The Moody Cow — Restaurant in England

Difficult to leave a not so good review after reading all the wonderful reviews here, so you might want to take this as my opinion only! It didn’t start well, where I was sitting I got covered in burning candlewax as the last of the candle which was balanced on the smallest candle holder fell off on top of me and onto my phone. They did spot this and apologised and the manager did come over and offered to pay for my drink which was nice. We have been recommended this place and one of the things to try was the belly pork so we gave it a go. Sadly for me this was not the experience I was hoping for. It costs so much to go out these days so you expect maybe more than what we were getting. First of all I have had belly pork for years it was definitely one of my favourite foods except this wasn’t how I thought belly pork should be. For me this was pulled pork covered in a rich red gravy which was more suitable to a dark meat! The people next to us also said the same thing and thought the sauce was maybe for the ribs so wasn’t just me, (different chef)? And in my opinion it’s always strange to find that when you buy a meal costing £20 or more that it doesn’t come with vegetables which to me is not a meal who would eat it without vegetables in the first place? The crackling on the top, I can only suggest was bought in and not cooked on the premises as it tasted like rubber and was un edible! The one thing that bothered me, probably more than anything Was not being approached after the food had been placed on our table a few minutes later just to check that the food was okay. This never happened until we finished our meal. When we left they asked at that point whether we enjoyed the meal I had said it wasn’t for me. I probably wouldn’t have it again but I’m sure it was just me etc. They weren’t bothered that I didn’t like the meal and certainly after I’ve been covered in candle wax, You would’ve thought that they would’ve done something but we were just asked to pay for the meal and left. It was only in till we were halfway home that we realised that they had not even paid for my drink so I never even got that back which was hilarious. Of course I’m not saying don’t come back here and yes we are a little fussy but some small things go along way and I believe that they can do better considering the amount of money they’re charging, thank you Update: we had a missed a call later that evening from the manager who apologised he didn’t pay for our drink and was concerned about any damage to my clothes, let’s face it I got off lightly! What I will say is maybe at the time knowing what had happened a gesture of goodwill like this meal is on us tonight world have gone a long way(at the time) not after we were home! I didn’t call back for fear his response would be a cut and paste as per other reviews so it’s my fault in this instance as he seemed to want to put this right! Just a bad day...

We visited for the first time for Sunday Lunch. The greeting on arrival was welcoming with the offer of a drink whilst we waited for our table to be cleared. Slightly disappointed to note the menu stated that the establishment reserved the right to levy a minimum charge of £30 per person if we did not order 2 courses. I don't like feeling pressured to order more food that I can comfortably eat, only for it to be wasted. I did ask the waitress if the 2 courses was mandatory, and I am still waiting for a reply. Our drinks arrived and mine was left on the other side of our large table, leaving me to reach across to get it. There was ample room to come around to me with my drink. My partner and I shared a starter. The cutlery is delivered in a metal cutlery carrier (which is fine). The cutlery carrier was left on the other side of the table - this time even further away so I had to stand and reach over the table to get it. I asked for a napkin and it seems that you are only offered small brown napkins with starters. I received a large white napkin with my main course. Bearing in mind we both ordered main courses, it would have been preferable to receive the large napkin at the outset - I am more than happy to have one (decently sized) napkin for the entirety of my meal. We shared a dessert - so technically each ordered 2 courses, rather than create a fuss. That being said, the (starter) soup was delicious. The mains were good but no better than I have had elsewhere. The crumble filling was good but bearing in mind how quickly it was delivered after being ordered, must have been microwaved and the topping added before serving. Overall not a bad experience, just not so great that I would be in a...

We arrived just over 10minutes late thanks to no signal and therefore no gps, and they were very lovely about it despite our booking being the last of the evening. All the staff were friendly and welcoming. We chose here as the food was locally/ethically sourced which matters a lot to us, and they had a vegan option. Being honest, we were underwhelmed with the food, it took a long time to arrive which may reflect food prep, but sadly the taste was average. My husband ordered the steak which he said was OK, cooked as ordered but he has had much nicer cuts for the cost, and the chips for both of us were a bit underdone. I had the bean burger which was not much to write home about and I left the bun as it was dry and overcooked. There are so many delicious vegan options now for burgers, and perhaps they make the patty themselves, but it was really underwhelming. I do wonder if us being the last main plates of the night impacted our experience a bit, and we do appreciate them still seating this despite our later arrival. The restaurant ambience and decor was whimsical and nice, and all the staff really lovely, but based on the other reviews we were expecting a much tastier meal for our money. Perhaps we have just been a bit spoilt from previous trips and...