New Year's Eve at JOIA with art'otel

Unfortunately, we found this experience to be overpriced and over-marketed. I booked it because the concept and marketing looked fantastic, but my sister and I left feeling very underwhelmed. I’m sharing this feedback in the hope it can help improve future events. On arrival, our name wasn’t on the dinner reservation list, though we were seated quickly so this wasn’t a major issue. What was disappointing, however, was the lack of the advertised Battersea Power Station views. Instead, we were seated facing train tracks, and this didn’t improve when we moved for the film despite the marketing suggesting otherwise. The menu catered to most preferences, but the beef starter and beef main felt odd. The three starters, bread, leeks, and beef, were served sharing-style and were fine, but the cauliflower main lacked flavour and felt like a poor choice. Dessert was the biggest let-down: despite the cost, only one small sharing dessert was provided, which would ordinarily be a single portion. When our drinks bill arrived, we were surprised to see the prepaid £180 included again and a 15% service charge applied to that as well. This felt unfair and significantly increased our bill. The quality of the meal and service did not justify the expense. Before the movie, we were given a 15-minute warning to choose seats, which we appreciated. We had paid extra for “sofas,” which turned out to be two-seater garden furniture with thin cushions. Despite the surcharge, these seats were placed in the back row, lower than the chairs in front, leaving us with a restricted view for the entire film. Even the guests in front of us noticed. To improve this, the premium seating really should be in the front few rows, with chairs behind them - not the other way around. The screen size was acceptable, but the film didn’t fill the screen, so it didn’t feel like a cinema experience. Drinks were bar-service only, again with a 15% service charge applied, even to a £4.50 hot chocolate, bringing it to over £5. At that price, a little more effort (whipped cream, marshmallows) would be expected. Popcorn being complimentary was a pleasant surprise given everything else. A few small, low-cost touches could elevate the experience: A welcome drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic option) Christmas music while waiting, rather than a laptop screensaver for 20 minutes Better seating layout to justify premium charges Would I return or recommend this to a friend? Unfortunately, no. For what ended up costing us around £230 for the evening, it simply didn’t meet expectations.

Our evening at Joia was wonderful from start to finish. The restaurant is stunning, with beautiful views, exceptional food, truly a 10/10 and service that exceeded our expectations. The staff were warm, attentive, and friendly The rooftop movie afterward was equally charming. The setting was cosy, and we really appreciated the thoughtful touches like the hot water bottles, cosy blankets, and heaters. We had a sofa, which was comfortable, but the only drawback was the restricted view of the screen; the sofas are positioned at the back, so our sightline was often blocked. It became a bit frustrating having to adjust every time the people in front shifted around, which was fairly often. Improving the spacing or layout would make the experience even better. Would definitely recommend for a cute date night idea.