"Thai Basil is the best restaurant in Skipton, which we have frequented regularly since it first opened in 2011. We have always been made to feel very welcome by the Thai family who run the restaurant. The food has always been excellent and the staff attentive and caring, we felt looked after , more often than not being treated to a free dessert, by lovely Pat and her husband. Last year, Pat and her husband moved to the Kings at Clitheroe, and friends of theirs took over the running of Thai Basil in Skipton. I have submitted previous excellent 5 star reviews of Thai Basil, on this occasion I have given the restaurant 3 stars for one reason only, being told we had to vacate our table in 5/10 minutes, immediately after our plates had been cleared. I had booked our table (for 6 for a birthday celebration) three weeks in advance, for 6.30pm Saturday. At the time of booking there were two other bookings, one for 6.00 and one for either 7 or 7.30. I made the booking in person, when dining there one lunchtime. At no time was I told there would be a time limit on our stay, not when booking, not on arrival, or by telephone before arriving. We arrived on time at 6.30. our starters arrived about 7.00, and our mains probably towards 7.30. At 8.05, when still finishing our drinks, the young waitress came to our table and said we would need to leave in 5/10 minutes. 90 minutes is not very long for a party of 6 to have a celebratory meal. I complained and was told by the young server that she did not want to tell us to leave but had been told by the more senior server that she had to. I then spoke to the more regular server and complained , he did not apologise or explain. I told him (with whom I had made the booking in person) we would leave when we were ready, as at no point had we been told our booking was time limited. It was clear that they had overbooked, to accommodate a party of 16. Our table must have been booked out again at 8pm for diners who were waiting in the entrance hall. I was very disappointed by our experience. and was tempted to remove the optional service charge which is now automatically added to your billI but didn 't as the food and service had been good. I know this would not have happened if Pat and her husband were still in charge. It spoiled what should have been an excellent night out."
