Raggalds — Restaurant in Bradford

The most Disappointing Dining Experience I have ever had: Poor Quality Food and Service,

My recent dining experience at the Raggalds pub / restaurant was, unfortunately, one of the most disappointing meals I’ve ever had. From the moment we walked in, it was clear that this was not going to be the enjoyable evening we had hoped for the place was nearly empty. The food, service, and overall atmosphere fell far below expectations, especially considering the prices they charge.

Let’s start with the food. The quality was shockingly poor—basic, uninspired, and reminiscent of something you’d grab from a supermarket freezer aisle. For a restaurant that positions itself as a dining destination, the lack of effort and care in the dishes was baffling. We had ordered 4 vegan meals,which were a huge let down and poor quality and massively over priced compared to other places we had visited in the past, I also pre-ordered a steak, only to be told by the waitress that we hadn’t ordered it and therefore they couldn’t provide it. This was incredibly frustrating, as it’s hard to believe a restaurant couldn’t prepare a fresh steak on the spot, especially given the premium prices they charge. Instead, we were left with no explanation and no alternative.

The presentation of the food was equally disappointing. Plates were haphazardly thrown together with no attention to detail or aesthetics. It felt like the kitchen had no pride in their work, and it showed in every bite. The flavors were bland, the ingredients felt cheap, and the overall experience was a far cry from what you’d expect for the cost. The meals they provide are meals that could easily be made with the most basic of cooking skills. My wife asked for clarity on the falafel and loaded fries with vegan cheese, as the falafel looked like fake vegan meat, the waitress said it's made with chickpeas in house, all home made, when my wife asked the manager, he brought a packet out, there was no cheese on the dish and they wasn't freshly made on site.

The service was another major letdown. The waitress was rude, unhelpful, and showed no compassion or understanding of our needs. When we tried to explain our concerns, including food allergies, she seemed completely disinterested and uninformed about the menu. It was clear that the staff had no knowledge of the dishes they were serving, which is unacceptable in any dining establishment. Her dismissive attitude made an already frustrating experience even worse.

To make matters worse, the lack of understanding around food allergies was alarming. In this day and age, when so many people have dietary restrictions, it’s essential for restaurants to be well-informed and accommodating. Unfortunately, this was not the case here, and it left us feeling uneasy and unsupported.

Overall, this was a hugely disappointing experience. The food was cheap and basic, the service was rude and unhelpful, and the entire evening felt like a waste of time and money. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially not for the prices they charge. Save yourself the disappointment and opt for a more reliable dining option—this one is not worth it. This is not a place for a vegan to find quality well cooked food, it all appears to be prepackaged with poor quality chips and fries and tiny amount of salad.

My last comment is, the manager and the bar staff were polite and respectful, and the bar staff was very helpful when it came to paying for the meal..

With a little more attention to detail and use better quality vegan food, and train their staff in communication and food and allergy knowledge they they could turn a poor review into a...

I would like to start by saying that this review is not to paint the bar and kitchen staff in a bad light - they were all phenomenally kind, patient and polite for the entire evening and helped to make a horrible situation somewhat bearable.

Last night I attended a 40th birthday party for a close friend. Even before the event began, the manager (I believe his name is Richard) reneged on a previous agreement that the hosts could enter the premises at 4pm to set up decorations and food. Instead they could only enter a short time before the event was due to begin, meaning the hosts were then late for their own event.

Sometime later, the manager became confrontational with the guest of honour, demanding that we leave due to a small handful of children making a mess. I cannot stress enough that it had been previously agreed that there would be children at this event, and I understand that children making a mess, even with their agreed presence, is a problem. However, if the manager had simply spoken calmly to the parents about reigning in their children's behaviour then there would have been no issue and this review would have recieved more stars.

Instead the DJ was told to stop playing music, the event itself came to a standstill for a great amount of time and all the attendees were left dumbfounded and confused as the guest of honour became extremely upset and began to clean up the event space. Even when a handful of guests tried to help her clean, said manager was still being quite hostile.

Eventually, and at the behest of other guests, the event continued but the mood had already soured. Many of the families with children left early as they had been made to feel unwelcome, and the guest of honour was left upset, anxious and stressed for the entire evening.

When all is said and done, it is the managers job to ensure that all staff - themselves included - are polite and calm when handling matters of customer service. This manager was throughly unprofessional in that regard, ruining what should have been a lovely evening for a very special lady. Instead it has become memorable for all the wrong reasons.

I had been excited to visit the Raggald's again after it's reopening, but this horrid situation has ensured that I will...

Attended a birthday party which was unnecessarily ruined by the manager in what was the most astoundingly bad hospitality management style I've ever experienced.

Access to the venue to decorate the room from 3pm as promised was reneged upon giving the organisers 1 hour to decorate the room prior to guests arriving. This made the hosts late for their own party and made everything rushed and difficult for them.

Upon arrival the manager was heard making inappropriate sexual comments about female guests from his spot in the bar. He came across as a very old school landlord who said what he liked and like what he said and would have been better suited running a brawlers tavern. I spoke to more than one female guest who mentioned his creepy comments.

After the very average food was served the manager stopped the party, told the DJ to stop and closed it down due to kids "trashing" the function room. The trashing turned out to be some cake on the carpet. This issue was inappropriately raised by the manager raging in the host's face who burst into tears having her birthday ruined. This aggressive behaviour was witnessed by many guests and young children who in turn became upset. It was extremely traumatic for all the guests and devastating for the host who had her 40th birthday celebration ruined. The function was paid for in full (a 4 figure sum) but it was clear the manager didn't want the event, just the money. I was driving so watch the events unfold through sober eyes and could clearly see how embarrassed and awkward the bar staff were due to the behaviour of their boss. I've been to 3 parties at Raggalds and after this I will never set foot in the place again. If you're considering a party, wedding or function I strongly urge you to avoid this place due to the thoroughly unlikable manager. I still can't believe what happened and how he...