Bar + Block Steakhouse Leamington Spa — Restaurant in Warwick

Pros: Attached to the Premier Inn, so convenient for 2 breakfasts and 2 dinners for our young family of 4. Clean, spacious, pleasant ambiance. Excellent breakfast staff and food (despite the lack of black pudding on day 2), and I like that we're back to the cooked buffet self-service (5 stars).

Cons: (dinner)

After 12-15 mins when I have to ask for our dinner drinks' order to be taken, and you're under-staffed (I'm guessing now), there's a positive way for a restaurant manager to handle that. Telling us you will only visit our table twice ((this being the first?)) to take our orders, so we need to order everything at once, is really not it. I think our drinks arrived 20-30 mins after our arrival. By that stage our 2 young kids (the only reason we're at the 18:20 sitting) were hangry and I'm really not loving spending money at your restaurant after an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing day up to that point.

Your dinner kitchen has a timing issue. Within minutes of giving us our starters, telling us the mains were ready at the same time as the starters is bonkers. I asked you to hold the mains for 5 minutes (after you warned us about the heat lamps drying the meat out). The mains arrived after 15 minutes, and you were right about those desiccating heat lamps.

Dinner food quality was generally hit and miss. The crispy asian beef was a game of 'find the meat'. I lost. That bearnaise sauce was truly dreadful.

Advice: Be upfront with guests if there are staffing issues, and don't shift your stress to us. Read your guests - if you've not done a great job probably don't give us a 'spread the word' review card, and perhaps consider a drink on the house.

Finally, I hate leaving bad reviews. Only sympathy for the staffing issue (presumably beyond your control) is why this is not a 2 star or...

Purchased 2 courses for 13.50. I had the tiniest salad I've ever seen on a lunch!!! It wasn't even a 1/4 of a small side plate. I had the seabass (which I know is more expensive) it was supposed to be chargilled but it was bland, pale and unseasoned. It came on a side plate with a tiny amount of rocket, 3 half cherry tomatoes and probably 4 bits of red onion, it did have 2 pieces of flat bread but it was it was tiny!!! I did say to her that it was really disappointing! She even said it was really small. If I hadn't have paid for 2 courses and had halloumi fries I'd have been even more starving! My son had burger and fries which was OK, paid for him to have wings too so he was fine, no frills obviously and still a side plate but his was just about enough. It costs pence to put salad on a plate, literally pence!!! Very underwhelmed!

It was an early birthday lunch for me too off my 17 year old son so he's absolutely gutted! She knocked a coke off and it was still £32. Unless you want a burger or sandwich then I wouldn't bother with Bar and block. I wish I'd taken a photo, it was an embarrassing amount but I was starving and left still starving! As for atmosphere, there was only us and an elderly couple in there so there wasn't an atmosphere. The lady was nice...

Lovely place. Interior is bang on modern with a twist of old. Staff were very helpful and friendly but a tad slow. It was busy. Couple of them new too ( more forgiving) 2 for 1 cocktails untill 7pm was nice to take advantage of. There was one that tasted " just horrible " ( unsure what the issue was ) They replaced with an alternative no problem. I was very well oiled and placed an order for a sweet and sour cocktail. Staff walked around 5 times to deliver it to me. I forgot I had ordered it. I went to the bar after realising and they had thankfully kept it to the side for me. I didnt have a steak but the others I was with highly rated their steaks. I had a share platter with a couple of sides. No complaints. Well presented and good quality food. They are a bit on the pricey side( location and steaks I guess ) but I'd return for sure. They accommodated us very well considering there was 12 of us and we were a tad loud. That was appreciated. Cocktails in photos are Candy floss cocktail Mojitos Single one was a sweet and sour Other two we're the gross ones and can't remember the...