Village Inn Bowness-On-Windermere — Restaurant in Windermere

Awkward day well handled by staff

Lunchtime on a Sunday in any bar in the lake district is busy and the village inn is no different. I was in a queue of some 10 people waiting to be served. The staff we working really well and the queue was moving at a steady pace. Just as I got to the front, a woman decided she had waited long enough and walked up to the bar. A few of us told her we were in the queue and she said, “I know, I was in it as well but I have a child with me!” Like teaching a child they don’t have to queue up like everyone else is a good thing|! The bar maid, who was new handled it very well and said to her she must join the queue like everyone else. She stropped and said she was leaving and will give them a bad review. I was served shortly afterwards for my first pint of the day having just finished work myself. I sat down to watch the football thinking nothing of it when I felt a sharp pain in my back. I thought someone had walked past me with a handbag or something and a sharp edge had stuck in me but I turned around to see this lady and she had poked me in the back with her fingernail! Hardly the worst crime in the world but totally uncalled for and unnecessary. I confronted her and yes I was angry as she has just poked me in the back for no reason! I told the bar staff what had happened and rightfully so they asked her what had happened to which she replied, “I hardly touched him!” The bar man quite rightly said I am sorry but you can’t do that to people and refused to serve her. He was very polite and explained that poking someone in the back with your fingernail may not be a major thing to her but it is assault even if very minor. She was not happy and left. Minutes later her son came in and started ranting on about me abusing their 12 year old daughter whom I had not even spoke to or acknowledged and he said he was getting the police. I pointed to the CCTV which was pointed right at me and said that I would wait for them to turn up so they could view his mother poking me in the back and that at no point did I approach his daughter. He wasn’t interested but funnily enough, no police turned up. It was an odd incident and a rare occasion in the Village Inn which was dealt with very professionally by the staff and despite everything, they just kept their heads and carried on serving the people who were waiting patiently for their drinks and food. The day ended well though, Newcastle won and I was happy. Shame some people have to ruin...

Absolutely horrendous meal tonight at the village inn. Went for my mums 50th birthday as we had heard good things about this place but literally wouldn’t bother. When you pay around the £18 mark for a meal, you expect at least reasonable service, the service was terrible.

Firstly my mum was served half a pint of guiness which had remenants of strawberry still all down the glass. When we told the waiter he did not apologise, just reaffirmed to us that it was strawberry and then gave my mum a replacement which this time was in a cracked glass.

The food was good, if not overpriced. When we received the food we were not asked if we wanted anything else or any condiments and while we were eating no one came to check if everything was okay. After finishing we then sat there for a good half an hour with empty plates and empty drinks while the waiters seemed to be tending to all other tables, only after a good amount of time when we were getting bored of waiting we flagged down a waiter even though it was blindingly obvious we had been finished for a good amount of time. We asked to see the deserts menu and instead of taking our plates and glasses they left them.

After another ten minutes a different waiter then appears to collect our glasses and plates, not asking if we wanted any replacements or how the meal had been. At this point we told him we wanted deserts.

Deserts came quickly and were good but after finishing these were then left waiting even longer then when we had finished our main. We sat for ages while all the staff seemed to be fannying around not doing much. Having finally got bored after waiting for ages we went to the til and told the lady behind the counter what we thought of the service.

They tried to make it out like a lady had been checking on us constantly when this was a load of rubbish and in all four different members of staff seemed to deal with us very poorly through out the night.

Absolutely shocking for the price, best avoid...

Myself and my partner had decided to go and grab some breakfast here before our boat trip.

Upon arriving we were told that there were no available seats inside, however were given the choice to sit outside which was fine.

The waiter who greeted us was rude and I felt that he was uninterested in his role as front of house staff, however I put this down to maybe being abit busy. He informed us that the only way to order was online, which again was fine.

After placing our order online (2 English Breakfasts), we added into the comment section that we would like to change a 2 items on our order for different items. This proved to be more difficult than we thought. When we received our food I informed the waiter that the breakfasts were containing items that we specifically asked to be changed. He then said I should have put it on the comment section in the first place and didn't believe that we already had. I then showed him the receipt which clearly shows the extra comment.

After realising that I was correct, the waiter reached onto my plate with his bare hands and picked the items up and walked away, then returned with the items we had specifically asked for.

We started our meals that contained 2 hairs (1 in the butter and 1 in the fried egg which weren't eaten) The rude waiter would walk past me and look at me as if I had done something wrong and I felt insulted. I then called another member of staff and complained the way the waiter had handled the situation. I explained that he had handled my food with his bare hands and he was rude for whole duration of our breakfast. He apologised profusely to which we explained that all we wanted was someone to handle the situation in a professional manner just as he did.

We enjoyed our meal but in future we feel that all staff members should be trained to handle customers issues and requirements in a...