Empress Grill Room in Blackpool

Rubbish service . Had ordered something simple just sandwiches and paninis and it never turned up. Even after asking twice where it was!! . We had drank all of drinks and it still didn't turn up. Can't review the food as we cancelled it. Very very poor service! Step up your game bear in mind everyone else had been served that was in after us felt like we had been forgotten. Not impressed at all .

Awful service, only half food order arrived after 40 minute wait. Soup wasn’t hot and had a skin on it. Toasted sandwich stale and dry, obvious they’d been left under the warm lights too long. Ordinary sandwich had to be chased and no apology when they did arrive. Waitress had a really bad attitude. Neighbouring table sent their food back. Couldn’t speak to anyone as we were totally ignored at the counter!

Walking through the Winter Gardens we spotted a new cafe bar. Previously it had been an upmarket restaurant which the stunning decor shows but now it’s a friendly cafe bar. So we had a couple of drinks whilst we had a family chat. We had some wine and crisps. It was very nice. It’s a lovely cafe and if you want a peaceful up market surrounding especially on a cold winters day it’s worth a visit. Great spot for meet ups. The staff were lovely as one of our party is wheelchair bound. It is busy I am sure during shows but passing trade on an average day is slow. Give it a go. Lovely surroundings.

Ordered the club sandwich, possibly the worst ever. No care or attention to the presentation. Salad chopped very coursely and little dressing. Have a bit of pride in what you serve guys.

Just wow. Pre show dinner (SIX the musical 👩🏽❌ 👸🪓 🤴🏻♥️ 👸❌ 👸🏻🪓 🧑🏻🙋). Lowish expectations but it was very handy. Price was good £25 for three courses Drinks £5 each. FOOD excellent. That's what we're here for. Generous service. The waiters were really enthusiastic and polite.. Menu is restricted, but always something for veggies so see in advance if the choises suit you. Or have steak for a supplement Decor stately high ceilings fresh gold paint. Comfortable seating

Cheap and horrible food. Appalling service. Poor disabled gent alone on a neighbouring tabe waited 20 minutes for his sandwich and was very distressed. We ordered 2 meals and mine came before my partners and I had eaten before his arrived. Food was freezer shop quality. Bland and cheap. We were at an event and went there for convenience. My partner said the burgers were like Rustlers burgers. We left the food. Never again.

Pre show meal, was lovely but menu was very limited, the restaurant was cold, but the staff made it - my waiter was lovely, a real cheeky chap and had good banter! Food was lovely, and presented well but limited menu!

Lovely restaurant and staff, however they need to find a way of keep the food hot. Plates are cold so there the food goes cold very quickly. This the second time if visiting, had to say something the first time about cold food. Just been again and nothing changed, food still luke warm, so soon went cold.

The menu was very limited and so was the food. We won't be coming back here. But the show was really good and a shame the food let the experience down. We will know better next time

We booked and went for a 3 course meal before seeing Will Young. The food was delicious and the service was good.

Having read mixed reviews we weren't expecting to have such a lovely meal. Service was quick, served by helpful and friendly staff. We opted for the 3 course pre-theatre meal and it was well worth it. All courses were nicely presented, piping hot and the steaks were cooked to perfection.

We didn't want to leave the venue as it took a long time to get back in, we thought we would try something healthier, as we had 65min before the next band was on. The menu looked decent and decently priced considering most other food and drink is a rip off at the festival. We waited about 5 min for the waiter / manager to acknowledge us before seating us, the room had a few empty tables. The gent was miserable, threw the menus down on the table and no drink menu which we had to ask for. I ordered steak, but they didn't have any but still advertised and why was this not mentioned??? We waited 35 mins and was 5 min from walking out when meals arrived. We had parmesan chicken, pots and broccoli and wife had salmon fillet with noodles. To be fair the food was very good although the salmon had too many noodles and she left half of them. The waitress was crying at one point and there seemed tension and stress in the air from the staff. The Old boy serving the drinks was charming and pleasant, the waitress was nice but the guy in charge was a miserable, arrogant rude individual. Explained to waitress to pass my comments onto him and that no tip (usually 5£) would be left.

I arrived just after the restaurant opened so there were only 3 tables occupied. I placed my order for Main Course and Dessert and waited 45 mins for my main course to be served!! I know I ordered steak but it was medium rare which takes about 6 mins to cook and I'm fairly sure that the mac n cheese is microwaved. It tasted nice when it eventually arrived and the portion size wasn't bad but some garlic bread would have made a nice accompaniment. I asked them to wait for 10 mins before bringing out my dessert but ironically, this was brought out straight away. I ordered the Chocolate & Coconut Tart but after just 2 bites, I left the rest. The taste was very synthetic and had a strange after taste. Not a great way yo end of meal. I would not recommend this to anyone, you would be better of going to Subway next door.

What a little gem this restaurant is, we love eating out so have lots to compare to. We booked for this place pre theatre for a Radio ga ga show & can highly recommend. The food was fabulous well presented tasty and great value for money. It would be worth a visit even if you were not going to the theatre. Service was great too.

Booked the empress grill before the Chicago musical We turned up to be told we had no booking even though we had produced tickets we had bought from Box Office I told young man I only purchased at 2 pm and he informed me the box office should not of sold me on day pre done tickets I was shown a seat and my order was taken a poster in box office said with every two course sold a free glass of wine was complementary but when I asked he said no such deal I said please forget about the wine but there is a poster in window of box office!as at this point I felt I needed to apologise for just being there He then left to check box office came back and asked what wine I’d like Peace had been restored and all was well with the world and server/manager Food was really nice and another lovely older gentleman who I recognised from the mother’s day afternoon tea was a delight He we

Called here for a meal before going to see Mrs Browns Boys. What a gem of a place and really good value. Lovely surroundings and friendly staff. Food was really good. Will certainly return

Excellent decor and very attentive staff. Seating and tables were really comfortable. Food was very good quality, especially the steak. (missed the English mustard however) Recommend the Show-and-Dine option!

Pre-show dinner with a friend. Environment and service was brilliant-Kennedy in particular was very welcoming, friendly and attentive. However we felt the quality of the food didn't match this unfortunately. It was reasonably priced and came quickly. I had the chicken and bacon salad and my friend had the burger. We both felt the meat was dry. The fries were nice though. Overall we had a lovely time but was a little disappointed with the food which we felt was good but not amazing.

we recently had a pre show meal at the empress grill. Not knowing what else was on offer locally we opted for paying for a meal here and paid at the same time as booking the show tickets - which was very convenient and took the worry away from where to eat. It was a limited menu for this package and lacked a little imagination. As a started we both had bear and cheese crochets, which were nice. For the mains, my husband had a burger, which he said was very nice and was quite huge. I opted for what I thought was chicken supreme, I should have checked my reading skills as it was chicken suprem! Basically a piece of chicken with a little gravy and some skinny fries. I ordered a lime soda, which was a little on the flat side. Service was swift, although the mains did take a little longer. The staff were very helpful and efficient. One note of caution, whilst my husband was in the toilet, a man who said he was the head chef came in, used the facilities, asked my husband about our food and agreed the chicken dish did lack any imagination before going back to work without washing his hands! The deal was £15 per person for 2 courses and for a pint of cider and a lime soda it was another £5.00 As a foot note, it seemed to be a popular place and service was good. The food lacked imagination, especially desserts. There is good parking almost outside the door to the winter gardens and there are also a host of other eateries.

The food was nice and the waitress very helpful.we booked before we went which it advised but the place was empty.

We had a meal booked before we saw the show. The meal was lovely, the staff were really nice. Nice atmosphere. Would go again.

Visited for pre-theatre dinner. Found service to be quick and efficient with well mannered and smart staff. Food served promptly which was tasty and very hot and fresh. Meal and service in general very good. We were not rushed but still finished in good time for start of show. Excellent - would recommend

We booked the two couses pre show meal and the food was lovely both courses were really good.The service was exellent and the staff were really nice.We were served quickly and did not feel as though we had to rush at all.Our table was booked for 5.30 pm and had plenty of time before going to see the show.Would recommend.

Food was very delicious but the waiter's and waitresses were very stressed and running around. It wasn't very full. The table service wasn't ok. They ask us for drinks and food very quickly and the food came very quickly but they didn't ask you if you'd like some more drinks or any sauces for the meal. I noticed at the table next to us were four elderly people and two of them wanted to ask the waiter something but couldn't because he was running straight back to the kitchen after delivering the food to the table. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for my meal but having a waiter who is interacting with me. The food was very delicious and I probably would visit again. I had a good experience but they could have got more money if they would have asked me if I liked another drink.

Our food was absolutely delicious (steaks, mushrooms etc ) , and it's one of the first times in ages we've been offered a delicious meal for my daughter that hasn't triggered her intolerances. The specially made fish was perfect. Service was superb from a friendly, funny, kind chap called Steve, who made my nephew feel top of the world celebrating his 10th birthday. We came on a theatre and dine experience - Will definitely come again.

Had the set menu pre Christmas lunch (followed by time in the Gillow`s Bar enjoying being entertained by Pineapple Jack). Food very good, process reasonable and service and staff excellent.

Visited with my wife and friends for a pre-show dinner. We had to pay £14.95 each up front for two courses with any additions paid for in the night. The menu was not extensive but was a good standard. Two had pasta with meatballs and two had rump steak - all had banoffee pie. There was a supplement of £3.50 for the steak and we each had one drink. All in all worked out around £20 per person. Surroundings are nice and atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Only slight criticism is that it was a bit in the cold side. However, all in all it was a very satisfying visit and would go again.

Not a lot of choice. Had to ask for extra chips as a very small portion. Very slow service and it wasn't busy.

A lovely place for a coffee and a teacake. A lively atmosphere and friendly. A blast from the past. Would go again

The only vegan option is the most incredibly bland burger I have ever eaten. Purple bread bun supposed to look fancy, all appearance over taste. Overpriced incredibly average food, with little imagination

FANTASIC NIGHT....Exceptional service from Steve and his team tonight. We booked a table for 3 months ago to join up with going to see the George Michael tribute act “FastLove”for my friends birthday. At the time we didn’t know that the world Darts championships were going on at the same time. Steve and his team didn’t cancel our booking, but got in touch with the Darts company to explain the situation and they said it was ok for us to still share the room with them.Well, what a fantastic birthday, we’ll never forget it, our table was decorated in balloons, flowers and banners, the food was exceptional also and they even got us a cake. To top it all off, we were asked to join in with the Darts party.

We've used this restaurant on a number of occasions when we've been at the Winter Gardens for the dancing competitions and it has usually been ok. However, our visit in May proved to be a bit of a disaster because of the excruciatingly slow service. There were only three other tables occupied when we went to this restaurant and of course thought that we and everyone else would be served quickly, sadly not. We waited over 30 minutes for our food when 10 minutes would have/should have, been more than enough time. Had the restaurant been busy we would have waited at least an hour. It is not beyond the wit of management to change this situation, they should do it now.

This review is based on pre-theatre dinner which we found to be fairly basic but reasonable value for money. The staff were very friendly and efficient and though we arrived late (18:15 hours) we were in our seats for the show (19:30 hours) in plenty of time. Only 50 m from venue to Opera House box office.

Firstly I would like to say that the restaurant and staff are very personable and professional , the atmosphere is lovely and a great prelude to seeing a show at the Winter Gardens. My meal although not great ( I had the rump steak which was quite tough) was made up for by the fact the manager came over to offer another alternative. My friend who was dining with me had the fish which she said was delicious. Pudding was cheescake and was very nice, all this is served by white-gloved waiters. I will return as I enjoyed the experience and I'm really pleased that Blackpool is finally offering something classy.Thank you

Had a lovely meal with my dad tonight. Excellent food. Friendly staff. Wheelchair accessible. Will be booking again.

Me and my husband had booked to see fat friends at 7.30pm so we rang empress grill and booked a table for 6pm.

Had booked in for Afternoon Tea for 4 , but they had no trace of our booking , but was shown a table . What they brought out as Afternoon Tea was a joke , 2 tiny fingers of sandwich each a a small cake and a scone . The Sandwiches were stale , and at this point we decided to leave . I offered to pay for the coffee but that was it. Have to agree with previous review ( might of even been the lady I spoke to on the way out ) Definitely Avoid , you'll get better in the back street cafes .

Absolutely shocking excuse of a afternoon tea, sandwiches were stale , but replaced by fresh ones, one scone each with one small pot of jam and cream between us, one stale very small sponge cake and a tiny macaroon, the waiter was the only nice thing about our whole experience, no other words to say, only definitely don’t go!!!

Booked a table for 5.45pm prior to the Brendan Cole Show. Were shown to our table and then waited and waited and waited. Finally were shown a menu. A passing waiter asked if we were cold (it was -2 outside) we said we were frozen - perhaps sitting in coats, scarves and gloves gave him that idea. "oh sorry will ask him (???) if it is alright to close the door". Twenty mins later the door was closed.

We booked the pre show dinner for £15 for 2 courses, we were met upon arrival by a very nice member of staff who showed us to a nice table for 2, the meal was very very good, I had the shin of beef, which was melt in the mouth good and my wife had the salmon which she said was equally great, all of the staff were pleasant and attentive, overall I would highly recommend it, it was the first time we have done a dine and show here, but it most certainly will not be the last.

Food excellent Peter is the waiter who works there so professional at his job a pleasant man thank you for looking after us.

Visited this restaurant last minute before a concert. The restaurant was half empty when we arrived but the response and attitude we received from the waiter/greater as we hadn't booked was more than rude. He did give us a table where it then took an age before someone came to take our order. The team there all seemed to be a little lost, one guy, who must have been quite new, was wandering around with food on plates not knowing where the orders were going, the food would have been cold by he located the tables. We had a limited time slot before our concert and due to the delay only ordered a drink and a main course, heaven forbid if we had had to wait on starters too. The food when it eventually came was very nice, but we did have to rush it to finish it in time. Finally we waited an age to pay, in the end we wandered around the restaurant to find someone to give our money to. All in all it wasn't the best experience.

I'd like to be able to tell you about the food but we left before ordering due to the complete lack of service. The first guy we spoke to couldn't do.anything to seat us in the near empty restaurant with out speaking to his clearly miserable , morose colleague! The miserable guy walked us back to the front of the restaurant ( the sign said wait here but no one comes if you do ) to then pick up menus and have us walk back into the restaurant to a table. Opposite there was clearly a problem with what had been severed, a mix up of some kind and the waiter appeared unhelpful and abrupt. We waited and waited and then left! We did wonder why this place was so empty when the coffee and snack restaurant opposite had queues out the door....now we know!!!

We had been to the Empress before a few years ago and thought it was ok and it's very handy for the theatre. The show tickets were a birthday gift for my Husband and we got to the restaurant @ 6pm thinking it would give us time for a meal before the show @ 7pm. How wrong we were! We hadn't booked but there seemed to be plenty of tables and after a staff discussion we were shown to a table. 10 minutes later I asked one of the staff if somebody could take our order [he seemed to be the guy in charge] He took our order and another 10 minutes went by before the soup turned up, I didn't eat mine as it tasted burnt, my husband ate his but thought it didn't taste right. Eventually a waitress turned up to clear the plates. She did ask if everything was ok, I think the full bowl of soup gave her a clue. I said that I couldn't eat mine because it tasted burnt and she apologised and said she would tell the chef. By 6.40pm our main courses hadn't turned up and my husband went to ask the guy who took our order when they would arrive. He said that it was because nobody had told the kitchen that we had finished our first course but that it was being plated up now. Did the waitress not tell the chef about the burnt soup then? We waited another 5 minutes and then decided that, even if our meal turned up now, we wouldn't have time to eat it and get to the show on time. We paid for the soup my husband ate, got no apology and left. We felt that the staff had not had much training, they all seemed to be walking around but not doing much. One of the waiters spent a lot of the time we were there wandering around with plates looking to find the table they belonged to. I doubt we will ever go back there and would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Me and my partner ate here last weekend as part of the show and dine deal, was shown to our table and given the menu we paid £15.00 for 2 x 2 course meals excellent value first time wave done it will be doing it again next time we see a show, Both had starter and main the salmon was very good for £7.50 each no complaints at all.

Not brilliant but if you can get a show and dine package it's OK but not a very big choice of menu with the deal. Both the soup and the pate came with a very small piece of bread, for goodness sake don't be so tight, what's an extra bit of bread cost? A few pence. Would I eat there if it was not included in the deal? No, better choice and value meals to be had.

Walk past!!! Vile frozen food heated up, had the sharer nachos were a few tortilla chips with a chilli that tasted it was out of a can. Told the waitress... she said people love it?? Rest of the sharer was just as bad would've sent it back and walked out only we where seeing a show. Avoid!!!

Buena relación calidad-precio, con espectáculo y cenar entradas; algunas mesas tuvimos que esperar un corto tiempo para sus bebidas, pero tenía un buen servicio por lo que llevó a ser el gerente del restaurante. La carne asada con puré de patatas, zanahorias y guisantes rodajes...

Llegamos a las 6 de la tarde a cenar delante de viendo el musical Evita. Una vez sentado, con un menú básico para revisar nuestras opciones de comida. . Dos campos. por 15 libras y tres campos por £18. Después de esperar más de 20...

Mi esposa me sorprendió cuando me obsequiaron con dos entradas para ver a Pedro, su favorita de comics de Kay, en el Winter Gardens, y decidimos 1) para comer antes del espectáculo, y 2) para comer aquí, convenientemente ubicado en las mismas instalaciones. También nos...

El espectáculo es de un valor increíble menú un plato, £11 £15 por 2 cursos, 3 a £19. Mi amigo y yo tuvimos el menú de 2 platos, tanto elegimos paté seguido por lento de ternera, preparado shin zanahorias y puré de patata. La carne se derretía en la boca estaba hecho a la perfección. El personal era muy amable de tomar el tiempo para explicar las opciones en el menú, y también hacer recomendaciones. La gran cosa acerca de comer aquí es que ya están en el lugar del espectáculo, así que no hay sensación de que tienes que revisar constantemente el tiempo.

Fuimos a un espectáculo y cenar que tiene muy buena relación calidad precio, todo el personal era muy amable, la comida estaba muy bien y se sirve caliente. Hay un recargo para el filete y la tabla de quesos, pero su capacidad para usted si decide, no es todavía demasiado caro en 3:50 libras extra.

First time. £9.50 !! Six of us in total. Mother in wheelchair, no problem. Three course meal and wine. Was absolutely lovely. Staff very Pleasant. Table decorations lovely finishing touch.

Don't really know where to start. We went as a show and dine option. The food was awful, terrible, microwaved, tasteless and bland. Can't find any other words to use. It was like a flashback to 1980's school dinners. All the food had been pre-plated, the salad was lifeless. I was looking forward to fish and chips then the menu description was salmon and sweet potato fries. PLEASE NOTE THAT IS NOT FISH AND CHIPS!!!!! The pate was shop bought, the mash with the main course was like smash. None of the food was seasoned or edible! I would absolutley not recommend this place to my worst enemy!

This restaurant could be very, very good. Service is very professional, the food is tasty, hot and good. The pricing is very competitive. The restaurant is clean and tidy, well laid out, tastefully decorated, so far no complaints BUT absolutely it has no atmosphere. This is such a shame. The menu is a set menu 3 courses for £15 with a £3.50 supplement for the steak option. Choices are entrees, Soup, Pate, Mushrooms, mains; salmon, chicken, beef and vegetarian (& of course the steak), desserts; ice cream, cheeseboard, cheesecake. Though this may sound very pedestrian it wasn't. For example the cheeseboard had 3 choices of cheese, jam, celery, grapes and wonderful artisan biscuits, delicious, all served on a stylish wooden board and a very generous portion. All four of us enjoyed our meal. However as mentioned earlier, no atmosphere. Hardly any diners (we went on both the Friday evening and the Sunday evening). They background music wasn't in the background at all, it was a bit too loud. They played the soundtrack to the show which was being shown 'Shout'. It also seems to have very short opening times and only seems only to cater for pre-show diners. Take note 'Empress' I was a visitor to the area and only stumbled across the restaurant because I was attending the IDTA dance competition in the Winter Gardens otherwise I wouldn't have used the restaurant. In particular you don't have a sign anywhere letting us know your opening times and no advertising outside the building. All in all I would recommend this restaurant.

Was given a show and dine present for my birthday and we went to see Ghost, had a meal before hand, there were about 4 choices of dishes in each section, service was quick (the waiters were friendly but the one waitress who served our 1st course was very miserable!) the food was hot and tasty had to wait a while for a pot of tea but the waiter did apologize for the wait, we would go again I would have rated it 5 if the waitress had smiled

Did the show and dine offer and had a very enjoyable dinner. Good food and excellent service. Fiod was fresh and well presented. Excellent value for money. Would certainly go again

Went for the meal in here on friday 7th october 2016 before the show and the place is so clean and staff were very attentive and helpul as well as friendly the food was amazing and good value for money

As we had booked for the show at the Winter Gardens, we took advantage of the 'Show& Dine' offer to take the dinner at the Empress. I must start by saying that this is not a restaurant I would have considered if I had been looking for a venue in Blackpool, and I can continue by confiring that it will be on my list for dining out in the future.The reception was prompt, (despite our arrival coinciding with at least two other parties), we were shown to a table for two, which was well laid and properly sized. The waiting staff were there when needed and courteous.Our order was taken, with some requested changes to the offered menu accommodated, and the service to the table was prompt and attentive. No extended waiting for any course and no hovering staff.The food was simply excellent. Well cooked, beautifully presented and a delight on the tongue.The beef was simply a 'melt-in-the-mouth' experience and the fries, (my substitute for mash) were light crisp and a perfect accompanyment to the meal.The desert of ice-cream might be improved if the ice-cream were not quite so deeply frozen, and I would prefer a lighter roast coffee, but I'd have to be very picky to complain about such minor items.In summary I will definitly return to a comfortable restaurant where quality, service and courtesy are such good value for money.

Went for a meal last night and it was simply fantastic. Food excellent, service excellent and a reasonable price. We will be definitely be returning when we come up for the new year.

Did not pre book & were welcomed in immediately & showm to a table. Provided with menus of the day & were told 3 courses @ a set price of £15.00 per head. The 3 courses we had were outstanding & excellent value for money.Speedy efficient service for a pre show meal & will definitely be visiting again on out next visit to Blackpool. Great.

Decided to come here for dinner prior to seeing Dirty Dancing at the Opera House.We were greeted by the waiter who showed us to our table. As we only had an hour he speedily took our order to ensure we had enough time to enjoy our meal.All the food was really nice. Steak was cooked perfectly. The service was great and the restaurant is nicely decorated.Would recommend this place and will definitely be going back.

Timing and price was right before a show, lovely surrounding and the wine list was was nice. Two of our party had to send back their Salmon as it was cold , other than that the steak was excellent. Lighting in the restaurant is just right and staff were welcoming and friendly . Could be improved by having it's own bathrooms as well. (They are just across the corridor). We had a great time and the waitress also made sure we didn't miss the show.

Booked this restaurant after recommendation. It was fabulous. The food was lovely. The service was first class & everyone had a brilliant time. Party of 20 all with different meals and everyone enjoyed their meals. I don't know how anyone could complain about this wonderful winter gardens restaurant.

We ate here on the Friday of the punk festival weekend and while the food was OK, the waitress who brought out the food had a distinct lack of customer care skills. She dumped the food on our table, didn't ask if we would like anything else and didn't even crack a smile. I watched her do the same to every table she served. Our table was cleared and we weren't even asked about deserts or more drinks. I could understand if they were really busy, but they weren't. Its a basic rule of a restaurant to make your customers feel welcome of they won't come back.

A smart restaurant within the Winter Gardens. Good menu, a little different. Good for a quite dinner.

Having had a bad experience here last year, my partner and I decided to give the Empress Grill another try and we were glad we did. The service was efficient and the staff very pleasant and polite. The food was excellent and was modestly priced Well done everyone, you all did an excellent job.

I visited the Empress Grill as part of a Theatre and Dining deal and was bitterly disappointed. When we arrived we were taken to our table by a waitress who was disinterested and was unaware of my gluten intolerance even though we had contacted them several times. I had no choice of what I wanted to eat, it was just given to me, I had Mozzarella and tomato for starter which I really dislike so I didn't eat that. For the main meal it was a pepper stuffed with rice, we had to ask for a side salad as there was literally nothing else on the plate. The only saving grace was the gluten free cheesecake however, it was described as having a berry compote on the side- this was a pile of semi defrosted berries. My companions meal was not much better but he did have a choice of what he wanted. The service was very poor and the restaurant was not very clean either. I didn't enjoy the meal at all and left still hungry as I barely ate anything which resulted in my eating chocolate during the show.I would never eat here again and would advise others to not bother either, there are so many nicer and cheaper places to eat near the theatre.

We book to see Blood Brothers and decided to book the show and dinner, I must say after booking I did think it was probably a bad idea booking the dinner, after all it was in the Winter Gardens restaurant, we arrived and the restaurant staff escorted us to our seats, past us the menu and asked if we would like a drink, we ordered our drinks and when they arrived the waiter took our order for the starters and main.We both ordered the mushrooms for start, when they arrived the presentation was good and the taste was also good, for main my wife had the Cheese Tart and I had the Sirloin Steak, the tart looked really good and fresh, the steak was very nice. Hats off to the attentive staff, this is a restaurant that we will re visit.

A beautiful room, good service an interesting menu and well cooked food. What's not to like? Really a lovely way to start an evening,

Previous reviews are variable but my experience was very positive.The food was wholesome and tasty with just enough choice for a venue within the enclosure housing a convention for thousands.

Where do I begin? Restaurant wasn't open when we arrived, but once it did there was no problem being seated. We were a bit confused with the menus some dined off Xmas special, we were told we couldn't. Placed our orders off the main menu. Food was just ok , we were told the mash was frozen therefore opted not to have this but I have a feeling the hot pot I chose was also frozen. Food lacked taste n flavouring. Staff need to learn to smile,and learn basic manners, poor food can be redeemed through good service.We were told we could then choose desserts from the Xmas menu?? Suddenly this became available. This restaurant is in an ideal location especially for pre show dining but lacks quality. I have dined here several times but will not be returning.

We arrived at the resturant in good time,we were shown to our table and given menus, waitress then left us without asking if we would like a drink while deciding what we were going to order.After about 15 mins another member of staff came to take a drinks order, we ordered and we're told no draught and only Heineken lager in bottles no other choice, 1 choice of Gin and 2 of Whiskey, very poorly stocked bar. Surely a member of staff could of rang the other bar and asked for drinks to be brought through.The meal in my opinion was very poor, I had Salmon which came on a bed of spinach a drizzle of pesto and 5 cherry tomatoes. For what we paid I don't think it was worth the money, my husband is vegetarian and the only offer was cauliflower tart which came with 4 sweet potato chips. I'm sorry but I will not be dining here again.

The food choice is limited however we opted for sirloin steaks (two of us) which were very nice as were the accompaniments. The staff were very friendly too which always makes things more pleasant. My only issues were minor...only bottled Heineken available when I asked what beers they had and no steak knives which had apparently been lost haha.

Came here for my boyfriends birthday meal saturday! Food was amazing hot and cooked to perfection! Waiter abit snotty said it was to up market for free wifi but then they didnt even have their own toilets found this amusing but apart from that i recommend

Food served hot and promptly liked the art deco stlye decor & seating. nothing special but nothing to complain about.

I really looked forward to this meal. My wife and I ordered medium rare steak and chips. The steak arrived and it was well done. We sent the meal back and when the meal came back the chips weren't cooked. A person on a nearby table had a similar problem. He said if you can't get something like steak and chips right then there is no hope. His table then walked out without finishing their main course. I tend to agree with him.

Set Menu as part of show and dine deal - not a huge choice because of this. Meal was ok - my husband did find a piece of plastic wrapping in his main but not worthy of complaint. More Veg would have enhanced the main meal - all we got was carrot. Would go again but would prefer to see the full menu

Purchased pre-show dinner prior to seeing Tommy.Little drinks choice aside from overpriced wine.We ordered starters of soup & prawn cocktail. Main of "loin of cod served on a bed of minted peas and pancetta". Desserts of New York cheesecake & Ice cream in a chocolate wafer coupe.Tomato & Basil soup was excellent with fresh multi grain roll & butter; Prawn cocktail was still partially frozen with a watery dressing.Main was completely wrong- dried up,overcooked piece of cod, side salad & sweet potato chips!Ice cream..rock solid with a frozen wafer coupe. Cheesecake dry and still partially frozen with distinct traces of mould on the outside crust.When we drew attention to the problems, we had excuses ranging from" I've been away,it's my first day back" to "the chef is a temp"We were not charged for our drinks and left very disappointed.We spoke to other diners who had had medium rare steak burnt on the outside and raw on the inside

i was pleasantly surprised at the vast improvements made to the winter gardens and this restaurant is a gem, lovely decor, plenty of space and the food was excellent without being expensive. I had scallops with chorizo starter and a chicken, bacon and pomegranate salad. Both where a real plate full, presented very nicely. Added to this I had a sweet, glass of wine and a coffee, all for just over £20. It was part of a day out to the theatre and is ideal for a pre-theatre meal but also I would recommend it solely for a meal.

Booked a ticket for Cats at Winter Gardens and was offered a circle seat and a 3 course meal prior to the show. The food and choice was very good, the service was excellent and location was brilliant ( just a 1 minute walk to show) and all under one roof

Me, my mum and my auntie booked the show and dine tickets for a 3 course meal and then to see the performance Cats. And the food was absolutely delicious. I had the Patte with salad for starter, the shin of beef for main course and the orange cheesecake for dessert. My mum had the chefs soup or the day for starters, salmon salad for main course and the profiteroles for dessert. And my auntie had the prawn cocktail for starter, the cod on a bed of minted peas for main course and the ice cream coupe for dessert. And we all enjoyed the food so so much. It was outstanding. It was great value for money, friendly and helpful staff and a well presented place. I could sum this place up in one word; awesome.

This restaurant reminds me of a 1970s council run cafe on the seafront. The food ranges from unacceptable to mediocre and the service is, at best, poor. The only reason I've given this restaurant one star is because I can't give lower.We were staying in Blackpool for three nights. On our last night I had got tickets for us to see the musical "Cats" at the Winter Gardens. I booked the tickets through Ticketmaster and they were offering a "Show and Dine package" that gave a slight discount on the tickets if you booked both the show and the meal with them. As we knew we'd have to eat before the show we thought we might as well eat here and get the discount on the tickets.The restaurant is part of the Winter Gardens complex. It is a new addition but fits in quite nicely with the rest of the complex. But that is where any compliment ends.Before we ate I had wanted to check if we needed to reserve a table or if having a voucher for the meal meant that we would automatically get a table. I tried calling repeatedly and only ever got an answering machine saying they would call me back. This even happened at 7-00 pm on a Saturday evening - a time when the restaurant must have been open.When we got to the restaurant our names were crossed off a list of those who had vouchers and we were seated. After about five minutes a waiter asked "what do you want to drink?" When we asked him what there was he curtly replied "there's a wine list there" and indicated to a short list on the table. After a lot of further questioning we finally ordered a bottle of lager (they don't sell either pints or bitter) and a diet coke. The waiter brought the drinks and returned to take the order. We had to order all three courses at the start of our meal.We both started with a prawn cocktail. There weren't a lot of prawns in it nor was it easy to eat - it was served in a fairly narrow glass and they'd used whole baby gem leaves as the base but did not provide anything to cut them with - but this was the best part of the meal. The "homemade" cocktail sauce had very little flavour.My partner had cod for his main course. This he described as "slightly chewy" but he did manage to eat it. I had the shin of beef. I have no objection to a restaurant serving a cheap cut. Shin is a very tasty cut and, with a long, slow, cooking is beautifully tender. Whilst mine was tender it tasted as if it had just been boiled in water for several hours with nothing added to enhance the flavour. Some of this water had been used as a very thin gravy on the plate. The meat was served with what tasted like instant mashed potato and tinned carrots. I did not eat much of this and, when I started to tell them why, the waitress told me that everything was fresh and that it was my fault if the meal wasn't to my taste. If the potatoes and carrots were fresh then I believe they must have been kept warm for an awfully long time.After we'd complained about the main course the staff didn't come anywhere near us except to bring the pudding. I can't remember what my partner had for pudding but it wasn't memorable. I had ice cream which was exactly what it sounds like. It was served in a wafer basket - think cornet but wider and with the pointed bit cut off.We were unable to catch anyone's eye when we wanted the bill and so got up and walked to the station by the door. We said that the food hadn't been good and she simply restated that it wasn't to our taste but that she'd never had another complaint. When we went on to comment about the service saying that we'd found it brusque and abrupt at best she asked if we included her in that and , when we said we did, she answered saying that she'd been there for five years and never had anyone say that before. I eat in restaurants a lot and rarely find anyone as objectionable as this woman.The vouchers were about £22.00 each and the drinks were another £6.00 for a diet coke and a bottle of lager. This is one of the worst meals I've had and will not be returning.

we visited the restaurant on a show and dine deal to see cats at the winter gardens. the restaurant was fairly quiet on arrival, but is really pleasant inside, we were greeted by a waiter who although polite and friendly seemed a little stand offish. however we looked at the set menu which offered a reasonable choice and placed our orders.the starters arrived quickly and were very nice. our seven year old daughter had the soup which she described as proper home made soup! the mains chosen were shin beef and pan fried cod, and it must be said all were excellent. the evening was made better by Amy the waitress who seemed genuinely happy and pleased to serve us. pudding topped off a good value for money meal. we would certainly return.

We ate her before seeing Cats 29/07/15.Staff were friendly and accommodating, no problems. Could do with a little customer service polishing but no problems.Table didn't look appealing as no glasses or any dressing and paper napkins... There's no excuse for paper napkins!Food: very good, bordering on excellent. I love minimalist, simple dishes and scallops with pancetta was perfect. My wife got three good scallops whereas I got one perfect and another one less impressive... Main course on lamb cutlets where amazing, however it needed either a veg side dish or a touch of mange tout or baby carrots.. I am fussy on this!Environment was clean and pleasent. Lacked atmosphere as we arrived early. I expect it's a great place later in the evening.Good meal, thank you!

Visited here for a pre-darts final meal. There were 3 vegetarian choices on menu which all included cheese which im not a massive fan of. We were seated quickly despite not booking in advance although it was not at all busy. Staff were polite and friendly. My hubbie orderd lamb and i ordered an aparagus, cheese and pea pasta! The food is cooked fresh to order and it arrived promptly. The pasta dish was ravioli parcels and were tasty although a little bland. Could have done with a sauce. The lamb was 2 tiny chops served on a bed of rocket with 3 new potatoes cut in half and arranged decoratively on the plate! Hubbie said it was yummy but more a starter size portion than a main meal. The desserts looked delicious but alas we didnt have time to partake!

We booked to see 'cats' and decided to have a meal here before the show.Its a very smart looking restaurant but unfortunately when we first walked in the staff were talking by the till and totally ignored us, we felt very uncomfortable and were just about to walk out when the lady staff member looked at us and flicked her head back as if to say 'what do you want?'. We asked if they had a table for two, she asked if we had booked (No) and then said 'follow me.' Its a shame we were greeted this way and it wasn't a good first impression. The meal itself was very tasty and very good value for money and the service from the male waiter was very good. Another little niggle was we saw one of the chefs placing vegetables on the dinner plates with his bare hands (luckily it wasn't our meal). All in all we had a very nice meal but they just need to 'brush up on some customer service skills and food hygiene. You never get a second chance to make a good impression.

The email I just sent Winter Gardens explains exactly what went wrong:"Hello this past Sunday I attended the Cats show and had the show and dine package. Upon arrival in the Empress Grill Room my partner said "have you seen that" and I looked over to the open kitchen and a member of staff was stood there, finger in mouth, chewing his nails. I of course looked and this member of staff saw and shouted across the room "What!?" as he saw us looking at him. Not only was the fact that someone in the kitchen was blatently stood there getting his spit all over his finger (and then presumably prepping our food) the fact that he embarrassed us like he did was just appalling frankly. I admit it is rude to stare but we were just taken aback by this basic lack of hygiene.We were finally seated and presented with an appalling menu, the lack of variety on the menu was very disappointing. My starter was the worse, I had pate and the salad that came with it was clearly not fresh, the green leaves having browned around the edge.For what is supposed to be a fine establishment, to have a meal before a show, and for the price you would at least expect the food to be fresh for your price, and for the steak to have more than 6 chips with it!Needless to say me and my partner will not be dining with you again if we can avoid it.Regards,Daniel"

Ate here while attending the Dance Festival. Was very pleasantly surprised. Both my husband and I enjoyed our meals. He had the braised beef, and I had a lovely salad with beets. The prices were reasonable too. I wouldn't necessarily seek this place out, but if you're attending something in the Wintergardens it's a good and convenient choice.

Four of us booked a table for dinner at 6.30 on Thursday as we thought it looked very nice and was next to the ballroom where we were watching a dancing competition. We were the first people in the restaurant and so thought that as they were not busy, we would be served quickly and could get back to the dancing. Oh dear, were we wrong. When the waitress, who was pleasant and polite, eventually decided to give us menus, we ordered a bottle of wine and a jug of water before our meal and they both arrived quite quickly. Our meals took 40 minutes to arrive. We had by now been in there for over an hour. The food when it arrived was mediocre at best, very disappointing. At the end of the meal we asked a waiter for four coffees. Two arrived after ten minutes and it appeared that the other two had been forgotten, as we could see him wandering about doing other things. By the time the remaining coffees arrived the first two had been drunk.Make no mistake, this is a beautiful restaurant that was spoiled by absolutely abysmal service and mediocre food.

A restaurant hidden away from the main road, Within the Winter Gardens complex , not hard to find.It has a good range on the menu,the starters are to die for ,the main courses are well thought out and good value for money.There was plenty to eat without having to go for the sweet menu. The white wine is of a good quality, the staff are quick to serve the food and are very good with children. they are open through the day untill early evening,but don,t go to late becouse they sometimes close early if thre is no one about.Across from the restaurant in the complex there is a large bar with a very good duo on at lunch12.30 -4pm so you could pop in have a nice lunch.and go in the bar after, no stags or hens age group 30-70s

If you like art deco you'll love this place. Lovely restaurant setting in the middle of the Winter Gardens, handy for pre-show meals. Staff very friendly and helpful and despite a warning about a wait on food they turned the meal around fairly quickly. Not a great quality steak but very nice chips and garnish, wine ok, overall price of the meal very reasonable.

We ate at the Empress Grill in Blackpool's Winter Gardens before watching Lee Mack on 22.11.14. The 4 of us all had a starter and Main course with 1 bottle of wine it came to £66, which we think is excellent value. We all enjoyed the food very much and we would definately recommend.

Been here a couple of times now....good to see a decent restaurant in Blackpool. Good service, timely and no rush. Food was enjoyable and well presented, tasting as good and good value for money. Only downside ...never know when it's open as few times returned to find closed...Well worth the visit and will be frequenting again.

We found out about the Empress through Trip Advisor and trusted that the reviews would be enough to take us to a nice restaurant.From the minute we stepped through the doors we felt welcome.The food was really good and service was excellent.The only slight little niggle was that I asked for a gin and tonic and it seemed to throw them for a minute,but to give them their due,they actually sent out for a bottle of gin!Pretty good service I would say!

I have been here twice before a show. The menu was different both times with a good choice for each course. The portions were a decent size and the presentation and taste were very good. At £15 for 3 courses this is excellent value.

Thursday 11/09/14. Had a meal in the Wintergardens before Mamma Mia, we had tried to book but…….As we where seated two ladies?(think both woman, Blackpool????) of advanced years on an adjacent table were busy complaining about NOT receiving a “free” alcoholic beverage as part of the package that they had paid for, £15 for a 3 course meal (ah if only, in London we paid £75). Watching what was delivered to there table (food) was almost identical as to what we had ordered and having to listen to her loud complaint about EVERYTHING (I thought the show wanted an audience, not the people dining)? we decided to leave rather than listen to this irritating diner, thank goodness we didn’t . The Gammon Steak was succulent and fresh and so tender and everything hot and well matched, my partner, PB, had the Poached Salmon Salad and declared it was wonderful and presented well. Apart from having to listen to the ***** nagging, we had a wonderful meal would have paid double at home, WE WILL BE BACK THIS WINTER and all we can say to the complainer is……… Mamma Mia…….stay at home!

absolutely brilliant. great service, not a very extensive menu, but our food was topnotch. Food was well presented and perfectly cooked. Staff could not have been more helpful, especially Jimmy.This is a hidden gem of a restaurant and we will definitely return.My only comment was the lack of wine choices, should have been able to order by the glass or half bottle.

We came here before we went to watch Mama Mia for my nans birthdays. The food was lovely and the menu had a good range of choices. The deal was a brilliant offer and the price was fantastic. The only thing I could fault is that service was quite slow considering we had to be in the theatre for 7.30pm, however saying that if we had just been for some food then it would've been a nicely paced meal with breaks in-between each course. I'd definitely visit again as it made the evening that bit nicer thank you !!

Booked as a deal with ticket to Abba musical. Was quite sceptical as the meal was included in the price of the ticket. But eh, what a pleasant surprise, food was very hot, service was great, not a large selection of each of the three courses but sufficient. Chose homemade soup starter which was very tasty and served with lovely warm bread and butter, then opted for the homemade lasagne served with fries and side salad, again all lovely and hot ( no not the salad) without asking all sauces etc were brought to the table. Finished off with chocolate and raspberry tart, I asked if it was served with cream, unfortunately not but waitress was quick to offer ice cream instead with no extra charge. Each course was plentiful and by the end of the meal I was more than full. Overall, it wasn't the ritz but nor was the price, but it was very enjoyable and I would certainly go back. Finally the Mamma Mia show was brilliant, what more could one ask for for a night of food and entertainment at a very realistic cost. Well done Blackpool. Also I recommend booking at the Empress grill prior to going because they were turning people away all the while we were eating.