Alexander's Grand Café, Bar & Terrace — Restaurant in Skipton

I keep giving this place another chance because it’s in such a lovely setting but leave disappointed every-time. The first time I visited I ordered steak and the kitchen refused to make a sauce to go with it, I gave feedback to management and they agreed that making a sauce shouldn’t have need a problem, we were offered free cocktails on our next visit to compensate but wernt able to redeem them because of Covid.

The second time we visited was summer ‘22. I ordered prawns which came covered in eggs and when I say covered, I mean COVERED! I raised this and the waitress was quite rude and told me that it did state in the small print on the menu that they may contain eggs due to it being breeding season. I checked the menu and this wasn’t the case, they simply just hadn’t been washed.

Last night we attended the Off Piste experience, this was something we were really looking forward to and had been for a while. The table wasn’t ready when we arrived and we had to wait 15mins at the bar which originally wasn’t a problem. The ‘alpine lodge’ was lovely inside but freezing cold as there was an open doorway. Some items were missing from the set menu and we wernt given any explanation until we asked why we hadn’t been brought certain things. Food was ok but poor value for money, it was supposed to be a 5 course tasting menu… the soup was lovely as was the salmon. Bratwurst were really salty and potato rosti was rock hard and tasteless. The alpine pizza was tiny and had a part of it cut off when it was served (this was supposed to feed 5 people). Cheese fondue was watery and not warm enough and the ‘ mini croque monsieur’ was just toast with a bit of ham and cheese inside. Part way through the fourth course, which had come out at the kitchens pace, we were given a 30min warning that they needed the table back at 19:20 and told we were welcome to take desert home in a box. I explained that we were late to the table as it wasn’t ready, the food had come out slowly through no fault of our own and at £55 per head we most certainly would not be taking desert home in a box!

Overall disappointing experience, bill was almost £400 and we all left...

I want to start by saying that after visiting Alexanders they send you an email for feedback - directing you to public reviews for positive comments, and emails for negative feedback. As I'd previously visited and had a good experience, I emailed them with my feedback, explaining I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt rather than heading straight to public reviews. That was almost 2 weeks ago and I've heard nothing from them, so here's the review...

We'd visited Alexanders before. It's expensive, but it's a pretty venue, and the service was good, so we decided to give them a try when we were in Skipton and looking for somewhere for Sunday lunch.

I ordered the beef Sunday roast (£28) and my friend orderd the beef sirloin and horseradish sandwich (£18). Even with the context of understanding this restaurant is on the pricier side of things, we were expecting something pretty spectacular for these prices, and we were left disappointed.

I think my friend could have cried when the sandwich arrived. It was a small brioche roll with 2 slices of meat, a genuinely tiny scraping of horseradish in a pot (he asked for it separate), and a spoonful of closeslaw. The chips he paid extra for (£7.50 because they had parmesan shavings and truffle oil on).

My dinner arrived and I asked for some horseradish to go with it. After 5 minutes of waiting with things starting to go cold we were told there was none left, but someone could go to the shop for me if I wanted to wait (explains the teeny portion with the sandwich). The beef, yorkshire and roast potatoes were nice. The roasted root veg were lukewarm. The cauliflower cheese was mushy and tasteless.

We'd have passed this feedback on but nobody asked us how our meal was.

Excessively overpriced for what we received. If we'd ordered a starter and dessert to go with it we could have afforded Sunday dinner at the savoy! Terrible value for money, but mostly disappointed in the lack of customer service every...

Sunday, July 9th was a truly impressive experience for us. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted at the door by a smartly dressed young man who exuded professionalism. He promptly showed us to our table on the terrace, and just as we settled in, menus were delivered along with chilled water and a well-curated wine list. The attention to detail was evident in every aspect of the dining experience.

We decided not to try the Sunday special from the menu, and to our delight, there were still plenty of alternative options available. Our order was taken efficiently, and just as the service was about to begin, unexpected rain started. Despite the sudden change in weather, there was no fuss or panic. The staff politely ushered us inside to a table that had already been prepared, offering a beautiful view of the terrace. All we had to do was carry our drinks in hand.

Without any further delay, our first course was served along with the wine we had chosen. Every aspect of the meal was of excellent quality, and we had no complaints whatsoever. The flavors, presentation, and attention to detail truly stood out.

After finishing our meal, we decided to indulge in an extra drink. As a treat, I ordered a very special brandy. It was a delightful surprise to have it served in the proper type of glass, pre-warmed and covered to retain its aromatic qualities. This extra touch was quite unusual and greatly appreciated.

This was our first visit to the establishment, and it goes without saying that it certainly won't be our last. While it may be a bit pricey, the level of service, quality of the food, and overall ambience are worth every penny. We would have expected to pay even more for such exceptional experiences.

We extend a big thank you to all the staff members, both seen and unseen, who contributed to making our dining experience...