My husband, six-year-old and I all ducked in here one night after my husband left the office late. It was 8:00, we were all starving and we pretty much entered the first nicely lit, personable looking place we came to that wasn't a pub.
Having not lived in London very long, we had no idea that Ponti's was a chain. Now, I don't have anything against chains in principle, but I do have something against paying £10 for £5 pasta. This was definitely £5 pasta.
The interior was very nicely done and had "ambiance", but the service was terrible. After our initial drinks order, no one ever even once came back during the meal to find out if we'd like another one. And they messed up my order and brought me the wrong food.
Also, I wish that the menu had made clear that the "bread basket" was going to consist of two half-slices of bread and a whole lorry-load of some sort of cracker. The crackers made the olive-oil and balsamic vinegar they brought completely pointless.
I wonder, do they survive off of the random tourist that stumbles in? Or do they really have a dedicated following? All I know is that I don't like mediocre food or bad service and I'm not willing to pay to sit in nice lighting. read more