The Bull Towcester — Restaurant in England

Local with potential, but some kinks to iron out…

Visited The Bull on Sunday 10th September 2023 for lunch, wanting to check it out as it had recently changed hands and included a bouncy castle and play area for the kids - a major bonus in this weather and one of the only places in the centre of Towcester to have something like this.

The menu looked good, with a Sunday lunch offering. If I were being picky as one of the first ‘touch points’ I’d prefer the menus were printed on higher quality paper rather than just being handed a dog-eared piece of A4!

Service was slow and inconsistent - we had to ask three different people for sauce. We were offered Yorkshire puddings with our meals as an upsell and these failed to materialise… but were on the bill, suggesting some communication issues between FOH and the kitchen.

Whilst the food itself was reasonably tasty, much was not as offered on the menu - I had what was meant to be pork shoulder that turned out to be belly with some very rubbery ‘crackling’ that was effectively still rind. My wife had what was meant to be a rolled cut of lamb that came out as carved leg. The side of veg was pretty standard steamed veg.

I wouldn’t go back exclusively for the food or service, but the play equipment for the kids is a big selling point, provided you’re happy to wait a while for your order while you sit in the garden!

I think much of this is easy to sort out - better training of staff, getting a bit slicker in putting checks through to the kitchen, and probably better staggering of bookings (esp tables with 6+ covers) to help smooth demand out for the kitchen. I’d personally rather see a simplified drinks menu offering (eg no cocktails) and even a simpler food menu that focusses on quality and consistency , and will help the...

Used to be a lovely place to eat, but not anymore it appears. We came in for a quick dinner and there was no one else sat down. With a two year old in tow we like to go and eat early to avoid disturbing others and so we don't have to wait long due to him being two he can become irritable quickly. we ordered and sat down, an hour and a half later still no food and no apology for the wait. When we ordered we werent told there would be a wait nor did we think there would be due to there being no one else eating ! we decided enough was enough and to ask for our money back and leave, we never found out why we were waiting so long ! They also had only carlsberg and guiness left on tap until Tuesday! (didn't bother us as we weren't drinking however over a hot weekend there are going to be some disappointed people! ) this is the third time we have tried to eat in there since they have been taken over and the first two times we were turned away as the kitchen was closed (again no explanation as to...

We stopped here on a long road trip between Yorkshire and Dorset with a 4 year old just in time for tea. We are always reluctant to go for McDonald's/KFC on route because our son hates chips and always asks for veg. I did a bit of googling and The Bull popped up as doing a carvery everyday. I was surprised when I walked in, it was very very quiet and on a Friday night too. I was very pleased to hear the carvery was still on and after I finalised my order, realised a fresh dinner was only going to be £22 all in including drinks. There was a choice of three meats which all looked very appealing. I opted for beef which was succulent and juicy, and a nice pink in the middle (just as it should be), and was given a good range of accompanying dishes. The cauliflower cheese stood out and was delicious. As well as the best Yorkshire Puddings I have seen outside of Yorkshire. I should know as a Yorkshire Lass! Would definitely recommend a visit for dinner. Very reasonably priced for the...