Bistro 1709 — Restaurant in Lichfield

We haven't been here for a number of years for no specific reason really but we were in Lichfield and decided to have a meal lunchtime. We hadn't booked but were able to get a table for two, it was busy ( they do a great vfm lunch menu which has always been very popular!) We sat upstairs on a quieter side of the busy restaurant although two more parties of 4 joined within half an hour. The noise levels were actually fine. I had the spicy butternut squash soup with GF bread which had a great spicy kick and was very flavoursome and my husband had the breaded brie with apricot chutney which looked divine and apparently tasted wonderful. I had the pork belly on mash with vegetables and he opted for the chicken leg which he said was nice but not very big ( the clue should have been in the fact it was a leg!) I had a few longing looks from him especially as my pork belly was a great size (I did end up letting him sample it) We had dessert,he had the sticky toffee pudding and ice-cream which more than made up for the chicken leg in size and I had the GF apple & raspberry crumble which was beautiful and not too sweet. We had a tonic water and coke and there was a jug of water on the table. Food was excellent as was the service and quality and taste of the food. The bill was £52 which was excellent vfm. I will not leave it as long as...

Table of 5 Saturday 28th May. Unfortunately this meal was lacking in several areas for all of our party. I hope this review shows that it is quite a simple fix. We were hoping for a Bistro style meal but it was not to be. Expensive meal and we expected better.

Starters 1.5/5 Pea Soup delicious - but 1 slice of bread. Chicken Pate Delicious - 1 slice of bread. Mackerel Mousse - Delicious but 1 breadstick broken between the two servings. Basically the 'Bread' served was insufficient for these starters or any restaurant meal. What is worse is that this was probably Warburtons or Sainsburys. Not even a Baguette or Bloomer which was surprising and dissapointing for a Bistro.

Mains 2/5 Cod Fillet - Delicious. Duck - Dry - Overdone. Belly Pork - 1 piece of pork belly. It's supposed to be quite well done because it's very fatty. It wasn't and was mostly left. Sirloin Steak - Correctly cooked but massively over salted. I couldn't actually taste the steak.

Deserts 2/5

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Very nice. Cheesecake - Crushed meringue and white chocolate random, oversweet and unnecessary - really needed cream...

Summer Berry Crumble - Nice.

Service 4/5 Waited a while to order but...

Very disappointed with my overall meal & experience. Fishcake starter was very nice apart from the 2 very large fish bones which were inside, one of which I nearly swallowed the staff couldn’t have cared less! Main of swordfish steak with £3 supplement was dry, overcooked and tasteless again staff couldn’t have cared less! My sweet was New York cheesecake with Eaton mess which was delicious when I told waiter his reaction that saved the meal - well actually no it didn’t really. Having said that my husband’s main of confit of duck was absolutely outstanding and also he enjoyed his goats cheese starter, he chose cheese & biscuits with port which was OK for his sweet. Not once did any member of staff ask how our meal was and no one bothered to apologise for the 2 large fish bones which I considered unacceptable and no one said thank you or goodbye when we left. So all in all dissatisfaction with meal we had high hopes for after 2 recommendations, had the staff not been so unfriendly & unprofessional we may have given a better rating, it was as though the 2 fish bones were my fault! There are many more places in Lichfield...