Sunday an e-mail from Franco Manca, Monday pizzas six pounds each.
I decided to give it a try.
I knew what I wanted, tomato, cheese and dried oregano.
I expected the restaurant to be packed, a long queue outside. It was nearly empty, no queue.
Menu does not indicate the size of the pizzas. I learnt twelve inch pizza.
Why sourdough? Traditionally the flour would be soft wheat 00.
I asked for water. A bottle of water brought to my table, no glass.
Sitting on the side near the pizza oven a pizza and what was maybe a couple of sides or starters. Why were they sitting getting cold, not immediately served to a table?
My pizza was served on a cold plate, not sliced. By the time I ate my last two slices, my pizza was cold.
My pizza was excellent. Not as good as Slow Rise or Dough LoCo, nevertheless excellent and better than I expected.
The one and only waitress was pleasant and helpful. Reviews on Google maps slam the poor service. I had no problem with the service, but did query how one waitress could have coped if the six pound pizza offer had generated demand?
Whilst no problem with the waitress the service was at best iffy.
When I walked in, maybe 10% full. When I left, almost empty, two occupied tables with a couple of people at each table.
A limited selection of cocktails. Curious, I asked how they made a Negroni. The waitress said we pour it out of a bottle. I thought she was joking. She brought over the bottle to show me, Campari Negroni.
Four cocktails, three of Italian origin, odd one out gin and tonic. But why no Americano, the precursor to the Negroni, a classic Italian cocktail?
If offering cocktails, I do not expect to be offered ready mix cocktails poured out of a bottle. If lack the resources for cocktails, then remove cocktails from the menu.
The coffee? No one knew, other than Italy. Italy is infamous for bad coffee. I learnt from their website, specialty coffee from Italy. But looking at their equipment, a cheap machine, no beans in the hopper and the coffee ground God knows when. Looking at the disgusting state of the ground coffee, I would have dumped in the bin. Coffee has to be freshly ground, weighed, for each cup.
And no, I did not have a coffee.
For coffee, equi-distance between Madame Waffle and Coffee Aroma. Monday, Madame Waffle closed, Coffee Aroma it was to be.
My bill was brought with 10% service charge added. The offer was £6 for a pizza. I handed over six pounds cash. It is not acceptable to add a service charge.
The robotic reply to critical reviews on Google maps is insulting. A robot would do better. When responding to critical reviews at least have the courtesy to address the issues raised.
Franco Manca is a chain, that started in Brixton, spread across London, and now Lincoln. It was sold to a restaurant group headed by the former boss of bankrupt Pizza Express.
Update: I passed by Franco Manca late afternoon early evening on Wednesday and Friday, on both occasions empty, one table occupied with a single customer.
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