The Waggoners — Restaurant in Welwyn Hatfield

Don’t usually write a review but feel need to share this.disappointing experience. Considering the restaurant was empty (no blame for no atmosphere ) the service was not good… No blame for the waitress being inexperienced but having to ask for a wine list twice & after waiting for some time had to actually ask for the glass of wine ! In my opinion is not due to inexperience. As for the wine … £8.20 for a 175 ml glass ! … brought to the table served in a very small glass to give the appearance of getting a lot ! I would have liked to have to seen the bottle to know what wine I was given for this price ! Our starters .. tomato soup just like you can buy in a carton from any supermarket £6.50 & the crepes soggy with the fish dry & skin on the sauce so it seemed like it was reheated in a microwave! £12 .. Disappointing Mains .. both had the pollock my partner liked the taste of the dish I didn’t so can’t complain about that but the fish was dry & it was just a brown / beige heap in a dish .. a green vegetable would have made it look a bit more appealing & it also seemed like it was microwave reheated due to the dry fish £26 each!! Both had desserts which were ok but certainly not worth the price.£7.50 each All in all a very disappointing experience as we had been so looking forward to dining there. We have certainly eaten in more expensive restaurants & not been disappointed On top of the price of the meal there was a 10% service charge! The total bill was £106 with only one alcoholic drink! We won’t be returning or...

An excellent meal served in a nice location.

I found this restaurant/pub based on some great reviews online, and it didn't disappoint. The service was impeccable: polite and quick, without being pressured. There were three ways to order food - a la carte, two or three course menu, or a five-course tasting menu. A la carte turned out to be the most expensive way, but a great meal for two with a glass of excellent wine could be had for £80. The dishes were mostly either French or English with a French twist.

The ham hock and fois gras terrine was an innovative take on the usual, with the textures and tastes working together in harmony. In fact, the whole meal oozed classy combinations and great tastes - it was clear that the chef really knew what he was doing.

The chateaubriand steak for main was not only cooked nicely, but it was quite a sight too, with the waiter expertly carving it and serving it in front of the table. The one disappointment was a slightly overcooked steak for rare, but it was only slight.

The setting was a pub that had been made gastro - but not in a garish or unpleasant way. It had both the class of a fancy restaurant and the warmth and welcome of a pub. A great place - a bit out of the way too - and well...

Disappointing lunch. I went with a friend for the Ladies Lunch and it was sadly underwhelming. The champagne cocktail was flat, no fizz, and the bottle had clearly been open for a long while, with a dash of orange juice it was hardly a cocktail. We both had the prawns with chilli sauce and were disappointed to see it was shop bought sauce. I had the chicken kebabs which were so dry and chewy I left most of them, my friend had the seafood linguine, there were 4 minute prawns and the sauce was inedible, it wasn't a sauce but tomato puree, so strong you could not eat it, she also left her meal. The waiter did notice this when he picked up our plates but did not comment or ask. We had 2 scoops of lemon sorbet for dessert, shop bought again and we didn't bother with tea or coffee as we decided it would be better at home. Such a shame as in the past we have had very good meals there. We are unsure if it is because the Ladies menu is cheap food, shop bought to keep the price down or whether the standards have generally dropped. I was asked directly from the Waggoners to review, which I did, and I notice they did not publish my review. We...