"I had high expectations for our celebratory meal booked for Tuesday, but unfortunately, I was very mistaken. We arrived via taxi to a lobby with minimal signage, only a Stokes Coffee swing sign and a small sign declaring "Old Palace" outside. After making our way inside, we were directed to a lounge area and told someone would be with us shortly. However, the lounge was not as inviting as it could have been, as there were remnants of someone's afternoon tea still on the table. Eventually, a waiter arrived to take our drink order. We requested a kir, but the waiter seemed confused, so we settled for a glass of dry white wine. I noticed that there were two white wines offered by the glass, but we were not asked for our preference. Our reservation was for 19:00, and although we arrived a bit early, at 19:15 we were finally asked to go up to the restaurant. It would have been nice if we had been given menus while we were waiting in the lounge, and it would have been even better if the waiter had offered to bring our drinks upstairs for us. Once in the restaurant, we were shown to an empty room and told to choose any table for two, which was not the warmest welcome. When we sat down, we were given the menus, but unfortunately, they were different. Mine had abbreviations under each dish with no explanation, so it was clear that I had received the wrong menu. Our starters were mediocre, with the duck being very cold and the risotto being too strong with lemon and garlic, lacking the creaminess one would expect. The main courses, although good, were presented on black plates, which made it difficult to appreciate the presentation. The dessert looked nice, but it did not taste as rich in chocolate as it was supposed to. Overall, the evening was very disappointing, especially since we were the only guests in the restaurant."
