Onyx

Where style and confused service meet

Walking into Onyx in Uxbridge, we were immediately enveloped by a sense of deliberate opulence and style. 

Ferns stood tall in large pots, leaves lined the ceiling and sleek glass tables contrasted against rustic wooden beams. Despite even the floorboards having a subtle sparkle, the decor hit a note just the right side of tacky. 

As we rounded the corner, we were confronted with the unexpected sight of a roving disco light, bouncing its multicoloured beams distractingly around a space immediately before the dining area. A little strange, especially before dark on a week night, but certainly not enough to deter us. 

We settled into our seats and began to browse Onyx’s menu of Italian staples. From handcrafted pizzas and pastas to risotto and grilled meats, there was an enticing array of dishes to choose from and so long as we could ignore the disco, and associated opera music coming from the area, it seemed we had all the ingredients we needed for a great evening,  but sadly, it didn’t take long for the wheels to start to come off.

We enquired about gluten-free options and received a surprising response from our waitress who informed us that as the restaurant was new they were only serving “normal” food at the moment. This lack of sensitivity and awareness around dietary needs was disappointing and set the tone for the meal.

We opted to start with parmesan chicken wings, followed by a Caesar salad and Zuxxz e Funghi pizza.

Ordering these is when things took a turn for the complicated. We advised the server of our tomato allergy and clarified that avoiding gluten was a preference rather than an allergy. In response, the server suggested a spaghetti dish as an alternative to Caesar salad, overlooking the obvious gluten and potential tomato inclusion. We reiterated that gluten was not an allergy but we still would rather avoid pasta, and opted to stick with the salad.

Despite this, we found ourselves visited by another staff member who told us that the croutons would not be suitable for our gluten allergy. We reiterated that we prefer to avoid gluten but it is not an allergy. Confusingly the staff member then said that they had a gluten-free option, and went away to enquire before returning to say the chef hadn’t made any gluten free croutons that day. Back to square one, we reiterated another three times that we would just have the standard Caesar salad, did not need croutons on the side and they could be included in the dish as usual – as one of us would eat them,

Relieved to finally have concluded crouton-themed groundhog day, we sat back to relax, only to soon be visited by our server bearing the gift of complimentary garlic bread accompanied by a dish of oil. Inexplicably, she returned shortly after, with yet more oil, this time in a bottle, and a bottle of vinegar, rearranging the table to accommodate. It was a confusing flurry of service, which could have been avoided had the bottles either been brought with the bread, or laid out on the table in advance, which would seem the most obvious solution given they are presumably served to all patrons.

After this, condensed cubes of handtowel were presented to us on a plate, following which our server produced a geometric kettle and drenched them with boiling water to expand them. 

After a short wait our starter arrived accompanied by our mains. Quite why it all arrived at the same time was never made clear to us and the server left us with the handtowels to use throughout the meal – a slightly strange move for disposable towels provided to help us remove the oils on our hands from the bread.

Hilariously the salad that arrived was not only missing its croutons but also was bare of the advertised ‘creamy Caesar dressing’, instead the iceberg lettuce leaves were dotted with unappealing splodges of a grainy, yellow-grey concoction.

The pizza was better. We’d been attracted to it by the inclusion of truffle and king oyster mushrooms. A generous layer of creamy fior de latte cheese coated a perfectly crisp and doughy base but the absence of any discernible truffle flavor was a letdown, especially given the pizza’s £26 price point.

A mid-meal visit to the restroom revealed yet more contradiction between ambition and achievment. The walls were adorned with celebrity photos that felt more like a hasty attempt to invoke status than a genuine display of the restaurant’s heritage or popularity.

In conclusion, Onyx in Uxbridge is a restaurant that captivates visually but struggles with culinary and service execution. While the menu and decor suggest a high-end dining experience, the reality of our visit did not consistently meet these expectations. For Onyx to truly thrive as a culinary destination, more attention to detail in both food delivery and dietary accommodation is crucial. Despite these challenges, the potential for excellence is palpable, and with some refinements, Onyx could well become a gem worthy of its lavish setting.