Grounded Chippenham — Restaurant in England

I have been several times. To the Chippenham branch. Whereas the food has improved the servicd and surroundings get worse every time we go in there.

It's so dirty in there. Booked and unlimited fizz and tapas meal. Booked weeks before we were going. Turned up was told we were upstairs and was told to pick a table. Went upstairs. They hadn't cleaned any tables up there In a while. There was broken glass on the floor near the sofa. The tables were all for four and we were 6. So I had to move tables myself to rearrange to make room. And also clear them as. They were covered in used glasses and plates. Really bad. I would not have expected to have to do that even if we had turned up without booking. It just got worse from there. We got our first bottle of fizz and were able to make the food order 45 min after we were due to start. Said we couldn't order without a tab being set up despite the fact we were only ordering fizz and tapas. One bottle at a time for 6 so meant multiple trips in succession to get one bottle then another so we could have full glasses. Food to be fair was nice. Chicken a little dry. But it was nice. staff never came up to check we were happy with the food though or to refill our glasses. staff didn't make us feel particularly welcome and the dirty surroundings and non existent service mean I will not be returning as intended in a few weeks and all my friends who were interested are now...

Not the best, but definitely not the worst. (More like 2.5* than 3*)

We went after 2pm on a Saturday -- definitely not peak time but still fairly busy. We couldn't see how many people were sat upstairs, but we were the only ones downstairs with a handful of tables outside all being used. We were surprised, then, that it took over half an hour for our food to arrive. The staff seemed frazzled -- maybe they had a staff shortage in the kitchen or something -- but I dread to think what this place would be like at the height of lunchtime.

There's not a massive food choice here, but the selection was ok. Unfortunately, our food was not great when it finally arrived. My Croque Monsieur was overdone and quite badly burnt and the chips were definitely not the best we'd ever tasted. The fish fingers were good though, so it's not all bad news. Again, maybe the food was affected by how busy they were, but this was still disappointing.

Staff were friendly enough, although they seemed quite stressed. They had high chairs available, which was great, but they hadn't been cleaned so we had to give them a quick wipe down before using.

All in all, this might be an ok place to go when it's quiet, but I'd steer clear if they're busy. They have a similar feel to Rivo Lounge across the road, but I'd recommend Rivo over...

Ah, what a delightful dining experience! I ordered a vegan flatbread with vegan chicken, red onion, and avocado—so imagine my excitement when I received a non-vegan flatbread stuffed with salad and goat’s cheese! A bold and creative reinterpretation, really.

When I pointed out this minor discrepancy, the chef—who clearly moonlights as a stand-up comedian—cheerfully informed me, “I know, but we haven’t got any vegan chicken.” Oh, well, that’s fine then! Who needs to be told when their order is completely changed, right? Surprises are fun!

He then graciously offered, “What else do you want then?” As if I should be grateful for his generosity in allowing me to fix his mistake. I settled for my money back, while my kids enjoyed their meals and I sat there with nothing. Fantastic customer service!

To top it all off, the waitress, bless her, presented me with a voucher for a free coffee next time—as if I’d be rushing back for another game of Guess What’s on My Plate! I politely declined.

If you’re looking for a place that serves whatever they fancy, ignores dietary requirements, and offers attitude as a side dish, then this is the restaurant for you. Otherwise, save yourself the trouble and eat...