Don Txoko

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

“Amazing Spanish food. Perfect all round”

3 out of 5 stars★★★★★

“We've been visiting for years. It was our favourite place in Norwich, and somewhere we'd recommended to many people. This was our first visit since the change in ownership. The food is exceptional. The steak was perfectly cooked and flavourful, the peppers delicious and the patatas bravas crispy and moreish. Whilst it isn't cheap, the quality is excellent. The service, however, made for an extremely uncomfortable evening. We booked for four but our friend couldn't attend last minute due to childcare issues. We weren't aware (although accept it's stated on the website) that a 48-hour cancellation policy has a £25pp charge which also applies if a member of the party doesn't attend, even if the rest of the booking does. This wasn't mentioned when we arrived and were seated or when we ordered drinks, it arose while ordering food. My partner asked how many croquettes were in a portion and, when told 2, light-heartedly asked if we could have 3 "if we ask extra nicely and say pretty please". We of course expected to pay. Rather than saying no or explaining why 3 wasn't possible, the lady front of house responded, "I'm going to have to charge you £25." We thought she was joking, but she sternly clarified that she'd be charging us £25 anyway because our friend hadn't turned up. We were stunned, both by the charge and the way it had been introduced, and we did challenge it. We accept the policy was published and we'd missed it, but felt applying it in these circumstances was harsh. Three of four guests had attended and we had the same table we would have as four. There was no set or pre-ordered menu or minimum spend; the three of us ultimately ordered a substantial meal inc. 2 bottles of wine and a £100 steak (£295 total bill). What made the conversation particularly strange was that the two issues became intertwined. From our perspective, the croquettes weren't an issue: if we'd simply been told they couldn't serve three, we'd have ordered two portions. Instead, our request was characterised as us "trying to change the menu" while we were simultaneously disagreeing about the £25 charge. Only later was it explained that 3 croquettes would leave an odd number and may prevent another customer having a full portion. The conversation became increasingly confrontational. We were also being pushed to get on with ordering while still trying to discuss the unexpected charge and decide what we wanted to do. We became uncomfortable enough that we considered leaving. Despite disagreeing with the £25 charge, we offered to pay it and the drinks we'd had. We were told that if we left, we'd be charged £25pp for cancelling the table - £100 in total. We therefore felt we had no choice but to stay. We were then told we'd now "have to wait" and comments were made about other customers having arrived on time. We had arrived on time ourselves; our food order had only been delayed by the disagreement and us subsequently asking for time to decide whether to stay. Two tables arriving after us then had their drinks/food orders taken while we waited another 20+ minutes. Whether intentional or not, after the exchange we'd had, it felt punitive. Things did become more cordial later in the meal and for completeness, the £25 was ultimately not added to our bill. That's what makes this so disappointing. We accept we'd missed the policy and we disagreed with the proposed charge. But the way it was introduced through an unrelated request about croquettes, the way the two issues then became intertwined, and the confrontational way the conversation was handled turned what should have been a relatively minor disagreement/misunderstanding into an uncomfortable evening. Sadly, we therefore won't return after years of loving and recommending this restaurant. The food is absolutely delicious, but I'd strongly recommend reading the cancellation policy carefully and being aware that the £25pp charge can apply if one member of your party can't attend, even where the rest of the table does.”

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

“Wonderful authentic Spanish tapas. Great quality ingredients and you can tell the passion that has gone into each dish. Lovely service too. We will be back!”