The Black Dog in Bolton

Dogs should not be allowed where people are eating we were having a meal when a dog opposite us dropped feces against table leg utterly disgusting it’s full of dogs barking and 1 woman was feeding her dog of the plate

Surprise packet...after reading previous reviews, we werent sure what to expect. What we got was friendly staff, good pub food & more than adequate breakfast. The room was cosy but clean & comfortable. It was good value for the price.

Took a long time for our meals to be served , manager talking about other staff going on sick in front of guests quite loudly . Didn’t enjoy my return to the black dog , food wasn’t up to scratch

Came here about 5 yrs ago. Gave good review ,not today. Chicken all.most burnt. Staff OK. Pub needs re furbished and a good clean. .steak good and curry but expensive and small potions.Just generally unkempt.wo t be back.

I appreciate there was a wake on and they were busy, BUT, we waited 45 minutes for our lunch, it was waiting to be served, but nobody served it. After enquiring, it finally came, congealed and stone cold. It came back microwaved. The fire blade steak was far too salty, the steak hanging kebab tough. Overall we were very disappointed. We took my 90 year old mum out for a treat and were very disappointed. We will certainly not return or recommend to anyone else. Try home cooked food rather than cook chill rubbish .

Just been to the Black Dog in Belmont and I have to say the meal was absolutely delicious and the staff were really lovely and very attentive. Thank you…we’ll be back 👍🏻

W e were first in the main restaurant and we had to wait far too long for our food some of which was not very good. Other people who came in after us got served while we were waiting for our food. We have been here several times in the past and have always enjoyed it., we will not be returning!!

Went for the lunch special which includes a drink.Very tasty meal in a cosy venue.Good range of draught beer which is getting to be unusual these days For

Used to love this place. What the hell as happend to it. ? New landlord . Different food suppliers. Must be a new chef coz they can't cook . Half of food warmish other half stone cold. Was sent back for it to be shoved in the microwave. Didn't even had the sense to just warm up the cold steak nuked the whole plate with sauces on it ! Also the chips had no taste at all how the foosh u can do that !! Needs sorting out gone from food from Ramsey to food from Mr been. Awful.

We called in here for an early evening dinner after completing a walk round Rivington Pike. We opted for beer battered fish and chips. Food was excellent, good quality and nicely prepared and every bit as good as similar offerings in much more expensive places. Beer is a selection of Joseph Holt brews is well kept and service was extremely polite and efficient capping off a good day. We would certainly come here again.

Nice friendly welcome, no nonsense pub food, well priced, served by very polite staff. No fuss - just a nice good value for Money meal

We met friends here for Friday lunch. The pub is deceptively spacious inside with a good choice of comfortable seating and good sized tables. The service was friendly and helpful. The menu offers a good choices to suit all diets. Two of us had the Friday Fish and Chips deal which includes a pint. The fish was large and chunky. Excellent value for money. The food was hot, but the only criticism is that the plate was cold. Others in our group had salads which were tasty and substantial. Will definitely visit again.

Had an absolutely fantastic meal with family last night 19/04/2023. Nine small plates between two adults and an 11 years old starter of garlic and stilton mushrooms and a homemade steak and ale pie and a real chicken burger kids meal with fantastic ice cream choice , brilliant good will definitely be back . Service and front of house staff faultless

We had visited this fine village pub before and had been tempted by the Thursday Night is Curry Night offer. We visited again on a Thursday and were completely underwhelmed, it is always a bad sign when the main arrives before the starter, because the service was slow we were grateful for what we were given. The curries were perfectly acceptable but not outstanding.

A party of 26 people had a birthday celebration at the Black Dog. The food was hot and tasty and served by an efficient and friendly staff. Congratulations to the kitchen staff who managed to get the food out on time and without fuss. Well done to all. We had a great night and can certainly recommend the Dog.

I visited here on Friday 03 March with my husband, son and his partner. The food was delicious, I must recommend the chicken hanging skewer, it was mouth-watering gorgeous, as were the rest of the meals. The service was a little slow but I understand that they were short staffed on the night of our visit but we weren't in any hurry . The staff were very friendly and welcoming. We will definately be back soon

After a walk up Rivington Pike stopped off at The Black Dog for a bite to eat. Great country pub. Lovely food & friendly service. Will deffo be returning . Thank you

Went hear! Food is nice but the misses ordered like a fillit hanging on a stick and I use to work at Bolton cold stores years ago so I have eaten many fillits! This was not fillit that she was served! Meat was tough and one of the pieces had grissle in the middle of it(fillit dnt have grissle runing threw it! Most likely rib eye if I do say so my self! It's a shame as my mixed grill was a+++++

I have been coming to the pub on Christmas Day for 7 years now and I have never been disappointed but this year I have to complain it was dreadful I was so embarrassed bringing family members for their Christmas meal food cold and tasteless and pub owners rude never again.

We have been coming here for the last 5 years on Christmas Day. We will not becoming again after this year. We was first cramped up on a table to small for us all we was eating and sat at the corner of the table not ideal at all it was so uncomfortable. Then the food started to arrive to say I was disappointed is an understatement the soup was cold to start with. The main meal had no taste at all accept for the carrots and parsnip the sprouts was solid. The desert then came and it was horrible I didn’t think you could get a desert wrong but I was wrong the cream on the side actually smelt off. Some of us drenched the food in salt so we could at least try and eat the main as we was hungry as I myself hadn’t eaten so I could enjoy my meal. We are not a family to complain so we just said thanks left our tip and went but I would have thought the plates going back with all the food still on would have raised a question but no one asked us anything and even during the meal no one came over to ask if the food was okay. I don’t blame them for not asking they probably knew what the answer would be. All in all we was very unimpressed this year with food and the service and will sadly not be booking for next year it’s a lot of money for a meal to then have that meal ruin your day.

Lovely meal out with friends. Staff were very pleasant. Food was top quality, couldn't fault it. Service was fast and check backs were made. Lovely location, very welcoming place. Will definitely be returning...

My partner and I ate here on Saturday 1 October 2022. We arrived at 1.50pm and were told the kitchen would be closing at 2.00pm for an hour, so the staff could have a break. I didn’t mind this at all – staff need a break, but this could have been advertised on TripAdvisor, if this is a regular occurrence. If not, then apologies. Although this did mean that we didn’t have a proper chance to look at the menu, we both ordered the steak and ale pie – my partner ordered a garlic cheese baguette as a side. Both meals were lovely as was the red wine we ordered. For desserts, we both ordered the malteser sundae – these were again lovely, followed by an espresso for me and a mocha for my partner. The staff are friendly, very nice and very helpful.

We visited a couple of weeks ago as a couple it was an impromptu meal as we are getting married at the church across the road. We were a little early so popped in for drink. The food looked lovely so we came back after...

Thankyou to Susie Helen Heidi and Callum for super service and of course the chefs ( hidden stars ) who cooked us a delicious meal..much appreciated ..Some great deals on including buy two large glasses of wine and get the rest of the bottle free...

While the food is nice the portions really need to be looked at! This is half the baguette, there where 6 pieces in total 3 on each half and a smidgen of cheese!

Went here for lunch one Friday. We decided on the Friday fish special after seeing our neighbours plates being brought in. It looked spectacular and the price included a drink. The 🐟 fish was large and we didn't eat all of the meal as we...

Just been for lunch with my husband and was amazed at the choice on the menu! We decided on soup, a garlic bread then scampi and a kebab. The soup was delicious came with a warm baguette , the portion sizes of the main meals...

This pub has only ever been great when I've been in, very friendly staff especially in the evenings and really make you feel welcome. It's a great reward after a long walk as the food is always delicious and the deals are very tempting. Normally...

Great food and service, husband had an amazing roast dinner and the vegan options were really good, I had a sweet potato & 3 bean chilli which was served rice and home baked tortillas - it was delicious - great price and lovely friendly staff

I have an allergy and I was so impressed at how detailed and up to date their allergen matrix was (labelled April 2022). Food was fantastic. Great variety of food and was so tasty. The manager was really lovely. Said he’d only been there two...

Called in today after a walk around blue lagoon. The barman was a bit abrupt! Asked if we had booked a table as I had a menu with the intent of ordering food. As he served my 2 pints he told me we had to...

Had a lovely pub lunch, home made food , staff great - just how a pub lunch should be! Excellent lasagne really good quality and value for money, one of our party had the curry special which was voted as superb.

Called in with my dog after a walk in Belmont. Very friendly country pub, so sat by a roaring fire having a drink. Nice old style interior with pleasant staff

The food is good and reasonably priced. The waitress was very pleasant. There are small alcoves , one with an open fire in the winter. There is also a larger brighter area with an ice cream bar. It's a dog friendly pub too.

Visited 12th December for a family meal, booked in advance, quick service at the bar for pre-meal drinks, shown to table and ordered our meals from the bar along with some more drinks, tatters came in good time and where enjoyed by all, there was...

It's a case of if your face fits. As a family we have visited many times over the years, spending a fortune used to be our go to place for celebrations. Visited today with our small friendly dog, who was no trouble when someone complained...

We have been going to this pub for years. We took our small friendly dog with us for a family meal out as we've done multiple times before. We sat down, had drinks then some miserable couple complained we had a dog, so we were...

Stood at bar and ignored completely, lady only seemed interested in serving the gentleman that came in after me who was welcomed with open arms, and who then informed them to serve another group next. Hope you can rely only on your locals to keep...

Booked a table in advance only to arrive and the table was occupied- no apology offered or given - terrible service , no staff training . . . Run by kids - not an enjoyable experience. . . Holts brewery should invest in employee training...

bad food pestering all the time to have food would not leave us alone to have a few drinks and then kitchen staff throwing things about in the kitchen no wonder the pub and restaurant is shut down

Went last night for dinner with my wife. Does not get much better for the money. Truly great main courses, followed with two excellent desserts. Happy to go again - soon!

Went today with 3 friends I thought the food was excellent and will return .Service was a little slow but overall very good

Passed this place numerous times whilst riding on the Motorbikes...This time we stopped....and what a GREAT Experiance...The food was excellent. The price was reasonable and the staff where very polite and professional.. Everything was presented in a safe manner under these strange times with COVID...

Great visit as always, great food and dogs more than welcome with a bowl of water provided for them. The Covid procedures in place were reassuring during the present climate!

Came for some food and drinks after walking the dogs and was welcomed in, all the staff were lovely, chatty and extremely helpful. Despite everything going on, we felt so at home and safe and the biggest reason for that was down to the welcoming...

Just been for a hearty satisfying meal with my nana, best friend and her son. Brilliant,friendly service delivered by with David. High standards of hygiene. Tasty homemade food. Recomend the Steak pie. Lovely pub. Glad to be back here to visit.Already eye balled the menu...

Been coming to this country pub for about 20 years, not often as its a good few miles drive. Its very cosy in cold weather they have fires. And they allow dogs too. Food is good. Great choice of ice cream. I think I preferred...

Went to the Black dog today with my partner nicola had a lovely meal staff friendly and especially David couldn't do enough for us attentive and very helpful will be going back on Monday lovely place to visit a must if you enjoy great pub food and friendly service

We have just spent two nights at The Black Dog attending a family funeral. We could not have had a more welcoming host in David. Nothing was too much trouble. We had wonderful dinners each evening. The food was just superb and they could not...

We had not visited this pub for some years, no reason for our absence, it just got forgotten about. Today we went back and it was great, good menu with plenty of choice. The food was faultless as was the service. See you again soon.

We booked a table at The Black Dog to have lunch with my mum and sister. We received great service from the minute we walked in by David. They adhered to all social distancing measures by delivering our food onto the empty table next to...

Just had a really good steak baguette. My wife had a good home made fish sandwich. Two Hoots ale hasn't changed! They really care about social distance, sanitising and we checked into track and trace when we arrived. They served our food onto a spare...

Lovely pub dinner on the “eat out” scheme with my family (including a newborn). We all felt very safe and the social distancing rules were well adhered to. David was a fab host. Would come again! Thank you! Beth Adams + family

Lovely lunch here today taking advantage of the Thursday curry and a drink offer. Felt very looked after by David and Olivia . Food was delicious and felt very safe . Plenty of hand sanitizer avaialable . Will definitely be back .

Nice friendly pub, food good as always, friendly & welcoming staff and were really conscious of the current COVID climate. Amazing all round. One of the best pubs around 👌🏻

My family and I went for an evening meal and the food and service were excellent. Considering the current circumstances we were made to feel very welcome whilst David and his staff maintained a high standard of service making sure to consider our safety and wellbeing from start to finish.The Black Dog is a great pub/restaurant and if you are looking for a friendly and welcoming place to drink or dine i would highly recommend a visit.

Absolutely wonderful service , felt very safe in the enviroment, food on point , nothing to much trouble david went above and beyond ! Would recommend without hesitation See you again soon Teresa and gang 🥰

Popped in for lunch after a quick phone call to check availablity. We ordered at the bar and only had a 10/15 min wait for the food to arrive. Really good portions of nicely prepared proper pub food. Great value for money. Definitely recommended if you are in the area.

We decided to use a week off work following the COVID-19 lockdown to put our "toe in the water" and try a local pub which was off the beaten track.On entry, there are hand sanitiser stations at the front door and the bar. Alongside this there is signage requesting that people download their details to the Joseph Holt Track & Trace database.There are additional COVID measures in place such as table delivery to a specific table which has been designated for dropping off/picking up orders, a social distancing zone around the bar, additional cleaning and single use menus to prevent cross- contamination. (Pity that a couple of the patrons didn't take notice of the last measure).As requested, we were sat out of the way from everyone else, given our concerns as this was our first lunch out post lockdown.Out of necessity, the lunch menu is slimmed down from our previous visits, but the food is of the same high quality.I had the steak and ale pie which was fantastic with nice chunks of steak with ale and encased in a light pastry with chips and peas, followed the vegan apple pie. Nice taste, filling but not not too heavy as to make you feel like you have an anvil in your stomach.The total bill came in at just over £80 - great value for money at any time, but especially with what's been happening for the last four months.The

24 people for an extended buffet-lunch / catch up on the 29th February 2020. Plenty of food for everyone at a reasonable price. We all had an amazing time. All made very welcome on arrival. Excellent high quality (crystal gold) buffet food. Staff very friendly and flexible to our needs. Lovely country pub and would not hesitate to recommend anyone to visit. We are hoping to visit again very soon.

This is my brothers local and so we went as a family of brothers and sisters , sons and daughters and grandchildren on Saturday late afternoon till 8pm.Did not think to book tables as we thought was just pub food however turned out to be 12 of us wanted food , asked to move into the eating area and the staff were more than accommodating they sorted out a big area , for us all bare in mind they already had bookings for tea , it was no trouble at all , then the food , what a fabulous menu , literally something for everyone , ordered all together at the till and within about 20 minutes all served and hot , not one of us complained about anything , the food was fab , the service amazing and the price we could all afford ...Brilliant and well done to all who work there ...Thank you for making us welcome

We were made very welcome. Jim, Debbie and David couldn't do enough for us. Comfortable, spacious room, great food and good old fashioned ambiance.

We visited on Sunday 8th March as a party of 10 to celebrate our grand daughters 8th birthday. Everything was perfect and well organised by David and his attentive staff, nothing was too much trouble. The food was excellent and served in good time. Thank you to David for arranging a perfect occasion

We visited on Saturday as family and as always the food is great and staff lovely, we will be returning again and again!

Thank you for a lovely evening- so many vegan options and friendly staff! Loved the vegan ice cream in a cone and luckily live close enough to keep on coming back!

Food was great and atmosphere was really good and very reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend! The ice cream parlor is a must!

Lovely food, we all commented on how nice our dishes were, I had the Jack fruit curry and it was delicious. Everyone agreed that we should come back on a monthly basis.

This is the first time I have been here, it was recommended by my cousin who had visited last year. Staff were friendly, welcoming and such a warm atmosphere. Menu has a good selection and they have vegan and vegetarian options as well.Good size rooms and nicely decorated . You just sit look at the menu and then order at the bar! I am lactose intolerant so can’t have anything that contains milk and have to be careful of cross contamination, on ordering our food the guy behind the bar was brilliant when it was explained that I wanted a steak and was concerned about what it was cooked in and to make sure I didn’t get cross contamination. He went into the kitchen spoke to the chef, he then came back and said the only thing I couldn’t eat was the onion rings as they contained milk, but they would cook everything separate with no butter. The food came we all enjoyed it and even though we were stuffed we managed a pudding!!! The vegan apple and Almond tart with vegan ice cream was amazing!

We travel a fair old distance to eat here and have never been disappointed. Ourselves and the dogs made to feel very welcome. They cater for dog people and for none dog people by having sepperate areas. Fab food, friendly staff and still a traditional pub feel. Will defo be returning.

Took wife out for a meal, I asked myself why I had not used the food side of the pub for a while, we used to go weekly, then it hit me, a new menu a few months ago, more expensive and poorer quality food, I had haddock mornay, the fish dish itself was nice the veg over cooked and as for having smash on my plate, that did it ( smash = powdered potato) wife had surf and turf onion rings cooked in old fat, steak over cooked all in all poor, sad really as in the past it has been good but quality of food has moved backwards, your loss wiltons gain down the road, the pub side of the business is good and I will carry on drinking there.

I have dined in many pub restaurants over the years, and this is right up there with the best of them; Warm and cosy, the ambiance was perfect from the start. David, the manager made us so welcome, as if we were valued regulars (this was our first visit). Such personal interaction, pitched at the right level is rare nowadays, yet this is what really matters in the service industry. We will be going back for Mother’s Day . Oh, and the food... to die for!!! Wholesome, tasty and importantly (for me), good sized portions. Try this place, you will not regret it!

Service with a smile from all staff. As always David cheerful and helpful. Obvious experience and pride in his role. The pub has a welcoming atmosphere. Plenty of choice on menu and the food is always flavoursome & piping hot. Hardworking kitchen and serving staff. Not kept waiting for meals. Mel is friendly and remembers what you like to drink. Decision to move into the village helped by having this cosy country pub. Also has a good standard en-suite accommodation. Would definitely recommend.

What’s not to like about this pub? The food is brilliant, new starters - recommend the baked Camembert and the Katsi Prawns.

You won’t find it hard to find something tasty on this vast menu. Burgers were the family choice and I chose sea bass. All dishes were tasty and hot. Two indulged in dessert. A tasty sticky toffee pudding and a baked caramel and cookie cheesecake. Service was excellent, updating on timing of food. Nice touch and not full on. Great place for good value food.

I come here almost every week with a lady I support. The staff have always been kind, understanding and attentive to our needs when visiting.

This place is a gem! We come up every wk for lunch with an autistic lady we support. The staff are amazing with her, the food is delicious; with great portion sizes too and always a quick service! I would recommend this place to everyone!

Went for lunch on the 6th February. There was a wide range of food available and the menu was tempting. There seemed to be a range of special offers depending on the day and time of your visit so worth looking out for them.

We come every week with a lady we support who has autism and additional needs. The staff and managers are brilliant with the lady we support and understand her needs and cater for them with no hesitation. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is very welcoming. We would highly recommend this place to other staff members to take other residents we support.

Had another delicious meal here, the halloumi kebab is amazing . Good veggie & vegan options and a very good menu to suit all tastes.lovely friendly staff ,cozy surroundings and very dog friendly, already looking forward to our next visit.😊

I had a meal here 5 years ago which to be honest was bloody awful. The review "what a dogs mess" said it all but at the end of it I vowed to go back some day as how could such a nice pub in a nice location get it so wrong?

We went after a lovely walk around Rivington Reservoir, well worth a visit, as I wanted the Steak and Ale pie that was so nice on our last visit, this time it wasn't as nice, me and my mum had this, on my recommendation, disappointingly it was very over done, the pastry was very dark and hard to break into, but the filling was delicious, lovely chunks of meat, no one came to ask if the meal was OK, I feel that when you pay up-front the service wains a little, my sons burger was lovely and my partner had the Cheese and Onion pie, he asked for no peas, I would have thought that a replacement veg would have been offered, but no, we will go back again though but next time voice our opinions.

Came here for Sunday lunch with family we haven’t been before we booked ahead as there were 6 of us.We arrived early this wasn’t a problem we all had Sunday roast Beef and 1 chicken,2 of us had starters they were delicious then we had a long wait before the mains arrived but the waitress did apologize the food was delicious.Some of us had desserts and they too were delicious.With drinks it was very good value would definitely come again.Staff were friendly and very attentive

Called in for lunch after a family walk just after New Year’s Day thinking it wouldn’t be too busy - turns out we were wrong! Speaks volumes about the quality of the food and the staff - David and Luke were clearly rushed off their feet but couldn’t do enough for us, the service was fantastic and the food was equally as good! Would not hesitate to return or to recommend it to others.

As always, a lovely meal, locally sourced with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and friendly service. What else could you want from a gastropub!

Fantastic Fish and chips for me but could not resist having a taste the chicken and ham pie my wife ordered. A propper pie with plenty of filling. Yummy. Great service from friendly staff and some decent ale to go with it. Will be visiting soon.

The food and service at The Black dog is incredible, definitely worth a visit. You're well looked after and food is great quality. Have been a good few times and get the same high quality experience every time. The desserts all looked amazing, was hard to pick just one!

This is our 3rd visit to the pub, each time has been absolutely brilliant. Fantastic service, really friendly staff even though it was very busy - on the ball at all times. Food was great - 6 empty plates. Thank you for the vouches for Jan/Feb - we will definitely be back!!

Superb Manager super David and superb lad in braces am a local of many years and this manager has done wonders for this place and his staff are superb :)

We decided to visit The Black Dog in Belmont as a change to the pubs that we usually visit for lunch. As it was the Christmas break, I decided to book ahead using the pub's online messaging system and I was glad I did given how busy it was this lunchtime with people who were there for lunch and the passing walking trade.

Party of 10 on a Sunday. Quintessential Bolton pub with a good amount of food options and a top pint of Guinness. David the manager served us and was very friendly and made our meal most enjoyable. Not the first and won't be the last time we visit.

Best Christmas day restaurant meal we've ever had. Superb service, great staff and excellent presentation. Jim the landlord and David always friendly and attentive. Will be booking again for next year.

Had a lovely meal. 8 of us. Very attentive staff, lovely food. We will be visiting again. Highly recommend xx

20 minute wait for hot drinks which we had to go and ask for. 40 minutes later one dish arrived out of four. At this point we were told there would be a further wait. The manager then accused us of making two separate orders, and aggressively blamed the delay on us, when in fact we ordered all four dishes together, which could clearly be seen on the receipt which was waved in our faces by the owner. He used petty excuses of having two staff on the shift for the mistakes of the restaurant. I would expect an owner to be apologetic in regards to a delay of a food order rather than incredibly argumentative and rude like James was. Would not recommend a visit to the black dog. We were made to feel very uncomfortable. Service with a smile wouldn’t go a miss.

Outstanding food and service, truly. A pleasure to be had on every visit, Jim and Debbie absolutely A1.

David and the team really looked after our party, a family of 14 ranging from 4yrs to 80yrs for Boxing Day lunch. The food was lovely and the staff couldn't have been more attentive. Thank you xx

We returned for another year to sample your excellent food and this year Ben was well enough to eat his Christmas Lunch. Again greeted by a lovely young man called David. Really attentive to detail. Nothing was a problem. David gave us details on how things were being done as a few tables had arrived at the same time. We were seated and ordered drinks. Our starters arrived, we had forgotten what we had ordered, the server immediately said no problem we have a copy of your order, so all sorted. Although the place was busy it was calm, no one rushing about serving. Our main course came, three traditional roast turkey lunches and salmon for myself. All looked delicious and plenty food on the plates. Ben struggled to eat all of his. The food was delicious. The staff asked at various stages did we require anything else and was everything okay. Which is was, our final course was cheese and biscuits for four of us.... again Ben couldn’t manage anymore. A good portion of cheese with ample biscuits and fresh crunchy celery was enjoyed by those who wanted cheese. Coffee was offered and again when we asked for a refill nothing was a problem. Just as we thought our lunch had come to an end we were given four little mince pies.... a nice touch.

Do pop in now and again,and always happy.

15 of us arrived at 12 with a warm welcome. We all had a beautiful 2 or 3 course meal. All staff where polite and professional. Couldn't have asked for more. Thank you from Belmont Works x

Booked the festive meal for tonight, well presented hot tasty food, well looked after by David, couldn't manage a pudding as we were full, really good value for money, looking forward to our next visit, Merry Christmas to you all x x 🎅🌲🥂

We have visited today for a family meal