Quite Dreadful!
We have dined at Sarafina for 22 years, both as Sarafina and before when it was Portafino. Now under new management the restaurant is unrecognisable from the restaurant that was once so popular within the town.
Despite the obvious changes that you would expect when new owners take over; new chairs, tables, a change in the music, the biggest change is in the quality of the food. The pizza's are quite dreadful, swimming in cheese and very soggy, not even a scratch on the pizzas from either Domino's or Pizza Express, which is really saying something considering this is a so called 'Italian' restaurant!
The food is also very, very salty, with far less of the good things and much more of the padding. Even the sauce on the pasta tastes very tinned, slightly metallic and very overwhelming of everything else contained within.
We dined here as a large group over the weekend, the consensus being that the food was simply not up to scratch. We even had to pre-order! If it doesn't pick up soon then people will, if they haven't already, start to vote with their feet.
Wilmslow is a very close knit town and Monday to Thursday most of the diners would normally be local families but if they lose these, then the restaurant will become totally reliant on the small influx of diners from the surrounding areas on Friday & Saturday alone.
Already the restaurant appears to be a lot quieter than it ever was but as the prices have increased, we think by around 20%, then maybe they are happy to do fewer covers but with each paying more for their food?
Just a few tips:
Change the chef!
Bring back the kids menu.
Learn to cook a pizza!
Reduce the salt content
Extend the menu
Change the music
Toilet tissue required in toilets
It needs a 'wow' factor, which used to be the great staff and service
I'm very sorry to be so negative and I would love to tell the new owners face to face but I really don't think, from the stance they have taken to-date, that they are ready to listen!