Howden Park Centre in West Lothian

Sorry this place fathoms a new low where where bad attidude and service are concerned , and the product they sell is very average . A true disappointment . Nice building band location ruined by dreadful rude staff.dont waste your time and money visiting this okace

Typical a beautiful place could be ruined by giving g a contract to an overpriced co tractor, this is how the council makes money, it's meant to go out to tender, but funnily enough it's no wee Betty's cafe that wins but, a multi billion corporate company that wins, same as prisons, hospitals etc, no wee Betty's tea room who would do it for half the price, funny that!

Not much too choose from and food and drink is a bit pricey. Only really have sandwiches and soup but have plenty of sweet treats to choose from.

This is quite a posh cafe for the area but that doesn't mean that the staff are not approachable. The food is good, if a little over-priced for what is supposed to be subsidised by the council. It is always clean and rarely busy.

I have tried to like the food, always excited before a performance at the theatre, but it just doesn't do it for me.

Gran lugar para una ensalada super (excelente relación calidad-precio a sólo 3 libras. 00) y un queso n jamón (2 libras. 40). El servicio siempre es insuperable. El personal estará encantado de ayudarle, amable y tome tiempo para hablar con usted. El personal es como una gran familia y te hacen sentir bienvenido y parte de la familia. Nos visita casi a diario y aún así me encanta. Nunca tuve un mal servicio o mala comida. La sopa es siempre fresco y sabroso pero la adición a los bollos (apple y canela) es mi nuevo favorito. Sigan con el buen trabajo Howden Parque Centro.

Recommended by friends we dropped in for tea and cakes with 3 elderly ladies. Staff were friendly and helpful carrying our tray over to table as it is self service. Very peaceful place and usually a wee exhibition to visit in the gallery space.

Era un viernes noche y estamos allí para un espectáculo, así que llamé dos días antes para reservar una mesa. Me había registrado el menú en línea y el espectáculo dicho casilla designada para ello "comedor disponible haga clic aquí" así que no había previsto lo que pasó después. No será ocupado, así que no estará abierta la señora nos dijo. Pero el espectáculo es vendido me respondió y el restaurante no se ocupado si está cerrado. así es el consejo quien decide, así que no estará abierta. Hay tantas cosas malas con esto que iré no busques más. El menú y los precios parecía increíble y es un edificio fantástico, así que cada uno perdió. El espectáculo era genial gracias a Dios.

I had the pre theatre meal on two occasions and on both occasions was dissapionted as was my husband with the quality of the cooking I had a veggie burger which was burnt and didn't taste of anything except charcoal my husband had the fish and said he thought the food would have been of good quality given the high quality of the premises any way we gave it another go but no it wasn't any better but we do love to pop in for tea and cake and to go to several shows which are always fantastic

Fuimos con la familia, la primera vez. Yo trabajo en la industria de bar y esta fue la más simpática y agradable experiencia que he tenido que puedo apreciar no te esto en muchos lugares. De ahora en adelante es será una favorita de la familia para ocasiones especiales. Blaine ha hecho yo y mi familia es un viaje a través de Livingston que nunca olvidaremos y todos esperamos que en el futuro.

Sólo he estado una vez, la comida era muy bonito, restaurante agradable y limpio. El servicio era amable, aunque nos defendió las edades esperando a ser sábado personal ignorado - sentir un cartel diciendo que te pide en bar sería buena idea. Puede ser.

The building is lovely and open. Service was good and the food was hot when served and tasted lovely

Mi marido y yo visitamos recientemente Howden Park Center con nuestro hijo. Yo estaba encantado de descubrir lo niños el lugar. Hay dos zonas para cambiar pañales con pañales y toallitas, tronas, un estupendo menú infantil y también un pequeño y maravilloso kids corner con suaves poco bebé sillas, libros y juguetes y una televisión mostrando videos para niños. Pudimos relajarnos mientras que comer nuestra comida mientras que nuestro hijo felizmente jugó en los niños esquina después de su comida. La comida era deliciosa y el personal y el servicio fueron excelentes.no hay muchos lugares que abiertamente familias muy bien hecho.

Asistí a un espectáculo y cena reservada en el bistro. El servicio fue excelente y la comida era excelente. Buena relación calidad-precio para las porciones de dinero eran muy bueno con la presentación preciosa. Yo vamos allí a menudo para café, ya que es un lugar muy bonito y el personal es siempre agradable y servicial.

Had a great lunch at the Bistro with my other half. Food was top notch and service was great. The decor was modern with lovely views of the gardens. Great place for couples or families.

The Bistro was recommended to us by friends in the area and it did not disappoint The baked potato's were fabulous and the best latte I have had in a long time. We were a family of six and everything ordered came out perfectly cooked, the staff were amazing and it was incredible value for money. I would totally recommend to others - thank you Howden Park Bistro!

Had the most amazing food at the Bistro, the baked potato was gorgeous and the latte and homemade scone afterwards was the best I have ever tasted, to top it all off the service was amazing. I would highly recommend this venue and Bistro. Nicola

Our family of four visited Howden Park Centre on a Saturday night in April for dinner and a show. Food was very well prepared and presented - we were delighted with the quality and generous quantity of the food served prior to Mary Gapinski’s one woman show ‘Tips’. The staff were friendly, attentive and professional and it made the perfect start to our night out. Ms Gapinski herself - in her guise as a waitress - assisted with the taking of orders (and the serving and clearing of tables) and the quirky, down to earth humour of her show was an experience I would happily repeat. A great night out – we will definitely visit again.

Went to see the John Denver act at Howden Park Centre on Friday 1st May. It was absolutely brilliant. Enjoyed an evening of great food and great entertainment in a great local venue. The pre-theatre dinner was excellent and good value for money. I had a greek feta salad which was fresh and colourful and plenty of it (portion sizes are generous). My husband had the steak pie which he thoroughly enjoyed. Lovely tender meat, plenty gravy, light pastry lid and served with vegetables and potatoes all cooked perfectly. The staff and the service were great and the atmosphere was cheery and inviting. There was a really good buzz about the place with a busy restaurant and a busy bar. All in all a great night and a great experience. I look forward to many more to come given the line up of acts in the new brochure. This place is definitely worth a visit.

Stopped by today for a spot of lunch and we chose the Broccoli and Stilton soup with "crusty" roll. (For "crusty" read "stale") and a couple of toasties.The soup was bitter, over-cooked and very, very salty. Looking forward to my cheese, ham and onion toastie I hoped to forget the gopping soup. The toastie was equally uninspiring with a small token offering of a wilted side-salad. The coleslaw was interesting with the slight odour of fish. The toasties were lack-lustre, scared of the griddle obviously and of the cheapest white bread known to man. Chewy, gristle laden ham, a sniff of red onion and some greasy low budget "cheese" seeped like an infected wound from the edges. One bite was enough for me to request the kind presence of the "chef". It transpired the chef had left and the supervisor was reheating the food that day. She finally agreed to refund my £16.05 less the coffee and diet coke we had consumed but her customer service was abysmal.Verdict- expensive, bland and frankly rotten... Don't waste your money. The waitress was very helpful though and seemed thoroughly embarrassed.

Had a lovely lunch here earlier this week. Food was great and service was friendly & attentive. Very nice location too.Have also used Howden park centre a few times as a meeting venue and the facilities, catering & staff have always been brilliant.

I recently attended the performance TIPS at Howden park centre which was accompanied by a 2 course meal with tea and coffee for only £18 which was tremendous value for money. Both the performance and the meal were first class. I had a delicious mushroom pate served with oatcakes and a lovely colourful salad( thanks for making the pate vegetarian) and my wife had the soup with a crusty roll and butter. The mains were Balmoral chicken served with a whisky cream, fresh veg and buttered new potatoes. it was cooked to perfection and absolutely delicious(great haggis). My wife had the vegetable crumble which again was fresh, home made and delicious. Portion sizes were very generous and all of the plates i saw getting cleared were empty. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food.The service was professional and slick and the staff were friendly and welcoming. well done Howden park centre. I eat regularly in the restaurant and it has consistantly been a good experiance. ignore the serial moaners and try it out for yourself. Keep up the good work and well done for yet another amazing night.

Had fabulous Scampi with chips followed by a wonderful fresh homemade Ginger Cheesecake.The staff were very attentive to all my needs and couldn't have been more accommodating

My wife and I and two friends booked pre show dinner prior to seeing Eddi Reader in concert. We have done this previously and the meal, although nothing spectacular was good and there was plenty of it. The staff are friendly and helpful. The prices are not extortionate. I am surprised that I am unable to review the actual theatre at the Howden Park Centre. If I was able to do so it would get 5 stars. We have attended concerts/shows there several times and it is an excellent little theatre. There is not a seat in the theatre that doesn't have a fantastic view.

I am a regular customer to the Bistro and have yet to be left disappointed. The bistro has a choice of good, quality food from fresh pancakes at breakfast to lovely fresh home made pre theatre meals. Recently I had friends over from abroad and decided to take them for lunch at the Bistro and as always had a great day. The quality and choice of food was excellent and the staff were as welcoming and friendly as always. My friends were more than impressed by the food and service. Ten out of ten again. Highly recommended to all.

Fantastic service, great food lots of variety and very friendly staff. All round great experience. Easy parking access also.

The Howden Arts Centre is a great place to go for coffee and freshly made scones, Artisan cheesecake, breakfast rolls (and gorgeous pancakes) or a pre-theatre meal. It is a Council run facility where the staff work tirelessly to deliver an excellent service on very tight budgets. The staff certainly make the venue - they are polite and always welcome me personally. It is nice to feel welcomed and recognised. Service is always very good and problems are dealt with promptly.I recently attended a brilliant show about the personal experiences of a waitress by Mary Gapinsky. For £18 I would have been happy with just the show but included in the ticket price was a fantastic meal and coffee. I would have been happy with a bag of crisps for the price. Following the event I was delighted to receive an email from the manager asking me for feedback and inviting me to raise any concerns with them directly if there were issues (thank you for the opportunity) and also asking me to post if I had a good time. Bearing in mind people only tend to post if they had a bad time I decided it was only fair to the centre and the staff to post about my great experience on the evening and of my 5 years of visits. The 2 courses were served quickly and allowed plenty of time to eat the meal, have a coffee, get a drink and have a 5 minute comfort break before the performance. The food was plentifuy, freshly made, beautifully presented and had a great mixture of wonderful flavours throughout. The vegetables and baby new potatoes were cooked perfectly as was the large chicken fillet stuffed with haggis topped with a great whiskey sauce. All in all a wonderful array of flavours at a bargain price, beautifully and professionally presented. I have always had good service and good quality breakfasts, lunches and evening meals. This restaurant is a prize find in Livingston and I will certainly continue to support it with my business.

We booked tickets to see Mary Gapinski in her one-woman shoe 'Tips'. The price included a two-course meal and coffee.While Mary Gapinski was excellent and worth the price of the ticket alone, the food was distinctly average. Two choices were offered for each of the courses; my first was a mushroom pate (?), the second Balmoral chicken. The pate had little or no taste, just a sort of vaguely granular texture. The chicken likewise, clad in an anonymous sauce did not overburden the taste buds and the haggis infill was begrudging. The waiting staff were pleasant and efficient.I recall that when this restaurant was first opened it offered genuinely good cooking but then it started to slide downhill and, from reading other reviews, continues to do so. I would not visit it again and it really is time the management got to grips with the problem.

Living locally I've not been to the Howden Park Centre many times, however my sister and I booked tickets for Mary Gapinski's show "Tips" with a two course meal included.An excellent evening of food, fun and frivolity. A quirky, relaxed bistro serving excellent homemade food with veggie options and decent portion sizes. Friendly staff and food cooked extremely well. Will definitely be back!

I was pleased to find something different for a meal out with friends. Dinner had to be pre-ordered so I was a bit concerned that the food would be catering slop rather than restaurant quality, and we might have to go out to eat afterwards. Variously soup, pate and Balmoral chicken were well prepared, huge portions, if limited a little as one-size-fits all. We were definitely not left hungry. There was plenty of time to have a drink from the bar, eat in a relaxed manner and enjoy the company before the show, which was great. Mary Gapinski had good rapport with her audience as she shared through her thoughts and experience as a waitress. We had a lovely evening and will look out for an opportunity to respeat the experience.

I have been to hpc quiet a few times it is a really good place to go with the family or just friends for a cuppa or a bite to eat the staff a all very welcoming and the building it a nice contrast of old and new. Would recommend it to anyone for a catch up with friends and family or to have a party,wedding and to see a good show now and again all that in one place it's an amazing place to visit.

We held a ceilidh at Howden Park Centre using their bar and catering. The choice of items for the buffet was wide and interesting, and we had compliments on the food and the location. The staff we had dealings with were helpful and efficient, including the event organisers who guided us through the whole process. Would certainly recommend this venue for functions as everything happened as expected and promised, and a great night was had. Even the approach is lovely now, past the renovated historic Howden House.

Booked their special Mother's Day High Tea as I was looking for somewhere for a family lunch that wasn't too noisy or commercial. We were so impressed with the attention to detail e.g. decorations on the table, cookie lolly pops for all guests etc and the food was very plentiful and tasty.The staff were very helpful too, taking photos for us and making the effort to talk to the kids.Thoroughly enjoyed it, would recommend this for a meal for any occasion.

Booked a saturday night with another couple. We going to see a show at howden centre. Meal was not cheap. Quality was very poor. Fish was frozen and tiny. Chips also looked like frozen kind. Would not eat there again. Very disappointed as surroundings are nice. Staff seemed harassed.

Have eaten here a few times but never impressed by the service, attitude of most of the staff or the food quality.The food was cold soggy tasteless and badly presented. On politely complaining i got a shrug of the shoulders and an offer to pop it in the microwave. None of our group finished their meal.it is a shame because the bistro looks a decent place. I could not recommend this venue for food and will never eat there again.Staff need trained in customer care. Every thing seams an effort for them . it is a shame.

I can confirm that we do use frozen chips and that we use both frozen and fresh fish depending on the occasion. We tend to use frozen fish for pre-theatre dinners as the preparation and cook time is quicker which enables us to speed up service at a time when we are typically very busy. Only part of a disappointing response from them. Took the whole complaint to stage 2 and was very disappointed with the customer service. Dont waste money or time going. I am a complaint handler and their approach is amateur and unstructured. Its defensive and not fair or impartial. Not the end of the matter.

Attended a meeting at the centre. Plenty of parking, good size meeting room with separate break out area. Nice buzz about the restaurant area.

Attend a few business events here. Staff always attentive to delegate needs and lovely venue. Catherine Bowie's Trip Advisor workshop was excellent

I have eaten here on many occasions and have not been impressed by the staff's attitude or the time it takes to order and present a meal.The food has been okay on some days, good once, but mainly mediocre.Staff seem to go about in a daze, including senior staff who do not respond to customers at all.The attitude is take it or leave it, with a shrug of the shoulders or just walk away. The staff are not empowered to use their initiative to sort a concern.You will no doubt wonder why I go back, I always think the experience must have improved since the last time but to date have been disappointed - I have eaten breakfast, lunch, pre theatre bistro, and high tea when they did that.

Just experienced a terrible badly cooked presented bland meal. After booking a table for 4 people pre concert at the Howden Bistro over 2 months previous. We arrived at 6.00pm booking was for 6.15, were told we would be called at 6.15 . This did not happen until 6.25 the menu was a vegetarian burger,cottage pie,steakpie, feta cheese salad.Yes exactly Wow !! so exciting.Three of us had soup of the day Leek & Potato !!! Bland !!. Three had Fish & Chips 1 had the Steak Pie. Well after the soup we waited almost an hour before we had to ask what had happened to our main meals to the waitress she thought i wanted the bill i told we had not eaten yet !!.The meals arrived 5 minutes later Pre frozen breadcrumbed thin apology for a piece of fish,frozen peas frozen chips tasteless & all at the bargain price of £9.50 a portion.The steak pie came with a puff pastry topping with a congealed dollop of meat and gravy £12.50 a portion.All appeared to have been Microwaved.We will not be eating at This Bistro ever again.

Booked The Bistro for a preshow meal as a treat for my husband.My first course was a small fishcake(tasty ) but served with undressed salad leaves therefore quitedry.I did mention this to the server.Our mains were macaroni cheese- macaroni with grated cheddar cheese on top-a "special" and Lasagne. Sadly, for me again presentation was lacking as it was a large lump of lasagne served again with undressed leaves. I did ask for the lettuce to be removed. Perhaps I was getting a reputation for myself! The lasagne was charred on the outside and tepid on the inside. I was unwilling to eat this. My comments were discounted by the fact that no one else had complained. This pattern was repeated in response to my formal complaint. Needless to say I will not return.

We had our first visit to the bistro today first impressions looked a nice venue, then the order of that took us about ten minutes to order for two panini is a baked potato and a kids meal,took a seat with our 14 month grandson waited and waited no apology for the wait !!! I decided to approach a member of staff which she commented it will be hear soon another 10mins food arrived yah! Oh the baked potato arrived 5mins after we stated our food no apology again oh and minus the coleslaw.to say the least we won't be rushing back.

Have just come for a show at howden park centre in a wheelchair feel it was because of being in a wheelchair I got rudeness wanted a meal in bistro before show I was their just before opening I am diabetic so have to eat at that time got refused a table only available for prebookers bistro is empty I understand them saying that if bistro is full this is disgusting service for a disabled young lady coming for a good evening out with my friend what is the point if having a bistro

My family and friends went to the Bistro at Howden Park centre for a meal the night before our wedding. The service was second to none - they staff could not do enough for us. We had pre-organised a set menu with a choice three starters, three mains and two desserts for £12.50 a head - which was amazing value. The staff worked very efficiently to get everyone's orders and to bring the food out in a timely manner and the food was very tasty. All in all it was the perfect pre-wedding meal - everyone had a lovely time. Thanks again and will definitely use the Bistro again for future events.

Welcomed by friendly staff. Food excellent, lovely facilities, staff polite and very helpful. Menu had something for everyone. Thumbs up for a great place to relax and get great food!!K Reid and working colleagues

The bistro at Howden park is very good, visited several times and food is well cooked, home made and sourced locally. Ticks all the boxes for me, and way better than any other cafe/bistro in Livingston. you can choose to eat a light lunch in the bar area which serves soup and sandwiches and lovely home baking or choose the bistro.The howden park is an arts centre and theatre, so you could combine a vist to see a show and have pre - theatre supper. Also, a great weekend menu for brunch and afternoon tea. http://www.howdenparkcentre.co.uk/restaurant_livingston/