Bentley's Bar Inn & Restaurant — Restaurant in Stratford

Attempted reservations on their website for same-night room and were going to be charged double taxes. Went through Expedia and taxed correctly.

Upon arrival at 6pm on busy Tuesday show night, called to find the free Inn parking. Was gruffly told we needed to come in to check in to get fob. No parking spaces so husband circled with car.

I walked through loud, slammed restaurant to front of building where servers were not concerned about this lost lady and I had to raise my voice to get anyone's attention to find the check-in desk. Soon someone came, and after completing paperwork she gave me a (literal) key and a garage door opener for parking which is a block away, a little piece of paper with a map of how to get to garage and told me to take a photo of a laminated flyer that showed picture of the garage entrance.

Went up the stairs (no elevator) to the newly remodeled 2 singles loft room without a phone (or a/c?). It's a nice setup with microwave, mini fridge, coffee maker, sink, table for two, and desk with chair when you get in the door. The sofa bed that's mentioned online is actually a portable bed that has its very own closet near the kitchenette. The light switches for the can lights are everywhere and very convenient. Opposite the entrance is a sofa that comfortably sits three, if you like very firm sofas. There's a coffee table, and the sofa faces a gas fireplace on which there is a flat screen TV (includes cable and the ability to connect to your own streaming accounts).

Up the stairs are the beds and bathroom as well as another desk and chair. Like the sofa, the beds are extremely firm - not my fav. There was one pillow with a pillowcase on each bed and sheets but the bottom sheet wasn't fitted and came untucked throughout the night. There's also a duvet and pillow with a sham. Since I need more than one pillow. I took the pillow out of the sham. The bathroom's very nice. It's clean and new. And includes single use, shampoo, conditioner and soap. There's also a hair dryer.

Everything looks new and clean except for some crumbs that were left in the tray on the coffee table. I was surprised to find there wasn't air conditioning - there's actually a little sticker on the climate control. There is a ceiling fan that has a wiggle to it and after applying some muscle, we were able to open the window near the sofa to let in fresh air. Unfortunately this also lets in the copious noise from the sidewalk restaurant seating downstairs as well as the traffic that is LOUD, ends late at night and begins very early in the morning.

Personally, I slept poorly. My husband slept okay.

We went to the restaurant last night for a drink and I ordered wings. The wings were good, though the rub was too heavy for me. My long island ice tea was great but my husband's half liter of Chardonnay was only 5 out of 10. The waitress was very nice and helpful, though when we were ready to leave, she was elsewhere and we had to wait to pay bill.

Compared to the other experiences we've had in Stratford, this one does not come close to the level of friendliness and service oriented experiences we've had in our previous 4 days in Stratford. Tonight we will return to the Mercer where we're not just another face shuffling though the establishment. I've written this review while sitting on the couch and again I just have to say, THE TRAFFIC IS LOUD!!

UPDATE: 9:41AM We missed a few things: A/C is a unit on the ceiling upstairs which my husband tried to turn on last night. We missed the black switch labeled AIR CONDITIONING that's rather high on the wall. I suggest the establishment leave a hint about this to newcomers. USB PORTS: Conveniently located on some of the many black outlets throughout the loft. IRON: Missing. NAPKINS/PAPER TOWEL: Missing. VISITOR BOOK: Being travelers, we should've looked for this, however after finding it in the desk drawer by the door we decided it wasn't much help; it didn't tell us about the a/c switch, for example.

Also, it's worth noting that traffic noise is not an issue if the...

As much as I wish I could, I cannot echo the positive reviews on this site about my dining experience at Bentley's! Afterall the hospitality industry has had to manage these last few years; it truly saddens me to write this review. ☹ By writing it, it is my hope management sees it as a gesture of support rather than a criticism that they feel they must defend.

Being in Stratford for business I was invited to dine here last night. After 2-plus years of lockdowns, ongoing safety protocols and immunocompromised people, in my life, that I wish to protect. I am super selective how often, where and with whom I dine out with.

While it was wonderful to see the restaurant open and busy, it was equally disappointing to see the lack of public decorum on display. Additionally disappointing was the non-action taken, by Bentley’s personnel, when called upon to address the problem we were having.

Our party of four was seated in a booth at the back of the restaurant and it’s back exit. When I joined my party, already seated, there was no one sitting in the large section against the wall near us. Our meals arrived and we were able to have a conversation where shouting was not a prerequisite. By the way, the Black Bean Burger was not the best. It was very dry and fell apart on the also dry bun. The daily soup was okay.

Shortly after we finished our meal, a few people were seated in the large section mentioned previously. That’s when the room octave increased by fifty decimals. As more people joined the party, the noise level kept increasing to the point it was hurting my ears.

When our waitress finally came back to remove our dishes, that were sitting there for some time, we mentioned the noise level and asked if there was something she would do about this. She just smiled politely. In today’s marketplace it makes me wonder can any business, especially a restaurant, afford to be so dismissive and careless.

At one point we couldn’t hear ourselves and our conversation turned into a shouting exchange. I woke up this morning to a hoarse voice as a result of the shouting I had to do to be heard by my fellow diners in my booth.

I should mention I walked over to the party’s table and asked politely if they were aware their conversations could be heard by everyone. I asked, is it possible to keep it down a bit?? Sadly, my request fell on deaf ears and their response was to increase the noise level.

At one point, the waitress said she could move us. We declined. We weren’t the ones disturbing the diners around us. We didn’t understand why the solution was to move us.

Throughout the entire unpleasant experience, no one from the restaurant walked over to speak to the group of rowdies. A group that made the dining experience at Bentley’s, for the rest of us, unforgettable…and not...

This restaurant was recommended by a lovely, helpful, local woman. Unfortunately we found her glowing recommendation to be reason for increasing concern as the night progressed.

We absolutely adored the energy from our server, and can only wish the kitchen staff shared her enthusiasm and care about our experience.

We struggled to find anything on the menu that would appeal to those with intact tastebuds. Pub food isn't generally known for strong flavors, or fresh/clean ingredients, but we should have left after the onion rings arrived with their side of "BBQ ranch" dip. The rings tasted of old fryer grease, and the dip was a chunk of ranch that sunk to the bottom of rancid watery ketchup based vinegar substance.

Just wait! It gets worse! Our mains arrived and hesitation turned to regret.

My boyfriend had the Bistro Burger. Although it is traditional for burgers to be cooked medium well, it appears that the chef fell asleep at the grill, as the burger he received was the texture and flavour of shoe leather. Even the numbing effects of a Moscow Mule, which didn't even come in a copper mug, were unable to make what was served seem appealing. Even leaving the establishment didn't end this nightmare as heartburn plagued him throughout the night. This concluded with a sickening finale in the morning that turned the bathroom into what I can only describe as Stratford's own Elephant's Foot.

Myself, I had the Smothered Chicken. The cheese had hidden gems of nicely flavoured and appropriately cooked mushrooms and small cuts of asparagus stems. The chicken underneath was almost entirely inedible. The breading carried the odour of fryer grease long past it's prime, and the colour matched that of coffee beans. The vegetables that accompanied the dish could have been used as a prop on the set of one Stratford's finest productions, and may well be in such shape to do so until next season. They were nearly impossible to cut through and had a disappointing level of seasoning for market vegetables (as advertised) or a salad (closer to what they represented). They were accompanied by several full sized, roasted (overcooked), but well seasoned "mini" potatoes.

Thankfully, common sense returned in time to skip dessert, and instead took a lovely stroll to the Shoppers for antacids and retired to our accommodations. Very grateful they were off site, as we'd had enough surprises for one evening.

The one shining star of the evening was our server. She was friendly and accommodating, and though I'm sure she would have made every effort to improve our experience, we feel it was beyond her...