Hall & Woodhouse Wichelstowe — Restaurant in Great Britain

The dining experience at this establishment had its ups and downs. Despite delayed order timings, I was promptly served within the minimum expected time of 10 minutes. The tea pot presentation was correct, and the staff, although friendly, seemed unaware of some issues.

Notably, the tea pot had a chip in the middle, and there was dirt in the milk jug water basin, clouding the water. The tea’s strength was disappointingly weak. The staff, while nice, were unaware when I opted to use my own drink instead of the ordered water and tea.

The prices were somewhat high but not unexpected for the area. The building’s atmosphere was charming with an old design that reflected its establishment during World War One. The incorporation of navy boat designs added a unique touch, creating a lovely atmosphere.

Order times were as expected for a busy restaurant, and despite a 30-minute wait, the lively ambiance compensated for it. One drawback was the hidden prices, especially in the drinks menu. The restaurant’s overall presentation was good, and the quality of the food matched expectations for the price.

The main course, a steak and foot pie, had mixed reviews. While the carrots were excellently cooked, the broccoli fell short. The potato mash was warm on the exterior but lacked consistency throughout. The steak and foot pie received a lukewarm review, with soggy pastry and unevenly cooked steak.

Ending on a positive note, the house wine, “Garnacha, Bodegas Boraso,” was flavorful despite a slightly bitter taste. The aftertaste lingered, leaving a positive impression.

Despite the drawbacks, I would recommend this place. The caring and supportive staff, as witnessed during a birthday celebration, added a positive touch. While there are areas for improvement, the overall rating is good, and I hope my feedback is reflected upon. Key issues include the condition of tea pots and attention to cleanliness in glasses and...

Wasn't the first time we've visited H&W, however the 2nd time was far worse than the 1st, hence the change to my previous review. We went for a birthday meal and from previous experience expected a decent meal. Unfortunately, this was very much the opposite. We were seated and began to choose our meals. We decided on the carvery and were told that they had run out of cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets and apparently had even run out of lamb koftes. After about 15 minutes we saw what we thought may be out meals sat at the pass waiting for the serving staff to collect it. It was then another 10 to 15 minutes before they were actually brought to the table. On starting our meals we realised that every individual component of the 4 roast dinners was stone cold, only saving grace was that the dinner for my one year old was piping hot. Due to the lack of attention from the serving staff one of our party had to get up and find a member of staff. The meals were promptly taken away and then it was another 30 minute wait for the replacements. When they finally came they were passable, not piping hot but edible. Strangely my potatoes were hotter than the rest of the meal and they were the first things on the plate! The waitress came over shortly after we received our meals and instead of asking if our meals were OK, her comment of "are these hot?" only exacerbated the situation. The bill came and thankfully we had only been charged for the drinks we had ordered, the person we assumed was the manager came over and explained that he had taken the meals off due to the issues we had had. I believe that many of the issues could have been resolved by either more waiting staff or someone controlling the kitchen better. But either way that will be...

We've given this place about 5 chances now over a year or so. Every time we get our food more than an hour after we arrive, 50 minutes after we order. The one time we've ordered starters, it's like they wait for us finish them completely then restart the clock! The food is fair to good standard pub fayre in a pub environment; it's nice food but the quality of the food isn't worth the wait. When we inevitably ask when our food will arrive, they always say there wasn't a wait when we arrived and they half our bill or something like that and make out it's a rare occurance. In one case we were told for a full 30 minutes (leading to a total 1.5 hour wait) that our food was just arriving, 5 minutes away!. I suppose this could be seen as a good thing; more time to talk to friends, not rushed etc... but this isn't a posh slow evening restaurant with great atmosphere, it's a nice enough pub environment. So if you want it slow and nice but average food then it might suit. With a hungry toddler crying, or family that needed to head home after 2 hours, or popping in for lunch, either we've been very unlucky or they just aren't set up for the volume of customers they allow in. It really spoils the visit. Also... I've tried calling a couple of times and they didn't pick up, neither did they respond to emails (e.g. online wouldn't allow 4 adults and a child, so would booking for 4 adults allow us to add a high chair?) but I haven't contacted them often enough to know if this is regular. On the plus side, given we've usually paid less than the cost of the bill (which is a good gesture when this happens once, and why I've held off reviewing), the quality of the food for us has always been excellent...