The Long Shot — Restaurant in Liverpool

We booked The Longshot for our wedding party after returning home, and unfortunately, the experience left a lot to be desired.

When we arrived, it became clear early in the evening that due to no-shows and last-minute cancellations, we were unlikely to meet the minimum spend that we had contractually agreed to. I immediately raised this with the bar manager, who reassured both myself, my wife, and a third member of our party separately that we "shouldn't worry" and that "something would be sorted." Staff even discussed the idea of providing vouchers for the shortfall, so we would actually receive something in return rather than paying for nothing. Based on these assurances, we trusted their word and continued enjoying our night without buying additional drinks to cover the difference ourselves.

Had these conversations not happened, we would have personally spent the remaining amount at the end of the night (e.g., buying bottles to take home) to ensure we received something for the money.

Instead, three days later — beyond the 48-hour timeframe stated in their own contract — the venue contacted us demanding full payment of the shortfall. They completely went back on everything their staff had promised us on the night. Their idea of being "helpful" was splitting the outstanding amount into four payments of £300 — yet we received absolutely nothing extra for it. Had to cover £1200 on credit cards.

This experience was a huge disappointment, especially considering it was supposed to be a celebration of our wedding. I would caution anyone considering booking The Longshot for a private event: be very careful and do not rely on any verbal assurances given by the staff. Get everything in writing or risk being treated the way we were.

Real shame as we have visited here often, even going in on my stag do in August. Be careful.

Update * - I am unable to reply to the bars comments which essentially accuse us of lying. As much as there is a crisis in the hospitality industry, there is also a cost of living crisis (£1,200 is a lot of money after a wedding). People can also do night shifts.

Thank you for your response. I would like to clarify a few important points for anyone reading:

The issue here is not about the signed contract — we fully understood there was a minimum spend. However, with regards to the comments on the contract, even if it was 72 hours, we weren't contacted until over 72 hours after. The issue is about what your staff told us on the night, when it became clear we would fall short due to unexpected no-shows.

Multiple members of your team, including the manager, assured both myself, my wife, and another guest separately that we "shouldn't worry" and that "something would be sorted." Vouchers and other options were discussed, so we would still receive something in return rather than paying for nothing. Based on those assurances, we trusted your team and did not spend the shortfall ourselves. This is discussed in our emails.

Had we not been given those reassurances, we would have settled the difference on the night by purchasing drinks to take home — ensuring we got some value for our money.

Your response ignores this key point and instead tries to hide behind the written contract, which completely misses the real issue: poor communication and broken verbal promises on the night itself.

Rather than acknowledging this, your response accuses us of "misrepresenting" events. I would suggest that if verbal promises by your staff cannot be honoured, customers should be warned clearly upfront not to rely on anything said verbally at your venue.

We trusted your staff in good faith. Sadly, we were let down.

I have stated that I was thankful for allowing us more time to pay back, but the review is about not trusting...

We held the party following our wedding at The Long Shot and were absolutely blown away! From start to finish, the entire experience exceeded our expectations.

Ed was especially fantastic, he went above and beyond to connect us with a brilliant DJ and even helped arrange decorators who transformed the space with a dancefloor and an explosion of balloons. The atmosphere was magical and it set the tone for an unforgettable night.

The food was outstanding, top tier in both quality and variety. We opted for a smaller buffet in the afternoon and a larger buffet in the evening, with gorgeous pizzas, sandwiches, charcuterie and all kinds! Our guests couldn’t stop raving about it and everyone left full and happy. We were especially impressed by how thoughtfully the team catered to different dietary requirements, providing clear options for vegan, vegetarian and halal guests well in advance.

The staff were nothing short of incredible. The bar team brought amazing energy, keeping the drinks flowing with lightning-fast service, sharp wit, and endless good vibes. They juggled welcome drinks, toasts, and the needs of over 100 guests without missing a beat.

Behind the scenes, the management team worked tirelessly to make sure the day ran seamlessly. They allowed us to decorate early, carefully stored our wedding cake and even kept hold of our belongings overnight for easy collection the next morning. Their support took all the stress away and let us just enjoy the celebration.

We truly could not recommend The Long Shot enough for weddings, parties or any special occasion. The whole day was perfect from start to finish and we loved every...

After having our table cancelled at Pins 15 mins before our booking was due, after we had travelled from 40 mins away to get into Liverpool, we rang longshot for a table having never visited before and genuinely ended up having one of the best experiences in a long while. We were greeted by friendly staff members and were offered a choice from their downstairs and upstairs seating. The staff were attentive and the overall atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. As a vegan, I asked what vegan options there were on the menu and was told that they were redesigning the vegan menu and that it would be out in a few weeks, but that they had fries on the current menu that I could have. What happened next was a massively kind gesture - the staff member we spoke with asked the kitchen if it would be possible to make me something vegan, to which the kitchen kindly agreed to do. They made me a tasty beetroot falafel sandwich, which I ate with the waffle fries. This was a master class in customer service and other venues need to take note! Even if they weren’t able to make me the sandwich, the fact that they went the extra mile to ask the kitchen, was very appreciated. Strongly recommend this place for a nice...