Work on communication and handling large groups!
I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Etci Mehmet on 31 August 2026. Having organised a dinner for a group of 15 people, I expected a well-managed experience, particularly given the size of the booking. Unfortunately, the evening was marred by a number of issues that I find completely unacceptable for a restaurant of this standard and price point.
As the booking was for a large group, Etci Mehmet required a £10-per-person deposit. This was not an issue, as the restaurant’s website clearly states that the deposit would be deducted from the final bill. However, when it came time to pay, the employee at the front desk refused to allow the bill to be split between members of the group and insisted that one person pay the entire bill so that the full deposit could be returned in one transaction.
This was particularly frustrating because other members of staff had specifically advised us that the bill could be split according to the meals ordered by each individual. As a result of the front desk employee refusing to do this, I was left having to collect money from 14 other people and work out exactly what each person owed me. This was made significantly more difficult because everyone had to calculate not only the cost of their own food and drinks, but also their share of the £10-per-person deposit that I had initially paid on behalf of the group, as well as their share of the unexpected £57.96 mandatory service charge that had suddenly been added to the bill. Trying to accurately work out all of these amounts between 15 people was an unnecessary nightmare and took over 30 minutes. What should have been a straightforward process of splitting the bill instead became an extremely stressful and time-consuming exercise for everyone in the group, completely ruining the end of what should have been an enjoyable evening.
Going back to the supposedly "mandatory" service charge of £57.96 that was sprung on us at the end of our meal. This charge was never clearly communicated to us before making the booking, when ordering our food, or at any point during the meal. To have a substantial additional charge presented to us only when the bill arrived was extremely disappointing and, quite frankly, unacceptable. If a service charge is genuinely mandatory, this should be made completely transparent to customers from the outset rather than being revealed at the end of the meal. I have retained evidence of the bill with the supposed mandatory service charge on it (attached).
There were also billing and food-quality issues. One member of our group ordered a sirloin steak but was charged for a fillet medallion steak, which is more expensive. Unfortunately, we only noticed this after leaving the restaurant. I have evidence of this charge on the bill and can clearly demonstrate that the steak ordered was a sirloin, while we were charged for a fillet medallion. This is an error that should have been caught and corrected before the bill was presented.
Furthermore, three members of our group, myself included, ordered the ribeye. Despite being cooked medium-rare, the steaks were chewy and tough. At £29 for a steak that was not even larger than the palm of my hand, I would expect a considerably better standard of quality, particularly from a restaurant that positions itself as a premium steakhouse.
Overall, the experience was a total disappointment. The combination of poor communication, an unexpected and supposedly mandatory service charge, an incorrect charge on the bill, inconsistent information from staff, and disappointing food quality made what should have been a pleasant group dinner unnecessarily stressful.
I would therefore expect Etci Mehmet to provide a proper explanation regarding the £57.96 mandatory service charge, particularly why this was not communicated to us before payment, and I would expect the restaurant to address how we will be recompensated for this charge.
For a restaurant charging premium prices; the level of service, transparency and attention to detail should be considerably better.
