The Milestone Restaurant - your opinions.

[libuse 10]

You have to consider what % of their customers will order it though, if only 1% of them order it it's not worth the effort. It's like making the effort to have gluten free, vegan or lactose free meals, if only one person a day asks for them you're wasting your time.

 

But it can have a wider impact. Not long after Milestone opened I phoned and booked Sunday lunch for 8. I hadn't been before but had family staying and had heard good stuff about it, here and elsewhere. Almost as an afterthought when I was booking I checked that there would be a vegetarian option available (I'd sort of assumed that there would) but was told it was a carvery and therefore the vegetarians could have the vegetables without the meat (no mention regarding what the roasted stuff was cooked in). Obviously I cancelled the booking. A lack of decent veg options can mean that mixed groups go elsewhere so that everyone gets a decent choice.

[Stebbil 10]

I recommend you book again.....and dont invite the vegetarians

 

Only kidding.

 

I think this thread has unfortunately gone ever so slightly off key (of which I am partly to blame).

 

One thing the guys from the Milestone said on the show was that "they are a young team and trying to improve all the time". I am sure that they would always appreciate feedback, and if vegetarians are not happy with the options, then tell them - I am sure they would want to improve this aspect as much as if someone told them something poor about one of the meat dishes.

 

It, for me, still remains as one of the best restaurants in Sheffield. Yes, even I have had poor meals there (about two in the fifty odd I have had), but I doubt any restaurant can claim every single dish they have ever sent out was completely perfect. The fact that the service is probably the best I have experienced in any Sheffield restaurant, will always bring it out near the top for me.

 

I wish them good luck.

 

And all the vegetarians - dont whinge on here, send them an email.

[Venkman 10]

But but but... if *no one* whinged on here, this place would be dead

 

But yeah, I'm also sorry for derailing the thread. Onwards!

[Bulgarian 10]

I'm just saying that the lack of a fabulous vegetarian selection shouldn't in any way be seen as some kind of failing by the Milestone, if a restaurant doesn't serve what you want to eat then don't go there, don't go there then moan that they don't cater for your specific requirements.

[Bulgarian 10]

But it can have a wider impact. Not long after Milestone opened I phoned and booked Sunday lunch for 8. I hadn't been before but had family staying and had heard good stuff about it, here and elsewhere. Almost as an afterthought when I was booking I checked that there would be a vegetarian option available (I'd sort of assumed that there would) but was told it was a carvery and therefore the vegetarians could have the vegetables without the meat (no mention regarding what the roasted stuff was cooked in). Obviously I cancelled the booking. A lack of decent veg options can mean that mixed groups go elsewhere so that everyone gets a decent choice.

 

if your prepared to have where you eat dictated by someone else then that's fine for you, but you missed out big time, the carvery is very nice, even my not-so-fussy vegetarian mate like it there.

[Tubthump 10]

Much as I want to champion local enterprises, the fact that the Milestone has made it into the Semi finals, never mind actually being shortlisted in the first place, removes any credibility to Ramsay's Best Restaurant competition, and actually raises serious questions over Gordon's judgement. Interestingly, the programme highlighted the kitchen's tendency to leave dishes standing on the pass to the point of ruin. This is exactly what happened when I went nearly a year ago, and I was left with inedible food. We fed this back to the waiting staff, but it's obvious that nothing's changed in the interim. How such a fundemental error was allowed to be brushed over by Ramsay is inexplicable. If it was an episode of Kitchen Nightmares he would have torn a strip out of them. That coupled with the burnt chips, underseasoned starters, black pudding overload and the final meal being served without a key component- I'm struggling to see how they left such an impression. I'm sure that a lot of the reason they were put through was down to Ramsay liking the firmness of the head chef's handshake.

[libuse 10]

if your prepared to have where you eat dictated by someone else then that's fine for you, but you missed out big time, the carvery is very nice, even my not-so-fussy vegetarian mate like it there.

 

I'm not sure how where I eat was being dictated by anyone other than The Milestone's poor choice

[taxman 12]

if your prepared to have where you eat dictated by someone else then that's fine for you, but you missed out big time, the carvery is very nice, even my not-so-fussy vegetarian mate like it there.

 

It's not a question of having someone else "dictate" where you eat, it's a question of being thoughtful towards your dining companions. My girlfriend doesn't eat meat, I do. But I wouldn't take her for a night out to somewhere that only served great big bloody steaks, nor would I take her somewhere with a limited, boring veggie alternative.

[GQsm 10]

Much as I want to champion local enterprises, the fact that the Milestone has made it into the Semi finals, never mind actually being shortlisted in the first place, removes any credibility to Ramsay's Best Restaurant competition, and actually raises serious questions over Gordon's judgement. Interestingly, the programme highlighted the kitchen's tendency to leave dishes standing on the pass to the point of ruin. This is exactly what happened when I went nearly a year ago, and I was left with inedible food. We fed this back to the waiting staff, but it's obvious that nothing's changed in the interim. How such a fundemental error was allowed to be brushed over by Ramsay is inexplicable. If it was an episode of Kitchen Nightmares he would have torn a strip out of them. That coupled with the burnt chips, underseasoned starters, black pudding overload and the final meal being served without a key component- I'm struggling to see how they left such an impression. I'm sure that a lot of the reason they were put through was down to Ramsay liking the firmness of the head chef's handshake.

 

It's definitely not a credible evaluation of Britain's restaurants.

I'm not sure of the exact criteria they use to decide what places they look at further but I wouldn't be surprised if they took 20 public nominations out of a hat and that's how they "narrowed it down". The Milestone is not even one of the best in Sheffield let alone the rest of the country and well versed gourmets would often say Sheffield is well behind other cities restaurant wise.

 

I'm taking it as simple reality TV with two restaurants fighting it out.

 

Putting Michelin starred places up against none Michelin starred is quite interesting too. Part of me wonders if there may be a subtle element of discrediting the Michelin guide as Gordon's restaurant at Claridges lost it's 1 star this year and his flagship, Royal Hospital Road is on the cusp of losing it's flawless three star status. In reality if the competition was anywhere credible it would be full of infamous Michelin starred restaurants many of which would be in London.

 

 

While I am here, I will share my own comments on the Milestone. I've been a number of times and have always eaten upstairs so the following relates to that.

Most of the issues in the program have been experienced first hand by one of more in my party.

 

A couple of the points from the program are very poignant.

1) Burnt chips shouldn't make it to crockery let alone to the pass and then on to the customer. A minimum of 2 staff members and probably more working around the pass would have seen those chips and it wasn't minor burning. It just comes across as amateurish that no one addressed it and the customer ended up being served them.

2) Complete failure with seasoning, it wasn't a freak occurrence, a few of my party have had the same issue on separate occasions.

 

"No one's perfect, yadda yadda yadda" but the above are very basic issues I'd expect a chain pub to get right, let alone somewhere claiming to be among the best of anywhere.

 

Black pudding amuse bouche that doesn't become known until after a lot of people have ordered a black pudding dish is another example of how they have many small things still to get right.

 

One major thing that wasn't mentioned in the program that was very obvious to me on my visits upstairs were that it wasn't good value for money. The portion size of some dishes took the p*ss, I've never been to a Michelin starred restaurant that would serve so little and charge so much (bar the Fat Duck), if it's not acceptable for truly credible places, it's not acceptable for the Milestone.

 

On the positive side I have enjoyed most of the dishes served to me and there is definitely a talented and creative individual in the kitchen that has a lot of potential if everything slots into place. Service while sometimes a little disorganised (long waits for drink orders etc) has always been very friendly and given the impression they genuinely care.

 

I'll keep going to the upstairs restaurant on occasion but I would like them to address the issues, which are all very easy to fix with the right person overseeing everything to keep standards and consistancy up.

 

I think a lot of locals would also like them to be a proud example of Sheffield's restaurant scene so I'm hopeful the program will give them the motivation and humility they appear to need in order to reach that point.

I'll definitely be watching the next round.

[jamesogt 11]

I'll definitely be watching the next round.

 

I know the answer but won't ruin it for you!

[medicgirl 10]

The Milestone is not even one of the best in Sheffield

 

Really? Where do you think is better in Sheffield? I'm genuinely interested as many people have recommended contenders to me and the only places I have been truly impressed by are Morans and, maybe, Kitchen.

[Bulgarian 10]

Really? Where do you think is better in Sheffield? I'm genuinely interested as many people have recommended contenders to me and the only places I have been truly impressed by are Morans and, maybe, Kitchen.

 

I'm not sure why everyone raves about Kitchen, it's very average.