SquareMeal Anmeldelser 

The system that they have set up to use these vouchers is absolutely ridiculous.
We were gifted a gift voucher from our staff to use while we were in London over New Years.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many restaurants on their website say that “the voucher can’t be used here”.
I rang so many restaurants and they all said we couldn’t use the voucher in their restaurants.
We finally found a restaurant that would let us use the voucher to be then told we had to pay and then get refunded….. Why would they do it like this?
What if we couldn’t afford to pay the bill initially?
They need to update their website and remove all the restaurants that aren’t participating and change the system when you pay.
Maybe they make it so confusing so people don’t use their vouchers???
I feel it’s almost a scam.
Lisa

Received a voucher for my birthday. Followed all the steps to the letter, which as a note was not super simple, felt like quite a lot of steps which didn't seem easy to find even though it is simple in principle - add your card, enable it, find a restaurant which is participating. Feel like the website could use with some UX upgrades. However the annoying part, which clearly everyone else is having issues with is that then the next step should be automatic refund, I wouldn't mind this as some others in reviews do, but the fact is I had to chase it up to get the refund (looks like not only one on this either). Customer service was helpful which did save it from 1*, however the whole process was a bit convoluted especially for a gift so I cant recommend to be honest. Save your recipient the hassle and give them cash or most restaurants do direct vouchers.

Our son purchased a £50 voucher as a gift and what a joke trying to use the voucher. We got so exasperated trying to register, set up an account and transfer the voucher that we gave up and paid for the meal. Can’t help but think it is deliberately made so awkward. My son’s money has gone to waste which makes me very angry. Wouldn’t recommend SquareMeal vouchers!!

Voucher system is convoluted and flawed. Avoid at all costs.

What is the point of a voucher if it is retroactively applied !? AND only applied at the prompt of square meals customer service.

Advertising regulators should get involved regarding the sales of these vouchers. I have escalated my complaint to them.

Although customer service was exceptional I just don’t see the point of how this voucher system works - for me there is no benefit in having such a convoluted system - I would not purchase again !! I’d much rather have a digital voucher that I redeem in the restaurant!!

Don’t buy these absolute con. Bought them to use in Brighton,comes up with numerous restaurants but no one takes them.

Got a gift voucher from work. The gift voucher system is not ideal, but square meal customer service is great so if you have any questions or problems regarding the use of your voucher just contact them :) read the fine prints of the voucher before using it. Most restaurants that accept the voucher are in London.

I received a £40 voucher. Found a restaurant local to me and booked a table through squaremeal. Also linked my bank card as per the instruction (instructions that took a LOT of finding). I paid full price on the day and I understand I will now be refunded £40 - what a backwards way to do things! It’s hardly a gift when the recipient pays up front. I was concerned I had not done things correctly so emailed to check and they have asked for my bank details to process the refund?! This should apparently be ‘instantly’ credited according to their website. This sounds like a scam to me. We shall see if a refund appears.

After reading reviews here I believe that NONE of the restaurants listed on their site are affiliated with squaremeal as many people have said restaurants had never heard of them. The instructions I found and followed mean the restaurant never even know you are using a squaremeal voucher. You pay first and get credited later by squaremeal. It’s really very odd.

Smart vouchers are difficult to spend as there are no restaurants for over 30 miles around from home address. Most smart voucher restaurants are in central London and are high end beyond the reach of most people.

This company are beyond a joke. There are three different lists online for ‘restaurants who accept smart vouchers’. Each one of them is dated differently and each one states it’s the only list which is accurate and current.
The vouchers work so backwardly. You have to link a card to use the voucher. They let me spend over £100 on a linked American Express card but write in the small print that American Express doesn’t work with smart vouchers.

If that’s the case, they shouldn’t even let an American Express card be linked to their website?

I would advise every one to pick a different voucher provider and avoid this company like the plague.

They’re also impossible to get hold of. No phone number, only an email address which takes days for them to respond to.

Save yourself the hassle and go elsewhere.

Vouchers are a scam. I was gifted one and literally no place on their website accepts it.

Vouchers. Awful activation process, awful redemption process.. very misleading on the participating restaurants. If you live outside of London forget it. If you plan on collecting useless points from Opentable bookings you might be okay.. anything else forget it

Difficult and frustrating. Will never use again.

If I could rate it as a minus I would! Have contacted them 4 times. No response. I got given a £70 voucher and I have tried about 30 to 40 restaurants listed on their website and no one accepts this voucher. Terrible, terrible TERRIBLE. Never ever EVER purchase anyone a voucher.

Why is it that the restaurants that take Squaremeal vouchers are in this thread below and NOT on the Squaremeal website (at least, nowhere obvious)? And what's their relationship to OpenTable exactly since many of my bookings say "powered by OpenTable"?

Just been for lunch at the new restaurant in Croydon called Fern. It is at the bottom of the big black tower block opposite East Croydon station. The food was absolutely fantastic, best I have had in a while and I am used to eating in restaurants. The wine list is also really good with unusual wines by the glass. It is about time we had a restaurant of this calibre in Croydon. Staff lovely and friendly too. Would recommend.

SquareMeal vouchers are an absolute joke - the list of participating restaurants is extremely limited and this is not clear on the face of the voucher.

I received a voucher (small amount), I have emailed restaurants to see if I can use it, several have replied NO, even though they are listed on Squaremeal website, I’m glad I did email, so embarrassing if I turned up and the venue said we don’t use these vouchers, how is this company allowed to do this? Some restaurants are permanently closed. Please avoid website, if I could give zero star I would.

It has become my go-to site when looking for the very best restaurants. Their 100 best in Uk is simply top. I have been to only some of them, and their description was on point. I've only made a few bookings through the site, and had no problem.

Fantastic food and 5star service, cant wait for the new wine menu