The Grove — Restaurant in England

We visited as a group of 4 in April 2024, shortly after the reopening for a Saturday dinner. I contacted the Grove directly with the below to offer as “feedback” - no response so felt it only right to share with other locals on here etc. I can see from recent reviews that there is a mixed bag. Our honest account below.

We are contacting you regarding your recent reopening and wanted to provide you some feedback for your consideration. We are a couple local to Leigh and had 2 friends to stay with us this weekend from Cornwall - we decided to call and book a table and the newly reopened Grove.

Knowing it has a good reputation and a nice location we were comfortable with this choice. Booking on the phone was easy and we got the time we wanted for dinner.

Our friends had perused the website prior to our arrival and were excited by the menu - only to find out on arrival that is the old menu - slight disappointment, however, once they had seen the new menu they were happy with the options.

The food we did order was all delicious and thoroughly enjoyed so compliments to the chef and kitchen team please. However, please see below our comments/feedback on the service and please understand that we feel all feedback is useful, especially for newly reopened restaurants. Also, not sure if you have seen the similar reviews on open table etc, which seem to align with a theme - customer service.

On arrival we were greeted well and shown to our table, we were given a choice of table which was nice and we felt welcomed. See below feedback points:

We were given the menus and weren’t told that there were any unavailable options so started to make our choices ready to give our orders. We then waited approx 10 mins to order drinks and receive the tap water we had asked for - there were only 3 other tables occupied.

Once our drinks arrived we asked if there was something to level out our wobbly table - we were asked if we wanted to move table - which we did (FYI the wobbly table is the middle 4 person in the conservatory area)

We were asked for our food orders, we then asked what the Taco of the day was etc and the fish of the day - fish of the day was a fish pie which surprised us as that’s not fish of the day, I asked if I could have a vegetarian taco to be told no that’s not an option, my husband asked to order the scotch egg, once the orders were taken and given to the kitchen we were then told the scotch egg was sold out and I was offered a vegetarian taco and the chef confirmed I could have a halloumi taco - perfect.

On finishing our wonderful starters the staff were hovering to take the plates of the 3 people who had finished before I had finished mine, the 3 plates were collected while I was still eating and then my plate taken while I was chewing my last mouthful.

The food arrived and on the menu it explained tacos come with a dressed salad - so my friend and I ordered garlic and Parmesan chips to share too. Tacos were lovely and looked nice, no dressed salad though which we presumed was a side salad and on asking were told it was in the tacos - this was ambiguous. Our chips didn’t arrive so we checked, they weren’t put through on the order so were made some fresh for us, when we were given these they only had Parmesan and no garlic, so we sent them back for rectification - we were not charged for these.

Following finishing our main meals we were then left to our own devices - no offer of desserts or coffee, no asking if we wanted any other drinks etc, and our bill had been printed out 10 minutes before we asked for it and we then felt rushed out the door (this was before 10pm).

We appreciated that you have recently reopened and that you had new staff, but we felt disappointed especially as the food was so lovely, but the service let the experience down and subsequently left us feeling a little jaded as we had special friends with us...

Don't deserve any stars because we booked a table for 6/ maybe 10 I suffer with a severe lung condition and before I even sat down I was told I had 5 minutes to order food as the kitchen was closing at 4 when I told the waitress we was waiting for others coming from London she completely ignored me and told me they had no chef's, they had my number so why didnt they call to cancel??? Then when the drinks arrived the waitress dropped a bottle of beer over my brother inlaw's head that soaked his jumper and trousers at no point did she apologise she just plonked the drinks on the table, when the food arrived it was utterly disappointing full of grease, not to mention I had my year old granddaughter and was placed directly in the sun, when I asked for some shade I was told to WAIT, my son moved our tables so we could have at least a little bit of shade under the tree. All in all absolutely appalling service terrible food and very very limited menu, they didnt even have sandwiches or cheese and biscuits available. By the way the toilets was filthy and lucky I am skinny as you could barely move.

AVOID THIS PLACE IF YOU WANT GOOD FOOD...

Straight honest review! We booked for 7.30pm on the 10th may , 2 mums taking there daughters out for dinner, our order for drinks took over 20 minutes to be taken , our food was then taken at 8pm , we then sat waiting for our food until 9.32 , the waiter admitted that he had forgotten to put the order through , the service was absolutely disgusting , never experienced such a shambles, we should have just walked out , the waiter was apologetic, but we don't get together as a family very often and this completely ruined our get together , we should have just refused to pay and left , my husband came to the restuarant to collect us , and spoke to the waiter / so called manager , who had knocked off the drinks from the final bill , but still unacceptable, the manager was asked if he felt that the service and quality of and discount was appropriate for the abysmal service to which he replied he wasn't the proper manager and that all could do, when asked to get the real manager he advised they wasn't there. We shall never boom this restuarant again , disgusting service. What...