Cross Foxes — Restaurant in Wales

First of all, I would like to explain that I have never written a negative review in my life but in this case it’s a must! I had booked Sunday Lunch for the family as part of our journey to Cardiff that day. The service upon arrival was average but didn’t find this a big problem, it could have been better, it could have been worse. But our experience of trying to eat our Sunday lunch was awful. Yes, it was an extremely hot day and yes, you do expect a few flies to be about with windows open. But, there were around 6 to 7 house flies constantly circling our table to the point that we had to eat with a fork in one hand and a napkin in the other to constantly swat the flies away! This was throughout the whole meal. Flies landed on our food, on our forks, the veg was served in separate dishes therefore the flies landed in those. We couldn’t swat the veg dishes as we were too busy making sure our plates were clear!! As a result, we couldn’t eat the remaining veg because the flies had been in them. When the staff came to ask how we were getting along with our meal, I said the food was lovely but the flies are a problem, to which she responded “Yes I know”, and walked away! I decided that I wanted a word about the situation as I didn’t think it was fair to pay £97 for 4 lunches that we weren’t able to enjoy or finish. Just to explain, there wasn’t air con in the restaurant inside so they had all the windows open and there was a small fan on one worktop. I understand that they didn’t have solutions in place to regulate the problem, although the flies were much more than average and should be addressed. But surely, they didn’t expect customers to put up with flies in their food on numerous occasion and had to swat flies throughout the whole meal without some sort of apology or a small percentage off of the price of the meal!|I was told I would have to have a word with the receptionist and so I did. I explained to my fellow Welsh speaker in a courteous manner that the food tasted delicious but the flies had been a constant problem. She rudely cut me off, in a condescending tone, insulting my intelligence by saying it’s a hot day, the windows are open and I should expect this. I asked her to give me an opportunity to explain, thinking once she had realised how bad the problem was, the flies had been in our food and on our cutlery on more than one occasion and hadn’t been able to finish the remaining veg, that she would be apologetic and understanding. Quite the opposite! She basically said that she wouldn’t take any money off in an unfriendly manner and that other people just put up with it! Astounded with her attitude, I asked “You’re telling me that other people are happy to eat food with flies in it?” and she smiled sarcastically saying “Yes!” I noted that her lack of patience was shocking, walked away and paid the FULL bill without a tip! So, to conclude, if you enjoy a Sunday lunch with a side of flies and attitude, this is the perfect...

Review of The Cross Foxes Inn

There are pubs that welcome you in with a smile, a handshake and perhaps the faint suggestion of a second mortgage for their wine list. Then there are pubs like The Cross Foxes, which manages, quite magnificently, to make you feel as though you’ve accidentally wandered into a private wake.

From the moment I crossed the threshold, the air grew thick with the kind of silent judgement usually reserved for people who ask to see the vegan menu at a steakhouse. The older staff, fixed with expressions somewhere between suspicion and indigestion, looked at me as though I’d just tracked cow dung across their Axminster carpet. There was no “Hello,” no “Good afternoon.” Just a withering look that said: Are you sure you’re supposed to be here?

And matters only went downhill. In a rash moment of parental benevolence, I asked for a shandy for my children — a harmless, near-temperate concoction of lemonade and the faintest whiff of lager, the sort of thing that has lubricated family pub lunches for generations. You’d have thought I’d asked for a crack pipe and two spoons. The response was brisk, officious, and delivered with the faintly incredulous tone reserved for second-class citizens and tax-dodgers. It was at this point I realised the hierarchy at The Cross Foxes: locals first, dogs second, strangers dead last.

Now, onto the food. “Average” would be a kindness; it was food that had given up on itself. Their so-called “blue cheese sauce” turned out not to be blue cheese at all, but a peppercorn slurry that bore about as much relation to Roquefort as I do to Beyoncé. The fish, encased in batter that was surprisingly competent, concealed a flesh so dry it could have doubled as kindling. Chips were limp, salad garnish was a scattering of leaves that looked embarrassed to be there, and the whole business spoke of a kitchen operating on autopilot — one where “flavour” is an optional extra, and “care” went out the back door with the recycling.

The room itself is perfectly fine in that bland, heritage-pub way: low beams, carefully curated rustic charm, and the faint whiff of Sunday roasts past. But when the service is frosty and the food is a drudge, the prettiest décor in the world cannot save you. A dining room, after all, is not a museum exhibit. It’s meant to be somewhere people want to eat.

In the end, The Cross Foxes offers a lesson in how not to run a pub. Yes, the car park is full. But it’s full of people who don’t care about food, only about proximity. This is a place trading not on hospitality, but on convenience. And while the view from the terrace may be spectacular, you’d be better off bringing a picnic and sparing yourself the indignity of being treated like an unwelcome guest at your own meal.

Verdict: Batter better than the fish it hides. Service colder than the beer. If you must cross anything,...

Apparently a group of foxes is called, amongst other things, a 'skulk', which seems rather a negative word, but no negatives with the accommodation at the Cross Foxes.||We have eaten here many times, we live somewhat locally; close enough to drive over for lunch and make it into a day out, but just a bit too far to go over for dinner and face the drive back in the dark. So we decided to try out the rooms on offer and combine it with a booking for the Curry Night, held on the last Friday of each month.||There are just six rooms available, four on the first floor and two suites under the eaves. We were allocated Cyfrwy, described as an Executive Room - comfortable bed, with a hand stitched headboard to represent Cader idris, a stunning stone fireplace, desk, chair, amenity tray and storage and hanging for a modest suitcase full of clothes. ||The room overlooked the road coming up from Tal-y-llyn and had secondary glazing, which blocked out any traffic noise. ||The bathroom was compact, but had everything we needed with rainfall shower and four separate heads at about chest level (tricky to manage without getting water on the floor!), ample towels and complimentary toiletries.||The bedrooms are accessed by a discreet door, just off the entrance hall to the restaurant, up a flight of stairs (obviously another flight to the suites) and they feel quite private and distinct from the hustle and bustle of the bar and grill downstairs.||There was a decent sized TV mounted on the wall, the room was warm and comfortable and we didn't notice any noise from downstairs.||Breakfast was served in the morning (which was a Saturday) between the very respectable hours of 8:00 and 10:30. We went down at 9:00 to find that we were the last to come down to eat; the hotel / restaurant is ideally situated for hikers, so we presumed that our fellow guests had got up early to walk.||A selection of cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit and fruit juice were available on a table in the middle of the room, with hot choices to order. My waffles with bacon, blueberries and maple syrup was delicious and my other half customised elements of the Full English (or should that be Welsh) and was very complimentary.||Service was good, the server was friendly and chatty - people are in mid Wales - and even though, as mentioned, we were the last to eat breakfast, we didn't feel rushed in any way at all.||We were looking for a staycation, a short break not too far from home and it suited us well, Cross Foxes is just at that point where the rolling green of mid Wales, our home, morphs into the craggy, mountains of the north and the landscapes are quite stunning, interesting driving too.||For those who love the outdoors, this is ideally located, and the hotel has a number of offers for walkers which include such facilities as packed lunches and full board.||Well...