The Black Labrador — Restaurant in England

Me and 4 friends spent a week in Underbarrow around New Year and spent a lot of time at the Black Labrador, it being highly recommended to us by a friend from the area. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the attentiveness of the staff and were glad to get one of the last tables for NYE; we were also grateful when they were so accommodating as a few of our group were late owing to shower challenges in our holiday let. Our experience on NYE became soured however when I mentioned to one of the staff members (who up until that point had been so friendly) that some of the ‘pheasant cooked 3 ways’ dish tasted and smelt off, so badly that I to ask for the table to be cleared. I admitted I hadn’t had pheasant before, but the other two pheasant parts were delicious and as someone who’s worked in catering for many years, definitely did not seem like a simple taste issue. The staff member was defensive, brushing me off and insisting it was ‘fresh in yesterday so there couldn’t be anything wrong with it’. I conceded I had no doubts that it was fresh in yesterday but that this particular piece on my plate was definitely not Ok. 10 minutes later another lady came to clear the table and I mentioned the pheasant leg issue to have my concerns dismissed again, then told as she walked away that she would address it with the chef (although at this point all the food had been piled on one plate). Incidentally, we heard no more about it, not even when we paid the bill, they clearly didn’t care and the staff members were noticeably less friendly after this point. We all planned to spend the night in the pub for the karaoke, which my 4 friends had to do without me as I was house bound by 10:30 with diarrhoea and vomiting, our NYE together totally ruined. I went back in for a drink a couple of days later to be told abruptly that they were closed (despite it saying otherwise on the web and there being a customer who had clearly not long ordered a pint at the bar) and they weren’t serving. We were made to feel very unwelcome and it certainly felt personal, which was in stark contrast to how we’d been welcomed and treated every visit up until NYE. Given that it was very quiet, unlike on NYE, I took the opportunity to try to gently let them know that I had got food poisoning from the meal on NYE which I suspected was from the pheasant leg, given the stench of it and the fact that I was the only one to have had that dish and not having shared any with anyone. One member of staff didn’t even make eye contact with me and the other gave me a very reluctant and totally inadequate ‘sorry’ before looking away altogether, leaving me stood there feeling so uncomfortable and with no doubts that they really didn’t care and weren’t going to take responsibility, I just said Ok and left. I’ve never had such a bad reception anywhere for addressing a food issue, certainly not for an incident that was so serious and evidently caused by this establishment’s kitchen. Luckily I wasn’t much more seriously ill but it made for an extremely unpleasant 24hrs and completely ruined my NYE with my friends. We spent upwards of around £500 in that pub that week and surely would have returned in the future. The least they should have done out of courtesy was credit me and my issue, sincerely apologise and refund my meal, none of which were forthcoming. What a way to devalue your customers. In this instance, I think 2 stars is generous; nonetheless I am not one to discount the good experiences we had up until that point. A real...

Wow what a find this little gem was. We were on holiday in the area. We went here for local pub food, unfortunately on arrival they were fully booked, instead we were able to enjoy a drink by the log fire. Our dog was welcomed which made it easy for us as well, dog treats are provided on the bar, lovely touch. We made a reservation for the Sunday evening for food. We weren't disappointed, the food is lovely, fresh, home cooked, hearty food, which we all enjoyed, my husband and two children. Our dog again came with us and happily lay under the table. We also ate again on the Wednesday and Saturday before travelling home. The steak, mushroom, stilton and ale pie is a must for pie lovers. The staff were friendly and welcoming and consequently we spent every evening having a few drinks by the fire. The gin of the week was delicious. It is lovely and clean. The prices were reasonable and not over priced. A lovely place overall and would recommend to anyone heading up that way on holiday to certainly stop by and enjoy the local food and drinks.

We felt everything was well thought out and the staff/owners/managers etc have gone through the menu to find out what complimented each food/drink and worked well together.

Thank you to you all for a lovely experience :-) We will look forward...

Went to the black lab after reading google reviews and was left pretty disappointed. Food was average at best and portions lacking given the price. I had the prawn and monkfish pasta dish and the portion size was very small, so much so I had to have something else to eat when i got home. The prawns were obviously frozen and rubbery and the sauce was a bit bland...no offer of parmesan or black pepper...shame as the dish cost 18 quid. My partner had the roast turkey - no stuffing, no parsnips or anything like that, just a pile of turkey, small amount of mash and an oversized roast potato and small bowl of broiled, bland, unseasoned veg on the side. Also disappointed that there were no sunday roast deals (2 courses for ??? etc)...just a very mediocre roast for 14 quid. Service was friendly but not great, very young staff with no personal touch. Took our Lab in as is 'dog friendly', however nobody took the blindest bit of notice of her which was a shame, despite the name of the place and there being a jar of dog treats on the bar. Lovely building/premisis - will be a shame if this is relied on and the overall experience isnt improved, we certainly wont be rushing back. Hilights were - lovely premisis, food was hot, hand soap in the toilets...