Horseshoe Inn — Restaurant in England

After a lovely hen weekend, we decided to finish things off with a Sunday dinner at the Shoe Horse Inn. A few friends last minute joined us to say goodbye and drive us home — apparently a cardinal sin, as the moment we arrived, the vibe shifted from pub lunch to public enemy. This turned out to be a huge inconvenience for the staff, and we were met with unexpected hostility from the moment we arrived.

Despite being a polite bunch of professionals (half of us doctors, and all of us well-versed in basic manners), we were treated like we were Gordon Ramsay filming a secret episode of Kitchen Nightmares. We offered to squeeze together to make things easier or sit on separate tables, but our efforts to accommodate were only met with aggression.

Thankfully, a kind member of staff eventually told us we could take over a nearby table that wasn’t needed for two hours, allowing us to sit together, and just for a moment, peace was restored. That peace didn’t last.

We were told we could only order individually (and could only come to the bar one by one) — which meant half of the group had finished their meals before the rest had even placed an order! In this establishment group dining, apparently, is not just discouraged — it’s a punishable offence.

The menu was a mysterious “1 course, 2 course, 3 course” situation with zero detail. Asking what meats were available or whether there was a vegetarian option seemed to trigger a customer service meltdown. We were met with more rudeness because they should have been “informed of the vegetarian before”. All of this was being shouted across the room and she felt very embarrassed.

Reading the reviews afterwards (should’ve read them before!), I can sadly agree that this is a pub that clearly caters to locals and isn’t equipped — or willing — to handle groups or guests from out of town. As a Yorkshire lass — if we found it hostile, heaven help the southerners.

It’s a shame to end our weekend on such a sour note but it gave us a good laugh and memories we can talk about!

Would not return. Would not recommend. Would rather eat a roast out of a carrier bag on Filey...

The staff treated us absolutely terribly. We had booked a table of 10 but then had 3 additional people last minute. The staff made it abundantly clear they weren’t happy, proceeded to verbally be very abrasive and rude to everyone in the party. The staff discussed how unhappy they were between themselves loudly and in front of us, were sarcastic and rude throughout the whole meal. For context, this was 12pm on a Sunday, and the pub was fairly empty. We were incredibly confused why it was such a big deal when they managed to seat us all anyway. They then made payment incredibly difficult, stating it was impossible to split the bill and we all had to pay individually for our drinks at the bar - I.e no table service.

The weren’t able to cater to vegetarians without another rude comment, when in fact, they did not ask if we had any dietary requirement upon booking. They made our vegetarian guest feel incredibly singled out and made the whole experience really awkward.

They took food orders 1 table at a time (we were spread across 4 tables due to size of our party). Which meant that one table had finished their meal before the last table had even put their order in.

When the food did come, there was tin foil underneath. Not all plates were the same, some without parsnip, some with a random new potato and portions were all over the place.

The whole experience was awful. We were really frustrated about how we were treated, as it was the last celebration in a hen weekend, celebrating our lovely bride to be. It unfortunately tainted our weekend and I would advise everyone to avoid...

The most hostile pub I've ever visited.

I have NEVER been made to feel so unwelcome in a pub. When we arrived, we apologised that we had extra people with us. We had booked for 10, but 3 extras joined us. We didn't think this would be a problem, and were happy to divide into smaller tables, and have a table for 3 separately as a walk-in.

The look of horror on the woman's face when one guest asked for a vegetarian option. "You should have called to tell us in advance". In 2025, a vegetarian should not bewilder the whole team, and you shouldn't need to declare it in advance. When I called to book, no one asked if there were any dietary requirements.

Because they were unable to cope with a large group, they processed the order as 4 separate tables. The first table had eaten, and were offered the dessert menu before the other end of the table had even ordered. As you can imagine, this ruined the family meal. This would have still been the case of there were 10 of us.

On the whole, the food was okay and it was good value. However, there was tin foil (or maybe the lining of a baking tray) stuck to the bottom of the food. And it was a "get what you're given" in terms of items on the plate. Some of us had things missing, but were too scared to ask for them given the welcome we received.

We chose this due to the good trip advisor rating. They must not have received this due to their customer service. I must say, all the young staff were excellent, but we felt like the older ones didn't...