Travellers Rest Beefeater — Restaurant in London

As a loyal patron of this hotel restaurant for the past decade, it's with a heavy heart that I must express my profound disappointment with the current state of affairs. While the staff members are undoubtedly dedicated and hardworking individuals, their efforts are overshadowed by the glaring mismanagement that plagues this establishment.

During my recent visit, I was appalled to witness a scene that will forever be etched in my memory: a member of the staff, tears streaming down his face, attempting to apologize for the multitude of issues plaguing the restaurant. It was painfully evident that the staff are overworked to the point of exhaustion, a fact that was painfully evident in every aspect of my dining experience.

Despite their valiant efforts, it was impossible to ignore the chaos unfolding around me. With half the usual number of staff members struggling to cope with double the workload, it's no wonder that mistakes were rampant and customer satisfaction was but a distant dream. Orders were forgotten, tables remained uncleared, and the once-impeccable service standards were but a distant memory.

It breaks my heart to say this, but the once-charming ambiance of this restaurant has been irreversibly tainted by the incompetence of its management. No longer can I overlook the glaring flaws that have become synonymous with dining at this establishment. While the staff members deserve commendation for their unwavering dedication, it's clear that their efforts are being squandered by those in positions of authority who seem oblivious to the havoc they have wrought.

In conclusion, it pains me to sever ties with a restaurant that has been a staple in my life for so many years. However, until meaningful changes are implemented to address the systemic issues that plague this establishment, I can no longer in good conscience recommend it to anyone seeking a pleasant dining experience. It's time for the management to wake up and realize that the true heart and soul of any restaurant lie not in its decor or menu, but in the happiness and satisfaction of its customers.

“Samuel Whitbread supported and helped to pass the Dolben Act of 1877 which highlighted the conditions that slaves were subjected to on the ships that took them from Africa to the plantations. Whitbread was key to calling attention in the House of Commons to the plight of slaves.” By quoting this I realise that the conditions for the staff here aren't comparable to how slaves were treated and by no means wish undermine the terrible conditions they faced however I’m quite sure Samuel Whitbread will be turning...

It was lovely to actually find a beefeater who would serve customers who hadn't stayed in the hotel. Our family have been using this chain of restaurants for decades for almost every celebratory family occasion so we're very distressed to see most of them will now only serve diners from the customers who stay at the hotel. We now have to travel 8 miles to be able to dine & with 2 frail elderly patrons with varying degrees of frailty, that's not easy. Other family members came too from Hampshire, Cornwall & even South Africa to join us. The menu has good choice, at very reasonable prices, is usually well cooked & presented, served in a timely manner & the staff were really lovely especially Priyesh. He treated us like royalty, was conversational & even moved us to another table, as we were placed next to an elderly couple, who had decided not to wear any hearing aid devices so the volume of their conversation made any conversing on our table virtually impossible! They have a lift for disabled patrons, plenty of parking (don't forget to register your vehicle when you get inside), a reasonably priced bar & although there were actually very few diners (I would advise that you need to rethink your policy about only serving hotel customers at most of your Beefeater restaurants, because it was obvious to us that this decision has affected the volume of clientele). It now takes us 40 minutes to get to our "local" Beefeater, instead of 10 & as one of our party had just come out of a hospital intensive care unit, the decision to have to travel through traffic almost made them not want to go. I think you need a rethink your "cost of living" decision not to keep all Beefeaters available for general public use because the 3 nearest us gad very impersonal messages when we tried to book up & a lot of older customers are not able to book tables online either. We can't be the only family...

Disappointing! Booked Sunday lunch, had to wait some time before server found our booking & took us to our table. We were given the food menus but no drink menu. After another wait, the server came back to ask us about drinks, didn’t have any of the drinks we asked for! Eventually got a lager & a Pimms…the Pimms came as is, not garnished like you would expect ie; lemon, mint, lime etc We ordered our starters & when it came to the mains…they didn’t have the Sunday roast beef we asked for, the server was extremely apologetic & said they were having difficulty getting restocked with lots of items missing. We considered leaving at that point but decided to order an alternative from the menu however it wasn’t what either of us wanted so we were apprehensive to say the least. The starters came out quickly however I noticed that our mains were also ready & left to sit under the heat lamps while we began our first course. We had barely finished the first course when the main was set in front of us, it tasted fine but would never have been a first choice. I would add that the server, an elderly lady, was completely alone, rushing from table to table collecting orders, no other servers to give support, of the 3 other staff members there, 1 was manning the bar while 2 others were wondering around a bit like headless chickens, there seemed to be no one in charge, no obvious manager! The bar on the restaurant side was full with dirty glasses that kept piling up rather than being put away. Before leaving I went to use the ladies but was surprised & dismayed to see the condition of the toilets, they were dark & dingy, only 2 working lights, tissues everywhere & the toilet bowls were shockingly unhygienic! Unfortunately, myself & my family will not be...