience of some GA restaurants

[Keith and Jen]

Our favourite GA restaurant the 'New Royal India' is closed until March so a week ago we tried out La Piedra.  It was fuller than we expected but there were two or three tables empty.  We asked for a table for two but the man asked very abruptly whether we had booked.  We said no.  He walked away and we were ignored.  After a couple of minutes we gave up and went to the 'Maria II' Chinese restaurant 50 yards away where we always get a cheerful welcome.  Even though they were full (someone's birthday party) they put out an extra table especially for us.

Last Saturday we tried 'La Piedra' again, thinking that the man had just had an 'off day'.  After negotiating our way past the revellers in a very noisy bar we reached the restaurant area at the back.  No-one approached us.  After a couple of minutes being ignored again and considering the noisy racket coming from the bar area we walked out and went to 'tutties' next door.

What a contrast.  The lady smiled and welcomed us as she showed us to a table.  I had the breaded chicken in a Japanese curry sauce.  Jen had some kind of fancy chicken salad - I've forgotten the name.  The food was excellent and the house red wine the best we have had in GA.  The waitress was very pleasant.  We'll certainly go again.

Will we try 'La Piedra' again?  Well after the good reports we have seen of the food quality maybe just once more when we return in September.

Keith

[John H]

Hi Keith, good to see you posting on here, hope that you are both well.
We have been to La Piedra once, your experience sounds exactly like ours, we haven't made a return visit......we did get as far as having a meal, nothing to write home about, it was that noisy we had to shout at each other to be heard, there were only four of us.
We all left with bum ache after sitting on the most uncomfortable plastic chairs.

With the choices of restaurants we have in the area now we will not be returning to La Piedra

Regards all

John


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[bertdove]

Similar experience with La Piedra.  Food average and our table was in the busy "corridor" beween the bar and the loos. No repeat visit planned!

Bert

[Blue and white stripes]

Complete contrast to the posts last year.

http://www.gasbags.us/index.php?topic=211.0

[BeachLife]

I think La Piedra has missed a trick and got itself confused as to its core business. Is it a bar or a restaurant ? When it launched I think it tried to add a bit if class to the area.

 There is room for improvement in terms of the ambience - it could be so much better.




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[Corporal Jones]

There are 2 main issues with all new bars restaurants wherever they may be, the first is when they initially open if properly planned, the service and food is excellent, everyone raves about the venue, more people attend then they start buckling under the pressure, some staff move on the chef calls it a day, service and food go down, people start being negative, word of mouth spreads and the business doesnt reopen. How many times in GA alone have we seen this, yet some buck that trend and provide excellent food and service year after year. Incidentally if you look on trip advisor the current top 10 are all restaurants in my opinion that have done it right. There is however a restaurant that is oddly placed in the ranking, being recently reopened after many years around the corner from la pedirea. Trip advisor reviewers give it rave reviews yet i do recall, forum members were not impressed, the point being is dont believe everything as some have a vested interest in seeing a business boom or bust.

[gaveteran]

I went (once) to La Peidra in the first month of opening. If their remit was to add class to the area it either doesn't say much about the area, or much about their abilities.

[Alicante Holiday Villas]

Well, we tried La Piedra for the first time with some friends on Saturday night, after recommendations. Admittedly there was a group of people outside the entrance, but once inside we were greeted warmly and shown to a table (not previously booked). The waiter who took our drinks order was friendly and the waiter who took our food order was equally as friendly. Drinks were served quickly, starters were excellent as was the main course (we ate from the 'fixed price evening menu'). There was a large table of people celebrating a birthday, which were brought a cake, everyone sang Happy Birthday, the restaurant was almost full, but the music was low key and we had no trouble in talking.

The deserts were really good as well - all in all, a very pleasant first visit and we would go back.

[Gemstone]

Maybe they have been reading the comments on here ! Or dont forget that you are very well known in GA and if we had a restaurant here, we would roll out the red carpet for you !!

[Alicante Holiday Villas]

Ha ha Gemstone!  When, and what, are you opening then? 

No, they had no idea who we were, just like to say when we receive good service!

[llamedos]

We've been in La piedre quite a few times and have eaten both the fixed price menu and main menu, we've never had a single problem with the food or the service and recommend it to all our visitors.

[bobw1956]

We visited the bar last June, must say we were very impressed.(they had just opened)
We were going to revisit in March :(if it,s that bad then we may have to rethink.
Any recommendations anyone

[Corporal Jones]

Not only do customers want good food and service,they also want to be a special customer, ive seen so many successful restaurants and bars who treat every cusomer as a long lost friend. It doesn't matter whether they go every week or are a once only tourist, they all get the same excellent service. Ive experienced several times on our first visit to a new venue, the staff falling over people who are regulars and blatantly ignoring customers they perceive as tourists.

[puddy-woo]

You have to love em in Gran Mundo - always smiling and happy to see us and I wouldnt call us regulars


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[Calsh]

We have eaten at La Piedra a few times and go for the set menu, however, back in October my wife said that the waiter (recognised from working in the steak house previously) was a bit off with the kids when they were ordering food.  Although we did dine with friends and put a few bob in the till with food and drinks.
Cheers
Cal