"I had the duck terrine as a starter, and we shared some sourdough. I requested balsamic vinegar and oil to go with the bread, but this was forgotten and only brought to our table after we'd almost finished our starters. The terrine itself was bland, lacking any care in its preparation. The plum chutney was overly spicy, and the celeriac slaw was merely raw celeriac dressed with what seemed like pure lemon juice. The toasted bread was missing from the dish entirely. I left more than half of the terrine on my plate, and when the waitress cleared the table, she asked if I enjoyed it. I told her I didn't.
We then inquired about our forgotten wine. My partner ordered the beef cheek for his main course, which was well cooked, but it was served with a horseradish mash that was underseasoned. The dish also included three tiny florets of overcooked broccoli, making for a rather monotonous texture. I ordered the venison, which was cooked nicely, and the cabbage was decent, but the scotch egg was split down the side and cold in the middle, which was unappetizing, so I left it. When I asked the waitress if it was supposed to be served that way, she said it was meant to be rare but should have been explained better.
For dessert, my partner had the crème brûlée, which was nice. I opted for the Bakewell tart, but it was just okay and the sponge was dry. Again, I didn’t finish my plate. When the bill arrived, there was no acknowledgment of the feedback I had provided. I didn’t want to lodge any further complaints since my partner and I don’t get out often and I didn’t want to spoil our evening.
We expected a similar level of service to the Woodspeen, as this restaurant is its sister establishment, but sadly, it fell far short of our expectations. Overall, it was a very disappointing evening."
