The Ragley Boat Stop — Restaurant in South Derbyshire

The Ragley Boat Stop - An Experience to AVOID at All Costs! My recent visit to The Ragley Boat Stop was a truly dismal and frankly, a waste of precious time and money. I feel it's my duty to share this experience to spare others the same profound disappointment.

From the moment we walked in, the staff's inexperience and lack of professionalism were painfully obvious. Simple tasks seemed to befuddle them, leading to prolonged waits and a general sense of disarray. There was no warmth or genuine welcome, just a palpable lack of training that made every interaction feel like an imposition.

The food itself was nothing short of a culinary disappointment. It was shockingly bland, utterly devoid of flavour, and had the distinct taste and texture of something that had been merely reheated in a microwave. The products clearly weren't fresh, which was baffling given the price. While the cost might have been on the cheaper side, it was a direct and unflattering reflection of the substandard quality on offer. This wasn't just poor; it was truly revolting and disgusting food.

Beyond the unappetizing meals, the entire establishment felt like a time capsule from a bygone era, and not in a charming way. The outdated fixtures and fittings contributed to a lame and uninviting atmosphere, making it clear that no real investment has been made in the customer experience. Despite being in a potentially nice location, the interior's shabbiness completely detracts from any external appeal.

My experience is far from unique, and indeed, it is overwhelmingly corroborated by numerous other patrons. A quick glance at online platforms like TripAdvisor reveals a stark and damning reality: a staggering 50% of reviews are two stars or below, with 197 people specifically awarding just one star. This isn't merely below standard; it's a clear indictment of a widespread and consistent failure. It absolutely proves that it's not just my individual opinion, but a systemic issue at this establishment.

This overwhelming consensus unequivocally confirms my assessment that this place is fundamentally flawed. Even though it's set in a nice location, it demonstrably lacks everything that makes a dining experience worthwhile – from service and atmosphere to, most crucially, the quality of its food.

Unless your idea of a good time involves enduring substandard, low-cost food, served by clearly unprepared staff, in a tired and unappealing environment, with truly revolting and disgusting food, I strongly advise against visiting The Ragley Boat Stop. Learn from the numerous, damning reviews and...

Good Afternoon Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you today to express my disappointment with your pub/restaurant, that My fiancée who is also the mother to my unborn little girl, her best friend her husband and Myself visited on the 1st of September 2018.

It started off well, with a great located facility and a great atmosphere when entering. Only for it to go down hill from there. We weren’t greeted by any staff to ask if we were ok. Or just a gesture of greeting like a smile of a nod of the head I would of accepted. However we received none of these.

We then went up the stairs to find our seating, we weren’t aware that we could sit anywhere and again were not addressed or even acknowledged by a member of staff. The disappointment continues when ordering our food. We assumed that we would have to go to the bar to order which is no problem at all, however it would been nice to have to seen a smile or atleast have the lady behind the bar have some sort of enthusiasm.

We were sat at table 95 upstairs only for this not to be cleaned before we were there. Or no member of staff offered to clean this for us. It felt like a nice evening that was planned for a double date, had unfortunately taken and a bad turn.

I wish it stopped there, once we had order our meals at the bar, once the food came to our table the waitress didn’t know what was what when giving it to the designated people. She thought a vegetable lasagna was a beef lasagna, along with the Brie bites being scampi?? a little bit unprofessional. Along with this once we had ordered desert we order 1 lemon meringue pie, which my fiancée and the her best friend would be sharing, we asked for this to come with 2 spoons. A simple task for some. This was not the case. We asked a member of staff if we could get a spoon to which we had to ask again twice to finally get a spoon.

Working in customer service myself and having done so for 5 years. I know what to expect when have customers come in, and how to remain professional. However this was not one of those occasions that we witnessed. It was far below our expectations and we would definitely not recommend this to friend or family.

After spending near on £70 for this trip out for meals and desserts. It definitely wasn’t worth the time and effort. To be treated like we weren’t...

Been a while since I've written a review, but after eating one of the worst meals I've had out in a long time, I felt I should. I fully believe this place is trading on it's good location, and using it as an excuse to get away with serving sub-standard food.

I ordered the pan-fried salmon. The salmon itself was overcooked, and so dry you'd never believe it had lived in water it's whole life. Served with new potatoes and green beans, of which both were extremely dry without even a hint of oil/butter, and no seasoning whatsoever. The white wine and mushroom sauce was rather 'bitty'. I would suggest maybe it had curdled when adding the cream, but I'd be surprised if it was even made on site.

My wife's chicken skewer didn't look too great either. Dry/unseasoned potatoes again, and mushy peas that have clearly come from a tin.

I am aware that this is 'standard' pub food, and if I was paying, say, Wetherspoons prices, maybe it would be more understandable. But I'm not paying those prices. I would be embarrassed to serve these meals up to my wife at home, let alone in a restaurant.

Photos of the meals included, in case anybody think I'm over-exaggerating.

I wish I could give a separate rating to the waiting and bar staff, who I should at least say were very good and attentive. The service itself was fine, it was just the food that was poor. I should also point out that I've heard from others that the steak dishes here are of a much better quality. If that is true, maybe the menu should be looked at, and altered to only serve food they know how/can be bothered to...