Flying Horse Clophill — Restaurant in England

Dreadful. We booked lunch for 4 on a Sunday at 2pm, pub was way under-staffed for the number of diners. Of the two veggie starters and two mains only one was available for either course (other than burgers or pizza - not really a Sunday lunch option!) but it wasn't until we ordered we were told this. Starters arrived in fair time but then we waited 90 minutes for main courses. On chasing we were told the order didn't "go through" the system - why it took us chasing when everyone around us had been served I have no idea. We were then told our orders had been prioritised but then took another 25 minutes to arrive, not together but in three separate stages - we were nearly finished before the 4th main was delivered. Food was very average - salad main was tiny so had to be added to and came with different components! During all the delays water was not topped up, empty glasses left on the table and no salt or pepper when courses did arrive. Finally we were asked if we wanted dessert menu - we said yes to look and maybe coffee... the menu never arrived - we got the bill and left - NEVER to return. The pub knocked off the food cost but this was not about a discount it was a lunch with friends and just turned out to be a stressful frustrating experience. We have been to the pub many times before and it is just not the same experience - no management, overwhelmed staff and a "we're sorry" but no expectation of any change...

My partner and I stopped here on our way home and oh do I wish we would have continued. The staff and the venue are very nice (that’s why they get 2 stars). However the food is horrible and overpriced for what you get. We had a starter each (the “creamy mushrooms and shrimp and feta”) which were something off of a child’s menu. The shrimp dish was a tiny portion with 3 smallish shrimps and one chunk (yes one chunk) of feta, all of which was drowned in tomato sauce. You might has well get a tin of Heinz soup and chuck a prawn in it. Very disappointing. This squashed my hopes for the main but yet I still thought “it’s fish and chips, you can’t mess that up”. If you’re planning on eating the fish and chips I would bring your own jackhammer and ice pick because a standard issue fork and knife will not do against the overcooked, bark like substance they call batter. I’m pretty certain they borrowed a bag of cement from the roadworks that were happening on the roundabout outside to batter my fish. The fish could have been used as a weapon or the foundation of a building. My partner had the prawn and crab linguine in a white wine and chilli sauce or something. She also added scallops (for £4). The reality, no sauce, 2 scallops and the whole thing was covered in chillis which completely overpowered everything. Save your stomach and go to the petrol station across the road or the coop...

Not great to be honest. I reserved bar area - for a less formal dining experience. We were sat in what felt like a cupboard walk way. A couple of reclining arm chairs and too high for the very small table stools for x3 people. Because of this we ordered burgers because if we had of ordered anything else we wouldn't have been able to eat properly. This table crammed in for extra revenue didn't and doesn't work.

When I asked if there was any room for us to move into the restaurant - early on a Sat eve I was very abruptly and sarcastically told it was full. The line "As you can imagine" was very patronising. I also had imagined a proper table and chairs - but that "imagination" was wrong!

We were overlooked table wasn't cleared before mains arrived. QR code ordering doesn't work because there is no signal in the cupboard we were seated in.

On arrival - staff treated us as if we were an unexpected arrival and the welcome was far from warm - more like we were an interruption.

Menu - limited and bar options for "casual" Arm chair eating were obviously not profitable enough. Shame.

Flying horse has always been quite pricey but very good food and friendly. Now it appears to be a snooty money grabbing gastro chain.

Not a good experience...