Topic ID 5329
Visited Ruby at the end of last week. having seen the long takeaway menu I was not expecting anything special as it looks like a.n. other Indian restaurant. The food we had was fine and is certainly up to the standards of other Hertford Indian resuarants (and well ahead of Bollywoods). Service was friendly and attentive if perhaps a bit inexperienced at times. The decor and layout is identical to Merchant House, from what I recall. Being out on a limb not sure how they will do, we were not the only customers but it was by no means full.
Reply ID 74758
Looked at the pricing and it seems higher than most other indians I have been to in town as well
Reply ID 74768
I've got to say having looked at the takeaway menu posted through our door the prices were/are a little steep.
Reply ID 74789
I wonder if they do a good prawn cocktail.
Reply ID 74846
quote:I concur, the prices made Mrs P squeal in horror and bin the menu.
Originally posted by Bubbaoshea
I've got to say having looked at the takeaway menu posted through our door the prices were/are a little steep.
Reply ID 74851
Visited Ruby on Friday. It was quiet to begin with but seemed to fill out as we got through our meal. Food was nice but i still question if anywhere can beat the Raj's Onion Bahjis! Overall the meal was nice and i enjoyed it. I found the staff pleasant but abit under pressure from the managers who were raising their voices infront of customers. We became disappointed when our bill arrived - it seems money had been added to our bill. As the bill is written it had £5 extra drinks and a £20 added on which wasnt even listed. The problem was soon changed but i wonder if this was done on purpose as i have had this problem in an indian before but with larger parties.
Reply ID 74858
quote:Sounds more like Cowboys than Indians.
Originally posted by hannah_w
Visited Ruby on Friday. It was quiet to begin with but seemed to fill out as we got through our meal. Food was nice but i still question if anywhere can beat the Raj's Onion Bahjis! Overall the meal was nice and i enjoyed it. I found the staff pleasant but abit under pressure from the managers who were raising their voices infront of customers. We became disappointed when our bill arrived - it seems money had been added to our bill. As the bill is written it had £5 extra drinks and a £20 added on which wasnt even listed. The problem was soon changed but i wonder if this was done on purpose as i have had this problem in an indian before but with larger parties.
Reply ID 74869
the prices are comparible to Shahenshah, Bollywoods and Tikka Cottage in my opinion.
Reply ID 74870
quote:The Tikka Cottage is certainly not in the same price range as the Shahenshah .
Originally posted by thefair1973
the prices are comparible to Shahenshah, Bollywoods and Tikka Cottage in my opinion.
Reply ID 74875
it is if you compare their Special menu items
Reply ID 74888
I went for some food last week and generally its ‘nice enough’. It doesn’t make me “need a Ruby” as their rather annoying Jack FM advert goes (on and on). I hadn’t ever been to the Merchant House so I can’t comment on what has changed but the decor itself is very understated, light and airy and it is different than your typical Indian. The service was attentive and everything was fine. That’s the rub though – lots of nice, fine, good enough type comments. Hertford has a ton of other Indians and this one offers nothing different bar the location and the building. I think some of the people involved are ex-Bollywoods and they grimaced at the mention of their name being associated together so I’m not sure they are linked amicably in any way. The menu list has almost been lifted from Bollywoods and whoever prints Ruby’s menus certainly does Bollywoods’ too as they are an identical design. The food I have had at both places is not the same though and I felt Ruby’s was better. The prices are fairly similar to Bollywoods and Shahenshah. Would I go back? Maybe, but competition is so tough and there just isn’t a differentiator to go here instead of says Dils or Tikka Cottage or The Raj or *insert any Hertford curry house name*.
Reply ID 75430
Four of us ate in here last night and the food was nice enough. I also had the largest Naan bread ever made. Nice to be able to watch the first half of Holland v Uraguay too
Reply ID 75432
They certainly are different with their advertising. There was a tuk-tuk with the restaurant name all over it driving round the town centre a week or two back which was attracting a lot of attention.
Reply ID 75434
quote:It's not just advertising. If you live in Hertford they'll come and pick you up and take you to the restaurant! http://www.hertford.net/blog/default.asp?id=783
Originally posted by Leo Densian
They certainly are different with their advertising. There was a tuk-tuk with the restaurant name all over it driving round the town centre a week or two back which was attracting a lot of attention.
Reply ID 75435
What a brilliant USP. [:D]
Reply ID 75444
quote:I have heard, though, that if you live in Bengeo, forget it. Apparently the tuk-tuk can't make it up Port Hill.
Originally posted by Stevequote:It's not just advertising. If you live in Hertford they'll come and pick you up and take you to the restaurant! http://www.hertford.net/blog/default.asp?id=783
Originally posted by Leo Densian
They certainly are different with their advertising. There was a tuk-tuk with the restaurant name all over it driving round the town centre a week or two back which was attracting a lot of attention.
Reply ID 75445
Is tuk-tuk the Indian for "death trap on wheels" ?
Reply ID 75447
quote:Fantastic idea! Makes me want to give it a try...
Originally posted by Woody
What a brilliant USP. [:D]
Reply ID 75511
quote:A couple of Bullocks are used for Upper Bengeo.
Originally posted by buzzquote:I have heard, though, that if you live in Bengeo, forget it. Apparently the tuk-tuk can't make it up Port Hill.
Originally posted by Stevequote:It's not just advertising. If you live in Hertford they'll come and pick you up and take you to the restaurant! http://www.hertford.net/blog/default.asp?id=783
Originally posted by Leo Densian
They certainly are different with their advertising. There was a tuk-tuk with the restaurant name all over it driving round the town centre a week or two back which was attracting a lot of attention.
Reply ID 75517
quote:It clearly says Hertford , no mention of any beautiful outlying villages . [;)]
I have heard, though, that if you live in Bengeo, forget it. Apparently the tuk-tuk can't make it up Port Hill.
Reply ID 75620
Buzz has been misinformed! The 'powerful' 200cc engine of out Tuk Tuk can easily cope with Port Hill and has done so nearly every day since we got it! We are more than happy to pick up diners from Bengeo and will consider trips to the 'beautiful outlying villages' depending on distance. These vehicles are great in town but not really built for long distances....
Reply ID 75628
quote:I think that was meant as a joke, referring to Bengeo as an outlying village.
Originally posted by Ruby
Buzz has been misinformed! The 'powerful' 200cc engine of out Tuk Tuk can easily cope with Port Hill and has done so nearly every day since we got it! We are more than happy to pick up diners from Bengeo and will consider trips to the 'beautiful outlying villages' depending on distance. These vehicles are great in town but not really built for long distances....
Reply ID 75633
You can't really call a ride in Hertford on a tuk tuk much of an experience - now when you get a few thousand of them racing around the same square in Delhi that is an experience better than most of the rides at Thorpe Park!! Good luck to the restaurant - I hope to visit it soon.
Reply ID 76624
Haven't seen the tuk tuk lately and I pass the restaurant most days, so I don't know if it's still available. We went for a meal in Ruby's last night and it seemed very popular and busy so well done to them for setting up successfully in this recession. The food seemed really good, I'd say it has the edge over the Raj, Shahenshah etc. The service was variable. Food was slow, about 50 minutes from ordering to getting our meal. After we paid, they didn't bring us our £7 change - alright, it was the sort of amount you'd leave as a tip and we fully intended to but surely it's bad form to just trouser it without asking? There were some nice touches; my friend asked for a pot of tea with her food which they couldn't provide but they brought her endless cups of tea and didn't charge for them. And soon after we sat down, a less cramped table near the window became available and they asked us unprompted if we'd like to move. On the whole, I'd recommend Ruby's as worth trying, maybe on a less busy night
Reply ID 76625
Fifty minutes from ordering to serving? [:0] I would have walked out by then.
Reply ID 76638
quote:Poppadoms , Cobra's and a good chat , i would say 50 minutes is ideal with a group of friends in an Indian. Obviously no good for a romantic meal for 2 in a quiet restaurant though.
Originally posted by Steve
Fifty minutes from ordering to serving? [:0] I would have walked out by then.
Reply ID 76860
A seriously pricey car was parked outside Ruby's last night - a Bentley that would have cost a six-figure sum. Ruby seems to attract quite a lively, WAG-ish crowd, at the weekends anyway. We were trying to guess from the vanity numberplate which premiership footballer the flash car might belong to, but could only come up with an Aston Villa player - pretty unlikely in Hertford. [:)]
Reply ID 76864
quote:Not that unlikely , one Villa player lives in Stevenage .
Originally posted by Rachel
We were trying to guess from the vanity numberplate which premiership footballer the flash car might belong to, but could only come up with an Aston Villa player - pretty unlikely in Hertford. [:)]
Reply ID 76865
Frank Warren has a Bentley with a vanity plate
Reply ID 76867
quote:What was the plate?
Originally posted by Rachel
A seriously pricey car was parked outside Ruby's last night - a Bentley that would have cost a six-figure sum. Ruby seems to attract quite a lively, WAG-ish crowd, at the weekends anyway. We were trying to guess from the vanity numberplate which premiership footballer the flash car might belong to, but could only come up with an Aston Villa player - pretty unlikely in Hertford. [:)]
Reply ID 76895
quote:There's probably data protection issues about publishing a registration number after I've given the time and whereabouts of the car. When I briefly owned a distinctive car (not expensive, just unusual) it used to annoy me when people felt able to comment on the unglamourous minutiae of my life, e.g. 'Oh, I saw you were parked at the Great Amwell Car Boot on Sunday...' [:(][:I] So I'll give Ruby's wealthy customer his/her privacy [:)]
Originally posted by Ewoowar What was the plate?
Reply ID 76897
quote:Oh dear ... that means when I'm next mixing with all those premiership footballers I won't be able to ask them if the chicken dhansak in Ruby is any good!
Originally posted by Rachelquote:There's probably data protection issues about publishing a registration number after I've given the time and whereabouts of the car. When I briefly owned a distinctive car (not expensive, just unusual) it used to annoy me when people felt able to comment on the unglamourous minutiae of my life, e.g. 'Oh, I saw you were parked at the Great Amwell Car Boot on Sunday...' [:(][:I] So I'll give Ruby's wealthy customer his/her privacy [:)]
Originally posted by Ewoowar What was the plate?
Reply ID 76902
Well the Villa player who still owns a house in Stevenage is Ashley Young , so just wink if there was A & Y in the plate . [:D]
Reply ID 76907
quote:Good call.
Originally posted by Rachelquote:There's probably data protection issues about publishing a registration number after I've given the time and whereabouts of the car. When I briefly owned a distinctive car (not expensive, just unusual) it used to annoy me when people felt able to comment on the unglamourous minutiae of my life, e.g. 'Oh, I saw you were parked at the Great Amwell Car Boot on Sunday...' [:(][:I] So I'll give Ruby's wealthy customer his/her privacy [:)]
Originally posted by Ewoowar What was the plate?
Reply ID 77224
A group of us had a table booked at Ruby's on Saturday evening for 9 o'clock. When we arrived the place seemed to be in a state of chaos, we were told our table wasn't quite ready and after about ten minutes we offered to go and have a drink somewhere else and come back later. At 9.30 we returned and were first seated at a table which was far too small for all of us before being moved upstairs to one which wasn't. Then we had to wait until about 10 o'clock before a waiter finally came to take our order. Knowing I had to leave by 10.30 I thought there might be enough time for me to at least have a starter. I asked the waiter how long it would take to arrive, and he said it would take up to half an hour. By this time we were all growing impatient and angry and I decided I'd have to make do with a couple of slices of toast when I got home. When I left just before 10.30 my friend's starters still hadn't arrived and they've since told me that they had to wait a further hour after that before the main course arrived. I'd love to have been able to report on the quality of the food at Ruby's but from our arrival at 9 to my leaving at 10.30, all I managed to eat were a few poppadoms. They were ok.
Reply ID 77234
We went to Ruby's on Saturday night too but at 7.30. Sounds like we had a better experience! We were seated straight away, the food came quickly and we were done by 9 o'clock. I have to say the place was heaving and when we left at 9 there was a queue of people waiting for tables so I suspect that you weren't alone in having to wait. I thought the food was really good. I had chicken shashlick and OH had a chicken madras. The Shashlick was lovely, the madras was apparently really good and "spicy enough but with a good flavour" and the saag panir was delicious. The naan and pilau rice were well cooked. Onion bhaji starters, 2 mains, rice, naan, saag panir and three bottles of Cobra came to £40 for the two of us. It's a shame that you had a bad experience but maybe you should give them another chance - maybe they just had a bit of an off-day.
Reply ID 77235
If we'd just turned up out of the blue then I'd have some sympathy, but we BOOKED a table for 9 and indeed phoned a couple of hours beforehand to confirm. If they can't honour bookings then it just shows how disorganised they are. Perhaps they were hoping we'd spend lots of money on drinks while we waited.
Reply ID 77245
I don't think you'll find A Y has a bentley now [;)] Stevenage, a villa player? Don't you mean St.Evanage!
Reply ID 78271
We (The hertford tech/entrepreneurs group) went there last night, and it was really good. very efficient manager, good service, and quite a big menu! And the food I had was lovely - the naans were absolutely excellent. The surroundings are exactly as they were when it was the merchant house, but it works! Well it's certainly different to any other Indian restaurant around anyway! Will definitely go back!
Reply ID 96830
The Ruby was nominated for the British Curry Awards this year. The finals were this week and they were a finalist for best in the South East. Just lost out to Chez Mumtaj in St Albans. Well done to Naz and the boys - officially the best Indian for miles!!!!