Seahorse Restaurant

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M.F.Newton

Seahorse Restaurant

Post by M.F.Newton »

Post Recreated: Originally posted - 04 March 2003

A lovely location and this restaurant had all the potential to be really good.Sadly it was a bit disappointing.The back pepper steak was too dry and too overpeppered and the prawns were curried in a in a sauce that I can remember having in a rather low grade Chinese restaurant in Lavender Hill,Clapham London. The service was O.K but over the top and overall it was poor value.This was not a memorable experience.It was full and so someone liked it!We may just have been on a "off night".There was no local music being played,just Euro elevator music, and nothing live. However the "Hurricane Rum Punch"was excellent.
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Steve Wooler
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Seahorse Restaurant

Post by Steve Wooler »

Post Recreated: Originally posted - 04 March 2003

I guess every restaurant must have an 'off' day. As posts throughout the forum indicate, most people find the Seahorse Inn extremely good and this is the very first negative report I've ever seen. I dined there twice during my recent visit and will certainly return on my next trip. I think the Seahorse Inn is arguably the most professionally-run restaurant on the island. It's very sad that you did not see it at its best.
Steve Wooler
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Allan

Post by Allan »

Maria and I beg to differ with M F Newton! We visited the Seahorse on Monday - or was it Tuesday - this week - time flies in Tobago when you're enjoying the sun! We pre-booked and were glad we did so as it was full that night, and we also were lucky enough to have live entertainment - a pan player on the balcony. The starters - stuffed crab back and seafood crepe, were tasty and beautifully presented, and for mains I managed to eat a 16oz T bone steak which was cooked to perfection. Maria also enjoyed her choc cake dessert. Overall we thought the location fanastic and although not cheap, the food was excellent and there was a good atmopshere. We even star-spotted whilst there - 3 girls from Holby City were at a nearby table and also seemed to enjoy it! Also worth noting is the fact that you can request to be notified of any turtles landing on the beach to lay eggs - the restuarant will take your name and hotel details and contact you there during the nights you are staying when a turtle starts to lay. Sadly we were not lucky enough to get a call!
Sue Mills

Post by Sue Mills »

..Norma and nick have a stylish restaurant here and Jason the manager is very very good – the wine list is superb (jadot montrachet, roederer crystal, batasiolo barolo, even a petrus (can’t say I tried that one………)
setting is lovely, though you may get a few mosquitos on the terrace (dine upstairs) – seems always busy which says it all I guess
They do enormous organic steaks from the original island herd descendants, and wicked liquid desserts (try the black gold) – definitely wish this was my ‘local’!
Dave Park

Post by Dave Park »

The dining experience at the Seahorse is good and sometimes very good. We ate there twice on our last visit to the island. Both times there was good live music although the music was the same as was the musician. The atmosphere is hard to describe in a single word. It is casual yet somewhat sophiticated. The service is relaxed. Couples and families are both much in evidence. The prices are not low but not out of sight either. The strings of minilights wrapped around the palmtrees, the abundant flowers, the soft sound of the surf on the beach just across the road and the steel band music somehow all seem to make this place more enjoyable than it would be judged by the food alone. Of the four entre's we ordered one was excellent, one was fair and two were good. :)
Russ

Not a happy story...

Post by Russ »

My wife and I arrived back from a fantastic fortnight in Tobago just over a week ago and one evening towards the end of our holiday decided to venture out to the Seahorse which is literally next door to our hotel, The Grafton Beach.

Now, let me start by saying a bit about the physical venue - it's set up a beautiful hill overlooking the sea (not that you can see it at night mind - too dark!) and has lovely palm trees with twinkle lights wrapped around - really a wonderful setting.

We had heard the restaurant was expensive, and for Tobago it was (about £100 for a typical meal with wine for 2 adults) but after checking out the venue one evening (for cocktails) decided to book up and go back the following Friday as a final 'goodbye' treat for ourselves.

This is where it all started to go horribly wrong. We were ushered into the indoor waiting area with the drinks we'd bought at the bar whilst the staff arranged the outside tables (meal was booked for 8pm).

After about 20 minutes or so we were eventually handed a menu each (there was about 10 people waiting, mainly couples) and after about another 15 minutes we were asked for our choices. Staff at this point weren't particulary charismatic but weren't rude in any way.

Obviously after 35 minutes or so of waiting we weren't only getting hungry (I'm a diabetic and need to eat at certain times for my blood sugar control) but also thirsty - our first drinks had long since expired. However, the barman had done a bunk and nobody bothered apologising for the wait nor offered us any further drinks. Some staff (including the owner, I think) were milling around in the courtyard area but we seemed to be invisable to them.

Whilst we were waiting (we were told the tables weren't ready) we saw other couples coming straight up the steps into the restauarant and being ushered to a table - highly annoying as they were getting their starters before we'd even been seated and we'd already been there over half an hour!

Anyway, our maincourses eventually arrived 1 1/2 hours after arriving(i.e at 9.25pm). Wine which we requested didn't arrive until we'd finished the main course (despite asking on 3 occasions for it). Food itself was ok, probably slightly above average but not too plentiful and the steak was fatty and not cooked the way I'd asked.

Being a happy young couple who don't like making a fuss we really tried to make the best of a bad thing and at the end of coffee asked a waitor who was taking the plates away if he's take a photo of us both (my wife and I, that is!) He answered rather miserably 'I don't do photographs and I've some credit cards to process' - he didn't even bother to send another member of staff over.

When we came to leave we politely asked the restaurant to call reception at the Grafton so they could open the (now) locked rear gates for us. The staff at the Seahorse had said they'd do this when we booked as we questioned how we'd get back in otherwise.

Anyway, guess what? After 15 minutes waiting at the gates we still hadn't seen anybody to let us in so I went back to the restaurant where a waitress said she'd called but would do so again. After another 10 minutes I had enough and scaled the fence (by now other couples were also waiting). I went to reception and asked the chap to let the others in. He knew we and 2 other couples were going to the restaurant as we'd told him in advance and he swore blind no phone call had been received from the restaurant.

It sounds like I'm a complete moaner and trust me, the only reason I registered for this forum was predominately to post these findings (I was that annoyed) - the rest of the holiday was fantastic, and the people some of the best you'll ever meet. I just think that a restaurant that charges £100 for a mediocre meal with zero service and thought for their customers needs to be 'outed'.

Perhaps it was just a bad night for them (and in fairness there was one good waitor who did make a big effort at the end of our meal), but I certainly won't be going back to the Seahorse on my next visit to Tobago!
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Steve Wooler
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Post by Steve Wooler »

Wow, Russ – are we talking about the same place? If you hadn’t mentioned the name of the restaurant and its location, I would have sworn you were talking about one or two other places I could mention, but not the Seahorse Inn.

As I said in my reply to M.F.Newton’s post back in early March, every restaurant, hotel and other establishment has “off” days. I can possibly believe that maybe two members of staff had an “off day” on the same day – but not the string of problems you claim to have encountered. I have to say that I consider the staff at the Seahorse Inn among the best trained on the island.

I can also honestly say that unless they’ve hiked the prices up very, very considerably since I last dined there, back in February, I can only think that you’ve made a mistake in converting the prices. Yes, the Seahorse is one of Tobago’s more expensive restaurants, but NOT to the rate of £100 for a “typical” meal for two adults. You must really have been indulging yourselves, if you don’t mind me saying. Mind you, if it was your farewell “treat”, why not indulge yourself?

It’s not my place to apologise for the Seahorse Inn, even if apology was necessary. I can only say that as other visitors regularly confirm throughout the forum, the Seahorse Inn remains one of Tobago’s very best restaurants and your experience was totally exceptional.
Steve Wooler
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Russ

Post by Russ »

I'm sorry that you don't believe "the string of problems we claim to have encountered" but with all due respect we were there that night and you weren't.

Furthermore, it's admirable to defend small businesses on the island but I thought the point of this forum was to share experiences, good and bad, and not just sing the praises of the good things on the island (for which there was many!) In terms of the forum rating of the restaurant of recent months, I also note that there have been two unfavourable posts and excluding yours, only one that could be positively favourable and a couple who haven't shown a strong opinion either way.

Restaurants and bars change staff all the time and because it may have been great last time you were there, and indeed times previous to that, doesn't mean they'll always be that way. I agree it probably was a couple of staff who really made the problem as bad as it was for us but at the end of the day it comes down to management and with all due respect, I totally disagree with your comment that it's one of the best managed establishments on the island because at the time we were there, at least, I saw very little by way of management (staff and processes) whereas at the other restaurants we visited they had super organistation and customer service.

Finally, price. We paid 950TT$ (inc small tip) which I'd calculate to be about £90-£100 (credit card bill hasn't come in yet). We didn't overeat, in fact we didn't even have a desert. This was for two starters (I can actually recommend their homemade pate' as this was the one bright moment), two main courses (one of which was a T bone steak), 2 irish coffees and 2 jars (cafattes?) of wine. My wife and I have 25 years combined experience working for a U.K bank so I like to think we know how to convert a currency, albeit roughly in our heads.

Like I said in my last post, the island is an absolute joy and we would certainly go back again (we even met several locals with whom we've promised to stay in touch with). There's loads to be discovered and I don't suggest for one minute that the Seahorse had any ulterior motive that night, they were just sloppy.

The Seahorse experience didn't ruin the trip (obviously) but when you're looking forward to something so much and when you have had such great service from everyone for the rest of the holiday, a visit to an establishment like this just takes the edge off slightly.
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Post by Steve Wooler »

Hi Russ

Fair comment! I didn’t say I didn’t believe you, just that I was extremely surprised. Given the number of complaints that you raised and based upon everything I have heard and experienced about the Seahorse Inn, my immediate reaction was that there was a little more to the story than met the eye and that it might be a “grudge post” rather than a genuine and honest appraisal. I sincerely apologise as your response does tend to convince me that this was not the case.

As you correctly say, the forum is here entirely to allow visitors to share their experiences, but equally I am determined to act responsibly and ensure that a correct balance is achieved. You wouldn’t believe the attempts that are made to manipulate the forum –by businesses singing their own praises or by visitors with a grudge, real or imagined. Most of these posts never see the light of day because the author invariably registers an invalid email address and the post is deleted as soon as the validation fails. However, any post that deviates strongly from my general perceived knowledge of an establishment does immediately come in for special scrutiny and an IP address check. My only desire is to present a balanced and fair picture.

I hope that you were just unlucky (not that it helps you, of course) and that you visited the restaurant on a very exceptional night, for whatever reason. I am truly sorry that it took the edge off your final days on the island. It would be a crying shame if standards at the restaurant have dropped, so fingers crossed – only time and this forum will tell.
Steve Wooler
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David Watkins
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Seahorse Restaurant

Post by David Watkins »

The Seahorse was the worst thing I experienced on the Island.The food was poorly presented and cooked,and the ingredients of low quality.It eas overpriced and the service was poor. A definite no-no. :evil:
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Seahorse Restaurant

Post by James Blackshaw »

We only ate there at lunchtime,and although the menu is by no means extensive, the food was perfectly acceptable. We actually found the service efficient and friendly, but the restaurant was not over busy at the time.

Friends of ours went in the evening and had a pleasant experience, enjoying the very extensive wine list.

James
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