Forest — Restaurant in Borough of Pendle

Came to eat here for the first time for my dads birthday and this has been one of my more difficult reviews because the scenery is beautiful and the lights outdoor and candles on the tables must look beautiful at night and most importantly there is an outdoor play area. it is small but there is one and the food was lovely. The place does have a lot of potential which was why I would love to give it 5 stars based on that however the review is as a whole, and it has not been looked after well, the tall chairs have half the studs missing out the back of them the regular chairs are mismatched, one of the arms was missing from an arm chair, there was only one high chairs for babies and it was broken which was actually a safety concern and the toilets are not very well signposted. In regards to the service was not the best firstly when we tried to get booked in they were floundering over the booking system then seated us. Once seated the waitress seemed nervous, didn't ask about allergies, was taking menus away before asking everyones order and I reminded her not everyone had ordered she laughed saying it must be because they were so quiet. of course when I specifically said no tartare sauce the food came with the tartare sauce which I pointed out. Also while ordering, the waitress needed to keep running to the back as apparently the menus had recently changed (for example the sorbet didn't say the flavour on the menu and when we asked the waitress didn't know) While i'm sure the staff are probably lovely people and I had no issue with their attitude in that sense, it wasn't the best atmosphere for a relaxed birthday lunch to have to chase down staff who are running back and forth because they don't know answers about their own restaurant, it was like everyone was new working there. Not sure if maybe it only newly opened which might explain it. We asked for the bill at least 2 or 3 times saying we wanted to split the bill into itemised amounts, each time someone said they'd get the card reader and we wouldn't see them again and even though we said we wanted to pay for our own portion they still just split it evenly and at that point we wanted to leave because we'd first asked for the bill ages ago by that point and the baby was getting fractious. So I summarise lots of potential, amazing place but decor needs TLC and treat themselves to functional baby chairs immediately and improve staff knowledge of products and procedures which I'm sure with practice the confidence will improve and customers will leave very satisfied every time. Fingers crossed for this place. It's got a lot more potential than most. Maybe even add a swing or something to the play area outside expand the play area? Also perhaps advertise for more business. Excited to see this restaurant reach its potential. Also sad that the chocolate brownie is leaving the menu it is the only dessert I was interested in (love simple puddings like apple pie, jam pudding and chocolate fudge cake and so do children it is honestly quite shocking to only have sorbet as a childrens dessert option not even a fruit salad...

This is a review, as factual as possible, by a member of the older generation of one visit one afternoon. I accept that on another day, at a different time, things may well have been different.

Family had driven up from Shropshire to celebrate our Golden Wedding anniversary. The Forest had been recommended by a friend, and checking the menu on the website there seemed to be something for everyone.

6 of us arrived at our booked time. My disabled wife decided to enter on crutches rather than using her wheelchair as parking was good, close to the entrance. On entering, 4 waitresses and a waiter were standing, but no-one to specifically book us in. Two were struggling to take payment from someone leaving, obviously not confident in using the machine. The 3 young girls simply stood chatting, happily leaving us standing. I approached them and explained there was a limit to how long my wife could stand so one said she would find someone. We were all astounded at such poor organisation.

Eventually someone arrived to take us to our table, apologising for the wait BUT for some reason making up an excuse that she was dealing with someone. We had been standing and she had been in clear line of sight the whole time so why she felt the need to make something up was beyond me.

We then spent 15 minutes talking, with no-one coming to the table so I set off to the bar (which is still restricted in many pubs) to try to get some drinks. It was clear at this point that although I eat out regularly, I am not au fait with the concept of a 'contemporary pub' as the Forest calls itself. Old fashioned pubs I expect to order drinks and food at the bar, in restaurants, which at the time I mistakenly took this to be, waiters are usually quick to take drinks orders.

Now here is the dilemma. The food - all 5 different starters and 6 different main courses were superb. Well cooked, well presented and delicious. My Lebanese chicken on jewelled rice was different from anything I have eaten before. The rice having nuts and fruit, various droplets around the plate for dipping into so that every mouthful was a surprise. Exquisite.

Sweets were ordered, but another 20 minute wait followed. At one point there were 6 staff standing at the bar, talking or using their mobiles. We again had to go and find out what had happened to our order.

We were lucky, I think that we had the one member of staff bringing our meals who was friendly, quick and efficient and who could sort problems out for us. It seems this new chain which has taken over from the Seafood Pub company, relies on low paid, untrained young staff, and management who have no interest in what is going on.

In conclusion, if you are local, have the time to spend 3 hours over a meal, are happy to chase down waiters and waitresses the the food here is well worth trying. If you live further away, expect traditional prompt, polite service then this won't be the...

My husband and I booked a one night stay on a DBB basis to celebrate my birthday so that we could visit a nearby restaurant for lunch and both enjoy a drink. ||||The afternoon before we were due to arrive (having booked around 6-ish weeks before) we received an email from the manager (Sean) to say that there had been a burst water pipe on the main road and that the bedrooms were inhabitable. He asked us to call to discuss the matter further. He was unable to find us anywhere nearby to stay as an alternative. ||||I was completely understanding and said that it did not matter in the slightest and explained that we could get taxis to and from the restaurant for lunch as an alternative. He offered us a compliment stay another time. I said there was no need given the difficult time they were going through and that it was circumstances beyond their control. He insisted and said they’d love to have us stay on another occasion. ||||We duly went to the restaurant intended (20 minutes walk away) and had a wonderful lunch. We decided to walk down to the Forest Fence and support them at what seemed to be a difficult time for them, and grab a pint before heading back home. Sadly, the heavens opened on the way and we got drenched! When we arrived we were extremely surprised to find a sign saying they were closed all day due to a private event. We went inside and all tables were decorated with white balloons and table decorations. We spoke to a member of staff who claimed to know nothing about a burst water pipe and said they had a private booking for the entire venue. A lady in charge came over and initially claimed that the rooms were indeed flooded but that there had always been a booking in the restaurant all afternoon/evening. I queried how they had accepted our booking on a DBB basis and she became extremely uncomfortable before saying -along the lines of “I’m sorry, yes I’m lying we have a private event for the whole venue” ||||Essentially our booking was cancelled less than 24 hours before arrival based on a lie. We had booked through Off Peak Luxury. I emailed Sean to express my sincere disappointment and how used I felt in offering him sympathy given the reality of the situation. I always emailed the owner of the group “Seafood Pub Company”. Neither have had the courtesy to respond. Nor have Off Peak Luxury. I have been refunded my spend albeit was without those funds for 6 weeks since booking. ||||This hotel/restaurant does not care about people nor the truth. They care simply about maximising profit and don’t care whether they hurt people in...