The Tin Drum - Seven Dials

The atmosphere was great; the music was the right level and the staff were very friendly. The restaurant looked great – clean, tidy and well presented. The sofas where I sat were very comfortable and had a great view from the window.

The toilets were clean and the stairs and interior were nicely decorated and tidy.

The staff were very friendly and helped add to the pleasant atmosphere.

I ordered a burger and chips. The food arrived just over ten minutes after I ordered it which was a perfect amount of waiting time. When the food arrived it was fantastically presented. It tasted great and at £10 (including a drink) it was great value.

If I worked in the Seven Dials area I would definitely go there for lunch or having meetings there.
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james.mortimer - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, August 25, 2009

I completely disagree. Having been a regular for a good many years now I have seen this place through the good and the bad. Looking at the date of the previous comment I would completey agree. This bar has seen some bad times. But the new management have left behind any complancency and disregard for customers that was present and have welcomed the regulars (and all the new) customers wth open arms. These guys really want to prove themselves and bring the place back from the brink as it were. The food has improved beyond belief with their new chef and as much as i did not recognise any of the staff for a long time, the team they have now are a welcome replacement from the cold, disdainful specimens that were there before. All in all, a massive improvement and a very welcoming and happy place to be.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, February 12, 2009

Completely agree with the previous reviewer. My family and I have been loyal customers of the Drum over the years, but the last three times we've eaten there the food has been atrocious, the prices too high and the service bordering on neglectful.

We last ate their in April 2008. It took over 20 minutes to get the attention of a waitress to take our order (even though the restaurant was not busy), and a further 30 for our food to arrive.

I ordered lamb shanks, which were overcooked to the point of dessication and served with what could only be described as bisto, not a jus or gravy (and it's such a difficult dish to get wrong!!). My husband had fishcakes, which had clearly been frozen and then deepfried, as they were bullet hard on the outside and still icy in the middle. They were also devoid of any texture or taste. My children had sausage and chips - one sausage and a handful of chips each yet the children's menu is nearly £6...??

For a supposedly child friendly restaurant there are no steps taken to cater for or entertain children other than a couple of colouring books that are several years old (I know this for a fact, i've been going there a long time) and now full, and a pot of blunt pencils. Staff are not tolerant of children: If the waiters aren't ignoring you, they're rolling their eyes at wiping the table or being asked to bring more bread because the food is taking so long. The children's menu is very limited (really, it's only sausages or chicken 'goujons' - nuggets by another name) and overpriced (compare it to, say, the Garden Cafe at St Annes Wells, Pizza Express or even Tootsies, where you can get mini versions of excellent adult food or specifically catered childrens means for less money.

Added to which, there seems to be a complacency - or is it arrogance - of management that seems to mean that despite polite comments to staff or even complaints (and i've sat and heard other diners be very clear about the quality of the service or food), nobody seems to care enough to make the changes. What a shame - it could have been so good...
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Have dined with both Fiveways & Seven Dials for a long time and throughly enjoyed our experiences. We always loved their food but it all seems to have gone to pot!!

We dined on Sunday 20th Jan 2008 and we had such a terrible experience. We had booked a table for 8. This included 3 children and 1 baby. It was my Dad's 65th and we had notified the restaurant at the time of booking and were looking forward to our Sunday lunch! The restaurant wasn't busy as our table was for 2pm. On arrival our table looked lovely but we were left with no menu's and no drinks for approximately 20 minutes. Our order was eventually taken of 4 adult roasts and 3 children's meals. The children's meals all arrived and were the wrong food completely so they had to wait another 20 minutes whilst we tucked into ours. Unfortunately it wasn't long before we all noticed that the roast potatoes and all vegetables were raw! My husband had the roast pork belly which was like a piece of old leather. The restaurant manager didn't actually know what to do and certainly didn't try and offer us anything to compensate, we were avoided until our food arrived again. After waiting another 20 minutes our food arrived with fresh vegetables. Not good. The potatoes were just as raw and my beef and the pork was now also like leather!! This was the last straw so we left.

Unfortunately this seems to be a slippery slope. This restaurant along with Fiveways has slowly gone downhill over the last year. I think complacency is the answer. The price has increased over time, to the point that it is no longer value for money. The service which was always impeccable is now hit and miss!
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Jacqui Holman-Harris
Monday, January 21, 2008

I thought this was a lovely restaurant - food excellent - service excellent - I go to Brighton to take my Dad out and he is 88 and loves it there. The staff are so nice and friendly and polite - its refreshing these days.
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Jane Geaves
Sunday, October 28, 2007

I booked a table for lunch on Sunday 14th.October 2007 to have a meal with my family of 10. The occassion was made very memorable by the excellent food and attentive staff. My wife has already suggested that we both return as soon as possible and not have to wait for a family reunion.

Thanks Tin Drum for an excellent time.

Clive and Pam Williams
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Clive Williams
Tuesday, October 16, 2007