Due to numerous recommendations and Ben Ford's impressive culinary resume, I expected much more from FFS. Pros first: the decor is warm, and the hostesses were friendly. This was, however, by far the worst dining experience I've had at this high price point, and I actually think the food made me sick that night and the following day.
We ordered the white shrimp flatbread to start, which was completely flavorless. For entrees, we had the pub burger and the night's special, a shrimp scampi over arugula risotto. The burger's blue cheese overwhelmed the flavor, and the greens in the burger seemed limp and soggy. As a passionate burger afficionado, I knew right away that it was not worth $16. The onion rings were fine, though, with a unique crispy batter.
The shrimp scampi was a complete waste of $25, and the first time I considered sending a dish back. After navigating through the ginormous shells, there was actually very little edible meat. Both the shrimp and the risotto had no real discernable flavors besides saltiness and fishiness.
We thought perhaps they would redeem themselves with dessert, and we chose the creme brulee, a dish that isn't too hard to get right. It had the consistency and taste of chocolate pudding with a top that had no crackle. It was accompanied by a chocolate caramel thing on some wax paper that was presented in such a way that made it look like...well imagine what a log of chocolate on a piece of paper looks like. Very unattractive.
A table of 4 not-so-picky foodies, we were all disappointed in our meal, especially since much of it was based on our waiter's recommendations. The evening ended on an appropriate note when the waiter forgot about us and had us wait for about 15 minutes to pick up our check. All of this could have been chalked up to a run of bad ordering luck, but getting sick the next day after eating at an expensive restaurant is unacceptable in my book. Disappointed on all fronts.
Pros: Warm atmosphere, friendly hosts
Cons: Disappointed in everything we ordered