The Old Smithy in Stafford

A very well decorated dining room with excellent service and good food

What a fabulous experience we had. Were visiting area called to see if any availability. We arrived service was outstanding by everyone. Decor was beautiful well loved property. Food did not disappoint. If you are in the area highly recommend.

Hey everyone here I eat something amazing great food and lovely service really recommend 🙏

Beautiful food and a lovely building. Went here for my birthday meal, great experience, can't wait to go again.

amaaaaazing service, all the staff are so lovely and accommodating 11/10 food - the lamb was delicious would recommend the spatchcock chicken although it is very large lol super cute atmosphere would highly recommend - hidden gem 🫶🫶🫶

We hadn’t been for a while as the pub unfortunately now closes on Monday and Tuesdays, which are the days we regularly used to drive past and call in. Finding ourselves in the area on a Thursday we were delighted to be able to call in once again - we had missed it! The food was just as delicious and top quality as we remembered. I have always loved the sea bass here, in its various incarnations, currently it is served with spring onions and ginger with sautéed new potatoes. Absolutely delicious! The food always arrives piping hot and in mighty generous portions. My husband tucked into his halloumi burger with equal gusto. We were delighted to find the food was as great quality as ever ! This pub is always sparkling and clean, and the staff helpful and efficient. A class act all round !

We had a wake for my late father at the Old Smithy. I was excellent. Fantastic Buffet and service with an easy going caring attitude. I cannot recommend Martin and his Team enough.

Real ale choice pretty poor. Decor pretty modern and blingy. Didn't try the food but wouldn't return for a drink.

Another nice meal. Booked a table for four people on Saturday evening. Service from all the staff - bar, front of house, restaurant- was excellent . Food was amazing and portion sizes good. Not hurried throughout service despite the restaurant being full. Looking forward to the next visit.

Very good food I did enjoy my rip eye steak with mashed potatoes and veg

Visited here for Sunday Lunch. Was absolutely brilliant. They also have Stella Unfiltered on tap which was absolutely lovely !! Food was great value for money and no complaints at all. The only small issue, was some of the staff could be a bit happier. We asked one waitress if they were open on Christmas Day, she literally replied "No." Will definitley visit again ! Brilliant Afternoon.

First time here and we loved it. Service and food were excellent and we forced ourselves to have all three courses, it was that nice.

Went in on spec while family went to watch dancing. We were welcomed with open arms. Was very friendly and made us feel at home. Su h a friendly place. Although it was really busy, we felt we had individual attention. We just wish that we li ed nearer - this could easily become our new local!!

We were a party of 8 and regularly visit local restaurants and pubs. Our choices from the menu were varied although we didn’t have a starter. We all thought our meals were excellent, my duck was cooked to perfection. Sweet choice was again varied and again all excellent. Couldn’t fault the food at all. Parking is somewhat restricted but as The Old Smithy is just round the corner from the High Street this shouldn’t be a problem.

After trying our luck on a table for four without a booking, we were met by lovely staff who accommodated us well and found us a table - which was fortunate for us. We all had the Pie, Chips, Veg and Gravy and I can honestly say it's probably the best restaurant meal of that type I've eaten in a long time, if not ever. Pie was full of meat filling, tasty sauce and lovely soft pastry. The chips were so well cooked with flakey salt and the veggies were delicious. Great portion sizes. For dessert, a Sticky Toffee pudding for me, which is a personal favourite of mine, and was also absolutely delicious with some vanilla ice cream. Wonderfully soft with some fantastic toffee sauce! I would absolutely recommend a visit here, whether you're passing or a local. The staff are friendly, the atmosphere was lovely and the food is 100% worth the restaurant prices - you won't regret it!

Took the family to what was recommended to us as a friendly high standard restaurant only to be disappointed with what we could hear from the bar. We had what we thought to be a peaceful table looking outside to the fountain only to hear members of staff using foul disgusting language around the corner. I had to try and explain to my young grandchildren that the words they could hear and did not understand were not to be said in such a public place or to be repeated, they should not have to hear those words. There was no consideration for their own noise of stomping around and loud voices disturbing the peace. just as a warning to those wanting to visit have a rethink as I highly doubt them young girls will have any care in the world who hears their conversations when they should be acting in a professional manner.

Fantastic place lovely food great atmosphere and amazing beer....

Martin and Charlotte looked after us like family as usual. The food and hospitality is second to none and I cannot recommend The Smithy highly enough. Nothing is too much trouble and we look forward to visiting again soon.

Great pies, good service. Can be quite warm in the restaurant area. Food overall is excellent, great beers on draught. All round top pub

Excellent Sunday lunch, eaten here several times now, always great food in a lovely setting. Thanks

Food is always great. We had the Sunday dinner, plenty of meat and well cooked. Staff always friendly.

Quality food at reasonable price. Excellent service with friendly staff.

Food and service was lovely. Very pretty pub.

We were staying in the area and ended up eating here on both nights as the 1st night was so good. Excellent food, perfect service and great value for money. Just a shame we don't live on the doorstep, we'd be regulars!

The food here just about made up for the poor service. The staff have absolutely zero interest in being there and had to be asked twice for anything. If you’re looking for attentiveness and a friendly face go somewhere else.

Lovely food, good service, quality tableware. A special midweek treat.

You walk in and get a warm welcome the staff give you a great service. The food is outstanding will go again.

The Old Smithy is a favourite of ours, we went at the start of Feb and was keen to go back with friends a couple week after. The Sunday dinner was delicious - didn't need to ask for extra gravy (As a northerner in Stafford I usually do) The beef was cooked to perfection and the staff was friendly and helpful

Lovely food, friendly service, well worth a visit if you're in Eccleshall. Very popular. Dairy alternatives for tea and coffee would be appreciated.

We meet up with some friends every few months and The Old Smithy is halfway between us. Excellent friendly service, very good food yet again and water laid out for our whippet who also got a biscuit or two. Thoroughly recommended.

What a lovely place. Beautiful decor and the food is excellent. Spoilt for choice with the menu. Staff very friendly and attentive. The dog even had a bowl of water and a biscuit. Starters were fabulous. Partner had the prawns-- delicious and I had the duck -excellent. Main course was just as good. O/H had the duck beautifully presented and I had the sea bass-- both superb. Would definitely recommend a meal here.

Fab food quick and friendly service, great bar easy parking ..

We visited The Old Smithy on Saturday 24th February for our daughter's 8th birthday. Yet again, it was an excellent experience. Martin and Charlotte are the perfect hosts. We are regulars and they go above and beyond to accommodate us, we can be a pain! Martin will prepare THE most outstanding food to order, which is not always on the menu and is always excellent. Charlotte, Adrian and the other front of house staff are very attentive. Adrian is the best cocktail maker! We had a party of 8 on Saturday, 5 of whom were 8 year old girls so rather a noisy party but the staff were great. All the food was brought out promptly which was great with 5 hungry little tummies and all very much enjoyed by all of us. A big thank you to all at The Old Smithy for another great night out :)

Excellent freshly cooked food, lovely wine and dining area

Went mid afternoon on a Saturday. Only had drinks. Very quiet but excellent service and reasonable price for drinks. Looks like it has been recently refurbished. Could do with more seating in the bar area but we'll worth a visit

Had lunch here today, haven't been for a while the food was terrible, service was just has bad. We won't be going again. It was a treat for my mother

Five old ducks meeting up for a Friday lunch and not disappointed , food , wine and service excellent and a decent sherry to kick off. Thank you from all of us.

Have eaten here many times and it has always been excellent. Varied menus, generous portions and friendly service. Drop in regularly for a drink and the barman is always friendly and talkative

From the outside a traditional pub, from the inside a sleek modern interior. Varied menu choices for all tastes. The food was well presented and tasted excellent .

Attended a wake and it was excellent,which we knew it would be.Well done Martin and his staff

Our first visit but it won't be our last. They did have a function on today , but we were made to feel welcome and food was excellent. Great value for money. We will try the Sunday Lunch next . Thank you

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. Here is my review of the “The Old Smithy.” After my cousins Hen Do back in April 2023, from which the feedback was amazing, we decided to frequent this restaurant for my grandmothers 80th birthday for December 2023. I called on 16th of July 2023 to reserve the upstairs attic room for the party: whilst on the phone I also explained about various dietary issues and our rough plan for the meal and day. The young lady on the phone took all the information and told me the space had been reserved for me and my family. On the day of our reservation, (3/12/2023) part of my family arrived a little early to avoid the difficult parking and were told to go straight upstairs. I arrived a brief time later to find nothing set up for our lunch, but we continued with balloons, presents and cakes with my nan present (not ideal). Suddenly we were informed our reservation was for downstairs and that we had to move because of a Baby Shower. We had no idea that the space had been double booked and I was hurt, angry and embarrassed when we were told to move downstairs with not even a single apology being made from management. The other group were very adamant that they “needed” the space (despite there being a lot fewer people in attendance) and in front of the other group we were forced to go downstairs taking all our birthday supplies with us. I was trying to speak to the waiter whilst the other group were stood beside me, I was not even offered the courtesy of a private space to sort the issue out. The Baby Shower group were very forceful, and it felt very much like the staff prioritised their booking, despite my reservation having been made in early July. The attitude of the staff had was extremely poor, apologies were made but were not sincere and my family were simply forced downstairs, where we were met with a cramped, unsuitable space. This was unacceptable as it was far from what we had booked. It was too small and many of us could not enjoy our meals as there was insufficient space. It felt like an afterthought. My nephew is autistic, and as such, he does not cope well in crowded/noisy environments. We wanted somewhere more private so we could accommodate his needs, which we could not do downstairs. It was so bad in fact, my nephew and his father had to remove themselves to sit at a different table - something that would not have happened, had “The Old Smithy” honoured their agreement. We had planned to play games and hosting a celebration of my Nan’s life, an experience that was totally spoiled. Whilst we were in the process of sitting for our lunch, many members of my family voiced their disappointment to be greeted with shrugs and non-committal noises. I heard just one genuine apology during the entire debacle from a male waiter. My father had a conversation with your manager (Female), which I was not privy to, but I am led to believe he was less than helpful. The food however was outstanding and tasted delicious. The staff who served our table were more than helpful and accommodating which was the only redeeming quality from the experience. However, the entire day was a total embarrassment, as we were treated as an afterthought, an inconvenience. The poor customer service at the start and the issue with our booking overshadowed our overall experience. This is such a shame as we were planning to use this establishment as a yearly venue for my Nans birthday celebrations. However, we will have to look at other alternatives for the future as we were treated very unfairly. Our experience was completely unacceptable, and we should have been treated better as paying customers. I also emailed this restaurant on the 06/12/23 to explain my disgust and did not receive and acknowledgement from management. I then emailed again on the 02/01/23 as I thought they would have been busy over the Christmas period. Again, I have received no reply from the owners. Shameful and very rude. My Family consisted of three soldiers (two retried) who served in the British Army. One Doctor, two teachers and two who work for His Majesty’s Prison service. You should be ashamed of yourselves. We will not be returning.

Popped in last night and was greeted at the door. Allowed to bring the dog into the bar area. Fantastic beer selection and great atmosphere. Well done all involved. Fantastic food. Fantastic event hosted. Brilliant

Great food, friendly staff & beautifully decorated.👌

What an amazing place! Great food, lovely atmosphere and wonderful staff! Great value for money. Will definitely be going back!

Food was superb. 3 courses and all were excellent. Service was very slow though and not attentive. Everyone polite, but so slow!

Very nice food and service in nice restaurant.

Another fantastic meal at the Old Smithy! Been to this restaurant around half a dozen times now and have never been dissapointed. Each of us choosing different meals and everyone of us blown away by the quality of the dishes. Lovely decorated restaurant and great service.

Early doors for a couple on a Saturday is always a nice visit. Haven't eaten yet but lovely decor inside, pleasant chap behind the bar and the Timothy Taylor is absolutely spot on 👌

My sister recently had her wedding here , excellent food atmosphere and service . Highly reccomend food was outstanding

A friendly, welcoming and buzzing pub! We had a lovely family meal having booked out a more private area upstairs. The team were incredibly efficient and brought the pre-selected food out promptly and attentively. The food was utterly delicious. Spoilt for choice! Has a great selection available and I enjoyed every bit!! Would go back again no questions!!

A friendly, welcoming and buzzing pub! We had a lovely family meal having booked out a more private area upstairs. The team were incredibly efficient and brought the pre-selected food out promptly and attentively. The food was utterly delicious. Spoilt for choice! Has a great selection available and I enjoyed every bit!! Would go back again no questions!!

Best place to eat in eccleshall and surrounding areas. Never had a disappointing meal. Great staff, friendly and cosy atmosphere My favourite restaurant for the last few years!

We had a fantastic Sunday roast dinner here. Everything you would expect, very well cooked, plenty of veg. All the food tasted fresh, homemade and authentic. The only negative was that we waited about 30 min before anyone took our food order. Staff were friendly but we'd appreciate being told that there might be a bit of a wait if they were particularly busy.

Relaxed atmosphere with attentive service from smart, professional staff. Sunday lunchtime table for 3 with 3 different mains; 1 Lamb, 1 beef and a fish dish. All cooked and presented to high standard, a cut above many other local restaurants for food and service. Go and try for yourself.

Well not the best meal I've ever had. The starter was OK, nothing brilliant. But the main well, where should I start, fish over cooked, I had to ask for the veg, staff didn't know how to serve correctly and when I complained the reply was "oh OK" & no reply at all. When a written complaint was done the reply was "we take your comments on board" well the simplistic of meals that cannot be done right "Fish & chips" didn't bother with desert to be honest why bother. Guess what the place will never be visited again.

Excellent i cant fault this pub its Classy beautiful decorated fantastic tasty food lovely friendly staff and folks 😀 really brilliant 👏 😀

A fantastic meal for friends staying on holiday in Slindon! Lovely restaurant layout, tables, menu, food, drinks and super friendly staff! We had a reunion of old friends and this was a super place to enjoy getting together, with delicious food and a welcoming environment. The staff made it an experience as opposed to just a meal, being friendly, helpful and enjoying a laugh with our group. We wish we lived closer!

Lovely décor and ambience, the staff were warm, friendly and helpful. We had a buffet meal as we were attending a birthday party. The selection of food was great and it was all delicious. The sausage rolls deserve a special mention, I don't think I've ever had better ones. I would like to see a wider selection of hand pulled real ale but otherwise an excellent venue.

We visited the Smithy and enjoyed a king prawn starter and fillet beef stroganoff . Wow what a delight absolutely amazing ! Polished it off with a lovely bottle of primitivo , staff were attentive and polite and looked after us .Compliments to the chef and team great night great food and great service !

Had a large group for a family birthday Sunday lunch. As ever, the staff were great and very helpful. The food however was very disappointing. Quite a few of us had the roast that was poor, the beef tough and the vegetables seemed to have been sitting for some time in that they dried out somewhat. Others who had from the menu were underwhelmed. This is not how we remember The Smithy that we have been using since it opened some 10 years ago. Its a shame as we have always recommended it to others. To be honest, although its the closest to us, we will not be returning for a Sunday lunch until we hear better feedback.

Brilliant meal, Great Service from a friendly and very efficient staff, and a quiet pleasant atmosphere.

We had the camembert & fig tart, and the sweet potato & onion marmalade tart. Absolutely delicious and the accompanying vegetables were cooked to perfection. We have never been to Eccleshall before but will return 🙂

We met friends for lunch at the Old Smithy today. It was just perfect, a wide-ranging lunch menu and everything we ordered was well presented and delicious. A comfy lounge area enabled us take our time after eating. Attentive and friendly service, we just had a really good experience. We will be back for sure.

We both had the Sunday Roast Chicken, this was the nicest roast supreme of chicken I have had in the UK, the accompanying vegetables were equally enjoyable. Pleasant staff who were attentive without being too full on. A rare find that I will be going back to.

Good menu choice and quality. Would recommend a visit

I thought this was a great place, first time we have visited.

The old smithy is beautiful n very clean

Fantastic food and drink, service really good. A great place to dine.

Superb lunch in beautiful surroundings. Highly recommend.

What a lovely place to eat. The food was first class. The prices were good.

We have eaten at The Old Smithy numerous times and used the function room for a large family celebratory meal. It has been our restaurant of choice for a number of years. Sadly, we had a meal in the restaurant last night to celebrate our wedding anniversary and were left bitterly disappointed. The starters were absolutely fine. However, whilst accepting that her choice of main wasn't to my wife's liking, that was a subjective assessment. Her main criticism was that the vegetables were virtually raw - she couldn't cut them they were so undercooked. I chose the lamb shoulder, and although not a lean cut, I barely had any meat content as the offering was virtually all fat. We are not the type to complain usually, but my wife felt compelled to comment on the quality of her meal when asked whether it was OK (she had left the majority of it). The waitress relayed her comments to the chef patron, who simply sent a message back to say that he was sorry she didn't enjoy the meal but that it is served often in the restaurant without complaint. At the time, there was one other couple in the restaurant who had just finished their meal, so I thought it might have been reasonable for the chef to come and discuss what was wrong - it was pretty obvious that this is not something Martin does. I did ask the barman if I could speak to him, but was told he was unavailable and was given a business card instead. It was the lack of concern displayed by the patron that irked us the most. Having recommended the restaurant many times previously, we won't be doing so again. Neither will we visit again. A sad end to what should have been a lovely celebration. Disappointed!

Its been a while since we have last eaten at the Old Smithy (Pre Covid) ..did not disappoint... food was excellent, service was spot on, what a lovely relaxing evening we had, wish we had gone back a lot sooner. Well worth a visit..... we will not leave so long next time !!!!!

The Old Smithy never disappoints. Good service, good menu choices, and good food . Slightly more expensive than some restaurants but worth it.

Stopped off here for something to eat on our way back from visiting a friend in hospital, absolute gem of a find. Super restaurant and high quality food at a reasonable price.

Beautiful meal and lovely staff, first class. Fabulous evening.

Although we had to ask for the menu & for our order to be taken , it was a superb Sunday lunch . The Yorkshire pudding could have been hotter , but the beef was delicious with gorgeous flavours . I personally would prefer the...

We went to the old smithy for the second time today, this time taking friends to eat and introduce them to this restaurant. We actually travel an hour to get there and are happy to do so because the food is some of the best food we’ve eaten, the establishment is pristine and the service is excellent. Cannot recommend highly enough. We are soon to move to the area and know when we do we will be frequent customers there. A first class eatery.

Absolutely fabulous lunch with friends, service, attention to detail, and food was amazing. Thank you.

Another great meal from the old smithy. They looked after 14 of us and we had a great 18h birthday for my Son. The team is amazing and we will be back soon.

Great food and friendly staff. The food is freshly cooked and served with a smile and a great choice.

Excellent food, and attentive staff.

Fell across this little gem by chance! Only stopped for a toilet break while returning home & decided to eat as it looked so lovely.. Food was amazing, we had starters/mains & it was truly delicious.. I will definitely return even though it's outside of our normal area.. Staff were friendly & helpful 10/10 17:3:23

My partner, parents and I went for Sunday lunch and were not disappointed! The pub itself was very warm and cosy, although quite modern inside which surprised me as it’s history is the old smithy. Service and staff were excellent! We sat in the bar (booth) as we had our dog. They were so attentive and even made sure the dog bowl had water and even gave him some doggy treats! The food was excellent! I had the Sunday roast (beef) which was cooked to perfection. My mum had the lamb which was also superb. Dad had the homemade pie…I will be having that next time as it was a proper traditional homemade pie (I think a proper hot water crust pastry) and dad said the best he had for a very long time. My partner had the chicken roast which was also brilliant. Oh, and the garlic mushroom starter was delicious! I could have eaten that for a main course! Highly recommend and will be going back very soon!

Visited recently and was most impressed . Lovely pub great atmosphere. Bar and wait staff pleasant and efficient . Food was delicious a great selection on the menu . We will be back

Very very good indeed....Great food and wines...staff very efficient and friendly.

I booked for my husband's birthday. From the start to the end it was a wonderful evening, the staff are so welcoming and friendly. It was warm, not overcrowded with tables and everyone was happy around us. The food was fabulous, we had starters and...

Beautiful meal very tasty. My son's and my partners birthday meal. 10 were in the party and everything was just perfect. I recommend it if you are in the area. Best to book so no disappointment.

Went today for the first time for lunch, 5 adults. Superb hot food, excellent service, will definitely be returning.

We called for the chance of a last minute table for 2. We were not disappointed. Great friendly service from Adrian and all the waiting on staff. Martin cooked mushroom stroganoff that was not on the menu and it was excellent. Thank you all!

The staff at the old smithy did an excellent job accommodating for and catering for 20 of us at my Grandad's birthday. I had the Sunday roast beef, creme brulee and cheese board - the food was excellent.

Lovely surroundings with friendly and helpful staff. The starters were really good especially the mushrooms. Choice of three roasts and also other choices. Lamb cooked to perfection as was the beef very tasty and beautifully presented. Would highly recommend

Lunch was perfect, great food, great service and friendly Staff. We will be back for more very soon.

Nice place, great food and drink selection.

The only thing that let it down was the service very slow only one person taking orders! Food is excellent

Excellent meal today, thank you to the wonderful owner/chefs. Never been let down with The Old Smithy. A superb little gem of a restaurant.

Delicious food, tastefully decorated, good service.

Well what can I say, being out today with family members to the old smithy in Eccleshall, the meal we had was amazing, all food cooked to perfection, lovely inviting atmosphere and lovely polite staff, top marks to the chef! Would highly recommend this place...

We had family visiting from the Isle of Wight! 7 of us in total. The staff were brilliant and accommodating, the food was excellent. We asked for different side dishes to various main meals and nothing was to much trouble. We went back 2 weeks...

I had the vegan sweet potato marmalade tart with greens - it was so tasty, I loved it! We were so disappointed though with the speed of the service. We were there an hour and a half and only had the main meal. We finished...