Pickerel — Restaurant in Cambridge

In summary, a disappointing stay all round - there is much they can improve and hopefully they will.

Before starting, I want to mention that I gave detailed feedback and received an email from them in return.

The location is slightly out in the sticks - walking to the city is at least 25 minutes. However, the grounds are nice and it is very quiet.

The hotel is decorated in what feels like an 'ultra modern' style - very dark and full of faux wood and glass. It's a real shame as it would really suit it to have a slightly more traditional or classy feel, but it feels like it was decorated in the 90s by someone who just wanted a modern feel. The upshot is the fake wood veneers are chipping and the whole thing looks a bit tired.

There were a number of little functional niggles as well - things like the shower, and the lack of spare pillows. Of course, I could have phoned reception, but why can they not have the spare pillows in the ample cupboard space like many other hotels do?

At breakfast it was 5 minutes (by the watch) before we were seated, and there were lots of little issues that eroded our experience. The menu was terribly complicated and felt like everything had an extra charge, while service was slow, the buffet was a little minimal, and the hot food order was a couple of tiny pieces of smoked salmon which had cooked under the watery scrambled egg.

The final disappointment was when paying, at 10.30 (surely a busy time for checking out), they decided to move tables around the building, therefore repeatedly making the customers get out of the way in the narrow corridor.

These things make the asking price of nearly £200 a night seem rather steep (prices, of course, vary). I feel that this could be a great hotel, but they really need to improve their basic service - the decor can be lived with, but these basic things are what make the long...

Awful experience… I pre booked a table here for me, my husband and two children. We requested one high chair and room for a pram when making the booking.

When we arrived we stood at the entrance for a short while waiting to see a member of staff, one male member of staff walked past us to the bar without saying anything so I followed him to the bar and said we’d made a booking and he just said it’s not busy just find a seat which we instantly felt was rude.

We had never been there before so I asked where is it best to go as we need a high chair and room for a pram, he suggested the front of the restaurant, we followed him round to the front and it was just all bar stools at that a tables, I repeated that we needed a highchair so that wouldn’t work at them tall tables. He then guided us to the back of the restaurant and showed us to a single small table with two chairs, which I said wasn’t going to work as we needed a highchair at the table and also room for the pram and explain this is why we pre-booked to make sure there was room for this. He then told us that there is tables outside, bearing in mind its 8 degrees outside and we have a 6 month old baby with us. I said no that’s not going to work.

He also questioned if I booked a low table, I felt this was a sarcastic comment, I said there was not an option on the booking system but I did say we needed a high chair. At this point we just left, but there was no apology and the customer service was just not there. I’ve never experienced anything like it. We then had to walk around at peak time on a Sunday to search for somewhere else to eat. I will never return...

On May 3rd, 2024 at approximately 6:00 PM, my friends and I experienced extremely poor customer service at the Pickerel Pub. We had settled into a table with our beers, intending to stay for a couple more pints and some food while waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. However, a bartender placed a "Reserved 19:00" sign on our table, and told us we would need to leave by that time. This left us feeling unwelcome and mistreated as paying customers. The pub was not overly busy and there was no indication when we sat down that our table would need to be vacated within a specific timeframe. If reservations take precedence, this policy should be clearly communicated to customers upon arrival or seating. As no other suitable tables were available, we felt we had no choice but to leave the establishment entirely. It is unacceptable for a pub to kick out customers who have already purchased drinks and are looking to order more food and beverages. The Pickerel Pub thoroughly mismanaged this situation and exhibited a complete disregard for customer service. Needless to say, we will not be returning after being treated so poorly. It's truly a shame, as we had intended to spend more money and enjoy the evening at this establishment. I strongly caution others against patronizing the Pickerel Pub, lest they experience the same...