Renoufs Cheese & Wine Bar — Restaurant in England

This is genuinely the most shocking experience I have had with a restaurant. As part of a social local group, I booked a table for 14 people. Upon arrival, I asked the Waiter what would be easier for him when it comes to paying for the bill at the end (having worked in hospitality myself, I wanted to make sure it would be the easiest way for him). He told me to put all on a tab so people would come to the till at the end to pay individually.

Well, let me tell you: The Waiter was evidentally not trained to take payment. This is not on him, this is on the Management. When I went to pay for my share, said waiter advised me that the £5 per person deposit had been taken out of my account (£70 total) prior to dinner. First red flag. Surely, you take the deposit if we don't turn up. He then informed me that I could not take it off the bill and that I still had to pay for the food I had. Oh, and in passing, nearly £20 for 4 peaces of cheese, 8 crackers some chutney and grapes.... So I paid for my food, as I was assured the manager would call me back the next day to refund me my deposit. Because by then, I am out of pocket £95 for 4 pieces of cheese and a glass of wine. We get to the point where everyone has paid, including a tip, and the waiter is still confused. So I have to sit at the bar, with the bill, the receipts and a calculator and do the maths (honestly!!!) for him because the poor man is extremely confused. He shows me a bill with tips and a bill without tips. I mean this is the UK, Tips are not compulsory. As it stands, we have paid for the bill and some tips. Not as much as they suggested but still, some was paid. We all leave, we can tell the waiter is annoyed and confused and apologetic. The poor man was about to have a meltdown.

2 days later, I get an email telling me that I will not get my deposit back. Why?

1. Only 11 of us turned up instead of 14.
2. We didn't pay the full tips.
3. Tips are not tips according to them, they are a compulsory Service Charge.
4. None of this was explained to us by the member of staff.
5. They can back their decision with the 'Small Print' of their booking system. I mean, this was a dinner reservation, not a mortgage application.

Can you imagine I have spent that long writing a review for a restaurant that does not even cook food??

So yes, this is the worst customer experience I have ever had, I have told my friends far and wide not to support a business that cons their customers with 'Small Print'.

As an Active member of a local Social Group, I was looking to make group bookings a monthly, if not weekly event but I shall be sure to find somewhere else, somewhere who values not just their customers but just basic decency.

If I leave you with one thing to remember here. £95 for 4 pieces of cheese and a...

I attended with my partner to celebrate her birthday, and whilst I had previously visited the Lyndhurst site, it was her first time visiting Renoufs.

The service was friendly, however it took much longer than other tables around us to receive our “ultimate” board, with tables that arrived after us receiving theirs first.

The wine I went with, a Riesling, was at best average, definitely nothing special I’d desire again.

Our board included the Serrano ham, chorizo and venison salami, as well as a pleasant selection of cheeses, manchego amongst them.

As someone from Spain and having consumed copious amounts of Serrano, chorizo and manchego over the years, I have to say the Serrano reserva was hugely disappointing and equivalent of a very cheap selection at a Spanish supermarket. I have ham in my fridge imported from Spain which tastes far, far more rich.

The chorizo was average, I would have it again, but it wasn’t of any special quality.

The manchego was also average, and just like the chorizo I’d have it again. In comparison to Spanish purchased items, I’d say they’re supermarket level quality, not fine dining.

At one point we asked for an extra basket of bread, which the waitress then forgot about. I was nearing the end of the board anyway so I finished it without the bread and we asked for the bill.

The bill included extra bread, so I asked to have it removed. The waitress was shocked and you could see the realisation she had forgotten, we’re all human after all, but it still is marks down when attending a fine dining experience such as this.

There was an optional 10% surcharge added to the bill which I accidentally paid, as I didn’t realise it was on the bill until after I paid.

I think this practice is a real turn off, as the tip should be optional to the client, not added automatically. Many people who avoid confrontation/are timid/awkward with others will end up giving in to it and paying it just to avoid the awkward conversation to have it taken off. Again, a bad practice by any establishment.

The bar had a nice atmosphere, although just like the lyndhurst site there’s so much condensation inside and the windows are all steamed up. From the outside it looks like a steam room inside. My advice is for Renoufs to invest in AC systems.

They had a good selection of wines and cheeses, and price is reasonable, although on the higher end.

Did my partner enjoy the dinner? Yes. Did I enjoy the dinner? Yes. But it left some to be desired.

Will I return?...

Wonderful evening!

Thank you to the team at Renoufs Southbourne. We had a lovely evening with some fantastic cheese and wine! We ordered the £39.95 sharing board which came with a choice of 3 meats and 3 cheeses, pate, bread and pickles. We added a baked camembert, hot chorizo and one extra cheese. Probably a mistake on our part as we had to leave some as there was so much!

The cheeses were lovely, in particular the Red Devil chilli cheese was gorgeous. The meats were great, especially the venison salami.

Special shout out to James, the manager and sommelier, who suggested the orange wine, Martin Codax. It was really quite special. Thank you!

We should also mention Imogen, who took our order and was very polite, professional and friendly. We ordered gluten free bread, but we didn't make it clear it was for the both of us (our fault), so when 2 baskets came out, one gluten and one gluten free, they changed the gluten one without quibble.

Lovely ambience, fantastic staff and some of the nicest cheeses we have had. Also, very reasonably priced.

Thanks guys, and see...