Miller & Carter Parbold — Restaurant in West Lancashire

I was looking forward to coming here after hearing friends and colleagues rave about the onion loaf and the lettuce wedge and when a friend suggested eating here I was more than up for it.

I'll start with saying I cannot fault the friendlies of the waitresses who served us, they were attentive, chatty and welcoming, knowledgeable of the menu and gave advice.

On a Saturday at 6:30 they didn't look busy but food did take a while to come.

Starters came and my scallops lacked that wow factor, for almost £13 I expected it to be tastier with a burst of flavours. They were warm, and didn't caramelise like scallops do when fried. They were soft underneath. I did think they could have done with longer cooking , one scallop looked very pale and to me, some seemed a little undercooked.

Nethertheless the bacon added a nice crunch and some saltiness, wasn't a fan of the apple sauce though, I didn't think there would be so much of it.

Everyone else seemed to enjoy their starters of; salt and pepper calamari, (which wasn't hot either ) prawn cocktail and sticky wings.

The lettuce wedge came, ( garlic mayo and cheese shaving) and I was very underwhelmed, it is just lettuce! You get a massive portion in a small wooden bowl, it falls out as you try to cut it up l. Nothing special, lettuce is lettuce 😂 I didn't understand it, I read something online about it being a palate cleanser? But I just didn't get it at all...

Mains followed about 10 minutes later, I had my fillet medium/rare, rare was recommended on the menu and it's a good job I didn't follow this advice as my steak was more on the rare side anyway, like very rare... I didn't send it back and ask for it to be cooked more as it was still ok, the meat wasn't chewy and some parts weren't overly rare so I cut around these bits.

Fries were underdone and pale, nothing special, and the onion loaf was disappointing, this was another thing everyone raved about and it just fell flat. Mine was crispy on some end pieces of onion but still soft in places and wet inside?.... Like the onions are sautéed first....

The décor doesn't match the pricing of the food... The seating area I was in had a carpet and it gives Wetherspoon-esque vibes when restaurants do that, that's just my opinion, it doesn't change the taste of the food, but it's about comfort and cleanliness.

The tables are bit Wetherspoon-esque.... dated, stab marks from knives indented in them, old ring marks and how old pubs would have them.

Maybe tables in other areas have nicer floors and seating? Maybe I just got unlucky.

A tray of empty drinks was left out on the window ledge next to our table, only for about 5 minutes but this shouldn't have been left there when the bar is twenty feet or so away.

I don't know if Miller and Carter is classed as 'high end ' but for £34 for the steak I had I expect that price be seen on more of the higher end scale of restaurants.

I was disappointed with my visit as my expectations were far too high, I can say I've tried it and I've been, I don't want to try any other branches because I feel like it's not just the Parbold one that is like this.

Lovely staff, but food not so much on...

I wrote this in December 2021: "Great friendly service and food with a welcoming atmosphere. Was also great to see Knickerbocker Glory dessert back on the menu as a chef's recommendation after so many years.

This dessert was always a favourite of mine when I came to this venue in the 90s when it was the Wiggin Tree. Clearly, it's been a request of many to return!"

UPDATE DECEMBER 2023: How things have changed. The staff are rude and antagonistic, and I felt racially profiled on arrival. Me and my family (wife, mother-in-law, and 4 children aged 6 months to 6 years) attended around midday on 30 December 2023 without a booking. A member of staff told us there was no availability, but could fit us in as a party of 7 at 4-6pm. I then pointed out that three of our children are babies/toddlers, and that we didn't need such a large table as three of them could sit in high chairs.

Before he could respond, the shift manager then came over, and simply told us there is no availability all day. I mentioned that the first staff member said that we could be accommodated at 4pm. The manager, who refused to give his name when I asked, became hostile, and said that's not the case. I felt that he was profiling us as he seemed to make this statement only after looking me and my family up and down. I responded by saying that I am being given opposite information, but he refused to budge, and he didn't even take the time to confer with his colleague.

During the discussion, the first staff member scoffed and walked away. When he returned, I asked if we can book the table he offered for 4pm. He said, yes. The manager then interrupted and said, "No, it's no longer available." The first staff member said, "Well, he's the manager, his choice."

I was shocked, to say the least, and my wife and mother-in-law were becoming upset at the way we were being treated. I stated my concerns about being told opposite information, and having the offer of a table at 4pm suddenly vetoed and retracted for no apparent reason. The manager accused me of being "aggressive" and raising my voice even though I was speaking in the same tone throughout. I felt he had something against us because of our appearance, and I demanded his first name so I could make a complaint. He refused to provide any details of how I could identify him in a complaint, or indeed, how I could make a complaint.

I felt embarrassed and demeaned in front of my family, including my elderly mother-in-law and 4 young children. The behaviour of this "manager" was atrocious, and a far cry to how we have been treated in all the previous years we've attended this restaurant. I recorded most of the conversation, and will be submitting it formally to the head office...

Recently visited here for the first time and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Firstly, this place is in a great location with some stunning views available. The weather wasn’t the greatest when we went, but I could imagine it being lovely sitting outside in the summer and having some great views whilst eating or drinking. The one thing I must really commend this place on though is the truly great service they provide. One of our party can only eat gluten free food and whilst this place offers a good menu to accommodate this, the day we went they were struggling with the fryer they use for gluten free diners, so the choice had been limited. We were advised of this and when alternative food was selected, unfortunately another issue came up, but the amazing staff here did everything possible to get round it and we ended up having a great meal, a great time and all this made easy and better by the brilliant team members who were working that day, so I must say a huge thanks. The food is also very, very good. There was not one complaint from any of us. We all had the three course set menu and every single part of it was lovely. I myself had the halloumi fries starter, the steak sandwich main and the banoffee pie and hot drink desert, all were excellent. I can be funny with how my steak is cooked, but they got my preferred method spot on. We will definitely be coming back here 100% and if you have not give it a try yet, I would highly recommend giving...