ASK Italian Restaurant, Union Square, Aberdeen Review

Where to start....



When looking upon the ASK Italian website to check out the menu and read more of what they offer, I spotted the company slogan of "Just Ask". After my experience, this slogan suits the restaurant perfectly....I felt I had to ask to place an order, had to ask where my starter was, ask there my main course was and then ask for the bill and wait for 20 minutes to get it...I think they have taken it too far!



The service was extremely slow, we waited 1 hour for our starters, a further 50 minutes for our main course and then 20 minutes after asking for the bill.



My starter was a fish cake which to be fair was made from frozen and all the "Chefs" had to do was place it in the oven. My partners starter was not as described and very poor quality for the price. In between waiting for our main courses it was clear that we were not the only ones who were receiving bad service and bad food. A large table beside us never received any food and left, a couple across the restaurant also left because they could not wait any longer. We did not have any other arrangements for the evening and set up camp to wait for our main courses! After a further 50 minutes we received our main course, and to our disappointment it was not even edible; uncooked dough, tasteless and not as the menu described.



When the waitress took our plates away, she commented that the delay was because they were "very busy" and that it was not her "fault" but that she would get us our bill. Which of course I was extremely reluctant to pay, but with no more patience I could not stand to wait or the incompetent staff and wondered just how long it would take for the manager to speak to us anyway.



A waitress who was dressed in casual clothes and not uniform spent more time hiding her mobile phone behind the till to text her friends than serving customers.



But we have learnt a lesson:



When you enter a restaurant and have to wait for a table which was pre booked - The service is slow



When there are 3 Chefs on shift, one of which is working and two looking lost/observing the other - The kitchen is not capable



When every table is full but there is no food on them - Leave while you can!



I would not recommend this restaurant, I would have been willing to try again if it was not for the waitress's comment which irritated me. If you are "busy" then I'm sorry, I simply don't understand the problem. Everyone wants their business to be busy, that is what you should be prepared for and they should not have to apologise for it. When a new restaurant opens, do not fill the place unless you can serve every individual edible and high quality food!



ASK Italian, I will not be back.