Zagatos Bar at The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells

We went for a special birthday lunch with a guest who is very hard of hearing. A table in a quiet alcove had been booked to cater for his disability. When we arrived, on time, this table had been given to others, seriously detracting from the experience. Whilst the staff on duty were friendly and helpful, there were not enough of them; the service was slow. Apart from the main course fish, the portions were very small. This particularly applies to the thimbleful of mushy peas served to my wife. The expense of refurbishment of this restaurant was wasted. The venue is letting down the reputation of Tunbridge Wells. We will not visit again.

Here we go...........Have eaten at the Zagatos Bar & Brasserie three times over the past year as a guest of family and friends. The Bar & Brasserie is situated on the ground floor of the The 4 STAR Spar Hotel. Each experience lunch/dinner has been disappointing for a number of reasons - service & quality of food. Guess what ?... I had a mad idea for some reason and took my partner there for lunch a short time ago. What happened you say ?????.......Ans.....Nothing has changed I am very sorry to say. I do not take pleasure in writing negative reports BUT this time I have to say something. The Good Points : Varied menu / wine list with a range of options to suit most tastes. The staff, polite, welcoming and smartly dressed. Lovely dining room full of character. Now the not so good : Our table was not fully clean - water/ food marks on it, plus, black pen marks on the wooden table top. Bearing in mind we are now sat in a 4 Star Hotel Brasserie & Bar. Asked for a spicy tomato juice with all the trimmings to start with....." Sorry sir we don't have tomato juice and we don't have any spices ". So went for the lime and soda which came with hardly any ice and you could not taste the lime juice and was slightly flat. Partner had no starter but I had the Tiger prawn cocktail with avocado. This presented in a Gin & Tonic like glass. Only a few prawns and not Tiger - small. The avocado was mashed in with the lettuce at the bottom of the glass and no taste - very poor. For the main course we had the beef with all the trimmings which was OK but nothing special. Infact, when the meal arrived it came without roast pot's. Waited a while for the waiters attention and asked for the missing roast pot's which took five mins to arrive. Yes, I could have made a big fuss and asked for a reduction in my bill etc..etc... BUT I placed myself and partner in the Bar and Brasserie in knowing that it was not that good BUT hoping things may have improved. Not the case.

Just returned from a disappointing lunch at the Spa Hotel. Having chosen the fishcake for my meal, I was disappointed - the filling consisted of a lot of sauce, some potato and not much fish. However, as I was finishing I encountered an unexpected addition to the usual recipe - a piece of non-recyclable plastic the size of a 50p piece. When the waiter came to clear the table, and asked if we had enjoyed our meal, I politely said that it was fine except for the piece of plastic. He looked a little surprised, removed the plate and said he would speak to the chef. I never saw him again! Good service? I don't think so. Value for money? No.

We visit Zagato’s regularly either for drinks or for a meal. The food is of a consistently high standard with a comprehensive wine list and we know we can always count on a friendly welcome from Costi, Stephen and the rest of the knowledgeable and friendly team.

I am an occasional visitor to the bar and Brasserie. The food has always been consistently good and I had no reservations in taking friends to Zagatos for an evening meal. We were not disappointed. .The Spa Burger and especially the chips were a great success but I really feel I must highlight the service we experienced. From the minute we arrived until the bill was paid Costi and his team looked after us with great attention and willingness to please. Costi went that extra mile to make our evening so enjoyable and I greatly appreciated his assistance in pairing our food with wine which complimented each course.. Costi was a star. Thank you.

Perfect place in Tunbridge Wells for sunday roast! I’ve been here plenty times and i never left unhappy! Very nice staff,helpful and profesional , thank you Costi for great service !

We are regular users of Zagatos. The food is always excellent, the staff very friendly and the brassiere manager is very helpful and always provides a warm welcome.

Went for dinner with my girlfriend and both had beef roast.The food was great and the service perfect. Wasn’t the first time we go there , we always enjoy the food and the wine!!!

Had an excellent meal and drinks. I live local and have used the facilities a few times. I just love it. The drinks are prompt and really friendly staff. I would definitely bring others here. Costi, Stephan were superb.

I have had nice meals here before but came here with my partner for lunch and we both ordered the avocado sandwich... It was awful! cheap thin bread with what looked and tasted like gone off guacamole mush instead of avocado. Not sure how the chef can send out something like that?!

From the moment our evening began with a warm welcome from a highly professional front of house , whom I think is called Frank to the friendly goodnight from the staff it was a very positive experience. I ordered the Salmon Nicoise and a very acceptable Rose to compliment it. The dish was well presented, fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.. The staff , special mention to Stephen and Mark were very attentive but not intrusive.. This is not a restaurant boasting a Michelin Star but a good all rounder and a step above the chains which prolificate TunbridgecWells. I will return and that says a great deal.

My family and I are local to the area and regularly use the Zagatos bar. The staff always greet us in a friendly and courteous manner. You can always rely on the immaculately dressed Costi, who clearly takes his job seriously, to go the extra mile. His recommendations are always spot on. The menu offers a wide chose from interesting summer salads to pot roast shin of beef. The fish & chips and Spa burger in addition to being delicious are reasonably priced and the triple cooked chips are as good as any I have tasted. When we fancy something more informal and the sun is shining we take advantage of the beautiful gardens at the rear and have a pizza from the garden pizza oven. We have always enjoyed visiting the Spa even if only for a drink.

Ate in brasserie last night ! Burger was dry and tasted like cardboard ! But my friends said duck and fish/chips ok ,some improvement needed methinks ? Not the best for an establishment such as this .

Usually meet a friend here for drinks but have eaten a couple of times. Both times totally disappointed and fed lies from the kitchen, the chef has a view all diners are stupid. First time was served a totally different species of fish to what was ordered, instead of being honest and saying they'd run out they served something different, bland, dry and said it was they same fish as ordered despite showing then pictures of what it should have been. They eventually apologised and blamed the chef for lying. More lately ordered a salad which was supposed to have pear, instead of informing the waiters they'd run out they just made the dish without, served with nonchalant disregard and no explanation and no pear. Yet again only after we asked and they check with the chef does he come clean. I don't understand why he's still there. Clearly arrogant and useless.

This is a nice little restaurant and bar in a very exquisite hotel. You are welcomed by courteous, well dressed waiters and nothing is ever an issue. I ordered the fish and chips with tartare sauce. When the food arrived, you can tell it was freshly cooked and although there weren't many chips, they were thick and triple cooked so enough for this meal. The batter on the fish was very nice and not too greasy and the fish was fresh and cooked to perfection. The meal even came with a big slice of lemon. Definitely recommended even if you're not staying at the hotel. Great food and service.

Absolutely appalling service from ‘Costi’ - apparently the maitre d’. Rude, indifferent, disinterested. No drink refills, main course dumped on top of starter, no side plates and no water offered. However, non residents turned up and wow! Were they treated to the full works!! Noticed that other residents also had no side plates/water etc. Interesting. Have never had such atrocious service ever. The young bar staff were delightful and so were the hotel staff at The Spa Hotel who were very quick to apologise and make amends when we told them how appalled we were. The food was good but we were left feeling so exceptionally uncomfortable that the whole evening was ruined. We ate at Côte the following evening and received 5* service. Looking at the other reviews I am stunned that this behaviour is allowed to continue. We would never eat again at the Brasserie again and we only booked hotel as we could eat on site without using the car. Management need to read other Tripadvisor reviews regarding this guy.

My Dear old Mother and I thought we would give this place a try as it was not too far from where we were staying..

Are here twice last week as staying at hotel on business

The food was excellent and the draught beer was very good. The white wine was room temperature, not chilled. Staff surprised us with birthday cake - thanks so much. A bit disappointing when required to walk to reception to pay and no tissue paper in toilet cubicle even though it was only lunch time.

Buona la scelta del menù, cibo fresco, ottima cucina tradizionale, buone le porzioni, raffinata la presentazione dei piatti, ottima la birra.

Nos alojamos en el hotel y había reservado una mesa en nuestra primera noche. La comida y el servicio era bueno. La única crítica es arrasada en los precios de las bebidas en el bar.

No hemos cenado en el spa durante varios años y pensamos que probarlo de nuevo ¡qué error.

Segunda visita a zagatos, solo volvimos porque teníamos un vale por el pésimo servicio que recibimos en abril cuando fuimos por mi cumpleaños. . . En abril pedimos el asado, era diminuto que podría entender si era gourmet, que desde luego no fue. Había un...

He disfrutado mucho de la comida en la noche aquí junto con el equipo de siempre feliz. Personalmente recomiendo el pescado y patatas fritas!

Miramos la lista de vinos. Vimos el tatinger. Decidimos tomar una copa me dijeron que es vendido por la botella. Cuando me indicó que dicho por el vidrio, todavía se negó. Sólo después de preguntar por la gerencia no me sirve una copa. Este bar necesita capacitar a su personal.

Amazing dinner, good service and a great place to treat the girlfriend.This is one of a few places that serves a roast dinner in the evening. Well recommended

It took me half an hour to get one drink, the staff were slow and incompetent, the bar is very expensive.

We hadden een Rib Eye steak besteld met béarnaise saus.Dit heb ik nog nooit gezien, een chef kok die koude saus doorgeeft aan de gasten en daarop als antwoord heeft dat dit de gebruikelijke manier en wijze is van Béarnaisesaus. Ook het vlees was lauw, maar was wel goed gebakken en zeer smaakvol. Verder geen commentaar over deze bistro.

Light, well presented, good price, relaxed environment - would definitely recommend for a good old gossip...

Decided to visit Zagatos again tonight, despite previous poor samplings on 2 occasions.Waiter took 10 mins to take our order. Food turned up 40 mins after that, without the side order of beans requested at the same time as the main order. Advised waiter accordingly. Beans arrived 10 minutes later! No apologies or explanation.My order - fish of the day - lemon sole @ £16. smallest fillet I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Indeed, top cat usually found bigger fish in his trash can.Only saving grace is that I wasn't asked to key in a gratuity. In summary, service poor, food average. I certainly wont visit again.

Food in this restaurant was excellent. We sampled all three courses starter was delicious, Main was excellent, and dessert did not dissapoint. Waiters were very helpful and attentative.

Dined at zegatos whilst staying at the hotel on business, didn't fancy dining in the main restaurant as j was Eating alone so opted for the bar.Service is okay but food mediocre at best.Price inline with most places of this typeOk and would use again but more for convenience than choice

Simple lunch. Looks great. Lovely setting. But service took an age!! Caesar salad main was leafy and had chicken. A little sparse on the sauce and I prefer white anchovies. Had dessert too which was a nouveau banana split mostly crepe and banana sauce. Long wait for that too. Pity as the food was good when it came.

Pretty limited menu, sharing platters over priced, drinks very overpriced. Not great all round considering it's supposed to be a bit more up market than some places

Our friend is staying at the hotel prior to relocating to Spain and we met with them to wish them farewell. Decided to eat in the less formal Zagatos Bar and Restaurant and enjoyed a vey pleasant meal.Service was good and the food was excellent, the liver being particularly tasty.

Enjoyed drinks, saw people having food which looked good.The service was very good and seating comfortable. The decor was bright and modern.

A lovely bar with a quality cosy atmosphere. The drinks and food offering is very good and the staff offer table service so you don't even have to walk to the bar!

My friend and I decided on Zagatos bar for lunch on a Wednesday lunchtime. Although there were two waiting staff, and we were at tht point the only diners, it took 10 minutes for our order to be taken. Once we ordered, it took over 40minutes for our food to arrive (without an apology) made worse by the fact that a group of five who came in after us were served first. Things like this do happen but an apology/acknowledgment would not have gone amiss. On paying the bill no apology was forthcoming either. It is quite possibly the worst customer service I have experienced in a long while and a complete contrast to the waiting staff in the foyer who fly around madly at lunchtime but always have the customer in mind and are always polite and friendly. I was embarrassed to have brought my friend who had travelled from Dubai here when there are other places in Tunbridge Wells that would have been far better. The food was somewhat overpriced but in fairness the sweet potato burger was lovely. Unfortunately, the prosecco was not chilled enough. My husband and I had actually booked a couple of nights for our 10th wedding anniversary (we enjoyed a fantastic reception here) but chose to cancel after such an awful customer service experience. A real shame.

Food lacked flavour & was expensive. Service was not what I would expect from this type of hotel. Would I recommend, no probably bot when Tunbridge Wells has so many good restaurants.

I ate in this restaurant and was disappointed. Sourdough starter - poor olive oil, terrible balsamic vinegar. The bread however was OK.Spaghetti vongole - really poor, filled with chilli which destroyed the flavour, I mean this dish was hotter than most curries! At £15 I expected more from an easy dish with very few ingredients.Staff were very attentive, they were the best part of my meal.

Came in with friends for a Saturday afternoon drink before heading down to the Pantiles. Staff were not what you would expect from a quality hotel like the Spa. Slow service left us wishing we'd spent our time elsewhere.

Four of us came in for lunch and we felt disappointed.The pan roasted salmon at £16.95 looked lost on the plate – was this nouveau cuisine? The purple potatoes consisted of three small cubes.As for the pastrami dish, this consisted of large cubes of meat and a rather dry spring onion mash.We had sticky toffee pudding for dessert but the kitchen must have been running out of toffee sauce as it was in short supply.The total bill came to around £100 for two courses each and we did not even have any alcohol or expensive drinks.This is not our first visit to The Spa but it will probably be our last.

Nicely refurbished bistro style bar, good range of reasonable food in a great atmosphere with live jazz the evening we went in a large group of 20,

New venue for us but had heard that if we wanted a nice relaxed evening this was the place to try.Went early on a Friday evening, no problem finding a table which is a big plus for me!Good selection of wines, house choices good quality.Cocktail of the week, Zombie, which on the night we visited had been selected by the very friendly and helpful barmaid Natalie - we decided not to sample as we had to drive!Bar menu looks tempting but I would have liked to see a larger selection of tasting platters, maybe mixing charcuterie and cheese with other bits and bobs - but that's my personal preference.Will definitely return over the next few weeks.

Came here mid week to have a business meeting. Food was well cooked and presented. Liver and bacon had good reviews from our party, as did the burger and fries. Our vegetarian members had a very tasty lentil and bean burger a substantial meal. Friendly staff but a little slow considering we had pre-ordered the menu. Desserts were nice and fruity. We took coffee outside on the lawn - which again was preceded by a lengthy wait. Beautiful surroundings and relaxing but allow a good length of time for lunch.

Excellent food great service good atmosphere a great alternative to the hotel restaurant which had a very limited menu

The hotel in which this restaurant is based looks really lovely after the recent renovation. So you walk into the restaurant expecting class and quality. Sadly, this is exactly what you don't get here. The food wasn't cooked as per our order (the steak came out medium, not rare), the wine was tepid, the Caesar salad consisted of two leaves of lettuce and a couple of anchovies + two tiny croutons - all for £7 - and the staff took all our complaints in a way which showed they were accustomed to such customer feedback. Disappointing.

My husband and I had a meal here on a Friday night when the Jazz was playing. The restaurant has a modern feel, clean and spacious. We had a leisurely meal and didn't feel rushed at all. The menu choice was interesting, varied with something for everyone. The food was delicious and extremely well presented. The live music was a massive bonus and it wasn't to loud so we could still hold a conversation. I would highly recommend a visit to Zagatos Bar.

Good atmosphere - all very modern, in complete contrast to the rest of the hotel, which is very traditional.We had a mezze style lunch , which was excellent.

Decent menu and drinks - not the cheapest in town but it is well laid out with tables or booths to choose from. Suitable for us older residents too who sometimes feel less than comfortable in some hotel bars.

Zagato's Bar has just undergone a major refurbishment and in my opinion is much improved. It's now almost twice the size - the hotel owners have knocked down the dividing wall between the bar and the former small function room to create a much larger space, consequently there are many more tables and chairs now which is a good thing since seating was in short supply before.The whole bar has been completely redecorated in calm but light colours that I think will have greater appeal to the general public than the former colour scheme. The furnishings are a nice blend between traditional and modern so it's style feels in keeping with this historic building. Bar service was friendly and efficient and a real ale is now available.We only had drinks but I gather a new brasserie menu is shortly to be launched. Overall, a relaxing place for a drink.

This is a nice modern bar. Very specious and you don't feel as if you are sitting on top of other guests. I also like it that they have jazz on weekends, something that is missing at most hotels. Excellent choice of drinks at reasonable prices

The food was good and the service was as well. Zagatos was very relaxed and comfortable and flexible for those who like a late lunch.

There are not many decent places to go in Tunbridge wells for a quiet drink with nice wine. Most of them sell crap wine at a huge cost, have poor service and food is nothing to write home about. A consistent decline over recent years. The Spa Hotel is a pleasant place to go, nice decor. However, hit and miss if there are wedding or hen parties. However, if you are into people watching the latter can be interesting. No so intimate and the wine is nothing to write home about but one of the nicest places to go in Tunbridge Wells. You could say 'the least worse'!...

We had lunch at the hotel in the bar area, lunch itself was very good, however it all fell apart when we followed it with a coffee and hot chocolate. I sipped my hot chocolate and it was luke warm almost cold, my husbands coffee was the same, so we sent them back. We received replacements only to find them ever so slightly warmer. When we asked for the bill we explained we were unhappy with our drinks. A manager was sent over, her attitude was appalling, she argued we had said the drinks were fine, we hadn't, her final words were are you going to pay for the drinks when I said no she walked of with a sigh and the hump with no apology whatsoever. Absolutely appalling customer service, we won't be going back.