George and Dragon Clifton — Restaurant in England

If there was an option to score 3.5 I would.||There is lots to like about the George and Dragon; great location as an overnight stop on the way to Scotland, well appointed rooms, coffee maker, fluffy towels and friendly staff, welcoming to dogs, but sadly I feel it's not quite as good as it could be - especially considering the price.||The fixed menu is a little restrictive and seems to have meant the much reviewed famous pies and scotch eggs are no longer available. Why not celebrate dishes Grace Dent at the Guardian and The Times have celebrated? We had booked before Grace's review came out, but since reading had plans to tuck in to the aforementioned specialities, it seems a misstep to pull dishes guests might use as a reason to book, and had been highlighted in a very recent review. ||The beef main was delicious, the individual elements of the pork dish also, but the pork itself was a little tough.||Service is friendly if a little stretched, we had £50 of wine added to our bill by mistake - discovered at checkout and there were some pauses in service between courses or to collect plates, as staff juggled several roles at the same time. ||We and other guests booked with dogs - paying a fee to do so - but breakfast hadn't been laid in the bar which put pressure on the two busy staff and another delay for us.||We couldn't get the shower to hot and the shower tray fills with water very quickly, hinting at some maintenance needed.||There had seemingly been a mishap with a glass the night before and there were shards of glass glinting all over the floor at breakfast. ||None of these things are catastrophic individually, but all together led to a disappointing overall stay.||Would I recommend The George and Dragon? Possibly - mainly due to the location and ambiance/decor but I'd check what was on the menu first and pay close attention to what was added to my bill...

If there was an option to score 3.5 I would.||There is lots to like about the George and Dragon; great location as an overnight stop on the way to Scotland, well appointed rooms, coffee maker, fluffy towels and friendly staff, welcoming to dogs, but sadly I feel it's not quite as good as it could be - especially considering the price.||The fixed menu is a little restrictive and seems to have meant the much reviewed famous pies and scotch eggs are no longer available. Why not celebrate dishes Grace Dent at the Guardian and The Times have celebrated? We had booked before Grace's review came out, but since reading had plans to tuck in to the aforementioned specialities, it seems a misstep to pull dishes guests might use as a reason to book, and had been highlighted in a very recent review. ||The beef main was delicious, the individual elements of the pork dish also, but the pork itself was a little tough.||Service is friendly if a little stretched, we had £50 of wine added to our bill by mistake - discovered at checkout and there were some pauses in service between courses or to collect plates, as staff juggled several roles at the same time. ||We and other guests booked with dogs - paying a fee to do so - but breakfast hadn't been laid in the bar which put pressure on the two busy staff and another delay for us.||We couldn't get the shower to hot and the shower tray fills with water very quickly, hinting at some maintenance needed.||There had seemingly been a mishap with a glass the night before and there were shards of glass glinting all over the floor at breakfast. ||None of these things are catastrophic individually, but all together led to a disappointing overall stay.||Would I recommend The George and Dragon? Possibly - mainly due to the location and ambiance/decor but I'd check what was on the menu first and pay close attention to what was added to my bill...

Went for Christmas dinner there yesterday and were left feeling disappointed. Originally booking for 9 months ago, and after visiting the venue for the last 4 years, we were deeply saddened when one of our party couldn’t attend due to short notice through I’ll health. Not seeking a full refund of their place (which we thought would be out of the question) we merely asked for some kind of good will gesture to be applied to the bill ie a free bottle of wine. Upon putting this notion to the proprietor he was extremely hostile in his response and therefore we were left feeling rather put out by this mans heartlessness in what was supposed to be a joyous occasion! In addition to this... the six course meal was delivered as if on a conveyer belt... the starters were rather disappointing with the jeresulum artichoke salad containing a minuscule sliver of artichoke (which was obviously not fresh), three wedges of crispy white bread, and three hardened roast potatoes (the strangest salad I’ve ever seen!) The Main courses were similarly disappointing... with one of our party ordering the roast beef from the menu (back in early December) and being confronted with a steak. I ordered the Turkey.. the meat was fine, but the roast potatoes were so small I could barely see them and one singe carrot and three tiny rock hard sprouts is not my idea of a good selection of vegetables!

In the end wanting to show this classless proprietor for what he was, we tipped our serving staff well... because bless them they were the only ones worthy of a good Will gesture. Suffice to say.. we won’t be returning. I’m sure they knock up an okay Sunday dinner.. but don’t waste your time there on Christmas Day because it really is a...