The Windmill — Restaurant in Surrey Heath

Unfortunately this was a very bad experience. We had noted the mixed reviews but felt it was worth a punt. It wasn’t.

Overall I’d give:

Service : 2 or 3 / 10 Food : 1 Mgmt and Response to problem : 1

The girls who were serving did seem considerate and perhaps we just understaffed but the service was very slow (had to wait to order drinks, then had to wait 15 mins for drinks to arrive).

When the drinks did arrive they were minus the glass of wine. When this finally arrived (several minutes later) it was warm. We had to ask for ice, but there was no one to ask. In the end I want to the bar to get some for myself.

We then had to wait to order food. When we ordered I asked specifically how the roast beef was cooked - we were told medium rare

Attached is the photo of the beef that arrived (again slow to serve - we had to wait). As you can see, about the least medium rare beef I’ve ever seen. Dry, over cooked and honestly, awful.

My kids were by this stage so hungry they ate it regardless but I felt it was all so bad I wanted to comment. On commenting I was told no problem, they would switch it for a medium rare.

Everyone else started eating and I waited. Five minutes later I was told sorry, today the beef had been cooked medium-well, so no beef possible if you didn’t want rubber. I asked what was fast, they said roast pork, i said ok to switch to that.

Everyone else had finished by the time my pork arrived. The meat was ok albeit still high% fat and gristle, but unfortunately the potatos were now terrible. My kids told me theirs had been the same. Soft, spongey “roasts”. I’ve never seen my boys leave “roast potatoes” but then that is possibly because these again were the least “roast” potatoes I’ve ever experienced. Were they even potatoes??

Just to make matters worse, once the manager was called over he added insult to injury. Absolutely insincere in his apology and extremely rude in his manner. He even had the audacity to sarcastically comment that he was sorry my kids hadn’t enjoyed their meat (as I say they had been so starving they had just eaten) and seemingly pointedly offered no apology to my husband or I.

All this time the serving staff were gathered at the bar laughing at our experience. My children were mortified and hugely embarrassed (also to be fair at the fact we had raised a complaint at all) but on the way out they asked for a chalk and proposed we wrote “awful” above the sign that said “roasts served all day”.

Honestly I can’t remember a worse Sunday meal out. Ever. Awful food, awful service and despite us refusing to pay for the terrible beef, still a lot of money.

Also: No cutlery was provided for our toddler no large bottles of sparking water available no bread provided (you have to order a mezze plate to get any bread) kids portions were tiny

To the mgmt reading this review: I appreciate your responsiveness at past negative reviews but may I suggest that rather than posting a somewhat standard reply, you gather your team and make sure that the same doesn’t happen to another family. It really was a...

Terrible experience this time. Firstly, we deliberately booked a normal menu as we were not staying for News Years Eve, but the only option was an overpriced fixed £55 menu (which was not declared or even available when booked). Secondly, upon mentioning this the waitress couldn't have cared less, just repeating "I'm sorry" but making no effort explain, or get the manager. She just wanted to take the orders. Clearly she didn't want to be there, and made sure we knew it. The food itself was fine, but like for like on a normal day would have cost about £12 less, and there was nothing special about the NYE, with the exception of a pretty mediocre saxophonist. The 31st is not a bank holiday, so there is no excuse to over charge for a total non-event (we booked ta 6pm and left by 8.30pm so this was not an NYW party). Finally, the food was OK, first and 2nd course, but the dessert was abysmal. The so called "snowball" was two halves of a meringue with some sludge in it (supposed to be cinnamon cream), but it has no taste. More importantly it had no dark fruits, or biscuits, that was advertised. When we complained they took it away and returned with 3 bits of old, chewy, dried fruit in it. We sent it back again. At the end of the meal they did take the £5 dessert costs off, but no apology and in fact the waitress seemed quite upset we didn't thank her profusely. Still no contact with the manager, who we could see hiding behind the bar all night. Finally, we decided not to leave a tip because quite frankly the service was not good enough, and the food not much better. When we left, we were greeted with a very sarcastic goodbye from the more senior waitress, telling has to have wonderful and generous New Year, but with no hint of smile, and it was shouted at as we exited. I did intend to go back in, but we had more important things to do, and quite frankly didn't want to get into a fight on NYE. So overall a very disappointing experience, that could have been so easily rectified with some genuine heartfelt apologies or the manager actually bothering to do his job. We will never come back, and being local will also make sure our local community is also aware of how poor our experience was. With so many other lovely gastro-pubs in the area, we won't miss The...

Here was the conversation:

Me: Hello can I order some lunch please? Windmill: of course I walk to bar, pick up menu, see lunch special of 2 courses for £12.95 Me: Can I have the chicken starter and pork belly main please and a pint of diet coke Windmill: Of course Me: would it be OK if I sit in that corner (want to work on my laptop) Windmill: No problem All good to here…………….. Windmill: (comes to where I am sitting) do you want to pay cash or run a tab? Me: I’d like to pay cash (getting out purse) Windmill: sorry, I can’t do that, you’ll have to come to the bar Me: OK, I’ll run a tab Windmill: Sorry I can’t do that Me: So what can I do? Windmill: You’ll have to come to the bar Me: no problem, but you could have told me when I ordered Windmill: that will be £27.95 Me: but I thought it was £12.95 for two courses? Windmill: It is, but only for the items with the sign Me: Ah OK, my mistake. I’ll have the gammon then as there seem to be only 2 non vegetarian options Windmill: We don’t have the gammon Me: OK, the Pizza then Windmill: Our pizza oven is broken Me: OK, the sandwich then but this isn’t really a choice Windmill: OK that will be £18.95 Me: right, so a diet coke is £6 then? Windmill: no, but we don’t have diet coke on tap so we have to give you two bottles at £2.95 each Me: really? Don’t you have anything similar on draft? Windmill: yes, you can have a pint of diet Pepsi for £2.95 Me: (exasperated) OK, that’s fine

Windmill delivers starter and main course Me: Could I have some mayo and ketchup please Windmill: We don’t have any ketchup Me: (incredulous) OK……………

Me: (half way through main course) could I have my diet Pepsi now please?

Is this a joke?

They then tried to blame the new girl but really this is all I needed from them: ‘For your info, the lunch is only the items with the sign and we have no gammon and no pizza today. By all means sit over there but there is no table service in that area. Also, even though most dishes come with fries, we have no ketchup. If you want a pint of diet coke, you can have two bottles of diet coke for £5.90 or a pint of diet pepsi for £2.95?’ Easy.

I think this...