Beer & Bird — Restaurant in England

Well what can I say, Beer & Bird was somewhere I was very excited to visit on my annual holiday in St Ives! Our visit a year ago was amazing and because of the lovely staff and tasty food, I just had to return again for another tasty instalment of their delicious food, great service and atmosphere…goodness me was I wrong!

We arrived at the establishment at 18:40 and were seen to quite quickly in all fairness and shown to our table. To our confusion however, the menu we were presented with was different to the one displayed outside and the menu items and prices differed quite a lot which was a bit confusing. I’d been excited to try the chicken scratchins as they were delicious on my last visit. However, to my disappointment they weren’t on the new menu. This is absolutely fine, menu items change and it is not uncommon to run out of food. But the restaurant should be on top of their new menus and shouldn’t be displaying old menus with incorrect prices as this is exploiting the trades and description act.

The service we received was extremely basic. The staff all stood around the bar drinking drinks with their backs turned to us. There were dirty tables and glasses on the bar, but they seemed to prefer to chat away and ignore their customers.

When we did order, the food arrived very promptly which is something I cannot fault! The burgers did differ in our party. Mine personally tasted amazing and was what I expected from the restaurant from my previous visit. However, my party could not say the same. Their burgers were very slimy and they said we’re not tasty at all. All of our fries were undercooked so none of us could enjoy them. We were waiting for somebody to come over and check on us, but throughout our meal nobody attended our table to see if we were all enjoying our experience, which we weren’t.

When we finished our food, you could see that my party had left quite a lot of their dinner. We were just waiting for the waitress to ask how everything was, but she never did. Before she could leave the table, I did say to her that The fries were undercooked. She said sorry about that and did nothing about it. In all fairness my party did not complain about the burgers due to not wanting to make a hassle as after that they got the impression that the team did not care.

She never asked us if we wanted any more drinks or desserts too. By this point I had to flag over one of the other servers and ask for the bill due to our waitress not returning to the table. We intended on ordering some milkshakes, but due to the atmosphere and poor service we decided to head over to Tretho Lounge and continue the night there (where we are now having a fantastic night).

When the bill was brought over, We could see that the waitress had not done anything about the fries which we upgraded for. On top of this there was a service charge on the bill which was 10%. I was absolutely shocked by this, the service and food we had received was ridiculous and there was absolutely no way I’d dream of tipping workers who had not looked after us and by the looks of it other customers in the restaurant. The service charge had not been advertised anywhere throughout or visit and we were not verbally made aware of it either.

I absolutely hate to leave negative reviews, but I think it’s really important that people understand that this is not acceptable when dining out. They did nothing about our complaint, so because of that I’m leaving this review here for everyone to see. If they’d helped us out in store I wouldn’t have left this today and preferred to have sorted this out all there and then.

A very disappointing evening indeed, will not be making any annual...

We visited Beer & Bird in St Ives and were really impressed with the atmosphere – it’s a lovely restaurant, very clean, with stylish decoration. We were seated quickly and drinks arrived fast. £11 for a glass of Prosecco is steep, but it was what I wanted. Oddly, the first came as a measured glass, while the second was served as a small bottle – which I much preferred, as I got more from it.

Our food order was taken and, while there was a long wait, we didn’t mind as we enjoyed the atmosphere and drinks. When the food arrived, it looked fantastic. Worth noting that burgers and mains don’t include sides – these all have to be ordered separately.

Most of the dishes were outstanding – piping hot and full of flavour. The Mac & Cheese and “Frinkles” were particular highlights. Unfortunately, my chicken salad was inedible. The bottom of the bowl was full of water, leaving everything soggy and unpleasant to eat. Even the waitress, who was otherwise lovely, seemed shocked when she saw the state of it and offered a replacement, but as we already had plenty of sides, I declined.

What disappointed me was that no manager came over to apologise or acknowledge the issue further. Mistakes can happen, but what makes the difference is how they’re handled – a bit more attentiveness from management would have turned the situation into a positive experience.

When the bill came, the salad was still listed but quickly corrected when raised. A 10% service charge was also automatically added.

Overall, the rest of my group thoroughly enjoyed their meals and would happily return. For me, the hiccups with my dish and the lack of follow-up mean I’d be hesitant to come back myself, but I can see why others would – the food (when right) really is excellent, and the restaurant is well worth a try if...

Firstly, read reviews about cancelled bookings with no explanation. Strange times regarding staff shortages ... intended to visit early evening of Monday 10th October, but it was completely closed. Not to be put off, phoned on Wednesday and was happy that the call was answered and told a walk-in wouldn't be a problem. Two of us with dog walked to the door around 7:15pm. Stairs quite steep so carried dog (easily came down). Friendly welcome and drinks order taken, quickly followed by food order. Asked if dog needed water, which was gratefully received. She Who Knows Better not that hungry, so bunless with salad would be good option, however, not available 😞 Chicken Tenders would have been an alternative, but ordering fries and coleslaw was a silly price so Nasville Coq (included fries) was the only sensible option. I ordered the K-Pop ... THE BEST CHICKEN BURGER I HAVE HAD, moist/foursome and good portion with a good brioche bun .. REALLY loved the pickled ginger (but burger not as spicy as indicated). Upgraded to Sweet Potatoe fries which were OK. Coleslaw was actually inside the bun, and so just a small portion. Happy Hour 2xcocktail disappointing as 'full' crushed ice spoiled the drink. Hard to drink through straw, little substance (was however called a cooler). Would be nice if 2x offer of ALL cocktails available throughout evening. Beers (West Coast IPA) great ... flatish but tasty. After paying, completely ignored by all the staff who were by the bar, felt like they were not bothered we were there at all. Toilets a little trek up two flights with the 'double entendre' of the menu carried on .. Chicks and...