Branford's Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Great Yarmouth

We’d booked a table the previous Sunday for 7 o’clock Tuesday with the manager and arrived 20 minutes earlier when we were told that we weren’t on the booking sheet and that we’d been wrote down on the diary instead. This of course is a mistake that can be easily rectified however, this was not done so. We were offered a table in the car park under a marque with no lighting or heaters when it was soon getting dark or told we could wait for a better table that wouldn’t be long. We decided to wait for a better table. All five of us were shoved onto a small flimsy plastic table to have a drink whilst we were waiting for our nice table we’d booked in the bar. Once our drinks came, we heard nothing from them for 40 minutes until we had to step in and ask. The waitress who had sat us down told us she would check and come back to us but never did and continued serving other people around us. An hour after the initial arrival time, we were still waiting and watching other people be sat down on nice empty tables outside so the main bookee went to talk to the manager we booked with who said that the table would be ready in 2 minutes so we sat back down. Then after 20 more minutes we’d finished our drinks and had still not heard a thing so decided we’d just leave but the same waitress came and told us a table was ready so we explained that we were appalled by her lack of communication as well as the managers lack of concern for us. On our way to the table the same manager stopped us and told us he wouldn’t serve us because of the way we talked to his waitress and that we had to leave so we did. We are disgraced and appalled by this not only as customers who were looking forward to their dining experience on holiday but also as people who between them have over 60 years of catering experience put together. One of us being a master of the craft guild of chefs, and a previous restauranteur and me personally working for a worldwide reputable restaurant and cafe as a waitress. We were hoping to dine there tonight, have Sunday lunch and and an anniversary meal the following Friday but we will...

A very mixed experience. The restaurant is very well presented as are the staff. Decor is bright and modern and staff have very smart uniforms. Unfortunately that is where the good stuff ended for me. My starter was Bubble and Squeak with chorizo and a poached egg. It looked great but had to be sent back as the egg was raw under the set skin. Not runny, but actually raw. I ordered a main of grilled haddock. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me to photograph it but it was absolutely disgustingly presented. Just thrown on the plate, folded, broken etc. Worse was to come - it had obviously been left under some sort of heated servery light as it was like a bit of leather on the outside and overcooked and dried out on the inside. I told waitress that there was a problem and she returned to tell me that the chef had said "That's the way we always do it". I then asked her to ask the chef to come to the table and tell me that in person. She offered to take my fish back to the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned to say that the chef sent his apologies and said I could order another meal and drinks on the house. To cap a really awful dining experience, when the bill came, my meal had not been charged, but the bills of my two companions were both incorrect - in the restaurant's favour. The restaurant was not particularly busy, but other diners appeared to have much better experiences than myself so maybe it was a 'one off'. Nevertheless I will not be going to Branfords ever again - the worst dining experience I have ever had. The service from the young waitress was exemplary given that she was having to cover for a chef who was not only incompetent but did not have the grace to admit that he had messed up badly nor the 'cajones' to show his face front of house, leaving a very young waitress to sort everything...

What a massive let down. We where so excited about this place as we read the reviews. We had gone to The Gate first but when arrived we where told they had run out of half the menu! So left and immediately started looking for somewhere else. This was the next nearest place. We where seated quickly and starving But we waited nearly an hour for food (and no it wasn't massively busy). Needless to say I have never had a steak so bad. It was worse than a weatherspoons and for £25!!! My husband asked for rare... his picture is attached. Mine was mostly fat, and thin and really over cooked. I asked for a medium rare but it was more well done. Such a poor cut. And the mash was re heated or made from frozen because it was awful. The only good thing about the meal where the chips but even then we didnt get many. About 12 chips in a tiny wire basket. It looked ridiculous, a small steak, couple of cherry tomatoes and a basket of chips coming out on a massive plate! My brother had the sea food platter but everything was over cooked. We did end up giving some feedback at the end and was met with a bit of a slide glance that most of it had been eaten (we had very hungry children after waiting an hour) and we hate to complian but my sister in law encouraged us. We where offered a free dessert but that wasn't any better, it tasted shop brought. Honestly I was really shocked by this place. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. And for the price I would expect something amazing! Total spent £120 for 4 adults,...