The Ivy Restaurant Canary Wharf Great Food, Poor Service!

The MacMaster is at The Ivy in The Park in Canary Wharf to review The Fish and Chips, The Ivy is a well known name in London and you expect great food and outstanding service. However The service was not up to standard.
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[@stevesandford1437]

As someone who has worked as a waiter/server, (though in nowhere as posh a place as The Ivy...) it's standard to ask the customer/s (when you present the bill) how they enjoyed their meal. You'd also thank them for any comment and say something like, "A pleasure to serve you, hope to see you again..." (Little courtesies like these make the customer feel appreciated and welcome. You're also more likely to be left a tip!) At an establishment like The Ivy, it's strange that this doesn't seem to be standard practice. (To be clear, such niceties aren't obsequious or fawning, but, as here, the difference between average service and good service.) xx SF

[@andyrjs]

How small is that table? That is taking the piss for two people to eat from. Tells you all you need to know about the Ivy.

[@stuartparker7382]

Hi Lee we do watch all your vlogs, and it was really uplifting to hear you mention Harriets in the same sentence as the Ivy, it was even better to hear you say that in your opinion Harriets fish and chips was on par or slightly better, and everybody knows our service would win hands down. We have been closed for a long time and hopefully going to reopen in around four weeks time, so during these hard times its great to get a namecheck on your channel, we hope to see you again soon.

[@TheMacMaster]

Hey. Hope you're well. Hope to see you soon. x

[@owensjl65]

The best battered fish is bubbly batter ....that batter looks as flat as a pancake.

[@SuperSimon62]

Great vlog Lee. And would like to thank you for all the hard work and fun you have bought to us all during these hard times. and as iv watched all your vlogs so I no the hours you put in with your lives and edited vlogs .and as you would say onwards my friend

[@beingdan1]

Boom 💥

[@garfieldsmith332]

Swanky place 25 dollars Canadian for 2 pieces of Captain Highliner and a few chips. I prefer a good old fashioned F&C shop.

[@martinbuchan9432]

Weirdly some waiters are quite snobbish and patronising,. I live in a village, but have quite a strong London accent. Went to this Michelin star restaurant and the staff and owner so patronising, especially when I asked for the wine list. The class system is alive and well in the UK

[@maxwellfan55]

It's essential to have a class system, we cannot all be equal, or ever will be. Only it's important to behave respectably to each other, and not believe you're someone you're not.

[@robinburn4974]

You shouldn't have ask for pies and mash

[@martinbuchan9432]

@@robinburn4974 You can't even write the Queen's English . It is actually asked

[@martinbuchan9432]

@@maxwellfan55 I'll tip my hat to you Guvnor??

[@steveshrek64]

So disappointing when you receive poor service at any restaurant let alone the ivy ' but I bet you would have got better service at the ivy in West Street W1. Great vlog👍

[@blackvulcan100]

Good for you fellows, this is what is needed, a visual trip adviser to point out the good and the bad. I have subscribed. Your channel will be big in the future.

[@TheMacMaster]

Thank you. 😎

[@robinburn4974]

Fish, chips, mushy peas and lemon? must be London

[@craigwhitworth2597]

Been to The Ivy in central London, I went for the experience as I’m not usually too fussy about paying over the odds but the food was at least of good value as you’d expect. I feel you find. the level of services. in places like this vary depending on how much you spend- PS keep up the good work & stay positive your doing a cracking job👍🏻🎥🇬🇧

[@plbingham]

We visited Manchester Ivey pre lockdown, was fabulous - although thought £32 for a bottle of prosecco to be a tad pricey. We then tried the York version a year later, poor food and poor service - then this year, back to Manchester Ivy...... £54 for a bottle of prosecco!!!! so cancelled the table. REALLY enjoying the vids fella,.. entertaining!!

[@mariaalbornoz4621]

Oh dear, oh dear!! Don't mind paying nearly £15for fish&chips (your basically paying for location and presentation) but if service is poor, not worth it then... Food and service are hand in hand... Gracias Lee &Darren 👍

[@angelagraham9533]

Looks really good,and the prices are not bad for London.

[@stephensaxby2820]

I went to one of these Ivy restaurants about a year ago with some friends and I have to agree with you when it comes to the service Lee...the service was really poor..but the food was great(I like you,had the fish & chips and it was fantastic) the chicken milanese looked wonderful as well. I give the food 10 out 10..the service 1 out of 10.

[@johnwindle6378]

Lovely Vlog as was Darren's - when you factored in the service (rude waiter🤬) your scores were spot on. Agreed, you can't compare it with the Palm's. Thanks Lee 👍👌🍺

[@gorgeous61]

Lads love your content, liked, and subscribed. The person who took the Brandy & Coke order didn't understand what you wanted at all. They served you the Brandy in the wrong glass, they didn't understand that you wanted to mix the two. Anyway The Ivy is just a pretty place, trading off the fame of The Original Ivy. Richard Caring and his team are opening loads of these and they are crazy busy and very popular.

[@alanmclean6690]

Thats got nothing to do with any so called class system, it's simply pratts behaving like pratts.

[@sallyjones4557]

fish and chips looked lovely!

[@steveharrison7328]

Hi from Liverpool only just discovered your channel Good stuff! looking forward to delving in further i like your style

[@TheMacMaster]

Thank you Steve.

[@TheMacMaster]

Was in Liverpool yesterday.

[@TimK2646]

Dapper Suited Grumpy Old Men (Krays) . That is my employer between HSBC and Barclays LOL. The outdoor Bar outside Pavilion comes alive every summer

[@paulcole4902]

You both sounded a bit like you had to many drinks,brilliant 😂👋👋👍

[@fernandadavid828]

Please make a formal complain to the Ivy about the waiter , hes rude and deserve the sack all bad waiters deserve the sack

[@mansfieldlad123]

Fish and chips looked very nice even though it was a mean portion I don't know who thought up this idea of putting the chips in a plant pot at least you got a plate some places even give you your meal on a roof tile what we going to get next a breakfast in a frying pan or maybe an apple pie on the ironing board watch this space

[@gerontius1934able]

i think the waiter was confused because the tight jacket, they need to get him a new one. lol

[@patriciahodgson5619]

Try the Ivy in York…excellent food and service and staff 🥰

[@neilgandhi5565]

Great vlog Lee and Daz in this ritzy joint but one thing that was missing from your lunch was Heinz Tomato Ketchup whic even on posh fish and chips should have been had but still a fair appraisal non the less 😊

[@richardtaylor3798]

Try the "All bar one" round the corner-fraction of the price and full of the office workers--that tells a story on its own.

[@independentpuppy7520]

Good service means a lot to me as well. If the service is bad I wouldn't go again. No matter how nice the food was.

[@tony713elo]

The extra cost you pay in a restaurant like this is for its service. If you don't get good service then what's the point of it.

[@chefstravels8429]

Poor service is really unacceptable. The food looked nice but having to work around your plate like an obstacle course??? Is all that clutter on the plate necessary? It’s unhygienic too as those pots have been sitting on the side collecting sh t on the bottom and then put on your plate next to the food.??? Great vid.

[@HarvysHotDeals]

Brandy in the Bath Tub. Genius

[@NickyDunn]

Hiya, you both look so dapper. The food looked good. Shame. About the service. Haha. Darren. Warming his bandy. Have a great week. Take care.

[@2icelollys1goat]

Great and fun video. Proper review; with good humour. Was it one of those bills with discretionary tip included? I wouldn't have tipped if I'd had the poor service you received.

[@amandabarrymore778]

Was Holly there by the way???? Or Euro pints??

[@kazzsimo8276]

Great vlog , Both looking very dapper in your suits guys 👍😁

[@sourich585]

Great vlog Lee many thanks writing in Oct 2023 what a damm shame that You and Darren are no longer freinds so many conspiracies relating to it.But we will never know now,but Lee you rather smart many thanks for the vlog Richard and Tanya from Southampton ❤

[@johndean7967]

Bad service can make a great meal average

[@luciad5988]

Looks like a beautiful restaurant. Food looked great. I understand the disappointment of poor service. But in really busy, popular restaurants, I often give the servers a bit of a pass. It isn’t an easy job.

[@londonEnglishVideos]

Good to see you guys expose the poor service. But Brits lap all this up.

[@naheemakhtar779]

theses 2 remind me off talksports the two mikes very goood video

[@tracyniemeyer8691]

Chips look frozen or oven chips which are rank

[@M.L.E90]

Those chips look like weather spoon chips not good for a posh restaurant

[@howardthompson1506]

Lovely jacket and waistcoat Lee 🧥

[@TheMacMaster]

Thanks. 😁

[@michw3755]

Hope you didn't pay the service charge they like to tag on

[@DXmYb]

Exactly, it all goes to the owner despite management telling all staff to lie to the customers and say "it's shared amongst staff" I can confirm that this is 100% true, I know it for a fact.

[@TheLozzbozz]

Eggs Benedict are class at the ivy. Lovely staff in the Oxford branch too.

[@NellsCRIMPiTs]

Went Canary Wharf for a drink once. Agreed it has a nice vibe, and feels very different from the rest of London. The Ivy isn't actually as expensive as I imagined. Didn't realise you could get a meal for less than £20, might have to check it out sometime... Can't beat an aulde Jamesons. Good old Irish spirit there. The fish looked great BTW. I see people in the comments saying the food is frozen, but there's still a difference between top quality frozen food and low quality stuff (although I will agree that frozen isn't ideal, and does degrade the taste and whatnot). Fish needs to be frozen when coming from the sea anyway... I guess what I mean is I'd like to try that fish, hehe

[@Cabdrum1]

Of all the food review channels on KZbin I give this one a 6.85 ...

[@simonjones9901]

Sorry to appear abit dim, but what's the difference between a blog and a vlog?

[@lynnerowlands5052]

Hi. hun sorry I missed your vlog fell asleep watch tomorrow OMG you have scrubbed up well and looking very dapper hun even the food looks amazing 👍😊❤️xx

[@TheMacMaster]

Sleep well. I had a nap x

[@lynnerowlands5052]

@@TheMacMaster so you had a nap as well are you home now or still there xx

[@lynnerowlands5052]

@@TheMacMaster you sleep well too chat tomorrow x

[@mysticgeneie4668]

The one in Manchester is very 'Townie'. I find these places always attempt to appear classier than their clientele behave and it kills the atmosphere.

[@BIGZIPZ]

When you pushed your fork down on the fish you could see the grease from the batter starting to seep out! Don't expect greasy looking batter at the ivy!

[@lparky4409]

Very smart pair, food looked good. Completely off topic but apparently the car used in the new cruella film used to belong to a chap from Mansfield. Hope you enjoy your trip tomorrow.

[@christinepickard7804]

Wow, you both look very smart.... Trying to catch up on your vlogs...👍🤗🌞🥂

[@TheMacMaster]

Thanks Christine. 😃

[@JJ-vy2rh]

I thought the prices were pretty good, I didn't see what was the fish

[@TheMacMaster]

Cod. 😊

[@kathrynbroome5966]

my hubbie is diabetic and if you give someone normal coke can be realy dangeriouse

[@MarkSkids]

*really *dangerous

[@tracyniemeyer8691]

Not really dangerous. My hubby diabetic and he drinks normal coke as he hates diet. Bit ott

[@andrewmoffatt7046]

Fish and chips again, Lee other foods are available, lol 😆 😋 😄

[@mikeskitt6411]

£19 for two fish fingers and half a dozen chips.No thank you. 4/10

[@Rebelz173]

It’s called refined dining.

[@harvest585]

The girls on the next table dont know where theire napkins are supposed to be lol

[@outoftownr3906]

Darren’s looking very slim & suave

[@stevec4852]

At them prices I think I'd look for a wetherspoons, unless the missus is paying. 🤣🤣🤣

[@THEBESTGTACONTENT]

Can you do a series of what you did before the channel or maybe what you work as on the side 👍

[@gbphil]

At £15 for a meal, it’s not really the Ivy. It’s the Ivy’s poor relation Ivy in the Park, even cheaper than the Wensleydale Heifer.

[@andrejkorda761]

He obviously never worked in restaurant industry before

[@dancrowley7240]

Darren have you tried Caspers at the Savoy ? I had a great experience there just before lockdown

[@macweed3358]

2:32 wow

[@harishk4033]

Another great review, The MacMaster + DJ = off the charts guaranteed. Went to The Ivy a few months and had a similar experience…..leaves me convinced smaller, independent restaurants offer a superior ambience and food.

[@johnsmith-rs2vk]

Excellent food presentation

[@jwilks6826]

Who would have thought the Ivy would use frozen chips. You could see from a mile away they were frozen I'm surprised you didn't notice the frozen chips.

[@mansfieldlad123]

yes your right the looked like them they sell in Farm Foods a great big bag for not much money

[@TheLozzbozz]

I've had a meal in the Oxford ivy and the chips were not frozen.

[@nicholasl8537]

Did you pay the service charge???????????

[@TheMacMaster]

I hardly ever pay automated service charge. If the service is good I will leave my own tip. However this server was terrible on the day. Awful.

[@margodonoghue5814]

Yumo brandy and diet coke I'm having one now here in Australia

[@lisacrane3143]

Silly sized tables

[@jamesdietsch7868]

Great vlog Lee and Darren! Shame about the service

[@traceyabbott6184]

There's a ivy restaurant in Cambridge

[@samcaldwell7694]

Like most of these so called swanky places over priced and not as good as you think

[@raybarker5131]

Another fantastic video from you both

[@danbradley2001]

I expected it to be a lot more expensive

[@garrypapagno5721]

See Daren...he needs you help him finish that plate...what a geezer...🙄

[@peterbalding1470]

Not many go to the ivy on docklands light railway. Normally limousines.

[@dirkbogarde44]

Put the bloody chips on the plate, next to the fish. Simples.

[@NiceOneBrother667]

I completely agree with the score the service is definitely apart of the experience not going to lie it’s rubbish I think if you was a woman it would of been much better.

[@aflentertainment]

I have a sneaky feeling that waiter is no longer employed by The Ivy.

[@nshackle]

Just catching up on a few of your vlogs. I've enjoyed this London mini-series, not seen all of the Lake district one's though. Shame about the service at the Ivy, it looks like it tainted what would have been a good overall experience re the food.

[@RandomLifeProductions]

I guess there are a lot of Ivy restaurants now. I was foolish and ordered a burger…. It was crap…. Pâté a definite no no… I think the Blur print if still open the better

[@JG-bq2si]

That's really bad service when you go to a restaurant like that you expect good service sounds like that waiter should not be working there with that attitude , Hope you never left him a tip? the prices was good not to bad really expect the ££ £400? Bottle 🍾🤣 But food looks very good 👌But couldn't they find you a smaller table to eat on just about got your drinks on it 🤣🤣 you both look very smart guys 👌 and Darren is a really nice guy 😊👍 x

[@johncorner9295]

Nice one bots looks great

[@andrewdavis9223]

Why not put chips on the plate 🤔

[@thomastully5940]

That chip holder is too tall ,awkward to say the least.

[@paulmc612]

Fish and chips looked good lee👍

[@GimbalWalkTV]

Loved this one Lee! Really well done. Also - LOVE LOVE LOVE the 4K 60FPS!! Looks SUPER good!!

[@TheMacMaster]

Thank you. 😎 👍🏼

[@paulcole4902]

You looked a right yuppie,you only need a BMW 3 series and a massive phone 😂👍

[@TheMacMaster]

Lol. 😂

[@sharonbowen6234]

You both look dapper 👍 food look great but agree service poor .👍♥️

[@lynnerowlands5052]

Morn hun that food looked lovely. That table is so small you just about get all the stuff on that watier was rubbish you should of said something to him about the booking and being up stairs I would of said something to them xx

[@TheMacMaster]

It was dreadful service xx

[@lynnerowlands5052]

@@TheMacMaster hun I defo would of complained to them and said that I will not be coming back xx

[@lynnerowlands5052]

@@TheMacMaster morn hun did you sleep well last night you got a morning kiss xxxx

[@TheMacMaster]

Lol. 😂 What off Darren?

[@lynnerowlands5052]

@@TheMacMaster no hun from me lol xx

[@veryveryangryman1]

Great video lads. I once ate there. I didn't really see anything special. It was a Girlfriend of mine who just wanted to go for Snob value. They are good for a very very special occasion, or a 'one-off'. Other than that- to be well and truly AVOIDED!

[@andyt8216]

Watching this as I am about to head off to the Ivy York this afternoon. I do think for my 50th (a little while yet) I would like to go to the original Ivy in Central London.

[@paulalaye6428]

Oh my goodness guys that fish looked like two pigs trotters, disgusting sorry !! That would have gone back tbh!!!! One out of ten for ambience ha ha ha ha Paula in sussex

[@stuartallanphotographerand6190]

Hi lee made it to fuerteventura in Spain fly out don't need to do covd19 only need to do is Spanish health farm

[@johnsmith-rs2vk]

Another sherbert .Good idea

[@SteveN-pw4dj]

Why such small tables in a Restaurant? I'd be so annoyed by that.

[@PortsladeBySea]

I agree. That table looked like one you would find in a backstreet pub rather than a posh, expensive, restaurant 🫢

[@AGlugofOilJanBennett]

Food looked amazing! Good to see you both having such a great time in London. Looking forward to your next vlog and to Darren’s too. Cheers guys 🍺🍺

[@martinholroyd7605]

SOD the Ivy...give me Wetherspoons...better service...