Barnacles Restaurant & Bar Bistro — Restaurant in Rugby

I would try to be brief here. I visited for dinner last night (21st of October) as I thought this place can be different or better than Hinkley's Island (opposite) but was sadly disappointed! I was shown to a table and the waitress brought the cutlery and drink on the table with a full basket of bread. I am on a gluten free diet and I had to tell her to take it away. She did and replaced it with a single small gf bun. Then the Italian waiter brought the food and took away the cutlery - both the fork and knife (and paper napkin), leaving the food in front of me but nothing to eat it with?! When I tried to get their attention and request a fork he pretended that he can't see me, even though he did! There is no doubt that he did this on purpose and so, therefore, I can only give this place a bad review. I don't like doing this but I can overlook anything else but rudeness and bad attitude! Considering all the other occasions outlined on this website when the same person exhibited the same type of attitude to other guests, I simply wonder why is he still there. Manager, I guess?! Well if I go in details on the actual food and other aspects of their customer service, I am afraid these would not be positive either...They were not attentive even though the place didn't seem particularly busy for Friday night. The female came to collect the dishes and didn't ask me if I would require anything else and didn't offer desserts menu. I was waiting for a long time to get at least some coffee or desert but on the end, I had to just walk away. In fact, I was ignored for so long that I stood up, paid on the door and left. They were too busy to bring me a bill and apparently didn't want my money either...Terribly poor! Even though the place is pretentiously overpriced the food is average at best. I would not go into considering different details of the sort of how paper napkins are not suitable for their assumed level etc. Customers should understand that advertising and claims doesn't automatically imply anything and that this place pretends to be something they are not! As I said, this all wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't for the bad attitude! I would disregard everything else but rudeness so I would not recommend this place to anyone with or without specific requirements for food or dining experience. I also noticed that the majority of their responses to dissatisfied customers are not really apologies but statements of the sort of " Our place is not for you" ?! So it is obvious that they don't even listen or care and the positive reviews are only due to the fact that most people are not particularly detailed in their expectations or just simply doesn't want to give a bad feedback (or simply doesn't care)... Anyways out of 10 my rating is 2 - only because I got a single bun for dinner and because I finally got a fork to eat my...

An average rating for a venue that should be better.

One could be mistaken for a promise of excellence when making ones way towards the venue entrance from their gravel-laden driveway past a pond to right...

However once deciding where to park considerately, as there are no clear bays or continuity between other patrons, the opulence of the grand expectations fall away rapidly when walking in. Yes, it's up to date in decor, modern with a sense of contemporary flair akin to a marine or beach restaurant, but there is no explanation to novice guests about the procedures they follow when seating patrons.

One is guided into the bar area and given a menu to browse through, which we're familiar with, but some aren't. Don't think you can walk in here and ask for a table for two with expectations to actually be sat in that manner. No, this is Barnacles. They are not a local Steakhouse Grill, so calling ahead to reserve a table is highly recommended. Arriving on time for our booked table, we were ushered to the bar area, next to other customers looking just as confused. Some, it would seem, had been there a while, considering their menus were closed and drinks' glasses empty.

Our drinks were ordered from the table-service friendly staff member and duly arrived in a timely manner, as we browsed the menu of promising flavours befitting the venue. We were eventually shown to our table for two upstairs, which had nice interesting views on the way. Our dark corner table, however, lit with a battery powered candle and no tablecloths crushed the expectations there and then, without the nice views too.

We've travelled the world and eaten in many types of establishments. Some less salubrious venues have had tablecloths or table linen of some sort. They're not too much to ask, surely, especially with the commanding prices Barnacles ask.

Food orders were taken by attentive staff and replenished drinks arrived shortly thereafter. The fish ordered wasn't what arrived, however, and thus duly returned with apologies from the staff. The second time around, the correct fish was delivered but overcooked and only partially edible. Steak was thin and overcooked too. What a shame.

Were we in the right place that had been recommended to us for our wedding anniversary? We've driven past this venue for many years and contemplated it as somewhere to try, but having spent a couple of hours here, we were very disappointed with not just the food, but the way they seem to be enticing people in on a promise of what could be so much more.

Lovely to look at, but not much...

We haven't visited Barnacles in a few years, but have always wanted to revisit. We have good memories of it and it still is a nice place to visit, but there's a couple of areas of improvement.

Firstly - the location, decor and building itself is great! Easy parking etc. Only would recommend that they create some sort of paving, as the gravel isn't good for buggies and I can imagine for other people (elderly, crunches, stability issues) they might also struggle.

The steps in are awkward with a buggy bit then you later learn there's no disabled toilets, so perhaps they don't cater for those with a buggy/wheelchair (not quite true, since there is baby changing facilities - will describe further on)

Menu and food options are brilliant. It's a seafood restaurant, but there are veg options. We weren't too hungry and as it was lunch, we decided on a few starters. The quality of food is great and everything tastes fresh. I asked made one minor tweak and they were fine with it. We thought everything was spot on, except both of us had Calamari and I enjoyed mine more than partner enjoyed hers. It seams the special seasoning mix worked for me, but not to her taste.

We had a noisy group of older men behind us, constantly talking about how many millions they make of business deals blah blah with ruined the atmosphere. Other customers were great though. Service is prompt and customer service is spot on

Barnacles care about feedback and they gave us a slip to complete. A simple tick box but a coiple of lines for "what could we have done better", or said the following

-0% alcohol wine (they have plenty of 0% beer and one cava) -better baby change facilities (turns out there's only one changing facility and it's in the women's loo! I mentioned this to staff at at end and they said Barnacles have that on their radar) disabled toilets (they didn't quite say this was they they'd look into, but I mentioned most places have change facilities in the disabled loo)

Overall - would recommend (as we have done over the years!), but feel that it is a little overpriced. We will...