The Tuning Fork — Restaurant in Rugby

Review edited from 1 star to 4....Upon reading my review Elaine the owner contacted me. She was extremely apologetic and we discussed a few of my experiences at her restaurant. She was very upset to hear of what had happened to me, and to hear the reasons I reviewed the tuning fork as noted below. We were invited back for breakfast and it was a really enjoyable experience. Food was delicious as always and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Hopefully this continues and we can always enjoy our visits at the Tuning Fork.

(Original review) I have visited numerous times throughout the summer, at least twice a week and sadly received poor service more than once. Today was the last straw for me...or should I say hair!! Everytime I have visited I have had my three kids with me, today I just had my sleeping baby. So I sat down to enjoy peace and quiet, coffee and some breakfast. Two bites in I find a hair which was underneath the bacon. I quietly spoke to waitress she took the plate , apologised and said she would make another one. That should have been it but sadly your staffs inability to accept fault or display a polite level of customer care fails you once again. The lady supervising came over and abruptly asks do I want them to make the food again or take it off the bill because no staff in the kitchen have long hair. (this was a lie because when I later got up to pay there was a lady in chefs clothes fixing her uncovered hair in the kitchen!!!) I felt so uncomfortable at that point I just asked her to remove the food from the bill and i would leave after my coffee. She came back a second time and asked did I want anything else, I told her how she had handled the issue had ruined my experience and what was to be a peaceful coffee! I quickly drank my coffee and went to pay!! As I said at the start of this review we have visited at least once a week for coffee and cake, I have brought visitors here and met friends here. There have been times when I have left feeling unwelcome, in the way or rushed and yet I kept coming back. There was even one time on the way back from the playground having had a coffee before the playground when I asked could my 2 year old use the toilet and despite being there earlier the staff reluctantly said I could "sneak in" . I am so so disappointed with the way I was treated today and would not recommend...

Came here with my family who had traveled 90 miles to houlton, was hoping for a nice relaxing drink in the courtyard, with either food from the tuning fork, or the adjoining Paddle, we entered the tuning fork to enquire where we should order drinks and food from, and the manager told us next door (the paddle) is best, as they were dead and all the staff were outside on their break. We moved the parasol from our table as it was blocking the sun and the view from each other, then the staff from the tuning fork who where outside with the customers on their break continued to sarcastically tell the manager of how much of an issue this was, then continued to talk about a mundane thing as moving an umbrella for a good 10 minutes, whilst sitting next to us. I don’t know whether ego had taken over, and they thought (all 6 of them, chefs and waitresses) were more entitled to be here, rather than us, paying customers who live 1 minute away, but either way, all of us part of the Houlton Community will be recommending that we spend our hard earned money at somewhere good, where they know the value of customer service. Spoke to the manager and he said it wasn’t a problem as long as I put it back. Again, it was laid on table to be put back, I’ve been a General Manager of Pubs and Restaurants, my team would go out of their way to make guests feel accommodated, neither did the sarcastic chefs and front of house team, nor the Manager. And the food is overpriced. Go somewhere good. Paddle is decent though,...

The food at The Tuning Fork is exceptional – truly some of the best I’ve had locally. The chefs, the menu choices, presentation, taste and flavour are all outstanding, and it’s the reason I’ve kept coming back over the years. The restaurant itself is also beautiful – lovely décor, a great atmosphere, and an overall setting that makes it feel special to visit.

Unfortunately, what really lets it down is the service. On my most recent visit, despite there being several members of staff on shift, we weren’t greeted when we arrived (even though we had a booking) and were left standing for around five minutes while staff dealt with admin. We were eventually seated, but it wasn’t clear whether we should order at the bar or wait for table service, and I had to ask someone to take our order. Service throughout felt slow and inconsistent, and although two staff members were pleasant and did their best, most interactions lacked warmth or even a smile. Plates weren’t cleared after we’d finished, and I had to ask for the bill.

It’s disappointing, because the standard of the food and the ambience of the restaurant deserve much better front-of-house service. I feel the training of waiting staff really needs attention, as the current approach takes away from what could otherwise be an outstanding dining experience.

I’d love to see this improve, because the food and the setting are more than worth it – but for me, the service has been the weak point for some time and sadly...