The Old Volunteer in Newark and Sherwood

My partner and I decided to go for a drink on the way home. Surprisingly, the bar was quiet. I opened the wine menu and it was so sticky I had to prise it open. The bar had not been wiped down and the phone rang constantly. The staff were pleasant but appeared stressed and I waited at the bar for a second drink as there were no staff on the bar. Not a pleasant experience especially when men take over the bar area and literally push our table out of the way nearly knocking everything off our table to squash their chair into the bar! Used to have a nice ambiance for a drink.

Went here with my girlfriend and grandparents. We had three starters and four mains. Every piece of food, bar the fish main, we had was unbearably salty or completely tasteless. The staff couldn’t answer questions about the menu, and made no effort to find out. The fries wouldn’t have been acceptable in McDonald’s. The bread was really good.

We were expecting great food and drink. Instead three of the eleven mains were off the menu leaving mainly deep fried food. The sushi chef was ill as well so in addition there was no sushi. We had two distinctly average burgers and fish and chips and paid over £200 for the four of us. Disappointed in the extreme

Great place, food was great everyone left happy

Went here for dinner on a Saturday night with friends 2 weeks ago when pub was also hosting a 40th birthday party in the bar, Unfortunately our evening in the restaurant was spoiled by a singer playing bad cover versions way too loud, making conversation at our table very difficult. As far as the food was concerned the menu is expensive (£38 for a steak?) and a bit hit and miss. The beef pie and the mushrooms on toast were excellent. But the hake main and lamb ragu rigatoni were disappointing. Desserts were also underwhelming. £12 for 3 small bits of cheese. You expect more when you're being charged £50 per head with a 10% service charge for dinner. Drinks were better value than the food. This is a gastro pub charging premium prices claiming two AA rosettes. Service was average and waiting staff didn't know the menu and couldn't describe the dishes. There are other much better value places to eat locally that are more consistent.

Visited with friends for a night out. Starters were excellent .Menu choices were limited and pretentious Main meals for the four people in the party were average with two giving the impression they were from a packet meal. Staff friendly and attentive

Excellent Sunday lunch generous portions and cooked to perfection Izzy our waitress was amazing and very informative on up and coming events I would highly recommend

Beautiful food, great service! Thank you!

Went here last week for Sunday lunch with some friends. We booked a table online and were seated quickly. The first thing that our waitress said was that they needed the table back in 2 hours which was not a problem at all. We ordered starters which where fantastic and arrived quickly but then it look over an hour to get our main courses. This was worrying as thy said they needed the table back so I felt rushed. There were limited puddings on the menu but something that I wanted to try however as the mains took so long to come we couldn't order puddings as they wanted the table back. We asked for the bill and paid quickly to leave so that they could have the table back. Food was very good even thought it was a bit slow and the staff were very friendly - just a shame we felt a bit rushed for something that was not our fault.

Fantastic meal last night... a really lovely pub / restaurant with friendly staff and tasty food. We've already visited the sister pub (The Reindeer at Hoveringham) so wanted to try this place almost immediately. Jordan looked after us really well, was funny and personable and it's a credit to the place. Food was perfectly cooked and tasty, the chateaubriand was amazing, fries crispy and perfect... all really good. Will definitely be returning.

Fantastic meal last night... a really lovely pub / restaurant with friendly staff and tasty food. We've already visited the sister pub (The Reindeer at Hoveringham) so wanted to try this place almost immediately. Jordan looked after us really well, was funny and personable and it's a credit to the place. Food was perfectly cooked and tasty, the chateaubriand was amazing, fries crispy and perfect... all really good. Will definitely be returning.

Went at lunch time, greeted with a a lovely member of the staff. Offered the lunchtime menu or Al la Carte, which is the one we chose. Beautiful meal, hot and well presented.

Unfortunately we went when the venue was hosting galentines meals, the singer was only 1 metre away from our table the beef pie caused a blockage for my partner the only relief was for him to make himself sick so for pub food 1x bottle of red, 2 starters 2 mains £94.60 you decide if that's appropriate for a pub meal as it was we used a gift voucher in my opinion you go there for a drink really not sure about the PUB food But you decide for yourselves parking was good you have the option to try the Railway but I've not been there they do put a 10% service charge to your pub meal too just so you know

We came for the valentines meal - 3 courses for £60 each, it was nice, the starters and desserts were good but I have to say both our steaks were well done when we ordered medium rare, when paying 140 for a meal it’s not really what you expect. Otherwise was pretty happy but it was really disappointing and we wouldn’t come again on that basis, as up the road at the Royal Oak we enjoy an amazing steak for £20. Sorry guys.

We booked for Sunday lunch here for my mum’s birthday. Atmosphere was lovely however when we arrived, we had a 20 min delay on our table. Sunday dinner wasn’t the best for how much we paid! The roasts tasted liked they’d been heated up in the microwave. Veg not cooked properly as very rock hard. Service was very slow. Our desserts came out all at seperate times. They did deliver a birthday flame with some chocolate pudding but gave it to the wrong person! They didn’t even check to see whose birthday it was, they just guessed! The waitress was very rude and just plonked the plate infront of a random family member & seemed annoyed when I told her she’d given it to the wrong person! When the bill arrived, they added a 10% service charge which I asked to be removed because I was disappointed with the service, the waitress didn’t seem happy about my ask! I don’t think I’d visit again.

Had not been before, so was just giving it a try. Had oyster musgroom bao buns: taste good but technically not good; very greasy, with too many onions very few mushrooms and not oyster mushrooms, as I have had before. Dish well presented. Rioja wine good. Service good Lacking atmosphere, but clean and smart

After two Sunday dinners this month i have to write a review, both times staff very stressed, and issues with Both orders as well as very average food! Wouldn't rush back the railway down the road is so much better

Just another really exceptional experience. We went on a Wednesday night (24.1.24) for a birthday treat and the two front of house team were brilliant. Food was it's usual very high standard, ditto drinks and the whole visit was complemented by two very busy, but very efficient staff members. These two just didn't stop, and I'm sorry we forgot to pick up their names to call them out in this review.

A perfect location for summer days in there stylish outdoor area, lots of tables and private pods. There is outdoor toilets and bars so no need to head back in doors, there is an indoor and outdoor menu which is strictly kept separate. Outdoor menu is light dishes if your looking for more substantial meal head indoors for the indoor menu. I would book if it’s a nice day and wanting to sit outside.

After a lovely girls meal me and my husband booked for a pre Christmas date night. We were warmly greeted and seated quickly. We both had the Brie starter and pie for the main. Both starters and main were delicious and we really enjoyed our evening! We are back here for my birthday as a big group end of January and I’m really looking forward to coming back

Five stars aren't enough. Fabulous meal with family today 😋. From the moment you walk through the door you're treated like a VIP 👍. Fabulous

Beautiful clean environment. Very polite staff. Wonderful well presented food . Good quality food .

Please sort out the wobbly tables, beer mats and paper is so unprofessional. Plastic feet missing, it's sometimes the little things that matter. Five stars for everything else..

Good food and atmosphere. Lovely helpful staff.

Shambolic management and quality control in the kitchen. A good half of the starters only came out about fifteen minutes after the rest, and then only after it was pointed out that they hadn't turned up (what's the point of a pre-order?). The mushroom risotto was sufficiently badly undercooked that it should have been obvious to anyone in the kitchen, or the manager on duty, way before it went anywhere near service. Two stars rather than one because of very good and attentive waitressing service from a woman left with way too much to do by her colleagues' incompetence. Avoid.

Great food and service. A special thanks to the manager, Ben. Made us feel extremely welcome. 10/10

Visited here today for the first time. Very impressed with the food and service. Staff very friendly and helpful. Will certainly be visiting again VERY soon. Merry Christmas to all.

Great food and service. A special thanks to the manager, Ben. Made us feel extremely welcome. 10/10

We visited today for lunch. Was very impressed with the food and service. Lots of smiley and helpful staff. The manager went above and beyond with service and checking back. Will certainly visit again.

Great food but so disappointed by the service tonight. At the end of lunch service so not busy: - table water never came - neither did an offer of another drink - no proper cutlery - no steak knife for a tough pie - no serving spoon for the side dish - luke warm sauce Asked on the way off ‘if the bill had been paid?’ Seriously?! All contended with a wonky table which needs more than a few bar mats to stable (hint* opposite the end of the bar, near the log burner) Might seem a bit pedantic but it was an utter disappointment.

Visited this lovely pub/restaurant last night with a good friend. Beautifully decorated for Christmas, the staff were attentive & the food was delicious. It’s worth a visit but it’s, arguably, “treat-worthy” as some of the dishes on the menu are not inexpensive! That said, The Old Vol it’s highly recommended! Thank you all. I’m happy to return. Had a really lovely evening.

My daughter and I went here for my 60th birthday. The best fillet steak I've ever had. Highly recommended. Hi Tracey

Disappointed that they no longer serve the ' ultimate roast' on a serve yourself platter. Was so much classier but presumably easier for the chef to plate it up .

Lovely food, service was a bit slow but we would definitely return!

Great little gem of a gastro pub. Great menu and great atmosphere.

Food excellent. Good choices on the menu. Staff friendly and helpful 👌

1st time visit, will definitely be going back again, great food and lovely staff

Great service and food is really lovely.

We loved our impromptu night here...

Loved this place, the staff are friendly,, good food ..and good atmosphere.. x

Went in the day and the garden was closed, but still a nice pub to sit in for a few drinks and a quick snack.

Great service and food. Warm atmosphere and no rush to leave the table. We'll reccomended

Amazing food - service needs some work

Really nice place which has a nice menu, I would put the food on the expensive side, but it is good quality and tasty, so it is worth it for me. The service was quite slow. We had to wait 10 minutes for someone to take our drink order, and the food came out at different times with 1 item missing. I'm not sure if they are short staffed, but it did seem that way. The outside area is really nice, and the kids' play area is super safe with plenty to keep them entertained. I would definitely go back to see if the service was a one off or not...

Fabulous late Sunday lunch here today in an outside pod. Great experience would highly recommend. Food fabulous, drinks delicious. Great ambiance, just a perfect time spent here. Warm friendly knowledgeable team members, great play area for kids outside.

Burger and fish dishes super ,curry and pasta portions very tiny not worth the money Service is awlful , the wait times are very long , lots of staff and wasn’t busy , had to keep chasing drinks and food Also the pods only fit 6 There was 9 of us so we moved to a table out size Sorry to say I won’t return

Superb place! Went for breakfast & will give main meal a go, sometime soon!

OK, but we had to sit round the side and couldn't sit in the garden

Had to sit 'round the side' as the main garden was taken up by a party of some sort

Friendly service was excellent highly recommend

What a great restaurant to celebrate our Golden Wedding. Wonderful food, staff and ambience. Thank you.

Updated since last visit looking good 👍

Excellent food and service plus good selection of wines.A little pricey so more of a venue for a special occasion,especially on a Saturday night.Despite the comments deserves its 5 stars.

Enjoyed a family Sunday meal at the old vol, the kids loved the wonderful play area, so much they didn't want to leave :).

Great venue, fab seating options, menu confusing which consists of mediocre gastro pub dishes with the added twist of sushi?? Shockingly poor customer service. Shall not be returning.

We visited for a family members birthday after several recommendations - regretfully did not live up to the hype and the food wasn't the quality you'd expect for the price - steak was a poor cut and not cooked well at all chocolate fondant was cold/uncooked in the middle, chips were greasy as though the oil was not hot enough when first put in. Service was slow, wasn't given a steak knife, wasn't approached to ask how our meal was - unlikely to return.

High end pub that's more like a restaurant. We went for a birthday meal and everything was absolutely delicious. We mostly had from the sushi menu and the quality of the civiche was divine. Highly recommend

Two dropped trays of food and staff seemed to not be able to handle the amount of tables. Reminded me of Faulty towers,won't be going back.

This pub is an oasis of relaxation! The laid-back atmosphere, comfortable seating, and live music create the perfect setting to unwind. Their Sunday roast is above average, making it a go-to spot for a hearty, comforting meal. Ideal spot to enjoy a pint with friends. The friendly staff and chill vibe ensure a relaxed experience every time you visit. 🍻😌👍🍽️

Was so looking forward to visiting this place with my family. One piece of salty ravioli £15. Thank you.

The first time we have been; we will definitely return. The food was amazing! Highly recommended.

Amazing food, fantastic service from the staff and a brilliant play area for children.

Piękny pub! Mozna sie poczuc w nim jak na wakacjach na Ibizie! Jest stylowo, elegancko. Ceny przystepne. Polecam ! Napewno wrócę !

Group of us came this evening.Quite disappointing and definitely not worth the price of what they charge for the mains the first server was so rude asked us how our food was the steak was lovely but everything else was terrible but didn’t really take on our feedback. The last server that helped us was lovely and so kind unfortunately didn’t quite catch her name. However overall not worth it also we booked a pod and we still had to wait 15 minutes when we got there due to them not being organised not recommended.

Don't want to say anything bad upon our second server as she was brilliant but first server had an attitude beyond help and didn't even take the feedback she asked for, food was overcooked and lacked the presentation for a price tag over £30, seating wasn't sorted even though we waited about for 10 minutes before we got told we could have a drink at the bar and wait a further 5 for our pod to be sorted, overall I could have expected a lot Better for the price paid and wouldn't choose if you don't want to be disappointed.

The sunday dinner was beautiful, we went as a party of 4. Service was great, friendly and helpful staff. The reason I didn't give 5 stars was the forgot the roast potatoes on all our meals and offered to bring some after we were half way through. Also the desserts were not great. 3 sticky toffee puddings with ice-cream came out cold in the middle, which were replaced but again not hot. Very tiny melon ball scoop sized iced cream. I ordered the icecream which was £8 and was really one scoop with sauce on, slightly disappointed, after a generous lunch. Lovely clean venue, lots of parking would definitely visit again, although puddings will be off our menu this time.

Pricey but worth it! Food is amazing. 3 year old loves the play area

Absolutely wonderful. Lovely, bubbly staff. Exceptional food The perfect venue too for a birthday 🎂 celebration.

We visited The Old Vol for the first time tonight and we were not disappointed in the slightest. We ate outside in the beautiful garden area and the service and food was absolutely incredible. Such a lovely setting on a nice summers evening with a singer on in the background, we can’t wait to visit again soon.

Came here for a makeup class, but was disappointed with the food, nothing really catered for various diets, people were ordering extra food because there wasn't enough to go round. But the staff were lovely. It's shame as I think it could have been organised better.

The setting is gorgeous and the play area for the kids is fantastic! They clearly have a wasp problem and rather than helping solve the issue, I was told ‘others have complained too, sorry!’ I was served my food and couldn’t even take a bite as there must have been 8 wasps constantly around table. I asked for us to move table (at a time where there were plenty of empty tables) and the answer was no. We were told our time was up at the allocated time (not that I spent a lot of time at the table, mainly in the play area with the kids) and that we had to move but the table was empty for over an hour afterwards, so why the rush!? The service overall, I thought was poor, unorganised and lacked care. It’s a shame but I won’t be coming back.

Quite surprised how nice this place was. It's situated in the a country setting on a very quite road. We booked in advance. Had a nice meal although it's a little pricey for a lunchtime menu meal ( £20 for 2 course , £25 for 3 ) but then the meal was presented and cooked lovely , yoy get what you pay for. The outlook and setting is very nice and it's outside space is lovely and is not completely finished yet.The whole building has thoroughly been modernised and updated. My friends and I really enjoyed it. We would return again . Ut sure,was a lovely little find .

Overall pretty poor. To be clear the staff are lovely but are just unorganised. Didn’t really have a front of house. Asked for a bottle of wine and got brought an open partly drunk bottle. Starters were the best bit! Mains were ok, 2 of the tables cods were missing the rice. Hair found in the mac and cheese ( they did refund us on this) after mains were cleared the mac and cheese turned up 15 mins later. Puddings were quite nice. Just all seemed a bit chaotic and it wasn’t even that busy! Spoke to a different waiter/waitress every time so getting this like water etc was long. Probably would only bother to come back for a drink outside. If management read these please help your staff out with more structure! We have been before a few times when it was more expensive and didn’t have these issues.

Beautiful venue. Pleasant staff. Slow food service and the roast dinners were fairly bland. Please could you cook the broccoli a bit more, we struggled to cut into ours. We wanted to order hot drinks after dessert but didn't trust them to arrive promptly, and we'd already been in for 2.5 hours.

A friend couldn’t recommend this place highly enough and said our two kids would lose their minds in the play area so we were really looking forward to bringing them and two sets of grandparents here. How ever to my 2 and 4 year olds disappointment when we arrived, the whole garden area was reserved for a private grown up party. The manager said he’d posted it on social media, but a heads up when you book the table would have been nice, because we definitely wouldn’t have driven 40 mins to it had we known! So we’re now stuck inside with two unhappy children trying to explain why all these grown ups are allowed in the playground and they are not. The worst part though was how terrible the food was. How they can call themselves a gastro pub I do not know! Two guests in our party have different allergies and despite a fairly promising menu of clearly labelled dishes suitable and alternatives, the alternatives being a pizza without cheese and a burger with two slices of stale gf bread on the side!! I’d have been embarrassed to bring them to the table if I worked there! Overall I will not recommend this place to anyone, maybe the play space is worth a visit, but we wouldn’t know that. Avoid.

Lovely food, bit expensive but worth it, great atmosphere great outside eating and drinking areas.

I brought my friend here for her birthday dinner last weekend. On arrival there was no seated pod for us which we had booked and confirmed with a credit card days prior, the manager kindly moved the people in our spot and we were seated. The food was really disappointing, 3 scallops the size of a 20p piece, cold, not cooked and beef skewers that were overdone and also cold, not acceptable for a £15 side (more of a starter in my opinion) we didn’t even get our truffle Parmesan chips with the meal as ordered and had to ask several times. They weren’t triple cooked chips either, they were barely cooked once and had literally a pinch of Parmesan, we didn’t even eat them. Starters looked very pretty and the salmon gravalax was beautifully presented but was lacking flavour and the bread board was cold and burnt. The mains had so much potential but it was all very lazy and quite pretentious. For the price you’d expect much more. The manager kindly didn’t charge for our mains which we didn’t even eat. I’ve honestly never been so disappointed by what looked like an almost micheallen star menu. The fact that items were missing and the food was so cold was strange given we were one of 2 people eating in the entire place. Waiting staff stood around eating whilst we waited also. We were so excited to go all out and try everything but won’t be returning unfortunately. I did tip our waiter who was super lovely and apologetic. Very unlike me to ever complain unless it’s really poor which this was. Definitely won’t ever be returning

We was excited to visit this place after seeing videos. The place looks great and when we arrived it felt like vibes of Mykonos with the sun shining. The music was great. However we was a bit early so we sat in an area attached to the restaurant. In this time we heard customers complain to staff, staff complain to each other to why they are so overbooked on Sundays and how it’s mayhem. But we thought yeah it’s busy suns out clearly a popular place. We sat at our table they mentioned you order at the bar so we ordered straight away as we had already seen the menu whilst having a drink. We ordered a sharing Sunday dinner. 1 hr later we was served two plates of dinner, we quickly said to the waitress this was wrong as we paid for the sharing board. Her reply.. yes this is it they was just to busy today. I’m sorry but if I am paying for a sharing board that is what I expect not what the chefs decide to feed us at the end of the day. To top it off it started to Chuck it down half way through are meal and the staff was too worried about saving the cushions then speaking to the customers sat outside eating to what to do. We gave up led tour food and went inside to pay the bill, yes we complained but They only offered £20 off the bill. If I am honest was not enough for the experience we received. It seems we was not the only ones complaining that day, seems they have got to big for their boots and care more about money then returning customers.

Real good food....let down by a very 'plastic' only way is Essex feel to it..outside area is a great idea but I don't wanna feel like I'm in Ibiza when I'm sat in nottm's countryside... Staff were a bit lacking too...drinks forgotten and waiting for ages for drinks happened pretty much everytime we ordered! Food was lovely tho, no faults there at all... If you like that 'only way is Essex' feel and like to look like a bouncer or umpalumpa then this is the venue for you! Not one to return to, there's plenty more good pubs in the area that are more 'pub' like for me..

Really great food, lovely Sunday lunch. Expensive so best for a special occasion.

Went here today to feed the kids after we went to a trampoline park. We was told the kids would have to walk through a car park to get to the play bit around the back. Which to be honest is abit boring and not safe. Waited a while for drinks. We spent £58.16 including a discretionary service charge of £5. That was for 3 kids pizza's 3 chips and 2xtiny cokes 1 tiny apple juice and 2x lime and lemonades. We don't mind paying. However, one of the staff members didn't think she had to bring the rest of the change. So we waited just for the fact that we never even said it was a tip! When i asked for the change she was angry and instead of an apology she handed it over and said "there you go" when questioned why she hadn't brought it she said, "i forgot, I've got other things todo" i was fumin and asked for our £5 back because clearly service is not great if your forgetting about customers change. She was so rude and to busy posing. I'm not sure what makes her think she's a cut above the rest by working here. 🤦🏻‍♀️

The service was questionable. Until we spoke to Solly, Who literally saved the big birthday visit. An absolute credit to the team who turned the experience from good to bad within in an Instant. Would come back just to see him.

Lovely place to have a drink. But very disappointed with you can only book to have a meal in the beer garden that's discrimination against someone who only want to have a drink. Will not be going back unless they change that's silly rule. After all it's a public house not a restaurant. Hope the management take this into account thanks please let people have a drink that's what's it's designed for. Thanks for listening to me and my partner.

We booked a table for my mum's 70th birthday today 21/06/2023. On the website they have a notes / dietary requirements section when making your booking. My mum is a celiac and very sensitive to anything containing gluten. I added notes to the booking to reflect this. We arrived and were seated. When ordering we advised the waitress my mum required gluten free. No member of staff mentioned the notes on our booking, which is very poor for a restaurant to be honest. Why have a notes section for dietary requirements, allergies etc if nobody reads them! We ordered feeling happy mum's meal would be fine as we had done everything we could to make sure they were 100% aware. After eating her starter, mum felt unwell, went pale and had to visit the toilets. She put on a brave face saying she was ok, but we knew she wasn't ok. The main courses arrived and we asked the young waiter which one was gluten free. He didn't know. He went back to the kitchen and returned with a final plate claiming it was the gluten free meal. Mum wasn't well at this point and hardly touched her main course, so we paid (nearly £100 for lunch) and left. On arriving home she was violently sick for well over an hour and still going. What is this was a nut allergy? (which our son has and luckily wasn't with us). What if this was a customer with any other allergy? There is no care shown for any dietary requirement, allergies and nobody reads the notes on the bookings. There is clearly there is no communication from the waiting staff to the kitchen or the kitchen staff are completely incompetent at providing a gluten free meal. The Old Vol is supposed to be one of the best places to eat in Nottinghamshire right now. We traveled 20 miles to experience it. I wish we had booked elsewhere. Thanks for making my mum very ill on her 70th birthday and ruining the rest of her day. We now have to cancel the plans we had with friends and family this evening. I await a call from Dom the general manager or the owners if possible.

Such a lovely place! Gorgeous setting and styling! Beautiful food and genuinely smiley and friendly staff! So hope to return on a sunny day to enjoy their stunning garden and play area for the children!

A hidden gem,great food,service,staff and the outside area is amazing for the summer days

The most relaxed and chilled place which makes you feel like you’re in Marbella! Couldn’t recommend it enough. The staff are all really friendly and helpful, foods food and drinks are nice. The interior and the music fits the vibe perfectly

Me and my partner traveled 45 min to get here specifically to try what a 2 AA Rosettes cuisine can offer. After queuing up for 20 min to place my order at the counter i was then told that the kitchen had a delay of 10 min and got told to come back. No problem,is understandable, it can happen. When i came back to the counter, instead of being served first, i then had to queue up again for another 15-20 min before i could have placed my order. We ordered a starter, a plate of pasta and some sushi. The starter (a simple plate of olives) took 45 min to arrive after i asked a member of staff why my food was taking so long. I got told that all the dishes were gona come out at the same time along with the starter…. ( is called a starter so it comes BEFORE the mains). Never mind…. Also one of the items was never brought to the table and got kindly refunded from the venue manager. We quickly finished our meal because we couldn’t stand the place. Staff was very nice and cordial, the look of the venue is nice,clean and tidy. The food is not above average and we quickly realized how NOT to judge a book by it’s cover. The service is very bad and the management quiet incompetent. Final verdict AVOID.

It was amazing food, lovely experience and well looked after. Top places to have a meal with either just adults or even take your kids along too

Wow up there with ny favourite ever meal at the Joel Rubecon esteemed company but what a beautiful venue and sublime food even during tonights huge storm

First visit. Won't be the last. Thanks to Jason you really didn't need to but much appreciated the warm welcome and interaction which sadly is lacking in many establishments. Place was full outside which looked amazing and people arriving all the time. Food must be good as the plates were empty when cleared. Will be trying our some of the dishes. Can't wait to give my opinion on the menu

Disappointed to be offered some free drinks for a table error , then be charged for them, and no reply to emails subsequently

We were shown to our table by the barman and I almost immediately smelt what could at best be described as sour milk, and at worst vomit. We asked if we could move tables and the barman made us well aware how unhappy and put out he was about this, although he did manage to find us another table amongst the almost empty restaurant. After looking over the menu for 10mins, a waitress came to take our drinks order, we decided not to bother spending any money on food after the poor service and said we would be leaving. At no point did anyone even bother to ask why. Don’t think we’ll be bothering to come back. Also the volume of the music is what you’d expect in a bar or club not somewhere you’d have a meal.

We thought we’d give this place a go even though the reviews were really mixed on google but this one time I now understand the negative comments. Not as good as we expected. When we got there we got sat at a dirty table which no one cleaned. They bought the menus over covered in food! The cutlery are in a box on the table and the napkins were dirty. For 2 people we spent £98 and you have to get up and order your food and drink(sounds petty but when you spend a lot of money I think this is silly) the staff seem to look at you gone out when you ask for, well anything! The food and music were actually the only good thing about it (chips are a bit pathetic though, you genuinely do only get 6 chips) Other than that the rest isn’t good standards. the aesthetics of the place is not that good. When you put together the uncleanliness and lack of staff friendliness(the guy at front of house was friendly though!) it’s actually just an over priced pub but with great food! Maybe the inside dining is better than the garden? The standards in the garden are almost like wetherspoons but just triple the price. Such a shame because the sister pub ‘the reindeer’ is such a nice place to go.

A pub that thinks it's important The Old Volunteer Went for a drink in the beer garden. What a joke. Was met by a man with a clip board and told if not got a booking then couldn't go in haha. ITS A BEER GARDEN FOR GOD SAKE !!!! I've never heard anything so pathetic. Half the tables were empty. The pub was empty. The front drinking area was empty haha. Good luck cause i won't be back. We've got lots of decent pubs in Lowdham and I'm not begging for a table where I'm spending good money .....

Felt like we were sat in an exclusive beach bar in Ibiza. We ordered 8 dishes and usually you'd expect 1 or 2 to be ones you wouldn't order again however, every dish was amazing. Nice touch for the sushi chef to visit the table and explain the sushi.

I have been here many times but today we had the worded meal we have had anywhere I had steak pie and chips, the pie was that hard I could not cut it with my knife. The chips were the same triple cooked to a point that when I chopped one in two half finish on the floor. My wife had fish and chips and the fish was that over cooked it was burnt at one end and the chips were also over cooked. Well that’s one good lesson learned. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. Not even a one star

First visit to The Old Vol today and can honestly say it won't be the last. Sunday lunch was superb, service was perfect despite being very busy. Lots of staff so you arent kept waiting. The pub its self is beautifully decorated and the outdoor space was packed. Definitely will be returning.

Lovely atmosphere, great staff and a nice setting. The food was good however the vegan options were very limited with only a vegan sushi for mains. We live locally and would love to come back often however with only one option this is unlikely. Please stock more vegan food. It’s rare to have such limited vegan options these days with it being so easy - burgers, curries, pies, pasta etc.

I found the place very friendly and staff were great but the food was over priced and not as good as I was expecting my beef wellington was poor the patty was far to strong to compliment the beef and there was a layer of bacon which again found not a good combination in the past when I have had this dish it has had a mushroom roulade and proccuito ham used which is much lighter and healthier that is only my opinion and others might like the heavy patty I found my self wishing I had just had the fillet steak as I could only eat the meat and at 85 pounds for two I felt short changed on a positive note the setting and gardens are amazing I would be back in the day but would not be back for an evening meal not special enough for the price we paid