La Plancha

We booked a table for 11 people on Saturday 7th August to celebrate my girlfriends birthday. A £5 deposit was pre-requested per head and paid up front and because of the occasion I visited the restaurant a couple of hours before hand to ask if they would mind presenting a birthday cake to the table and then taking it back into the kitchen where I would pick it up the following day. A member of staff agreed and all was well.

A couple of members were a bit late and arrived around half an hour after the 7:30 booking time. Not wanting to keep the restaurant waiting we all ordered food and drinks and hoped the late-comers wouldn't mind catching up. I decided, the best way to order was to ask if I could have a pen and mark the menu. As the menus were printed on A4 sheets I wouldn't be spoiling too much - the waitress agreed. Everyone else thought this too was a good idea (ordering a 6 plates per couple can become complex :o) and began to do the same. The waitress on the otherhand was not happy that her menus were being defaced en masse and asked us to stop doing this - this really was the 1st time we felt that the waitress was a little unobliging and a bit frosty.

I had to leave just after eating as I felt a little under the weather and put a friend in charge of cake procedure....

Around 12:30 that evening my girlfriend returned a bit down and I asked her if she'd had a good night to which she replied it was ok. I asked if she had enjoyed the look of her cake to which she replied she'd not received one.

It transpired that our party of 10 (minus me) had taken 'too long' over the meal and the frosty member of staff had began to drop obvious hints that table was required in 15 minutes. Upon protest she replied "Well you have been 2 hours...."

It is at this point where maybe I'm wondering if I am being unreasonable. Surely a table of 11 people spending around £30 per head is enough to warrant a table for longer than 2 hours? Or maybe, as I say I'm being unreasonable. The table were literally shown the door being told they had no time left for dessert and drinks orders were unfulfilled. Worst of all, and the reason why I'll not be visiting the restaurant again, the Birthday Cake was not presented.

It is my opinion that La Plancha has become a victim of it's own success. They are packing as many people in as possible and forgetting core customer service values. Don't get me wrong, the food is spot on but on the basis of this visit (my last) they seem to have forgotten the needs of their customers....
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Rich Battye
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, August 16, 2010

I booked La Plancha for my daughter's first birthday party and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had.

I booked the restaurant for a private function and left the choice of food/menu to the Manager and Chef. I have to admit I was quite worried leading up to the day but there was absolutely no need. We had a wonderful, wonderful time. We had such a great and varied menu from meatballs(one my favourite dishes and a speciality) to seafood paella from creamy chicken to garlic mushrooms. My mouth is watering whilst writing this. The food was amazing and there was so much of it all my guests left full and very happy.

The service was fantastic our every need was provided for and nothing was a problem.

I never write reviews but felt compelled on this occasion to share the experience I had.

Thanks La Plancha you made my daughters birthday a really memorable affair.
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Sam
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

An absolutely brilliant place for an evening out. The best food and atmosphere I have experienced outside Spain
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Jonathan Thompson
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, March 02, 2010

My boyfriend and I had a fantastic evening yesterday here, the food and the waiting staff were equally delightful. My boyfriend hates the ‘set menu culture’ of Valentines Day, so getting him out at all was a bit of a nightmare! Thanks to the relaxed atmosphere and varied (and delicious) menu, I now have him fully converted and we both had a fantastic time.
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Jennifer
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, February 15, 2010

I have been to La plancha on a couple of occasions and have always happy with the service!Went last night for my birthday which now has drastically changed my mind!!My partner had pre-booked the table 4 weeks in advance, on arrival they left us at the bar waiting for a good 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged us (there was 9 of us... plus it wasn't full!) When we were finally taken to our table it was set for 8.. We opted for the 'Gourmet' set menu!! considering there was 9 of us it would of probably filled 6 at the most! Plus the food wasn't to the high standard we are used to receiving from them.The staff were slow and very rude! It was taking them about 15 minutes once drinks were ordered to arrive. The biggest bug bare was they neglected to tell us that the table was only booked for us for 2 hours!Given the fact the service had been so slow plus they had just brought a round of drinks to the table, Once the bill was paid they told us to leave as the table was required for another party! If we had of said yes to desert they would of been waiting us for at least another half hour. Basically we were very disappointed and probably will never go again. Waste of time & money!
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Sunday, January 31, 2010

I went to La Plancha for valentines night with my Partner and it was a fantastic evening.

The tapas was superb and it's great to be able to have a taste of so much on the menu. I love that way of eating and it really reminded us of the wonderful food we had in madrid last year.

The staff were friendly and helpful and the restaurant had a lovely ambience about it. Overall really impressed and will definately be going back and recommending to friends and family.
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Alison
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

My partner and i went to La Plancha for valentines night. What a wonderful experience we had. We sat and enjoyed our wine before we choose our food. The staff were friendly, the food was very well presented. I have to say better than the tapas i have had in spain whilst on holiday.

If there is one dish i would recommend, it has to be the "Spanish Black Pudding". It was served on a warm bread with sauteed onions. It was truely delicious.

We continued on the evening with cocktails, and again have to say the mojito's were better than i have tasted anywhere in Birmingham.

I can now see why La Plancha, had been fully booked for valentines; weeks in advance. Thank you La Plancha and the staff, for making our evening special. We will recommend you to all our friends.

We will be back!
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Jonathon
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, February 19, 2009

My wife and I visited La Plancha last night fri 05/12/08. Our first visit and my wifes first to a tapas bar. On entering the reteraunt we both commented on the rustic feel and nice ambience.

After excellent advice from the waitress we ordered. The food was fantastic especially the pork in Malaga sauce with pine nuts and raisins.

The waiting staff were polite helpful and knowledgable about the menu and ingredients.

Although the resteraunt had a large booking for 9.30 and we were in at 7.30 we were not rushed in any way .We then went down to the bar for drinks where our bill was transferred down stairs and again the staff were delightful and helpful.

This is probably the best eating experience and service experience I have had in my 24 years of living in Birmingham.I would totally recomend all to visit.

Many thanks to the staff for our evening and we look forward to our next visit.
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Michael Mc Millan
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, December 06, 2008

I have been to La Planacha on many ,many occasions. It is one of the most friendly, cosy and most delightful restaurants to visit.

You are always made to feel very welcome, the food is always excellent and if you do have any problem at all it is dealt with courteously and efficiently.

The staff are great and so I hope it will continue forever one of my favourite restaurants. I have also been to a few of the theme nights they occasionally have and the last one I went was the best night I have had this year and once again the food was excellent.
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Ian Smith
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Friday, December 05, 2008

Such a shame these sites get bombarded with bad reviews. I have lived in Moseley for many years and have been to La Plancha many times in the four years it has been there. It appeals to me mostly for the friendliness of the owner and staff alike. Yes moseley has much to offer, for everyone's taste but La Plancha has remained a firm favourite of mine and my friends.

The atmosphere is always pleasant with even strangers striking up conversations at length. This is exactly what moseley is about. It is a community and should support one another. It also offers somewhere away from the norm with its traditional spanish tapas bar feel. Anyone who has been to spain (and not the more touristy places) will understand what i mean. In addition to this, although you can choose to dine or just have drinks in the bar area, there are never those loud drunken crowds that you can find in other bars. And with more formal dining in the upstairs restaurant this is the perfect venue for any occasion. But please, don't take my word for it, judge for yourselfs.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Friday, November 28, 2008