"We were disappointed. It was Friday night and we were on a two day break in Barnstable. We arrived, as booked, at 6.30pm and were the only customers to begin with. There was something drab about the décor, as if it badly needed a makeover and an injection of colour. The owner/manager greeted us politely. The pleasant waitress got our drinks. A dishevelled waiter, who seemed as if he had just got out of bed, took out food order. The calamari were poor, rubbery and probably frozen. The other starter, courgette and artichoke was cold our mistake possibly in expecting it to be warm. The veal in the restaurant's own Napoli sauce was uninteresting; the chicken with cream and mushrooms was bland but better. Best of all were the triumvirate of al dente fresh vegetables. We did not have desserts. The house white wine by the glass was fine; the Chianti by the glass, however, was chill and closed, as if it had only just been taken from cold storage and opened by the end of the meal, it had warmed a little and opened up enough for us to begin to savour how it might have been. Two other couples came while we were there, all of us grey or white hairs. The atmosphere was somehow flat and joyless, as if the staff were depressed to be there and just going through the motions. It's a pity, because potentially the restaurant is an appealing size, with comfortable tables and a sense of intimacy. Maybe, we caught it on an off night; but there was no sense of pleasure or enthusiasm and everything seemed dull and uninspired. When the £75 bill came, we felt the meal had not been good value."
