Motte and Bailey Pirton in North Hertfordshire

The food was nice but the portions were not generous for the price. The fish and chips had about 10 chips on the plate! The person serving us was quite grumpy and kept moaning to customers that "I'm on my own" - ok, but that's not our fault!! Tell your boss not every customer, like it's our fault! There wasn't much choice on the mend and there was no caribbean food.

Popped in for a drink, as we hadn't been in for a while. Lovely pub, beautifully decorated on the village green. However, 1 pint of Cruz Campo, 1 pint of Aspal Cider, a bag of crisps and a bag of pork scratchings, came to the tidy sum of £15.80. We know the average price of these drinks, as we drink them everywhere, and £6 for a pint of Cruz in unheard off! Either that or they were very expensive bar snacks! To sum up, nice pub, more expensive than average. The other pub in the village, has had a lovely re furb and is far cheaper.

My friend and I had been out walking and we had used Pirton as our starting point so when we returned to the village we were hungry and wanted something to eat. We decided to pay a visit to the Motte & Bailey which is named after the former structure that used to be in the village. Sadly all you will see of this now is a large mound and an information sign. The pub is like a typical country pub with different bars. We received a warm welcome and found a table and ordered our food. It did not take very long to arrive and if was quite tasty. In the pub they have quite a few pictures on the wall relating to lavender as Hitchin has been known for this in the past (and still) which was quite interesting. The staff were really friendly and the food was well presented.

We popped in for lunch and had a lovely meal. The fish and chips were cooked to perfection. The beer selection was fine with Timothy Taylor Landlord and Doom Bar. The place was pretty deserted which was a shame. We will definitely return.

Visited with my partner for Sunday lunch. Both meals were delicious and good value. The staff were very attentive and we were impressed with the whole experience.

Superb unexpected Caribbean menu option. Really delicious goat curry. Extremely hospitable staff, comfortable welcoming pub, very dog friendly. Loved the experience. Would highly recommend.

New chef, amazing food. A charming pub in the village of Pirton with excellent food. I enjoyed a fried snapper that was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The basmati rice was very nice, if just a tad bit dry. Homemade coleslaw. Both my children had fabulous burgers and piping hot chips. very good beer, and kind servers, once we had their attention. Try out the new chef – you won't be disappointed

Terrible service. Was told that the chef had taken ill and we asked if we bought sandwiches from the local shop could we buy a drink and eat our sandwiches in the garden and the landlord said no. He was really offhand and rude and slammed the door behind us.

Very arrogant and rude guy behind the bar. No food available (no chef available) but instead of delivering the information with an apology it was if we the customers were to blame for asking Clearly in the wrong job. We left and will not return, the attitude of the staff gives away how a pub is run.

Visited on Mother’s Day. We all had roasts and were really impressed with how well it was all cooked. You live and die by your roast potatoes and they were excellent . Service was very friendly and accommodating. Would definitely return

I love eating at The Motte and Bailey but recently it has not been a great experience. We had along wait (1 hour) which was not shared or updated. The vegetables were cold and the cauliflower cheese was not actually cauliflower cheese it was cold cauliflower sprinkled with cheddar cheese.

I visited with a group of walkers and really enjoyed my meal. It was a proper chicken and ham pie: shortcrust pastry, top and bottom. The other meals were very fine, too. This is a friendly and very smart, clean pub.

Chose Moroccan nut roast with all the trimmings of a roast dinner - it was extremely good and the small portion was very generous and reasonably priced. I would recommend.

Sunday Roast was perfect today , lovely cauliflower cheese, plenty of fresh vegetables...delicious ! Merlot was very good also,! Great service, nothing too much trouble. Dogs especially are welcome and Jo , the landlady gives them roast beef for a treat !!!

Another amazing visit, I just can't recommend this pub/restaurant enough the food is outstanding and the service is amazing

We visited with friends today for a Sunday roast. The beef was beautifully cooked and the roast potatoes were yummy. It also came with cauliflower cheese, which was lovely. The lady who served us was very friendly and went out of her way to make sure we had everything we wanted. She even asked us whether she could give the tip that we left her to charity for Ukraine in these awful times. Very considerate. We will be returning :)

This village pub is actually really lovely inside, but it is such a shame that the girl serving behind the bar has absolutely no customer service skills whatsoever - it seemed such an effort for her to even acknowledge the customers and serve them with the drinks that they had ordered, not sure if it's a family business but this member of staff clearly didn't want to be there working on this particular day....

Having not been for a while a web page check conjures up images of friendly -and dog friendly -pub so we walked up from Hitchin at 1.30 with a visitor driven up from Bournemouth but apparently 3 tables eating constitutes too busy to take any more food orders , even only lunch sandwich snacks .So a drink and an empty promise of eventual possible service but nothing. Obviously don't need the business. Fox around the corner not open till 3 ,but don't think they are doing food since takeover. Like to say use pubs or lose them but sympathy does not lie with the effort here.

We found this local pub by searching 'dog friendly restaurants near me' and I am so glad I did. We booked Sunday lunch today for 2 and our medium sized dog. Not only was the food amazing and the portions were super large but the welcome given to us and our dog was very thing we were looking for. I would highly recommend visiting, and we plan to make it our regular restaurant. Everyone wants to find a special place to go to, and we have just found ours!

Visited for lunch with friends and found everything pretty spot on. We sat outside in the pleasant, no frills but quiet garden. Lunchtime menu was limited, but perfectly adequate for us. The food was good quality, well presented and good value. Service was efficient and...

I went in with my partner, there was an issue with ID so we went in very polite asking if she could be served and we completely understood If not. The woman serving us was extremely rude and the manager was even worst! after checking...

I haven’t visited this pub for some time as previously it was disappointing. However, what a transformation. The staff were pleasant and helpful and the food, cooked by Elliot the new Landlord, was absolutely delicious. Thoroughly recommend.

Enjoyed a pleasant lunch in the large garden of this country pub. Our food was served promptly and enjoyed by all. The only let down was the failure to provide a high chair which had been promised.

We always have lovely meals at the Motte and Bailey - the food is excellent quality and absolutely delicious. Friendly and welcoming staff too.

Visited for my daughter s 21st ,travelled from Cheshire and not disappointed.The food was lovely,the pub has a warm atmosphere and the little extra touches were appreciated,a little banner was put up and the dessert was made to look extra delicious ,a fuss was also...

Great Sunday Lunch We’ve been a couple of times now with friends and family for Sunday Lunch. Been fantastic both times with consistently great food, brilliantly cooked. Beef was lovely and pink and melt in the mouth. Great roasties, Yorkshire’s and veg. Cauliflower cheese is...

Warm, friendly pub with a fine selection of beer as well as outstanding food. The Battered Fish and chips is especially good. Highly recommended.

Ate here yesterday. This is a pub as you would expect in a quiet village setting. A good thing. Warm, helpful and unassuming. The staff were lovely and helpful. The menu was both general enough to appeal to all but also had a personalised and...

Lovely Sunday lunch the Vegan option was delicious too. Friendly service and reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend eating here.

Friendly village pub/restaurant serving great food and drinks. The lunchtimes sandwiches are a must. Well worth a visit.

Excellent food and service especially from blonde girl at lunch time very helpful will eat there again that's for sure.. Well done to all..

Had Sunday lunch today. £15 for a roast and it was fab. Beef beautifully pink. Veg, Yorkshire pub and roasties great. Friend had the beetroot and goats cheese risotto- fab

Stopped here as driving through and wanted a nice country pub to grab some lunch. Had the burger which was nice but pricey when you have to add chips on to the price as it only comes with onion rings, total of £17!!!. Food was...

This is not something you would expect from a village pub. Absolute astonishing food in the restaurant. Cozy but contemporary atmosphere inside and a wonderful beer garden in front and back. Ideal place to pop in after a nice walk or bike-ride in the hills...

Love, love, love this pub. Inside and out has been tastefully furnished, and the new outside snug is amazing.

Much improved since my last visit 3-4 years ago. Nice location and well run pub, but very expensive. Nearly £10 for a coke and pint of ale! London prices, in a quiet, rural Herts village.

Managed to squeeze ourselves in for a Sunday roast . The Motte has been transformed into a great eating place and the food is wonderful . We had roast beef and roast pork with the best Yorkshire puddings and roast vegetables . The place is now lovingly looked after inside and out, with beautiful hanging baskets and new seating areas. The staff always welcome you with a smile and there is a lovely atmosphere inside . You couldn’t wish for a better country pub ! Well worth a visit .

Use this pub a lot . Very friendly , buzzing , good choice of drinks and great garden as well as inside the pub .

We had walked from Hitchin (about 3.5 miles away) and arrived at this very nice village just after 1pm. The menu was limited but each of the four of us chose a different meal that we were each pleased with. I was particularly pleased with the scotch egg option that I chose which had black pudding within the sausage meat and was served with interesting vegetables. I really enjoyed it. I found it sufficient for me along with a pint of ale and followed by a couple of scoops of ice cream. The service was good. The pub wasn't particularly busy as this was a week day. There was a choice of only two ales but the one I chose was a good one in my opinion. The prices were a little more than I would normally pay for a pub meal but the options offered were not "just run of the mill".

We are a group of 7 and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Amazing from start to finish , try the steak ,and the fish and chips - cooked to perfection . Wonderful desserts - the Eton mess is simply divine . Fabulous attentive staff and great atmosphere . Highly recommended !

Visited this great little pub after a bike ride up to Offley. Welcoming staff, cool beer and definitely bike friendly! Menu looks good, will pop back sometime for the Sunday Lunch!

Abbiamo passato una serata piacevole. Personale cordiale e cucina speciale. Risotto fantastico. Torneremo presto.

Meeting for friends birthday. Lovely village pub set on a green. Very warm and inviting with great selection of drinks. The menu looked good but was unable to sample anything as they don't serve food on a Monday.

Great management very warm and welcoming Risotto is amazing compliments to the chef. we’ll be back. Jo and Elliott were lovely hosts

After a long walk around the delightful village of Pirton we dropped into the Motte and Bailey for refreshments. Having received and warm and friendly welcome (and much needed drinks) we went for the egg and bacon bloomer sandwiches and these were fabulous. Lots of outside seating too for the warmer weather to come. Altogether a great pub and well worth a visit.

Visited on Sunday lunch around 145 pm.The place was busy and friendly.People eating everywhere.Had to stand at bar waiting to be served for 18 minutes - no one was in front of us then a couple came in and The Batman knew them so served them straight away!This was despite trying to get his attention and standing with a note in hand!

Beautiful country pub but with updated twist, great theme nights and live music. Staff welcoming and attentive and a great atmosphere

Lovely dog friendly pub in the middle of a beautiful village on the edge of Hertfordshire. Lovely landlord and lady who took over just before Xmas. They have done the place proud. Lovely refurb, great food, warm welcoming atmosphere, various activities including open mike, singers, and an Easter egg hunt this weekend. Walk your dogs first in the surrounding countryside (e.g. Maulden Woods) and then pop in for a delicious Sunday roast - you won't be disappointed. Well done Jo & Elliot.

An amazing beef Sunday roast, beautifully presented and cooked. The cauliflower cheese dish that came with it was so delicious, our plates were nearly licked clean! A fantastic sticky toffee pudding dessert followed and that went down too well!! Many thank to Jo, and her staff, who made us so welcome, and our lunch so enjoyable..... think you know that we WILL be back!

Good location, warm atmosphere , smiley and friendly staff. Absolutely fantastic food! Rare beef, perfect roast potatoes, lots of lovely vegetables! Highly recommend this pub! I’ll be returning soon.

What amazing food!! The staff are so nice!! IDE rekomend it to everyone!! The best place in Harts’s!! By fare

The Motte and Bailey is beautifully situated on the village green with a Maypole at the centre of Pirton. On Sunday there is roast dinner on offer and it is reslly perfectly cooked - a choice of chunky roast Gammon or succulent beef cooked just right. No reheated paper thin slices here. The ambience is much improved since the chage of management. The village and surrounding countryside are a hidden jewel box of leisurely strolls or strenuous hikes over one of the less frequented parts of the Chilterns AONB.

A lovely place situated on the green in the beautiful village of Pirton. We had arranged to meet friends half way for Sunday lunch. The choice of beef or gammon was all cooked personally by the landlord. We were not disappointed and it was delicious. They had a live singer who was brilliant too. Thanks for a great afternoon.

..... then look no further. Recently refurbished and under new management, The Motte & Bailey, has retained its countryside feel. Nice and space, a well stocked bar and the set menu Sunday Lunch (with vegetarian option) will ensure we will return.

The Motte and Bailay has always had great landlords/landlady's and a few months ago the new tenants took over. Elliot and Jo will give you a very warm welcome !!

Had a really good curry on Friday night here, very tasty, washed down with an excellent selection of real ales. Great new landlord and landlady who made us feel very welcome. Would highly recommend!

Delicious Friday Curry night. Pub under excellent new management and very well done recent renovation.

We stopped by for a Sunday roast (which was absolutely divine) and a drink. There’s a good selection of drinks including a gin bar and ales. The pub is under new management and a very warm welcome was received! It was busier than I would have expected for a local which is always a good sign. We will be back!

Amazing food Amazing service. Great new management. Warm and friendly. I will be returning soon. We had the beef see picture.

Great overall experience and the staff were absolutely lovely! Definitely would recommend if you’re passing by the area

This pub used to have fantastic options for veggie’s at reasonable prices, but after visiting in August it has changed hands and the menu has also changed back to traditional pub grub, but with extremely limited veggie options. Such a shame.

This looks like a really nice pub from the outside but the inside and food are quite disappointing.

We have been to this pub before where there was an impressive menu including several veggie and even some vegan options. They were really tasty and unusual. Returned expecting more of the same only to find that after a change in management, the menu has changed and there is now very little for veggies and the menu is uninspiring. It had not yet changed on their website, so we checked before we came and then were disappointed. There was another customer at the bar having a similar issue. However, meals were served hot and the service was good. As we walked from Hitchin for the veggie menu, we will be unlikely to return any time soon unless the menu improves.

We had a lovely evening. Great atmosphere, friendly smiling staff. Great value for money on the food. Food great

Website says they serve food on Saturday lunchtime and sign outside says food served. However they don't! Excuse was change of management.

Friendly, characterful pub right on the village green. Eaten there a number of times and will return there too. The food offers a reasonable choice,good quality and fair value.Good real ales too. Love it.

Enjoyed a great lunch and friendly service at the Motte and Bailey. Fabulous new menu, food cooked beautifully and just the right spot for an afternoon in one of the regions' finest village, public houses.

Visita rápida a la cerveza y la sidra fin resultó en estancia para la cena. Muy impresionado con todos los aspectos de las comidas. La comida es de buena calidad a un precio razonable. El especial del día - carne stroganoff era una de las preferidas de mi esposo. (disculpas por las fotos, pero la familia no podía esperar a empezar! ). Buena selección de cervezas y sidra. Vale la pena una visita!

Después de un largo paseo, esperábamos ansiosos a algunas bebidas frescas y un almuerzo el domingo de Pascua. Dos de nosotros tuvimos bebidas de la nevera que era cálido, no fría, así que no saciar nuestra sed. Luego tuvimos limonada, pero la limonada era plana. La máquina de café estaba rota, así que no capuchino. Para la comida, una de nuestro grupo el pastel y dijo que era buena, pero 2 de nosotros había patatas asadas que eran muy decepcionantes. El llenado era tan fría que había enfriado la papa. Es una pena que este pub no pueden hacer nada mejor con sus alimentos o bebidas, ya que son muy bien ubicado para los senderistas.

Éramos un grupo de 4 con 2 perros, la comida del domingo, pero no demasiado lleno. El menú está bien, pero no hay asado los domingos; principales £9. 9 inc Steak tarta, Burger, 2 pastas y platos principales pollo, con opciones más ligeras. Ale, buenas opciones de vinos básicos y prosseco. El personal es muy acogedor y el servicio es bueno. Situado enfrente del pueblo verde completa con Maypole, Pirton es muy pintoresca y señas de propiedades pueblo inglés. Volveremos!

Tuvimos un almuerzo muy agradable, inesperadamente.

Miércoles 10 de agosto de 2016 Fui como parte de un club de 20 fuertes y caminar nos quedamos muy contentos con la comida y el servicio que recibimos. Hay buen caminando por la Casa Pública, aunque puede ser bastante accidentado.

Was busy on moving day and popped for a quick lunch. Lovely polite staff and our lunch was very good !!!

Our 20 strong walking group called here for lunch and everyone was satisfied with their meal which was served promptly despite our number.

Poor quality food and not cooked great. Quality tasted cheap, this wasn't same as previous visit months prior. Heard that the chef isn't the same one anymore which is noticeable and shame as used be really nice and joyable.

La semana pasada con mi revisitada la otra mitad y madre. La comida era genial, como cuando visité el año pasado. Tenía la nueva hamburguesa mediterránea como sonaba exótico y ¡una hamburguesa, yo era tan completo en la final de.

Have visited here 2 or 3 times over the last 6 months, and the food has gone from pretty awful to good in that time (though the kids preferred the non-posh chips of the summer; they were perplexed by the mini silver buckets the chips are now served in). But each time, we've been served by the same bar man and each time I've left wondering what I did to upset him. I've tried being polite and friendly, only to be met by a wall of terse, surly, grumpiness. The only time he's smiled was when I asked if I could have a burger cut in half: he replied with a laugh 'I can get you a knife! Ha Ha. No smile or 'enjoy your meal' when he brought out the food; just the odd sarcastic comment. On a cold day, the atmosphere inside the unlit, unheated, empty pub was about as welcoming as the barman, so we chose to eat outside. There were empty glasses everywhere (odd as they were very far from overrun), and the kids play set is starting to break; one corner of the swing lifts up if you swing high, which isn't safe, and bits of wood are dangling off. I wouldn't let very young kids on it (mine are 7-10). Though only opened this summer, it has an air of incipient neglect.Every time I visit here, I swear I shall never return; its truly a depressing experience. I expect it's fine in the evenings, if you drink a lot, however.

On a circular walk, we planned a lunch stop at this excellent traditional village pub. We got a warm welcome and both opted for the sausages which took a while to arrive (good sign because it demonstrated that the food was freshly cooked) but was absolutely worth the wait. Three huge, meaty bangers made a marvellous sustaining lunch. We will return because the walks nearby are great and so was the pub and beer!

My children and grandchildren visited during the summer and we decided to pay a visit to the local restaurant (we do live in the village, but are often away). Sunday lunch for 10 was not possible for me, even if I do like cooking and enjoy a challenge. The menu is pretty comprehensive and we selected quite a variety of different foods.Nobody was disappointed and we were made to feel very welcome. They even set up a special table for us at short notice. There's a good-sized play area at the back and the children made good use of that during our visit. The pub has changed hands several times over the years we have lived in the village, but the current landlord seems to be getting it right.

The drinks and food were tasty. But the food took almost an hour to arrive and there are no kids menus as stated on their website.

sitting by an open fire, eating a tasty lamb roast with nice wine and beer on a very windy wet sunday, just the tonic.Really enjoyable

Fantastic meal for 5 of us. Children's options are essentially smaller versions of the main courses, which is great. Good value for money will be going again

Visited the motte on Sunday for a light lunch and all I can say is WOW!!! The food was superb and watching everyone else's roasts and puddings coming out only gave me serious food envy. Looking forward to return and tasting more of the menu

Roast beef cooked to perfection, veg spot on, over all a definite pleasurable experience. Vegetarian option superb. All washed down very handsomely with warm cider and pint of the guest real ale. Well done to the team at the Motte and Bailey.

Having seen photos of the new menu on Facebook, we felt we had to try and absolutely fantastic! Creamy mushrooms are amazing, vegetarian option perfect and the motte burger is huge and went down a treat. Well worth a visit and will be looking forward to the christmas menu.

We've eaten at The Motte and Bailey a few times in the past and the food has always been reasonably good. On our last visit, we noticed the menu had changed and were told a new chef had just started. I went for the 'stew of the week' which was Oxtail Stew with Horseradish Dumplings and was absolutely stunning. Melt in the mouth with an abundance of flavour. My wife had the Motte Gourmet Burger, which was absolutely huge and equally as delicious. The accompanying triple cooked chips, with skins on were as good as I've ever had. It's great to see a village pub offering such excellent quality food made from locally sourced ingredients. You really can tell the difference. No hesitation in rating this pub 5 out 5 stars. It really was excellent and I cannot until we next return. Hats off to the new chef!

tried out the newly reopened kitchen with their new chef. I had the steak & ale pie. Tasty & very filling, good quality beef used. The service was very good to. Will be back in soon I think. 5*

Lovely village pub. They had a new chef in tonight. Food was absolutely fantastic, all homemade and freshly cooked. I had oxtail stew with horseradish dumplings. Can't tell you how Good it was. How Good to have proper well cooked food.Will definitely be going again.

Welcoming atmosphere with a good vibe - walking club, mountain bike riders, greyhound walking group and families all together. Good selection of meals for a Sunday menu, we had the roast beef but all the other meals/snacks that were brought out looked delish too and were all reasonable priced! Service was excellent, waited the expected amount of time for our food and the 2 girls running the show were diligent and provided a high standard of service. The portions were generous with beautifully cooked veg - not a soggy carrot in sight! The beef was amazing! The only minor flaw would be the need for more dining tables, although I expect this isn't an issue in the summer as there is a large garden and kids play area. The pub is warm and friendly and we hope to experience one of their many themed food nights - Rib night first we hope! Just wish we lived nearer so it could be our local.

Very nice lady on the bar who seems to sort everyone and everything! She even speaks Greek!Shame that they don't do a vegetarian gravy to match the vegetarian Chestnut loaf that comes with the roast!!!

There were not many people in the pub at the time we called. My wife wanted sausage and chips rather than mash which was not on the menu and this was not a problem. There are meal deals on the menu and I had the rack of ribs and chips which was good value. The service was very good and the staff efficient and friendly however I do not know what it is like when it is busy. The courtyard and children's play area look to have been refurbished recently so it appears that there is plenty of space for families. We will be going back again as it is a good stop off point for some excellent walks in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire countryside.

Lovely location and nice building, but wouldn't recomemend it for a family meal. We (me, my wife and 2 year old) went early on a Saturday evening, the food came in alright time but wasn't exactly tastey and looked like it had been dropped onto the plate from a great height, the ketchup bottle looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the 80s and the bar manager couldn't (or couldn't be bothered to) find a teaspoon for my daughter to eat with. We were looking forward to a nice pint and some food in the country, all we got was a bad review for TripAdvisor.

We were looking forward to lunch after a 7 mile walk. Arrived at the bar around 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon. There were 3 people in front of us at the bar ordering drinks and food and only one member of staff. 2 more waiting after us. The young lad behind the bar coped well under pressure but did not read our food order back to us. The fantastic sounding real ale the wizard was off and it seems like they were running out of other real ale too. Rather disappointing. We sat in the front garden and the food came after about 20 mins.. only two sandwiches between 3. Unfortunately there was some Blue mould on my sandwich so I just left it. No chips materialised and it seems I have been left of the order. When they came they tried to charge us more than what's on the menu price and really by then we were a bit fed up. It's a shame because it was a good pub in a good location but customer service left much to be desired as m there weren't enough staff.

We found the Motte and Bailey on the Internet, we had planned our day out and stopped off at the pub for the first time, excellent food, service and extremely polite, it is also 'Dog Friendly 'excellent value for money, we have already been back for second visit, it's siutated in a lovely village right on the green. Worth a visit.

Despite the recent makeover, the atmoshere and welcome is sadly lacking, silence and turned heads from the locals is a bit off putting. The garden at the rear could do with a makeover too.

Popped into the local for a rib eye medium rare and fries with a glass of Pinot noir. So glad that within 100 yards we can have a steak cooked perfectly with a great glass of wine from a friendly landlord. Baby Bertie strapped to our chests (well Vicky's) and dogs welcome too. Result. A wonderful Tuesday treat. Thanks Andy.

Stopped here half way through a ten mile walk. I had the scampi and chips which was well cooked with a delicious tartare sauce. Lovely village pub.

My young family and I had the absolute pleasure of visiting this fine establishment for lunch today. The pub, in a scenic setting, is comfortable and well-appointed. We were very happy with the speed of service and the land lords easy-going attitude. He didn't mind my messy one year old at all! I thoroughly recommend this family friendly pub for a relaxing meal out.

Booked here after a Boxing day walk. Arrived around 12:30pm and the pub was a little chaotic with tables being moved around whilst we were having our drinks. The put was also a little cold as the coal fire was very smokey but had no flames. I chose the lasagne after being told that the jacket potatoes were microwaved and not baked. Big mistake! The lasagne was also microwaved. It was a gelatinous, whitish blob on the plate, accompanied by undercooked garlic bread. Absolutely inedible (although to be fair by my other half said it was edible, just not pleasant). When asked why I wasn't eating it I explained I don't like frozen, pre-packaged lasagne but was told it was cooked fresh but looked like it did after it came out of the tupperware (as if this made it better). The two other people had burgers. They said they were ok but wouldn't have them again. We won't return.

Set scene:A cold, dry winters night welcomed my family and I as we stumbled across what looked like a homely welcoming pub. The quant and quiet place was warm through from the burning wood chimney. Unfortunately this good start to the evening was short lived. Act 1:Although a good selection of drinks, these were served at the bar as no order would be taken at the table, strange for a very quiet evening. The menu offered a variety of choices from Paninni 's to (Not so) Homemade steak and ale pie. The starter of Chilli Cheese Fries came to the table which to surprise were rather delicious, setting the expectations as to the quality of the food, particularly high.Act 2:With our mouths salivating the waiter arrived with our mains, many of us had ordered the Steak and Ale pie that's description really sold it. A delicate shortcut pastry accompanied with thick cut chips, vegetables and thick red wine gravy. "Oh no" I thought once the watery gravy spilled like tidal of bland flavours, splashing the surface of the wooden table. The tsunami of spices of the warming red wine gravy was simply a dream I had, this gravy however, was like a blind postman on his day off, it failed to deliver. With poor execution my attention was turned to the crème da la crème, the Pie. Much like a fish out of the water, the pie was drowning, drowning in despair, suffocated by its great expectations. The soggy pastry gate crashed our evening as it quickly became the hot topic of discussion. The pastry reminded of a childs nappy, a soggy bottom. With my father crying in the corner like a little girl, his evening, his birthday, his month, his year had been ruined, ruined like the great ruins of Rome. He stood, reflected and picked himself up. With the courage of Romanian gypsy fighter, getting up in the 12th round with Mike Tyson, he tackled the rest of his meal. However, he shortly gave up, gave up like Tony Blair gave up on this country in 99. Act 3: The waiter peered upon our table and checked if we were suitably happy, not wanting to cause a fuss, we did as the romans did, and complained. Both of the waiters offered no sympathy, instead a simple look of confusion, bewildered as to why one would complain. There was no resolution, no helping and no apologies from any members of staff within the vicinity. Act 4:We couldn't not leave any sooner, the frosty wet weather seemed like cool summers day compared to the dreary atmosphere and sour taste left in ones mouth. Getting back home disappointed we cleansed ourselves from all our troubles with a nice Sunday Pagan sacrificial ritual, the neighbours will never know that little old Mrs Wong has gone missing..... Fin.