Harvester Snuff Mill Bristol — Restaurant in Bristol

We were shown to our table (noticing the dead goldfish in the feature fish pond as we passed) and there were menus thrown on the table (not handed to us). Firstly, we were somewhat shocked to see the prices, which had obviously shot up since we last went and we felt were commensurate with a restaurant of a higher calibre than a Harvester, which is marketed as a good value family restaurant. Anyway, we perused the menu for a while and I selected a half rotisserie chicken and my husband selected the 83 Combo. When the waiter came, he took our drinks order and we said we were ready to order food and gave him our selections. He then told us they had no rotisserie chicken! What??? Well that’s a large proportion of the menu gone then! I thought the rotisserie chicken was their main seller. This was 7 o’clock on an evening and they are already sold out??? And why didn’t the waiter say before we took time making our selections that there was no rotisserie chicken? The waiter then went away, leaving us to make alternative selections which didn’t include rotisserie chicken. I chose the bird. Surf & turf (which was a fiver or so more than my original selection), swapping the chips for rice and beans, my husband ordered a mixed grill (with no black pudding) and my granddaughter chose a burger. We also asked for garlic bread, which we were told came as two slices, so we ordered two portions. Whilst waiting for our dinner, we went to the salad bar (we noticed the bowls have got smaller, which I’m sure saves them some money, as not everyone can be bothered to go up twice). They laud the salad bar as a big customer draw. However, we found the salad bar to be poorly stocked; several empty or very low stocked salad containers, dressing and crouton pots empty, and there were several people waiting for bread rolls to come out. When we did get one of the small bread rolls, they turned out to be stale and dry and just crumbled when you tried to cut them. I had to wipe off the cutlery with a serviette before using them, as they looked none too clean. Then the food arrived. There was black pudding on my husband’s plate, which he specifically said he didn’t want, but he did get a quarter rotisserie chicken portion included in his meal, despite the fact they didn’t have any! The small portion of rice I had with my meal was very dry; I’ve had much better rice from a Batchelors Savoury Rice packet! There was no more than a small spoonful of coleslaw in a tiny dish on the side. The corn cobette was watery and had no substance or taste, and was certainly not fresh – I don’t know how such a simple thing can be cooked so badly. The three breaded prawns were overcooked and dry. The chicken and steak were nothing more than OK, and certainly not good vfm. The 2 portions of garlic bread turned out to be two ciabatta rolls, cut in half. There was no garlic butter on them, they were completely dry, so when the waiter did his check, we sent them back (no apology from the waiter). Harvester used to be such a nice place to go for a good value family meal, but no more. They might think they are saving costs by dishing up pre-frozen poor quality food and not keeping the salad bar stocked up, but in the long run, they will be the ones to lose out, as they will lose custom, both by those who have had the misfortune of sampling their food, and those the customers will tell others of their dining experience and recommend to avoid. All in all, a spoilt evening and a complete waste of money Needless to say, we didn’t stop for desserts! Tbh, we couldn’t wait to get out of there. We were only glad we had a voucher, as it certainly didn’t warrant the prices they...

I recently dined at Harvester, a charming restaurant set in an old Victorian barn. The ambiance is delightful, with a beautiful pod in the middle of the building that houses koi fish, creating a serene and unique dining atmosphere. The decor and setting are truly something special and add to the overall experience.

One of the highlights of my visit was the excellent hospitality from the staff. They were attentive, frequently checking in to ensure everything was satisfactory and were quick to bring the bill when we requested it. Their service made us feel well taken care of and added a positive note to our evening.

Another great aspect of Harvester is their offering of a free salad bowl when you purchase a main meal. This is a brilliant addition, allowing you to enjoy a variety of fresh, crisp vegetables and toppings. Additionally, the restaurant provides free unlimited bread rolls with butter, which were a delightful treat. The refillable drinks option is also a fantastic perk, making it easy to stay refreshed throughout the meal without worrying about extra costs.

However, despite these positive aspects, the food itself was unfortunately not up to par. For starters, I ordered the calamari, which turned out to be flavorless and hard. It lacked the tenderness and seasoning that I was hoping for, making it a disappointing beginning to the meal.

The main course was even more disheartening. I chose the haddock and chips, but I was very disappointed. The batter on the haddock was overcooked to the point of being almost inedible, and the fish inside was rubbery and unpleasant. To make matters worse, the portion of tartar sauce provided was minimal, which did nothing to help the dry and overdone fish. The chips, too, were far from fresh; they tasted as though they had been reheated from the previous day, lacking the crispness and flavor one would expect from a good serving of fish and chips. The batter on the fish was so hard that it was difficult to bite into, which further detracted from the meal.

Overall, while the service and scenery at Harvester were wonderful, the quality of the food left much to be desired. For the £51 we spent, I expected a far better dining experience. Given the disappointing quality of the meal, I feel that there are likely better options available at that price point. I might give Harvester another try in the future in the hopes that the food improves, but for now, I’ll probably give it a miss...

To start with its only fair to say that I love the Harvester brand. I like what it does and I like that I can expect a certain standard whichever venue I eat in. Sadly, after visiting this restaurant on 1/3/23, I will be looking at other options in the future.

My party of 6 had booked for 8 o'clock, it was well over an hour after we ordered that the food arrived. Now I appreciate that service was underway and the restaurant had many covers, but not enough to warrant a wait of that duration.

Nevertheless, my party and I made good use of the famous salad bar which, when requested, was replenished with fresh items. It's a good job we used the salad bar to supplement our, what can only be described as, awful meal. When our food finally arrived, and I'd like to say thank you to our lovely waiting staff, items were missing, cold or both on each plate. We reported this at the earliest opportunity to the serving staff, who very efficiently, went about getting the missing items. Unfortunately, the wait to receive all the missing items meant that most of the food had gone cold now. At this point the meal was over with 6 very disappointed people still pretty hungry. It's now an hour and 45 minutes after our booking started.

We were waiting to speak to the manager, who was clearly busy with other customers, to voice our concerns. It would seem that there were many issues within the restaurant that evening.

We spoke to the manager when she was free, unfortunately I didn't get her name, who handled our complaint calmly and professionally. Clearly this was not the first (and I'm presuming not the last) complaint of this nature that evening. The manager and the serving team were lovely and completely let down by the kitchen staff. How food was allowed to leave the kitchen with items missing and more importantly, at an unsafe temperature is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.

It's a real shame because in this era of getting good value for money, food wastage and cost of living, Harvester let themselves down immensely. Thanks to an excellent host who wrote our bill of over £130 off, it was greatly appreciated as was your apologies. I hope Harvester get this right for all customers and staff who have to endure these...