Black Horse in Central Bedfordshire

We visited for a Sunday roast with friends having pre-booked. It's never a good sign when the staff have to reel off a long list of what they don't have when you sit down. 'Only five beef roasts left, no chicken' wasn't what we wanted to hear, plus many other items were unavailable because 'they'd been busy'. The food was warm (not piping hot) and very disappointing. We felt rushed, there was no ambiance. As others have said, this pub desperately needs some money spending on it - the toilets are horrible, the furniture is stained and torn and it needs a lick of paint.

Great attentive service,lovely food and atmosphere Highly recommended Good value and quality Finished off a great day out with friends,will be back!

We always visit the Black Horse when in Woburn , and having now moved to the area , we were looking forward to a lovely lunch and to book with friends for Xmas . Sadly it was not up to the previous high standards . Garden visitors ordering at the bar , were getting preference and food much quicker , than those who had booked and wanted a three course lunch in the restaurant . Had to ask for water 4 times , our bread starters arrived after the main course . Main course were delayed by 45 mins. We left having opted not to stay for dessert . The mains courses - both specials - were both very good.

We had a lovely meal at The Black Horse this week. We went for their Pub Quiz and ate at the same time. Two of our party were vegan and had an amazing aubergine burger. There were actually quite a few choices for vegans! The quiz was brilliant and I’m so pleased they donate half of the prize pot to charity. Our food came out quickly and was very hot! I was really pleased with the service and I can’t wait for next month’s quiz.

Have frequented The Black Horse occasionally for about 10 yrs. My last visit was very disappointing. The interior is in desperate need of redecorating, the chairs had great patches of fabric missing from the arms & the wood table top was careworn & sticky. Generally the whole place now looks rather shabby with dated decor. The meal was tasty but pricey for the portion size ( Pork Belly). I meet a friend there about once every 3 months but after this most recent visit will find another restaurant in Woburn or Woburn Sands nearby.

The Black Horse had always been a top quality pub dinning experience for me with quality and value but my last visit celebrating a family birthday was disappointing.The mains where of a poor quantity for the price especially the pork belly which for £21+ was poor value,had bigger half portions of pork ribs.The mains fish sea bream was equally disappointing in quantity,one side of a fillet for £21+.

A bit disappointed with our Sunday Roasts. I returned because I had had such good Sunday Roasts with the Black Horse and brought a friend with me on this visit who hadn’t been at the Black Horse before. The service was very good (but stop calling us guys as we are 60+ women)! Food was lukewarm and pork was chewy. We didn’t have a dessert because of the quality of our main meal.

We eat out a lot and there is no doubt that THIS IS THE WORST SERVICE we have ever received. We sat down at 1.30pm and our order was taken within 15 minutes. First course was delivered at 3.30pm - after much chasing. Deserts served at 5pm, yet again after asking at least 5 times. AVOID AVOID AVOID

Superb cooking and great service in a relaxed atmosphere. Always worth a visit!

recently visited the black horse for sunday lunch. The food we all had was delicious. The staff were pleasant and very nice ,our seating area was perfect and would definately go back again for another visit.

Delicious meal from a wide selection of dishes. Warm welcome and friendly efficient waiting staff. Nicely spaced tables.

The missus and I wanted to go somewhere intimate, comfortable and somewhere a little special for our 10th Anniversary and the Black horse at Woburn was such a great place to go. Heidi was our waitress and went above and beyond for us even presenting us with a complimentary dessert that said ‘happy Anniversary’ on it, which was a complete surprise, and such a beautiful gesture. The staff were so good and very friendly especially Heidi who really went above and beyond for us. Great friendly people in such a lovely setting just can’t be beaten! Go honestly you’ll love it!

Visited here for the first time and was impressed with the friendly service from all the staff. I opted for the steak and ale pie. I am always pleased when a simple request is readily agreed to. I wanted chunky chips instead of the mash listed on the menu and there was no problem so top marks for that. The pie pastry was lovely but I did find the steak filling on the dry side. Fortunately, the dish does come with a separate jug of gravy. The chips were lovely and crispy.

I don’t understand the recent negative reviews! We have been dining here for years and have never had a bad experience or bad food. I have dined here twice in the past fortnight and had the usual fabulous experience both times. Food amazing as always and service and care of the staff beyond the measure. Maria looked after us this evening, as she has done on occasion in the past, and nothing is too much trouble. The attention to detail by all staff is exceptional. I cannot emphasise enough how good the food here is. I had my first Vesper Cocktail this evening, (a special celebratory evening) in fact my first ever martini, made by Ipoch (apologies but I have probably spelt your name wrong) it was so smooth and so fabulous. Please do not let any negative reviews put you off. The Black Horse is a won place to dine.

Popped in for a quick pint mid eve and enjoyed the ambience by the window. Friendly staff, good Guinness and therefore would defo go back if in Woburn again

Underwhelmed, wrong order delivered, tasteless starters but butter so over flavoured with garlic that’s all I could taste the whole meal!The main course was ok (surf n’ turf) but side salad was just a handful of wilted leaves with no dressing. Not sure I’d go again. There are much better gastro pubs around.

Great place for a chilled dinner in a nice atmosphere with a beautiful decor. If you are in the area I would recommended it

“Ok” Menu with one extremely diligent waitress who saved the day. Initial service was great and we were quickly served our drinks but waited ages for our meal (40 minutes) and with little sign of any full plates coming from the kitchen it was worrying-short staffed maybe? The food was underwhelming. The whole place looks tired and desperately in need of a deep clean and possible refurbishment. Perfect location though and reasonably priced

Terrible service. Was told to take a seat and someone would come over to take my order. Waited for 40 minutes without any service.

What a massive disappointment. I can honestly say that was one of the worst meals I have ever paid for ( and it wasn’t cheap!) All the dishes were covered in oil, and were definitely not freshly prepared. The crabcake starter was actually inedible—rock hard and dry, with black avocado and a limp and soggy salad. The courgette and artichoke starter wasn’t much better and I could only manage a few mouthfuls. The only saving grace of the evening was our friendly waitress. This is a pub that has meant a lot to us over the years but we will not return.

Comfortable pub , waitresses helpful Large portions great roast potatoes & veg Meat disappointing very thin My husband had 4 slices , I had 2 Good menu A great touch going round offering extra roast pots and Yorkshire .Nearly £4 for a stuffing ,,,

We'd not booked so we were pleased they could fit us in for Sunday lunch. Busy with a nice atmosphere. The staff were particularly friendly and welcoming. We didn't wait long to be served and the food was excellent.

This pub is great for food and the staff are always friendly. Lovely traditional classic pub. We will definitely be back

Great Sunday lunch. Love the black Horse always good

Very noisy and took ages to sit down despite arriving on time. Many items were not available ( 2nd time). The tables were crammed together which makes the noise problem even greater. Won't be returning in a hurry

Awful service. 45 mins before order was taken, brought drinks one at a time 20 minutes after ordering. Had to clear table ourselves after eating. Went and paid bill at the bar as nobody came to offer dessert/more drinks.

We had a fabulous evening at the black horse. Alice really looked after us & nothing was too much trouble. The food & drinks were delicious, the pub had a great atmosphere, would definitely recommend. We'll be back!

Early Friday night dinner with the children. I had the courgette fries and cod with black rice and choi sum. Just right amount of salt and spice, absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Kids very happy with fish and chips and cheeseburger. Everything cooked perfectly. Great to see Cruzcampo on draft, also delicious!!! Finished off with ice cream, coffee and smarties. Great friendly service, everyone was very happy! Thank you Black Horse!!!

Sadly not up to previous lunches, the menu was average for any pub. The bread was not ciabatta with the starter. This used to be such a wonderful pub and the food was always varied. I’ve eaten here with friends for many years, but I think it is the last time. Maybe a Tuesday is a bad day to go.

We popped in with our dog, Rosie, for a quic k birthday lunch. Warm welcome, casually professional, unhurried and relaxing. We're both vegan and the menu offered enough for us, and the salad and burger were much better than just a box-ticking option. Service was really good (Sally?), ditto the wine. Very enjoyable, wouldn;t hesitate to return. There was even a dessert laid on gratis for the birthday.

Visited for Mother's Day with my 90 year old Mum and my wife. I have to say that everything was excellent - food, staff and atmosphere. On what must be one of the busiest Sundays of the year, all of the staff were excellent and nothing appeared to be too much trouble. Our food was excellent and I would definitely recommend the Black Horse. A little gift for the Mums at the end was a really nice touch. Thanks.

It honestly gives me great pleasure to be leaving this review. The Black Horse means so much to me and here’s why… 2 years ago, on Mothers Day, I walked into the Black Horse as a 3 week postpartum mum, who had just been extremely let down by an experience at an alternative restaurant nearby, which resulted in us having no where to eat on my first Mothers Day as a new mum. I knew my chances of getting a table on the day, was extremely slim, so I begged a staff member to at least get a table in the bar area (the ones you don’t book out) in which I was lucky enough to get. At this point we were just happy with a drink and some bar snacks as we’d had such an eventful and upsetting day. I was served by Alice, who came to take my drinks order and could see I was visibly upset. She asked me what the matter was and I explained what had happened. That we had been overbooked in another restaurant, left to wait nearly 2 hours to be seated, only to be laughed at by management when we walked out. Alice, went out of her way to speak to her manager on the day, and somehow, miraculously, arrange for us to be seated in the main restaurant and enjoy a meal together with my partner and baby. I have never been so overwhelmed by an act of kindness in my life that I was drawn to tears. We enjoyed ourselves so much, and it really turned our terrible day into an amazing one that we’d never forget. So much so, that every year, for Mothers Day, we have made it a family tradition to return to the Black Horse to celebrate. Today, was our 3rd year here, and once again, you did not disappoint. Alice, quickly recognised us, and was quick to come over and give us a cuddle and make us feel so welcome. The food was incredible (we both had the lamb shank) and our daughter enjoyed her fish fingers. The manager, didn’t catch his name, was also extremely kind and went out of this way to make us feel appreciated. I leave this review simply to reward and commend an establishment that provides such exceptional service and kindness to their customers and make as many other people aware as I can. Alice, especially is an absolute asset to your team and I hope she is valued and rewarded as much as she possibly can, as she is the very reason we commend this place as highly as we do. (As well as the fantastic food and drinks of course). Thank you for giving us such special memories with our little family. We will continue to return as much as we can.

Such an incredible roast! Can’t wait to come back again!

Lovely food served by very friendly staff in a pub with a warm atmosphere. X

Absolutely excellent food and service. A real treat to eat here.

We have been here many times before and have always had really lovley food and the service has been truly on point . This visit we had our adult kids with us and had decided to come here for a treat and Sunday lunch . Unfortunately from this visit it seems that standards have slipped . The senior waitress who seated us and took our orders for food and drink was really lovely and professional . We were then served by a variety of younger , apparently inexperienced staff , who just seemed a bit untrained and not focused on looking after us . After the drinks arrived , we had 2 portions of food turn up , no cutlery and we waited probably 5 minutes or so until that waitress returned , asked us if we had touched the food ( we hadn't ) and after saying these were for another table , removed them to serve them to another table ! Not what you would hope for , as the food would be cold ! Then our food arrived , initially the venison shepherds pie , followed by the 3 roast dinners . Again , we had to push for any cutlery , which did turn up after a while but again without the required urgency . The roast dinners were disappointing , I cannot understand the desire to plate up food with anything covering the roast potatoes , as soon as you do this , they will become soggy and lose any crispness they may have had. The gravy lacked flavour and my beef again lacked flavour having been laid on top of the large pile of cabbage on the plate . We'd also asked for a side of cauliflower cheese , and this turned up , seemingly microwaved for haste and tasting watery and not so cheesy . In fairness the venison was delicious and definitely the stand out dish served to us . The puddings were ok , my apple crumble was huge and nice , but I'm afraid the overally feeling was of disappointment . They were pretty busy , we were seated in the bar area , our bench seat seemed a little on the small side and cramped , so not very comfortable . We are not large people either !!

Great location great food. But many staff seem disinterested. No one said hello, welcome or bye and thanks for coming. These small touches cost nothing but mean a lot. Especially for repeat business.

Ambience and staff nice. I’m afraid the food was pretty tasteless, sadly.

Had a nice Sunday roast with family. Was quite a wait for food but apart from that it was very good.

Great veggie choices , nice chilled atmosphere . The good coming out looked delicious.

We had lamb and it was poor quality overpriced went there for my birthday disappointed

Lovely, friendly service and first class cooking. The smoked mackerel pate was outstanding on this visit. Recommended.

We were a large group 9 adults and 2 kids in high chairs and the staff were great in arranging the booking and seating us so we had space in this really nice pub. The service was also great through the meal the waitresses were so attentive friendly an d helpful. We all really enjoyed the food too very delicious Sunday roast and veggie options also soon after serving they came round offering more gravy roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings never had that before. Highly recommend!

Scrolling through my older reviews and this was a 5* restaurant, but our recent experience was pretty poor. We booked an evening table for 8 on the 8th December. We were originally told they were full but then they called back a day or so later to say they could accommodate us. When asking to go to our table they then said our table would be in the bar area not the restaurant because they had a booking for 34 people at 8:30…. To make matters worse, where do you think the table of 34 were at 8pm? The bar area…so 34 drunk middle aged men talking so loudly we couldn’t hear ourselves think, let alone have a conversation at the table. The staff quite frankly looked utterly drained even before the rowdy lot eventually went to their table. For years this was our go-to restaurant. Not any more. We didn’t ask to be squeezed in and actually cancelled another booking to go here. We weren’t told the restaurant was full but a table in the bar was available. Not sure what went wrong, but whoever agreed to the booking put money ahead of customer enjoyment. Sorry, but this was a very poor dining experience. The food was OK, just not as exceptional as past outings.

We had been looking forward to a meal on new year's day as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary and we had booked several weeks in advance. The foid was lovely but sadly the choice of food was extremely limited as they had been so busy that day which had led them to seeking out if anything we really fancied. We were left having to choose something that was left rather than something we wanted

Friendly staff despite being very busy. Bistro like pub food.

Quiet Thursday after Christmas. Excellent meal as always. Staff attentive.

Very dirty restaurant, dirty tables, sticky table and floor and even worse,, stinky toilets. No service after 15 mins wait so we left … nothing like it used to be.

The service was great but it’s the food that has slipped in quality. The mash wasn’t very buttery and tasted bland at best. Will struggle to return

We had a wonderful Sunday roast! Food and service was great, highly recommend. :-)

We very much enjoyed our lunch. The food and the customer service has improved enormously in recent months. Both were excellent. Thank you.

Really excellent cooking in a warm atmosphere and with super friendly service from an engaging team.

Really lovely meal and well tended to by the team. Thank you!

Great food and fantastic service. The staff were lovely and very helpful, thank you

Lovely food - Service was top Notch - Drinks a bit overpriced especially the £4.50 we were charged for still water.

Really nice place, amazing food, lovely service. Recommend

Great pub good food and good service the staff were all very friendly and welcoming.

Disappointed as the Item i chose i was told they didn't have so chose something else and was then told that wasn't available either! I realise they may have had a busy weekend and we were there on a Monday but if we had been told from the beginning what wasnt available it would have been better. My husband chose the cheese selection and 1 of the cheeses he chose available. The reason we chose the black horse was the menu was slightly different for my birthday and ended up with the usual pub fare so very disappointed. Overall the food we had was good and service was good.

Lovely, friendly pub. Staff made us feel very welcome, especially the baby with us. Food was tasty and plentiful, nice touch to come round with extra puds and potatoes.

The restaurant is vast and there are plenty of tables to choose from, intimate tables for two, a table for 4 friends or a long table for a golf society or similar. The food was delicious, well presented. Our waitress was very attentive without being overbearing, polite and friendly.

A lovely place but unfortunately we won’t be back as the steak with Diane sauce and medallion was over priced for what it was. Also three cheeseboard was on the small side - the cheese portions were tiny. The hummus and beetroot starters were fabulous and the main goats cheese and courgette orzo was also good. Service was great.

Great food and atmosphere Would recommend to friends

Lovely food, lovely people, lovely pub. Shame we live so far away as it would definitely be our favourite local.

The Food and friendly service were both excellent. Visited on a quiet Monday evening. Highly recommended. If you’ve never been before you should definitely try.

A family birthday lunch treat. Food was lovely and staff very nice and attentive

Met friends for Sunday lunch. Lovely classic roast with extra Yorkshires and roast potatoes for anyone with a bigger appetite. Staff were friendly and helpful but run off their feet, which meant longish waits for things like drinks, water, the card machine etc. Would go there again.

Thoroughly enjoyable evening with staff that are attentive without being intrusive. Food was really good and the atmosphere as bustly as ever.

The restaurant was simply ok. Our table was squashed in between 3 others with was not ideal and we were int he way of others. The food was ok but nothing special. The service was ok but really could have been better we had to ask twice for the bill and a table next to us had to ask about 3 times for their drink order.

Nice atmosphere in the bar area and food was excellent. Service was a bit slow on occasions.

We booked in advanced and they were very busy when we go there. Took a few minutes to seat us. Menu varied with a good vegetarian selection. Service excellent. The restaurant was quite cold so they provided an electric heater. Overly lovely.

We were shocked when the server held the cutlery by the head and not the handle,had too clean them my fillet medallions were very thin and after observing anothe table with medallions I was rather cross as there's were double the size not good value for me at £29

Our second visit and the food was again interesting, well presented and tasty. I sincerely hope the problem with the heating is temporary. The temperature (estimated 15 degrees) spoiled the experience today sadly.

The only thing I feel is they were probably understaffed as we were kept waiting for our table for at least 15 minutes cause there were still people on it a large table maybe they should consider Having a longer eating time so therefore maybe bear that in mind as when there is a lot of people on one sitting on 1 table it takes much longer than 2 hours

This is more pub with a good restaurant than purely restaurant. Food is very good, the layout long and narrow make service more difficult.

Both food and service at the Black Horse are beyond outstanding! The steak and ale pie is as good as you can find. It’s not a cheap grab and go. Take your time and enjoy it all.

This was the third time I have eaten at the Black Horse and it didn't disappoint! All 9 of our party thoroughly enjoyed their meal from starter to desert. One of the guests was a little disappointed as you only had 2 pork bellies left and they missed out, however the two guests that did get the pork bellies said they were the best they had ever tasted :) Fantastic service, great atmosphere, very good number of choices on the menu and specials board. Well done! There is no doubt that I will be back again soon.

Last minute booking. Busy but not too noisy. Service was friendly and efficient. Food was delicious. Have returned already!!

I’ve visited the Black Horse several times with my wife and have enjoyed very enjoyable lunches with a very nice bottle of wine but we were both dissatisfied with our lunch we had on Saturday 3rd September, my wife did pass our complaint to our waitress and they gave her a complimentary desert, it hasn’t put us off returning to the Black Horse sometime in the future just not yet. David Dring

Absolutely amazing food! Love the decor and ambiance. Staff are lovely. Prices were high but I suppose you get what you pay for!

Went and had a lovely dinner with a friend. Was a nice place and staff were very good. Food was ok. Starters and Mains were lovely, but sadly the chocolate brownie was not very good quality, didnt eat much of it. However as the other food was good, I might go again.

Superb Sunday lunch - big portions, beautifully cooked meat and veg plus extra roast potatoes and Yorkshires. Drinks menu was wide and options varied. Service was friendly and attentive. Ideal for a family/friends meal out

Four of us visited the Black Horse for lunch and we all had a great time there. The food was excellent and the staff were very efficient and nice, no complaints at all. We are already looking forward to our next visit which will be very soon. David

4 of us are Sunday lunch here. We were served by Alice and met the chef, Chris. Both were lovely and the food delicious with generous helpings. Highly recommended.

Never disappointed with the Black Horse. Crab 🦀 meal was a bit dull tbh but the Boar and Chorizo burger was great!

Excellent food and service as normal.

We used to come here regularly and chose it for a Father’s Day meal with my two grown up children. It was very busy but still the service was good, I know when it’s a little quieter it’s excellent and the team are always helpful and happy. The food was ok, didn’t dazzle, it was an ok meal with good service for a lot more than I would pay for similar service. I don’t mind paying a higher price point, in fact I regularly do, I just expect to be able to taste the difference flavours of the food rather than be bland & almost boring! Maybe the chef was having a bad day!

Dined here many times service excellent but food not up to usual standard i.e steak over cooked

Very busy night and we had to wait for the previous diners to clear out. Other than that there was a nice hum of chat, service was cheery and good. The food was outstandingly good. Three of us had the Venison special which really was special. My party thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

It was very average Service not the best

It’s a pity we had to left the restaurant because the table that they had reserved for us was in the middle of the corridor , cloistered to a wooden pilar. We asked for another table, they were plenty empty but they were for 4 instead of 3, or for different hours. We had dinner there plenty of times and unfortunately this time it didn’t happen.

Enjoyable experience Food and Service of high standard Will return

We had the Sunday Roast . The Roast Beef was tastless like cold meat reheated. The pork was dry and unappetising. The stuffing had an undesirable taste. Overall it was extremely disappointing as we were out for my friend's birthday lunch.

Staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. The food was perfect, everything was spot on

Staff attentive, friendly and efficient. Food in my opinion was average, especially taking into account the price.

As always first class service!! The Miso Cod was amazing lovely balance with the black rice and dressing

Lovely place to eat. Mother’s Day so very busy. Food wasn’t amazing as a bit cold and the steak was tough . Would definitely return tough

Even though this was a busy Mothers day, the food was to a really high standard and great service. Having a kids menu always on would be helpful but we managed.

Great food, good service, booked a table for 4 people and 2 hrs later informed they need the table, Saturday evening. It is what it is, but did leave a slight distaste.

A great and relaxed service, great food and place to be. Our waitress Alice, was fantastic always there but never in the way.

Great service and food was delicious. Brilliant service