The Gravy Boat Carvery — Restaurant in Arun

I'd heard some really good things about the Gravy Boat, so I regret to write that this first visit there was pretty appalling.

The lunch had been organised for my girlfriend's fathers' birthday. Sadly me and my partner were coming from a long way away, and having never been there before, I admit we got a little lost. We were 20 minutes late to join our party of 8. Before we could get through the door though, we received a message from my girlfriends' mother to say that they had had to order because the waitress upstairs had been getting very snipey and had told them they had to hurry up and order, as they were only allowed to stay in there until 2:30!!! Bear in mind this reservation was made for 1pm... I could understand if we were at a Michelin star restaurant, but this is a carvery in Littleampton... When we got there we were advised we should order straight away.

Not only that but we then spent the next hurried 9 minutes of eating, watched and stared at by the waitress. To add to that, the food really wasn't up to scratch. The Yorkshire puddings were somehow soft AND dry!? And I'm not sure whether someone got confused with 'stuffing' and 'crackling.' as neither tasted how they should. Although credit where credit is due, the lamb and the turkey were both very nice...

Needless to say, we did not order dessert, or more drinks. It was a shame, as it very much spoilt the occasion.

Perhaps it was just an off day though... who knows. I hope everyone else going receives a better quality of...

Absolutely WONDERFUL restaurant!! We happened to walk by and nearly didn’t go in because the outside didn’t look anything special (I’m so glad we did!) We were welcomed and looked after by Valentina from start to finish. We ordered scallops for starters (delicious!) And the main course of triple fish on skewers (superbly fresh and perfectly cooked) with beautifully grilled bream and a side dish of mussels was simply AMAZING!! Thank you Valentina, for you hospitality and the best seafood I have had in a long time. The name ‘Gravy Boat’ doesn’t do this restaurant the credit it really deserves. I have eaten out in many good restaurants but this restaurant really is one of the best. They also do steaks, carvery and pizza, all of which, from looking at other diners, looked equally delicious. I wish this restaurant was just around the corner from my home. Big thank you to Valentina, you made our delicious meal even more special! When I’m back in Littlehampton I will certainly come back. Highly recommend this place for service and...

Ok, first the positive ... the staff are friendly over all and the ambience of the place was warm and comfortable. However, the food - in particular the carvery - needs some improvement. The stuffing is not stuffing in the British known sense - theirs is like a crumble, tastless and hardly edible, in truth. The meats were ok, but the Pork was rather tough which needed to cook longer at a lower temp in order to render down the fat in the rolled leg joint. Quick tip : The meats could all do with a decent coat of all purpose seasoning prior to cooking just to help the flavour along a fair bit. The veg was, well, veg really and cooked as expected, although the creamed veg was more like a purée and lacked appropriate texture. Oh, the starter of soup ( Potatoe and Leek ) was very tasty and the warm, crusty bread rolls to accompany were suitably crusty and rustic, we're pleased to add. I think this eatery is heading in the right direction but could do with a better approach to its...