Barlimon Avis 

What a great place! Fantastic tapas and felt like i had walked into a restaurant in Spain.

Booked a week in advance to have a meal prior to a performance of The Film Orchestra the nearby Priory. Unknown to me the local Council were holding their Christmas Lights festival on the same day at around the same time. Cue a bit of mayhem trying to get parked. On arrival at Bar Limon they were very busy, but were promptly shown to our table and, after settling in, were attended to by the excellent waitressing staff who coped magnificently with the festivities going on outside and the hungry diners inside. Food was good, and well priced. I will use again when next in Malvern. Recommended.

We had booked a week before with specific guidance on this being a special 10th anniversary and asked for a window seat. The booking was accepted 2 days later.

We arrived 5 mins before schedule and given the most unromantic seat in front of the front door.

We will not be returning again as this was the weekend of the Malvern RHS Spring festival and ruined our anniversary weekend!

VERY LET DOWN AND AS RETURNING LOCAL CUSTOMERS WILL NOT GO BACK AGAIN! Would gave given no stars given the option!

DISGRACEFUL EVEN WHEN WE ASKED FOR A SEAT AT THE BACK FOR PRIVACY WHICH WAS NOT OCCUPIED THIS REQUEST WAS DECLINED BY THE JUNIOR TEAM.

I cannot speak highly enough of both the service and food. We were seated on arrival and our drinks order taken and served straight away. As soon as we were ready, they took our food order and were very helpful, answering any questions. The food was delicious and made to a high standard. The staff were attentive and friendly, looking after us throughout our stay. Looking forward to a return visit. Thank you Bar Limon.

Bar Limon's website professes ' a desire to bring a little Mediterranean sunshine... and an experience to make you smile'. Unfortunately, I was among a party of eight that was greeted by a decidedly cold and frosty front that left us with long faces and shocked.

Our booking, several weeks beforehand, had clearly been overlooked. When we tried to complain we were told that ' perhaps the bar was not for us', a stock answer I later found used to respond to other disappointed customers.

We soon realised we'd had a lucky escape when we were later accused of being drunk. Personally, I was affronted, as I'm unable to drink much alcohol due to a medical condition.

I had travelled from Derbyshire to experience the Malvern bar's self-proclaimed offer to provide a 'relaxed and friendly environment' and embrace a simple ethos: 'Mi casa es su casa'. Not on this occasion.

Unprofessional, unwelcoming and uncompromising

We booked a table for nine people at Bar Limon at 7:00 on Saturday, 6th November.

Because it was an important family event we booked it well in advance and received a confirmation email from them on the 4th October.

On Saturday lunchtime we telephoned to make absolutely sure the table was booked. There was some confusion about our booking but after a few minutes the staff member confirmed our name, the number of guests and the time of the booking.

On Saturday evening we arrived and gave our name. The staff member who greeted us said that we were: “Three minutes early”. In the restaurant there was only one table capable of seating nine people and it already had five people on it. There were a number of two-seater, four-seater and six-seater tables which were free.

The staff member said that the our table was currently occupied but the five people would be leaving “within a few minutes”. We were asked to sit at separate tables whilst we waited for “our” table to become free.

We expressed our concern that despite two confirmations we were being split up and asked to wait to sit together to enjoy our evening. We suggested the staff might like to join a couple of the other tables together on a temporary basis. This they did after some considerable discussion but placed us in the thoroughfare right in the middle of the restaurant and next to the door.

We sat and waited. After about five minutes the staff brought out food to the people on “our” table. It was very clear from this that theses guests were not about to leave. On the contrary, in reality they had only just begun to eat.

 
We immediately asked to speak to a senior member of staff. A lady who appeared to be one of the owners came to see us. We expressed our view that we had been lied to over the availability of “our” table. The lady considered our assertion for a moment and then responded in the most surprising way. She said: “It’s a bit haphazard in here, I don’t think this place will suit you and I don’t think we want to serve you” We again made it clear that we had booked an important family gathering over a month ago, reconfirmed on the day but were now being, in effect, told to go elsewhere. The lady walked away without responding and we were left to consider our position.

After a short discussion we decided to leave. The staff made no apology and, if anything, made it clear they were glad that we were going.

We walked up the hill and into Prezzo where we were made to feel very welcome and were served a splendid meal.

In conclusion I would say that in more than 65 years of visiting restaurants I have never been treated so badly. Some members of staff were staggeringly unprofessional, remarkably arrogant and extremely rude.

Some of our family members had travelled from Derbyshire and Yorkshire to be with us that evening, their view of Malvern has been tainted by their disappointing experience.

This is not the sort of restaurant that is wanted in Malvern. As a town which relies heavily on tourism we need to remember that the customer pays the wages and also spreads the word.