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(Emma)
(Scotty D)
What's
your name?
Emma
Where
is it?
Antibo
Unit 10 The Plaza
Fitzwilliam Street
Sheffield S1
What's
the number?
0114
272 7222
What's
the grub like, then?
Two moos for food
Three moos for service.
The food at Antibos promises much. The menus are those nice thick
padded folders - you think you might be in a really posh restaurant.
But as a pleasant surprise the prices are incredibly reasonable.
You'll find pizza, pasta and a specials page of steaks, chicken
and a bit of fish.
What
did you drink?
We had the house red wine. Incredibly pleasant. So smooth that we
had 2 bottles between 2 of us. A fact that impressed the manager
who praised us for being able to drink like that "on a Tuesday
night."
What's
the crowd like?
People who use bed head hair product; people who wear arty glasses
and who are generally reasonably trendy.
And
the vibe?
You think Antibos is huge, vast and cavernous when you walk in.
And indeed it is. You could be forgiven for thinking you've woken
up in Lilliput. Ceilings a mile high. Oversized canvas prints on
the walls. A hugely oversized bar and bench seats that were so tall
it's almost unbelievable. My friend Caroline loved the way the wall
lights changed colour "it's like getting a different mood every
minute or two". I thought there would be some people who'd
think they were sitting by traffic lights. The jury's out on that
one. Lovely leather chairs with high backs. Round tables - and they
don't pack couples onto titchy tables - no, you get a table for
four so you can spread out a bit. Overall it's very Habitat - white
walls and brown wood, brown tiles etc. We did chuckle at the Julio
Iglesias CD playing for half our meal. It was a first for me to
hear Julio singing Leo Sayer's "When I need you", but
maybe I'm out of touch with what's cool these days.
Anything
else you'd like to say?
My friend Caroline liked the vastness of Antibos. I think I did
too. She liked it because she could see the chefs at work and there
was a proper pizza oven. We didn't like it because the pizza was
bland - too little tomato sauce and just some parma ham plopped
on top with a little parmesan grated on top. No basil or any other
garnish. Disappointing. My ravioli was OK, but the sauce was a little
on the gloopy side. The side salads were very good value for money
- ie: big portion, and very nice.
In
short, Antibos offers the atmosphere of a hip, cool and trendy restaurant
which Sheffield has been waiting years for. But the food is nothing
to write home about and frankly was less than you'd expect from
one of the ubiquitous Ecclesall Road BYO Italians.
Antibos
would fit the bill if the menu was just a little bit off the wall
and more original with its menu. Possibly one for people who feel
they've outgrown Pizza Express or who want a quieter atmosphere
than Ask Pizza. But you can't fault the service. Attentive, friendly
and relaxing.
Oh, and with 3 trips to the loos between the two of us, we can assure
any users of the women's facilities that they were marvellous.
It's
a pity but I'm still waiting to find the Sheffield restaurant which
really sets my heart a flutter. Someone has told me about one place,
which I will try. Fingers crossed. I'll let you know.
Value
for money?
We shared a starter of Mushrooms in a Gorgonzola and Cream sauce,
had a pizza and some pasta and 2 side salads. 2 bottles of wine,
1 bottle of water, 2 coffees. The bill was £58.
![moos]()
Review December 2003
What's
your name?
Scotty D
What's
the grub like, then?
Not particularly good. Starters were bland - Onion Soup for the
lovely lady and I had the baby squid (which was closer to pensionable
age). My main course of Fillet Steak was fine...but you'd have to
be a pretty bad chef to ruin Fillet Steak! The wife chose tuna from
Antibo's black pages (supposedly their posh nosh) which tasted like
it had been boiled...in fact it didn't taste of much at all. As
for side dishes they didn't arrive by mid meal, so were cancelled
and miraculously re-appeared just as the table was being cleared.
What
did you drink?
I asked for a Gin Martini when we first arrived and the 5 bar staff
all just looked at each other. I disappeared to the toilet (it had
been a long trip from Wickersley!) and the head barman asked the
wife how to make it. This didn't really inspire confidence. At least
they managed to get the wife's sparkling mineral water right. The
one saving grace was that the bottle of Vernaccia we had with the
meal was excellent.
What's
the crowd like?
A few parties in with some couples and foursomes dotted around.
One of the parties had a birthday accompanied by that age-old Italian
restaurant tradition of waiters singing Happy Birthday very badly.
And
the vibe?
Hmmmm. Like sitting in a tunnel with very bad acoustics. The combination
of high ceilings, bare walls and sparse furnishings is all very
nice to look at, but not so great when they all amplify the noises
coming from the open kitchen. The only respite (if you can call
it that) was when the out-of-tune waiters drowned out the kitchen
noise with their celebration of the rather embarassed looking woman's
birthday. Not a place if you are looking to go for a quiet, romantic
meal.
Anything
else you'd like to say?
Although we ate at peak time on a Friday evening, the restaurant
wasn't that busy. If Antibo was going for a high staff to clientele
ratio then they were successful. Perhaps they really did have too
many cooks spoiling the broth. Oh...and one last thing...the obnoxious
water who kept bumping into my chair and refusing to apologise didn't
help things either. In summary -perhaps we just got Antibo'd on
a bad night, but this is certainly not a place that we will be rushing
back to.
Value
for money?
No. It wasn't that it was necessarily expensive (although not cheap
either), it's just that the experience fell far short of the price/value
expectation.
sian
having been in antibos more than 3 times a wk for the last 2years,i can see a dramatic change in the overall standard of the restaurant. Those who have complained about the cost, service or management need to compare it to other restaurants, where else offers stylish yet not pretentious surrounding for a price that reflects the ambience of the restaurant?? If you want fast food at a low price then hit maccy d's! As for the service, the staff put alot of effort into trying to provide the best service possible and if some people only took the time to speak to them instead of moaning in a very typically british way then they'd realise this!
Rachael
Negative comments, criticising the food,staff and service,moaning,complaining - Whats new coming from the English? Why do we always have to moan to feel better about ourselves when really everything about the evening out was just fine?! I have recently visited Antibo's and had a wonderful evening! The food was superp,the service by the staff was excellent-they were very efficient and attentive,the prices were reasonable for both the food and drinks and i went away feeling very happy and full! Thank you Antibo for a lovely evening and a big congratulations towards the manager who simply knows what he and his staff are doing to provide the customers needs and wants and to achieve satisfaction!!!
Lele
Well its all a bit serious isn't it this review lark. I personally been to Antibo's several times with collegues/friends/boyf etc and everytime have found the service to be exceptional. The menue isn't as vast as i would have liked but in general enjoyable. Its not trying to be the warldof Astoria is it??!! And i think its an absolute bargain! Value for money - You bet! A meal for 2 with starters, mains, wine & coffee'...
Helen
I think this place is very stylish and the service is personal and friendly. There isn't quite the range of food you find in some places but whenever I've eaten there I've found it tasty enough. It's a pleasant place to spend a couple of hours eating and drinking.
Sophie
This place is awful. The decor is pretty impressive, but it doesn't go any way to compensating the bad food. My Napolitana pizza tasted like it had been dipped in salt, the anchovies and olives were possibly off as I was feeling a bit peaky the next day. My companion's pasta was actually undercooked! The fish dish was tiny (probably about 4oz of tuna for £15!) and the rest of the food was a struggle to eat. The wine was vastly overpriced and the selection was poor. The service was good but I will never, ever go back, and tell as many people as I can not to go there! There's so many much better places in Sheffield, it's a shame as we could do with some more nice restaurants in the city centre.
Katie
A lot of mixed reviews here! I am inclined to agree with Scotty D. I have eaten there about 3-4 times as my friends keep choosing it. It's not a bad restauraunt, I just think that the sophisticated decor and pleasant atmosphere is ruined by a bland, unimaginative menu and one or two rude waiters.
Rebecca
I went to Antibo very recently and really enjoyed it. The food was good (the desserts especially) and the waiters very attentive. I think they must have improved since the majority of the reveiwers dined here!
Jobie
I was impressed with the tea time bargain offer. Good choice for a set menu and a very nice white wine which eased the stress of a working day very nicely thank you! I was so impressed with it that i am organising my works meal out there. So, not as nice as Rossis, but not to be sniffed at either.
Scotty D
Reponse to Tom.
Tom - thanks for the personal criticism.
My review contained my personal thoughts from my poor experience at Antibo. Perhaps I had a bad night and everything there is really hunky dory, however after reading subsequent reviews it doesn't appear that way.
For the record I am not from Sheffield, I live in Rotherham. Also, my job as a sales manager for a large American corporation means that I dine out regularly (both at my own and my company's expense) in restaurants all over the UK and internationally. Perhaps this is why I have high standards, which Antibo could not live up to when I visited. Therefore your accusation that "people like Scotty D are the main reason that Sheffield is backwards", and your inference that I am uncultured, tight and somehow jealous and miserable are both way off the mark.
Still, I'm sure that your heart was in the right place!
BTW - did I mention that I'm not from Sheffield?
Jonathan
I agree with Tom's comment regarding how people from Sheffield try their best to criticise anything that is trying to make something of itself. Antibo is an excellent venue for fine Italian food! The setting is ideal, based distinctly on a contemporary atmosphere. The service was excellent and my girlfriend and I will be visiting the restaurant on a regular basis. What surprised us most about Antibo was the value for money. When you enter the place you are immediately struck by the vast surroundings and trendy cocktail bar to the left, but to our pleasant surprise the prices were not as much as we expected. Well Done Antibo you've done a great job with the restaurant considering the West One complex has only been open for a short period of time.
Poppet
Went back for a second try, mid-week (see last review). Encountered the rudest waiter I have ever met in my life. Had pizza/pasta this time and have to say that it was rather bland. Antibo - you need to sort your staffing problems out! The youngsters were lovely (I am guessing they are students) but you have a number of more mature waiting staff with serious chips on their shoulders!
Ed Smith
I have to say that I think this place is rather marvellous - the menu is perhaps a little limited, but what they do serve is perfectly cooked and very tasty - I highly recommend the bruscheta with goat's cheese starter.
The staff are very efficient and friendly, the cocktail bar is excellent and the overal ambience really makes the place - a very welcome addition to Sheffield eateries.
Emma
Tom do you own this Antibo's Italian Restaurant? You sure seem to get annoyed by someone elses opinion. They are allowed to have them. I'm from Sheffield and will be visiting Antibo's tonight. It looks lovely and I cant wait.
Matt
Tom, the idea of this whole reviewing thing is that you review - ie. comment on what's good and bad. For my money, Antibo looks impressive but it's a shame that the quality of food doesn't match the price you're expected to pay, and the service is shockingly bad. Agreed that Sheffield needs some top-class city centre restaurants of the sort you'd find in Leeds and Manchester. But to suggest that Antibo fits into this category - well, I just can't see it!
Poppet
We went on a busy Satuday night...and I have to say that the service was far from good. I actually felt sorry for the waiting staff because I think they genuinely wanted to do a professional job - they were simply overstretched.
We too had to wait an eternity for our drinks. Our waiter suggested some olives and bread before our starter...which was a nice idea but it didn't arrive until half way through said starter. Needless to say, we sent it back.
My friend ordered steak cooked rare, and that too had to be sent back as it had been cooked right through. To be fair, the waiter was suitably apologetic and brought a new dish quickly.
Generally, our food was very good, although none of us tried the pizza/pasta options referred to by other reviewers. I think our experience at Antibos was tainted by the chaos surrounding us.
We'd definitely go back for a second chance...perhaps mid-week. My recommedation to the owner (who clearly has a loyal fan base)would be to either get more staff or take out some tables!
Hannah
When Antibo's first opened i thought it was great! The service was brilliant and the choice of food superb. Unfortunately my last visit was really dissapointing,I booked my table for 8pm but me and my friend were not seen until 8.30 we then ordered 2 monkey nut cocktails, 20 minutes later they still hadn't arrived so we told the barman we didn't want them anymore and would just take a bottle of wine to the table, a further 15 minutes later the cocktails arrived and we were expected to pay for them!The choice of food was not as good as when it first opened and the dishes took a long time to arrive. We were really dissapointed and when we tried to tell the hostess all she could do was laugh, the acting manager said that she doesn't speak english, we were not the only people unhappy that night and they probably lost a lot of business
Tom
after reading the above negative comments i feel somewhat disapointed in human nature - scotty d, to start with i cant take your comments seriously since your name is daft. secondly i feel sad for sheffield people, dont get me wrong, some sheffielders you cant fault, but those like 'scotty d' are a main reason why sheffield is so backward and the most difficult city to make a go of. According to the telegraph today sheffield is driving to become quote 'a leading european city' like leeds, and manchester - the nightlife is great, but unfortunately sheffield is fighting a losing battle...unless sheffiled people get some hands out of pockets, go and enjoy themselves and have a dam good time without moaning, being critical or jealous - this is the only way this city will ever become like these other succesful ciites. come on we have one of the richest boroughs in England.........oh and emma although your comments were not all negative, you wouldnt notice a restaurant that 'set your heart a flutter' if it slapped you round the face with a wet kipper' sorry love..oh and antibo sheffield you've worked damm hard, youve been slated a lot but i think you deserve a big well done for what you have given to an ungrateful sheffield.
sofi
After reading these rather bad comments on antibo sheffield i had to check it out myself.i have been to some of the other antibo's and was yet to be dissapointed. so together with my partner we went into the unkown,prepared for the worst.When i first walked into antibo the granduer and scale of the place made me feel overwhelmed,i loved the style instantly.when we walked in we were greeted by the smartly dressed manager and the equally well presented hostess.everyone was very polite and helpfull and had no problem mixing up me and my partners impecable taste for cocktails at the bar. the vast selection of drinks on offer shames the cocktail bar next door! we were shown to our table which was spottless and maticulesly decorated with a candle and all the trimmings.my partner had the squid and was very pleased with it, being a bit of a squid fan and all. you could tell it was a baby calamari by the tendernes of the meat. it was well presented and the portion was generous.his pizza cooked to an equally professional standard was the best he'd ever had,the parma ham and roast vegetable topping perfect.i had garlic bread,which was spot on,a bit small but when the main came i was glad.i had the calzone and the portion was huge.i still managed to eat all of it,it was too good to leave.Desserts,yum,i need say no more.anyway,i could go on about the experience but the only way you will ever find out how lovley it really is,is to go yourselves.trust me you wont be dissapointed.
conclusion - i think that people just love to moan,we are far to synical and quick to critisize. i am also a fan of constructive critisism but on this occasion i have none,exept for those ridiculous excuses for researchers that have tried to drag down this wonderful place.
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