Il Mirto - Hero to Zero

[natty22]

Really disappointed tonight with Il Mirto on Melbourne Grove.

We first went there a couple of months ago and had a great meal. So good that when the parents visited we went for a family meal in mid August. On that visit the service was slow but when the food eventually came, it was excellent so we let that go.

Tonight we went and had a terrible experience. We waited an hour and a half for 2 simple pasta dishes. When they finally arrived, the Carbonara was completely inedible. The bacon was burnt, the pasta was uncooked and covered in oil, there was no egg in it or any sign of seasoning. When we complained to the waitress she told us that a good chef was coming soon and offered a pizza instead. As it was now nearly 11pm, we couldn't wait for a pizza (and had anyway, never ordered that) so were left with one meal between the two of us. The meal was a tomato and sausage dish which tasted like it came out of a jar. We were not given any apology for the inedible meal and when we asked for the bill, we had to explain that we would not pay for a meal which we could not eat.

No apology, no attempt to replace the meal we had ordered and no reassurance when we left that this was an exceptional circumstance, it felt like they had given up and were not bothered about our experience or indeed any repeat business.

I am really disappointed as had previously had good experiences here but felt let down tonight by both the food and the service which is inexcusable. I had high hopes for an authentic, Italian restaurant but with the demand for takeaways I think quality has slipped and with such a hit and miss approach, it's just not worth it.

I notice there is a new Italian on Lordship Lane - maybe that will be better? Has anyone else had any experiences with Il Mirto that would restore my faith?!

[SarahW]

As I just posted elsewhere, we've not been let down once by "Il Mirto" and we've been countless times over the last two years, including last week with my Sicilian mother in law (who gave it the thumbs up). We always have a pizza (one of the best we've had in London) and often a pasta dish, and their tiramisu is very very good. The wine is cheap and decent, the staff friendly. We go early (so cant vouch for how well they do when it is busy) and with our little toddler and feel just like we're in a local trattoria in Italy. The decor is down to earth, but again, that reminds us of Italy and the typical place around any corner. Sorry to read you had a bad experience there, but worth trying again, maybe go in the early evening?