Gate Chorley Wood — Restaurant in Three Rivers

We two ladies (a vegan and a vegetarian) were staying the night at a nearby farm with my two small children yesterday and, as I’d enjoyed dining at this pub pre-pandemic, I had booked a table for the four of us here for dinner.

We were fortunate enough to have Henry waiting on us. He managed to deal with a very very busy evening with a smile on his face and polite manner throughout. Nothing was too much for him whenever we requested anything - and we requested an awful lot! Absolutely stellar service - thanks so much Henry!

Two of the four plant-based mains on the vegan menu were mains most would typically have at lunchtime and not for dinner (a nourish bowl and a humous flatbread) so I felt that there really only were two options for me to choose from (a vegan burger and a vegan curry) however, I didn’t fancy either so at least one more cruelty-free starter option and mains option would have been welcome.

Having said that, it was nice not to have been lumbered with just a sorbet for dessert as there were at least a couple other desserts (on top of the usual sorbet!) that were plant-based and that sounded lovely. We opted for the billionaires slice to takeaway at the end so we could enjoy it our hot tub that night once the kids were asleep and enjoy it we did!

Unfortunately none of this made up for the fact that we came across hair in not one but two separate dishes that we ordered - one hair looked silvery grey or blonde and the other looked a shade of light brown but was possibly also blonde. We two ladies are brunettes so the hairs most certainly didn’t belong to us.

Furthermore, our bottle of red was opened and brought over to our table by a man at the bar who didn’t wait to find out whether the wine was alright or not as he ran back to the bar straight away. We poured it for ourselves and luckily the Merlot was fine.

We were utterly exhausted from a very long day and we also felt bad for the staff so I didn’t raise any of the above issues at the time. It was very clear that the waiting and bar staff were already unable to cope due to a larger number of patrons than they were accustomed to and not enough employees on the ground.

In retrospect though I’m upset with myself for not mentioning at the time the reason why two of our dishes were left untouched. Please review your procedures and systems for ensuring food hygiene as they simply aren’t working. Health & Safety is paramount in the hospitality industry and no one else should have to experience what we...

Having visited The Gate on numerous occasions in the past without a problem, I was very disappointed with my experience there yesterday. I booked a table for three people to celebrate a friends birthday. It started well when I arrived 10 minutes early and was seated at a nice table in the open doorway to the garden, which was perfect as it was a hot day. I ordered a drink while I was waiting for two friends, who arrived on time. They were directed to where I was sitting, but a long time passed before anyone came to ask if they would like a drink. We ordered two scallops and one black pepper squid for starters and two Sea Bass with vegetables and one super green salad topped with sea bass fillets. Then we waited and waited and waited. Eventually, the starters arrived, but it was immediately apparent that they had been sitting on the pass for a considerable time, the salad garnish was wilted, the scallops dry and crunchy and the squid so hard and rubbery, it was impossible to cut, as demonstrated to the manager, who was very apologetic and took all three back to the kitchen. After another wait an edible version arrived and was satisfactory. Then the mains arrived, and the sea bass was very overcooked and dry and literally curling up at the edges. The roasted new potatoes were hard and black and inedible. On a positive note, my super green salad with pineapple dressing was very tasty though. All in all, it was very disappointing, especially as it was a special occasion. The starters were not charged on our bill, which was appreciated, but I felt embarrassed and responsible, as it was my decision to book...

We eat here about twice a month, spending at least £100-£180 a time for a family of 4. More often than not, the food is very good, the staff excellent and the price (although expensive) is just about ok.

I’ve reviewed them before and been very complimentary, but it’s only fair to share both good and bad experiences.

This was our first time eating in a Sunday, as we’re normally busy on this day. So we thought we’d give the roast a go, compared to the normal pizza/burger/pie fare on a Saturday/weekday.

Never again; it was shocking. The lamb was tougher than eating a rugby boot. The pork that was served up was ridiculously small - literally the size of two fingers and half of that was completely fatty. Add three potato’s and and couple of carrots and prepare to part with £23ea.

We politely spoke to the really lovely server and he looked completely embarrassed and he kindly got some more pork for us; he offered this, we didn’t ask for it.

That said though, it shouldn’t have happened. The chef really needs to appreciate portion control for adults is different to infants, especially when you’re paying adult prices. We’re not all greedy, but I can’t emphasise how ridiculously small the size was.

So, avoid the roasts, the other days HAVE been good. I’m sure maybe the chef had an off day; we all do - but tough lamb, minuscule pork, 9 potatoes between 3 people and a few random vegetables does not equate to £75 being anything approaching even fair value.

A couple of drinks each and a shared starter and there’s £120 blown.

So disappointing, as we’ve previously had good...