Shellfish Cow Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in South Oxfordshire

We had a terrible evening here. First of all we weren’t given a warm welcome by the person who seated us and we were left without a menu for around 10 mins. The atmosphere was awful and the place was dark, dingy, dirty and looked like it needed a full revamp. When it came to taking our order we were told there were two lobsters left, one of which we ordered. Then around 15 mins after we ordered a different waitress said that the lobster was given to someone else, and when we asked about the other one she said that one wasn’t available either. We were really disappointed that they took so long to tell us the lobster had sold out as that’s what we came for and if we knew they were low on stock when we booked, we would have either reserved the lobster or not bothered booking! The dishes that we ended up having had no flavour and the clams were brought out about half an hour before everything else every though we didn’t ask for them to be served separately. The waitress also told us what we ordered was more than enough for the two of us to share which it defiantly wasn’t! The portions were so tiny and so expensive for the tiny amount of food that was served and we were left hungry. Do not recommend to anyone due to the poor service,...

Disappointed! Came because of a recommendation - immediately unimpressed by being left in a poky upstairs room for 20mins whilst the waitresses moved the furniture around us. Took 20mins to get a drink and despite a desperate request for bread this took a further 10mins. The food, when it arrived, was OK on my side - Moules, but my dining partner found his Linguine unpalatable. However as our dining was punctuated by the loud and piercing tones of the (hairdressing?) convention next door, it was definitely not a relaxing experience. When pointed out to the waitress the volume of the room next door - she defended them and said they “had hired the room” - yes, but they are not just a affecting the room… are they! Our dining experience was clearly mirrored by other clientele, as a table of 7 sat down, read the menus and soaked in the ambience before promptly leaving! The manager who spoke to us was conciliatory but I’m afraid it did not make up for the overall experience. Do...

Fantastic food and service, reasonably priced and a real treat for both a nice evening out and a special occasion.

I recently booked a table for 7, celebrating the mother-in-laws birthday. We were politely greeted and were provided a nice large table which didn't feel cramped as some can when you have a large group.

It was a Sunday, so the normal menu was available plus the option of a Sunday lunch, which most of the table opted for. Personally, I ordered mussels, king prawns and scallops, each in a different sauce, with a side of chips.

The staff were knowledgeable, guiding us through our first visit with great personality a and clarity.

The food was fresh, hot and delicious. From someone who visits Padstow regularly, the seafood on offer was comparable and maybe even better than some I had sampled before.

I recommend a visit for any reason and will certainly be going...