Zamani's Restaurant, Ashby de la Zouch
To be really fair this entry is because I have never before said a thing about Asbhy de la Zouch. Zamani's is a great excuse.
Zamani's is a great little Italian restaurant and wine bar in the high street in Ashby. We'd stopped in Ashby and wanted food. En route to the town from our lodgings was a bright, shiny, new, empty "Ask" Italian place. We went in.
"A table for two, please?"
The lass asked if we'd booked.
Did I mention that it was empty?
Thought so.
I said not, and she giggled her apology that we could not have a table until 9:30pm. It was then 6pm.
I've been watching Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. I kind of know how long it takes to eat and then reset a table. Bernd and I were there for food, not a romantic evening!
We checked how we were dressed. Standard logistics check, we were clean, tidy, combed hair, flies done up, nothing out of place. We did wonder if they thought we wanted a romantic evening and they felt that two blokes might change their market niche, but the real reason is incompetence. How do I know? We went past at 9pm or so and they had three empty, pristine tables ready for phantom diners. Wondered about going in and asking for a table for two, but decided against it.
So, skipping back in time, after leaving Ask we wandered to the high street. It lacks obvious restaurants. We discounted Zamani's. It was empty, though lights were on, but the whole place was festooned with "Lunch Special" menus and signboards. And there is no front door.
After a fruitless walk up then down the town centre, were checked Zamanai's out again. You go round the back and find ~gasp~ a standard menu. We found it and went in.
It was empty, and, wisely, they sat us in the prime advertising seat - the front window. I don't mind that. The Ask is new and they were obviously struggling against it. But we were in. By accident, but in anyway.
The menu was Italian except for Tandoori Pigeon Breast. I try most things, so does Bernd. We opted for them. While we waited for them a couple of people puzzled over the lunch menu in the window and walked off, perplexed.
Great waitress, enthusiastic, pretty, helpful, fast, forgot that pigeon breast needs steak knives, but that's Ok. They arrived, and tasted good, though I think one too many flavours. I'd go for the salad trimmings round the breast, but leave the breast plain grilled after being marinaded in garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice alone, not the tandoori stuff.
Pizza was great, too. Crisp pizza base, even on the deeper pan option. That shows real cooking.
Over pizza we had a chat to the owner. I'd just watched another couple puzzle at the menu outside and walk off. He'd lost four covers already that evening, and it was still young. He hadn't realised that he looked like a lunch joint only, and rushed outside with his wife to see. And he and she agreed. And, oddly, changed nothing outside despite being hugely grateful!
He offered us coffee and brandy on the house for the positive marketing comments, and lost four more covers by changing nothing that night!
I think that's a shame. I think it's a great shame. The food's awesome, the ambiance is great, the place caters for families and "serious diners" too, and it can't afford to chuck away eight covers in the early, quiet part of the evening.
Gave them a great write up on Tripadvisor when we got back, and then checked out their website. It only works with Internet Explorer. None of the links work with FireFox, Chrome, Safari etc. So I used, in IE, the contact form on the website to suggest that they did something about it.
That was several days ago. The silence has been deafening. If I'd been booking a celebration meal for 50, would they still be ignoring me? Or has their web design and hosting company filtered this out?
Ok, it's a family restaurant and a family business. Let's forgive it the bad marketing. Go eat there when you're in Ashby. You'll love the food and the ambiance. But I do hope they read this. They need to get to grips with their marketing. That Ask is tough competition. Well, if it lets you have a table it is!
