The Woodbridge Inn — Restaurant in England

Honestly I don't know where to start. We booked to come today (Father's day meal) and from the off it was a bad experience. We arrived just before our time so expected to wait for the table but was seated straight away but was then left to wait for over 20 mins with no one around to ask for drinks or menus. Staff came out and gave menus and table water to tables seated after us and then disappeared so we were unable to catch attention to ask for drinks or menus. So we waited at the bar for drinks and grabbed some menus that were on the side. I managed to quickly ask a member of staff if the children's menu was correct for today and was told yes and carried on to the table. We then waited ages for our order to be taken, two hungry children asking when their food would be coming and no order to be taken still. We eventually ordered starters and mains and got some table water (due to it being so warm) after asking again. We were then told that children's burgers were not on the menu so my son had to pick something else. Waited a good 30 mins for starters to arrive, children's came and around 10 mins later adults arrived. Which wasn't ideal but we got on with it. During that time we had to go back to the bar to get another dirnk because staff were not really present. After we finished our starters I managed to ask a bar man for more drinks to the table, during the wait for our drinks one main for one of our children arrived she began eating, 10 minutes passed my son who's three was asking where his food was along with both is adults waiting for our mains to enjoy a nice meal all together. Went up towards the bar and kindly asked where the other mains were as our daughter was close to finishing and we were still waiting along with the drinks we had ordered ages before. Two drinks were presented and we're told that we wouldn't be charged for them which we kindly accepted and thanked the waitress but still no mains for three out the four of us. We waited another 10 minutes and I asked another lady working if she could check where our mains were. She went off to the kitchen and our mains appeared a couple of minutes later, by this point our daughter was finished and had to wait for us to eat. This then distracted our son who said he was no longer hungry and wanted to play with his sister. (What a waste of money) we again waited ages for someone to ask if we were ready for the bill which was given to us with, this was incorrect as a bottle of wine had been put onto the bill which we never had. This was taken off after letting staff know. These are not all big issues but when you put them all together it makes a very unenjoyable experience. Our bill came to £105 and when paying that price you would expect excellent service and things to run smoothly. There was a sign stating no walk in, bookings only so it should of been well run knowing the amount of people expected that day. I feel so deflated after leaving because what we thought would be a lovely meal out for our family was not and unfortunately we will not...

Have been here a number of times over the years sometimes an excellent experience others less so, but have always gone back as in general it’s a lovely places to be!

Last night food was fine but we felt service was sub par for the kind of place it is. No one was ‘rude’ (although the lad behind the bar seemed to look like he wanted to punch something and couldn’t understand why someone would ask him to make a drink!) but no one seemed to go over and above to be chatty, and give that warm service that I’ve experienced here or at The Oakley before.

The first barman my boyfriend had an interaction with was very miserable, and he was left standing at the bar after being clearly seen by the barman when he walked off after serving the person in front. No comment to apologise and say he had to deal with something urgently, or that someone would be back soon to service him, he just looked at my boyfriend and walked off.

Then an older couple came to pay, and a second staff member came round the corner and asked if they needed any help also ignoring my boyfriend stood patiently at the bar.

We asked for a bottle of water at the table and despite everyone else being given the refillable bottle of tap water, we were given bottled water you pay for - why didn’t the waitress clarify what we wanted first? It’s quite basic to check that so we didn’t then have to ask someone else to swap it.

We ordered some drinks to have on the terrace after our meal and they were delivered by essentially being dumped on the corner of the table, she didn’t even say anything when she left them on the table (missing a water) so we had to give the drinks to the right person ourselves. Again, trivial, it may seem, but in a place like The Woodbridge I do expect better service than that. (Also one of those drinks was also wrong, we worked out later.)

There were some lovely staff members, the blonde lady who served us at our table was lovely and there was a guy wearing checked shirt who was really polite every time we saw him. 👍🏼👍🏼

I don’t often write long reviews like this, but we just feel that for a good pub with a good reputation we didn’t get the very warm welcome and happy staff we’ve seen before. Having worked in retail and hospitality I know how much you feel you’re missing when it’s lovely weather and you’re working, but really you have not let that be obvious to...

My Family went for a meal to celebrate my Brother in law's Birthday meal , his Birthday meal was completely ruined by the Woodbridge Inn, meals was paid separately but all on same table number , 2 main meals was brought out at same time of starters no customer service was asked at time of paying or waitress who served starters asked if we wanted main meals at same time as starters as some of us did not have starters due to them been out of stock, long wait after for the remaining meals to come out and we then had to sit watch them eat there food as we has eaten ours , my Brother in Law who still had not had his food and was still waiting whilst 4 of us had already been given meals at this point had to go in 3 times to be told on its way , after still not receiving his meal we asked for a refund due to the upset it caused and the fact it ruined the whole night 4 of us had not eaten a meal together and my Brother in Law had not gotten one to be told his order had not gone through to chef , yet they had took his money for steak, Manager banned us and my 12 year old Niece from the pub because we asked for money back and was annoyed at the awful customer service we received , yet not one of the staff checked where my Brother in Laws steak was even after he went in 3 times to ask , only when I asked to speak to Manager did they investigate, I have also put complaint in with brewery and had no response back from them on this matter either as they was at fault and we was the ones banned for complaining. so putting a review on here to say both the pub and the Brewery who own this pub do not care about there customers or ruining someone's Birthday , my Brother in Law did not get his meal in end he ended up having a takeaway when...