The Ox Cheltenham - PERMANENTLY CLOSED — Restaurant in Cheltenham

It started off quite well. Atmosphere was good. Nice location. Starters were very nice. BUT the experience took a nose dive from there. Waitress handed a couple of people on our table hot plates, me being one of them (my fingers are still stinging as I write this).

3 plates came out with cold steaks (actually cold to the touch) which we sent back. Everyone else had tepid temperature steaks but didn't bother sending them back. I personally found my steak tastless and others commented the same. The chips were a disappointment.

One person waited an hour for her glass of wine which we had to remind the staff of to bring it over.

We had deserts which were average but at this point you could understand that after the main being a disappointment we were left deflated.

Please be aware if you decide to take a risk and go to this restaurant that they will add the tip to the bill (which most places would).

After saying we didnt want to pay for the service charge as the food was rubbish we saw a not very nice side of the duty manager.

He said that the staff told him that we sent the steaks back (why didn't he come over to apologise?). He also said they took the steaks back and 'heated' them through (why would you heat a steak through, instead of cooking new steaks?). Which got me thinking so that's why they were tastless and no blood was coming out of one rare steak.

One person was telling him what the problem was and he decided he wanted to but in and tell us his side first (does he want anyone to come back?). He was confrontational and it wasn't proffessional in the slightest.

I predict by the look of recent reviews something has gone wrong in recent events.

Obviously we wont be going back again and as you see from my other reviews on google I'm not one...

So I booked a table for 2. My intention was to propose to my girlfriend.

The restaurant is very nice inside and the staff are great.

My only issues was the fact that with it being a steak restaurant and all the hype that we had heard. Maybe I had set the bar to high in my mind.

The steak was cooked well and very within the medium rare range that we had asked for. We both had the Rib-eye . I found that the steak could easily have done with less salt on it. Being from South Africa we eat a lot of meat and steaks are almost daily fair. That can also be put down to preference although you can always add salt at the table should the client want to. All the pictures I've seen show the steaks being presented on slate boards and really looking great. We got the steak on a large white plate, again can be better I think.

The meat itself was a good cut. I would not say the best and can't fault it neither. It was good.

The starter was good and the dessert we chose is something I would never have there again. We had the chocolate cheesecake and it was like a slab of clay. The heaviest cheesecake I've ever had.

In the end the evening was so flat that I never felt right to propose and did it later the evening as we where both just having a normal dinner and there was no fizz or excitement to the food.

Maybe it was just over hyped but we both said it was ok and have no real reason to go back. Well the 40% off deal they have is very good. That however did not make it that we...

We booked for 9pm and arrived a few minutes after 9. Two different members of staff welcomed us and told us that our table would be ready in a moment. We waited 20 mins and then asked the barman what was happening with or table and he said it was just being cleared, won't be a moment. Then after another 10 mins (total 30 mins), the manager came over and asked if we were OK... We said no we've been waiting for our table for half an hour. He was shocked and apologetic and rushed us straight to an empty table, and swiftly brought us 4 complementary drinks. He was excellent and a more than made up for our wait... But still... Proper communication breakdown for us to wait 30 mins for something we had booked... And when there were empty tables! The atmos was good. The feeling of the place was good... Felt like a cellar (it's actually the basement level of a regency style building). Prices are what you'd expect for steaks. The steaks come with thick triple fried chips... And a little saucepan of sauce. The steak, the sauce and the chips were excellent/delicious. But we thought it would have been nice to have something else... As standard not as an extra... Like a salad.. Or a slaw... Or some onions or mushrooms. Nice plate but just missing something... Just meat and chips. Needs a third thing! Overall, despite our wait... We'd definitely go back it...