Cranford Ale House — Restaurant in Christchurch

My visit to Cranford Ale House left much to be desired, despite the promising start.

Opting for the lamb shank, I was surprised when the meal took an unusually long 30 to 40 minutes to arrive, especially considering there was only one other dining patron present. Upon its arrival, the presentation was appealing, but the taste left much to be desired.

The lamb, typically known for its tender, fall-off-the-bone texture, was disappointingly tough, dry, and seemingly past its prime. It felt more like a battle to chew through the dry meat than a satisfying dining experience. The vegetables accompanying the dish were unevenly cooked, with some spots cold, raising suspicions of being frozen rather than freshly prepared. Additionally, the mashed potatoes had a pre-made quality to them, leaving me puzzled as to why the meal took so long to prepare.

At $30, one would expect a higher standard of quality and execution. It seems that perhaps the elderly and local patrons are the mainstay of this establishment, as the overall experience may not attract a wider audience.

In conclusion, while Cranford Ale House shows potential, my experience fell short of expectations. Improvement in both food quality and efficiency in service could elevate this establishment to better...

Pretty good. Service is very good, friendly. Went on two-for-one steak night, parking was terrible (full carpark, no where close to park) but not much can be done about that if busy. And busy is a good thing! Didn't realise it was only rump steak that was the deal of the day as didn't state that on website so thought it could be any steak, slightly disappointed. But my steak was actually really tender and nicely cooked. The ambience inside was good. It was a hot night, I didn't notice any air con. Bit stuffy inside, but doors can be opened. I didn't much like my cheesecake dessert, but overall, quite happy with my meal and we had a big crowd and you guys did a good job getting everyone's meals out at once and from what I heard, we were all satisfied. Thank you.

I nearly forgot to mention I was nearly incorrectly charged full price for all meals even though I mentioned the two for one steak meals before being charged and it was rectified. But had I had any more to drink than I already did, I probably wouldn't have been on to it enough to notice, so as a customer I'd just be wary of this. Not saying it was deliberate but just check pricing before...

Went on 15/04 for dinner- Table of 4. Ordered 3 Entree and 4 Mains. Was abit slow (wasnt busy) and when asked how long the entree would be, was told entree and mains were coming out at the same time and waitress walked away when we said it wasnt good enough. 2 entree's (fried cauliflower and fried chicken) were great, but the filo parcels were abit burnt. Steak main was OK, Pasta main had to be sent back as was luke warm at best from being delivered at same times as entree, Vegetarian Filo main was burnt on each end- was mostly cream cheese very little veges so was very sickening. Chicken wrapped in bacon was ok but potato tasted burnt. Did get 2 entrees free when we complained. One of our party was speaking to another couple they knew, and the other couple were disappointed with the Pork Belly. Cranford Ale house is normally a nice place to go, but wont be going back for a meal...