Giraffe

Busy week done. Today started with a bit of a bale-out from IT. I had arranged training for this afternoon, but forgot to book the Live Meeting system. Thankfully, our friendly IT person (thanks, Toby) was able to help me out at really short notice. Then an al fresco meeting with the boss - a wee wander round the block. Nice to get some fresh air for a change.

After work, out to the new Giraffe restaurant at the Retail Park with Tom and Amy. Nice meal, and I'm sure I'll be back at some point. After critiquing the place during dinner (as you do), we decided that it needed another xb review. 50% of the restaurants reviewed before tonight have closed down - I don't think that's completely down to the reviews (I've only done two).

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Giraffe, Inverness

A slightly odd setting this one. Giraffe has replaced the Tesco Cafe, and has a door into the car park, so approaching from that direction, it feels like a proper restaurant. Inside though is slightly strange - people wandering in with bags of shopping (or in one case a trolley), and behind the internal windows, you can see the checkouts. The restaurant shares toilets with Tesco too, so you have to wander past stressed out, trolley-pushing, shoppers on the way to relieve yourself.

Trade: Fairly Busy - The restaurant only opened on Monday, so it's early days. Most tables were full at least once in the time we were in.

Menu Choice: Good - A decent choice on all courses, thought I felt the fixed price, two course special was a touch light in options.

Service: Good - But that's a grudging 'good'. If you ask me, there's nice, and then too nice. And then there's Giraffe. We witnessed at least four "high-fives" between staff, and one for Tom when he ordered the duck. Every choice we made was "fantastic", "amazing" or "highly recommended". My three scoops of ice cream and a sprinkle of brownies rocky road sundae was "awesome". I can assure you, it did not inspire awe in any way. Add to that some physical contact between staff (mutual back slapping - nothing weird), and umpteen too many checks on extra drinks, how was the duck, did you enjoy the awesomeness? The food was a tad on the slow side, and we heard one guy being told there was a 15-minute wait for a table when we counted at least six empty tables. Since this is only day five, the slightly slow service is forgiveable. Tone down the nauseating niceness, and they'll still have some really good service there.

Food: Very good - Chorizo Carbonara for me, and it was very tasty. The Rocky Road Sundae was a bit of a let down - all of the components there and tasted fine, but just sort of piled into the glass.

Toilets: Good - Apart from the fact you have to leave the restaurant to visit the shared Tesco facilities. I didn't feel the need, but I'm told they've been renovated to look more like restaurant toilets than supermarket toilets.

Value for Money: Very good - they do lunch and dinner specials, but I didn't fancy any of the options so chose from the main menu. The loyalty card would help, but we weren't offered one - I found out afterwards.

Recommend: Yes