Topic ID 3381
We love the Hillside and always try to eat there on the rare occasions we get a babysitter and get out! We last ate there midweek in May before our daughter was born and it was fab as usual. Have just tried to book for a Saturday in Feb but now advised it is sittings. This makes it really hard for us. 7-7.30 for the first sitting is too early to get kids to bed and get to you and 9-9.30 for the 2nd sitting means you always feel under time pressure to get back for babysitters. I appreciate it means fitting in 2 sittings for each table but it also means people like us will now have to look elsewhere. Just interested in some other views on this problem. Justin - are the sittings Saturday only ? We love to eat with you but this is not good for us.
Reply ID 48925
Why don't you hire the babysitter for an extra hour or two? .... or is that too obvious?
Reply ID 48928
I think the sittings are only Friday and Saturday. You can always arrive before 9pm have a drink at the bar and order, perhaps ask if its possible to have your food at 9.30 ish then you would more than likley be finished by 11pm at the latest, time for a nightcap at the bar and back home for 11.30pm very civilised.
Reply ID 48943
Im sure we will find a way around it its just not ideal for us. Our babysitters are usually friends also with babies who we take turns for, so don't like to be really late back - we are all up early the next day and they have to drive home when we get in! We usually take time with food and loiter at the Hillside due to great food and the need to wait so we can fit in dessert [:D] so would be pushed to be done by 11 but sure friends won't mind. Its just that 8pm would be so much more convenient for us.
Reply ID 48947
It's been two sittings on a Friday and Saturday for years. We, too aim for the late sitting as we know we won't be asked to vacate our table if we take the early one. As we (regretfully) don't go that often we know we can barter favours if we need to.
Reply ID 49220
Or go somewhere where you can choose your eating time?
Reply ID 49335
Don't say anyhting negative or Justin might throw his toys out his pram!!![:D][:D][:D]
quote:
Originally posted by Dude
Or go somewhere where you can choose your eating time?
Reply ID 51694
I booked for tonight, but I requested a table for 9 pm when I called, so am not aware of weekday sittings, they just asked what time I'd like to book for. I can ask about sittings when I get there. Haven't seen Justin post on the forums for some time now!
Reply ID 51729
Just had this email from my friend who I went out with last night to the Hillside: "I thought the restaurant last night was absolutely perfect in every sense of the word. The setting was great, the food was great." I had a really good time and was so relaxed I forgot to ask about the sittings [:I]
Reply ID 51734
Must visit soon, its been a while thou i do like the larger space at the College Arms (sister establishment).
Reply ID 51769
Thank you Sally for the positive feedback. I would like to make forum users aware that Jurga and i will be leaving the hillside on 30th April. Thank you to all who have supported us and the company for the last 5 and a bit years.
Reply ID 51772
Can you tell us whether you will be staying/working local. Your talent needs to be retained in Hertford !
Reply ID 51773
quote:The Hillside is our favourite place to eat. What's the future for it? Are you moving away? Panic! [:0][:0]
Originally posted by justin
Thank you Sally for the positive feedback. I would like to make forum users aware that Jurga and i will be leaving the hillside on 30th April. Thank you to all who have supported us and the company for the last 5 and a bit years.
Reply ID 51774
quote:Justin, sorry I havent popped in since last time, I have been rushed off my feet. I will endevor to get in some time next week probably Wednesday. Good luck to you and Jurga. Vic.
Originally posted by justin
Thank you Sally for the positive feedback. I would like to make forum users aware that Jurga and i will be leaving the hillside on 30th April. Thank you to all who have supported us and the company for the last 5 and a bit years.
Reply ID 51792
thanks victor We are off to Majorca to work, the hillside is for sale. All the best Justin
Reply ID 52102
Justin and Jurga, We have just had our last meal in The Hillside and as ever, it was superb. Thanks for bringing your gastronomic delights to our little corner of England over the last few years. Good luck to you both in Majorca.
Reply ID 52104
quote:thank you paul. the hillside will stay open though...
Originally posted by 2929paul
Justin and Jurga, We have just had our last meal in The Hillside and as ever, it was superb. Thanks for bringing your gastronomic delights to our little corner of England over the last few years. Good luck to you both in Majorca.
Reply ID 52563
Hillside no longer on the Spice Inns website ?? http://www.spiceinns.co.uk/index.php?section=475
Reply ID 52571
quote:it's for sale.
Originally posted by Donostia
Hillside no longer on the Spice Inns website ?? http://www.spiceinns.co.uk/index.php?section=475
Reply ID 52572
be interesting to know how much for. is it being sold via an agency? why is it being sold, anyone know?
Reply ID 52573
Let's hope whoever buys it keeps to the winning formula that is currently in place. Saying that we got some discount vouchers through the door last night for lunches.
Reply ID 52576
I thougth lunch was already cheap - so that sounds like a bargain there then :) Rumour has it that the nights Justin isnt there have always been sub-standard, so it'll be interesting to see what if anything they can do to turn that around.
Reply ID 52581
quote:Not necessarily so. We've been on evenings when he wasn't there and the cooking was always well executed to a very good standard. If you mean recent standards, well, Justin & Jurga have been gone for a few weeks now and we haven't eaten there since so are unable to comment! [:)]
Originally posted by codek2
Rumour has it that the nights Justin isnt there have always been sub-standard, so it'll be interesting to see what if anything they can do to turn that around.
Reply ID 52595
Justin left knowing it was being sold. The standard of cooking on the nights he was not there was a little lower on some of the dishes, in my opinion. But the key to it all is that it was justin's menu. He devised the dishes that went out and how to prepare and cook them. He could always show someone else how to do that so that when he was away the restaurant could keep going but a new chef will no doubt mean a different style and/or character to the menu.
Reply ID 52609
There's and ad for it on the Fleurets website.
Reply ID 52721
Maybe they'll get rid of the sittings setup! Then I'll go back.
Reply ID 53636
Did i see this restaurant featured on that Ch4 programme the other night, 'Personal Services Required'? That vile woman looking for a slave disguised as an Au Pair was being interviewed with her husband there. Well if not it looked like the place. No i wasn't paying much attention, i was forced to sit through it by Mrs telly bully [}:)]
Reply ID 53665
quote:I was just about to post this (have just watched it on-demand). That was the Hillside! The couple were from Nazeing I think.
Originally posted by Richie
Did i see this restaurant featured on that Ch4 programme the other night, 'Personal Services Required'?
Reply ID 53671
I see the Hillside is closed until further notice, what's going on?
Reply ID 53674
The Spice Inn have sold the Hillside so I guess it will be closed until the new owners takeover, refurb or whatever they plan to do. The Spice Inn's have also closed the Cricketers in Rickling Green as well.
Reply ID 53679
our babysitter mentioned she used to work at the College Arms but that she left 6 weeks ago when it changed owner ?!?! - Is this a trend i'm seeing ?
Reply ID 53680
Has it actually been sold? According to this week's Mercury: "John Lodge, director of Spice Inns Ltd, said 'The Hillside has closed due to financial difficulties. We do not yet know what will happen regarding the ownership of the restaurant. We hope to re-open it in the near future'".
Reply ID 53684
Interesting Steve. I had a long chat with the Manager of the College Arms when i was last there (about 4 weeks ago) and he said the Spice Inn was in the process of selling the Hillside and that it should all go through within 2 weeks. That was 2 weeks ago, so kind of tie's in with the recent closure.
Reply ID 53685
About time they took the website down then. [url]http://www.thehillside.co.uk/about.htm[/url]
Reply ID 53850
i read the sad news that the hillside has gone into administration. thankfully college arms has been taken over by another company.
Reply ID 53851
quote:Please can you say where you read this?[:)]
Originally posted by teddylad
i read the sad news that the hillside has gone into administration. thankfully college arms has been taken over by another company.
Reply ID 53852
It says in the Mercury "they have closed three of their two properties" This inflation is worse than I thought
Reply ID 53853
the mercury.
Reply ID 53854
quote:What's inflation got to do with it?
Originally posted by MoJo
It says in the Mercury "they have closed three of their two properties" This inflation is worse than I thought
Reply ID 53856
quote:Read it again Steve! The quote that MoJo put in inverted commas is exactly as it is in the Mercury - made me chuckle too.
Originally posted by Stevequote:What's inflation got to do with it?
Originally posted by MoJo
It says in the Mercury "they have closed three of their two properties" This inflation is worse than I thought
Reply ID 53861
I find it hard to believe that a restaurant the size of The Hillside was ever commercially viable.
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