We'd tried to get into the Rainforest Cafe, near Piccadilly Circus in London, when we went to see Mary Poppins, but had been put off by the prospect of an hour's wait for a table, so we promised the kids we would try again another time, particularly as we later found a money off voucher in the Mary Poppins programme. Our mean streak was awakened!
So next time we were in London off we went. This time it was a Sunday and a bit earlier in the day, but even so, we were surprised to have to wait only 5 minutes to be seated. Cynically, I'd previously thought that the long queues were just a ploy to make the place seem more sought after, but hey, as I said, I'm a cynic!
It was raining outside so it was a bit weird to walk into a 'tropicalforest' where there was a 'thunderstorm' going on. The effects are great, with my youngest son having to touch the overhanging leaves to see if they were real, and there was a gorilla dancing about just behind us. There are animated elephants and various other creatures in other parts of the restaurant too, but the waterfalls weren't working that day, which was a let down.
Our big mistake had been to visit the Rainforest Cafe in Florida whilst on holiday a few weeks previously, and we expected things to be replicated. First disappointment - the menu catered well for the kids but had very little variety for the adults. If you didn't want burger, steak or salad there were very few alternatives, and the prices were pretty hideous - £10.95 for a basic cheeseburger and fries, and extras, such as mushrooms soon bump the price up. The average price for starters was about £6.95, with an extra £1 for a few cubes of chicken in the enchiladas.
We'd had a similar sized lunch in Florida, as regards courses and drinks, but in the States we paid the equivalent of £39 - this time it cost us £79.20 before the discount! Another example of Rip-off Britain?
Apart from all this, the staff were excellent - friendly and enthusiastic, very attentive and the service was fast - the cynic in me would say it would be for 79quid!
When all's said and done I suppose it's really for the kids so in that sense it was OK, but I wouldn't want to repeat the experience for a good while at those prices.
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May 9th, 2005
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