The Regent Cafe in Warwick

We were celebrating and wanted an experience. We went for the tasting menu. Whilst the food tasted good with nice presentation, the whole experience really let it down. There was no atmosphere, it was very loud due to the high ceilings and hard floor, it was difficult to understand what the waiters were saying about what we were eating (we are under 40years old and don't have hearing issues!). Luckily we had taken a photo of the menu so could refer back to that. The majority of the staff were stony faced, didn't look like they wanted to be there and it didn't feel very friendly. They did a good job at placing the food and clearing the table but for the price, the experience really let this down. It needs a host, someone who looks to ensure guests are relaxed and welcomed. I couldn't tell who was a manager v's who was a waiter, there were plenty of staff but even after a spillage (over a guest), the apologies and rush to help him clear a sauce off his suit was absent. We didn't get asked if we wanted more drinks. Overall food was nice, but not as good as we were hoping and have experienced elsewhere. Boring bread, no flavoured butters, ice cream served on a warm dish so it had half melted by the time it arrived - not what is expected when spending that amount of money. Green beans so over-done we couldn't even stab them as they came apart. Quite a let-down when spending over £300 on 2 people with no alcohol!

I went here on recommendation as part of my 80th birthday celebrations. However I just wish I had read the TripAdvisor reviews before I came. Fortunately I celebrated my birthday many times over a period of 11 days with various groups of Friends both in the morning and in the evening so it didn't affect me as badly as it might have done. I'll start with what's good about the place the building with a working water wheel and the setting next to the river Avon, on a lovely warm summer's day it is idyllic magical wonderful. The staff seemed pleasant and helpful as well although somewhat chaotically inefficient, so even though the food was terrible the setting was superb. We came here for a Sunday roast because I get fed up with the rather mediocre roasts there's a lot of pubs do them for about £15 so I thought well I'll pay more I should get something really good. We chose the trio of meats for two and it was the second dearest thing on the menu as the most expensive thing was Chateaubriand. What you get is a platter of meats beef sirloin roast chicken and belly pork with crackling. You get another platter with lots of vegetables on it plus at least two more containers with more vegetables so you do get a lot. So exactly what went wrong. The plates came nice and warm hot decent size I thought that's a good sign hot plates and about five minutes later the platter of meats came two thin slices of sirloin Grey in colour no sign of Pink two incinerated bits of belly pork and half a roast chicken that looked okay. I tried a bit of the chicken thigh just to check that things were hot it was hot and it was fine. Then we waited and we waited and eventually the veg started to arrive between seven or ten minutes later meanwhile the meat was going a bit cold. Anyway I put some veg on my plate and started to eat and it was stone cold even though it had only just come from the kitchen and I don't mean luke warm I mean cold like it's come out the fridge and not been heated up which is probably what happened, that particularly applied to the cauliflower cheese. Anyway I got the waiter and told him the veg was cold but instead of replacing all of the veg he just took one bowl of it and replaced it but left the rest. I got him back and said but all of the veg is cold not just that bit, oh I see well what do you want me to replace, I said all of the veg and the Yorkshire puddings as well please, this is where I made a mistake I should have told them to take the whole lot away because the meat was getting cold by now but unfortunately I didn't think correctly. So all of the veg and Yorkshires were brought out again things were hot bit the meat was by now a bit lukewarm and I start eating again. The bowl of peas kale and leeks this is almost impossible to describe it was so revolting, there was a drop of water at the bottom of the bowl with the peas floating in it and then bits of kale the leeks were cut in thin slices but were not cooked at all so if you like the flavour of raw leaks which I don't because they don't taste pleasant like a spring onion even though they are an onion it was an absolute joke and a nightmare, revolting. The cauliflower cheese was ok nothing special but hot and edible. There were some roast vegetables they were floppy not at all Pleasant. The Yorkshire puddings were ok. The roast potatoes which I think is probably the highlight of a roast dinner, apparently cooked in garlic with rosemary no flavour of garlic and no visible rosemary or flavour. They were soft on the outside not crispy but not fluffy on the inside they were rubbish they were not worth eating because if I want to stick a load of calories down my gizzard I make sure the food is tasty and I have a real thing about good roast potatoes I do them myself. I can't remember how many times I complained I was polite though, it isn't necessarily the waiters fault is it it's the people in the kitchen and the management because there was just a lack of communication generally. Next the gravy we had two lots because it came with the two lots of vegetables, one was very thin and pale Brown the other one slightly thicker and a richer Brown both were hideously salty foul vile repulsive I cannot tell you how dreadful this so-called gravy was. I wonder if it had a lot of monosodium glutamate in it because the Salty flavour was not quite like common salt. Without hesitation it was the most foul gravy I've ever had the misfortune to taste so I couldn't really enjoy the Yorkshire puddings no gravy to put on them. The belly pork with crackling the whole thing was like a rock ridiculously overcooked and such tiny pieces two little squares. The chicken thigh was fine the chicken breast was so dry and of course it was Luke warm by this time but never mind. There's no point getting cross or angry because it's spoils your day things happen you know it's life it's just unfortunate it happened to us on my 80th birthday celebrations so we only ate a bit of this meal despite the fact we were both really hungry. I said to the waiter I've finished with that I really need to talk to the manager please and he said don't worry sir we've already informed the manager he will come and talk to you. There was no argument no disagreement they accepted it was a complete and utter disaster. So you can see why it gets well over a thousand terrible reviews. Why aren't they learning from their mistakes and failures. Why isn't head office intervening. I'm a retired school teacher when schools fail they get put into special measures and a Hit Squad comes in and turns everything around. Well surely the parent company Mitchells and Butlers has some kind of Hit Squad and surely it must see it's got over a thousand terrible reviews but they're not doing anything about it which is such a shame considering the building and the beautiful setting etc. One pleasant gesture done by the management they brought me a chocolate brownie with happy birthday on it, they also waived the bill and the drinks were free so they did try but there's just something wrong with the place how it is run what the staff are doing in the kitchen I mean it's just awful. It's Fawlty Towers without the humour no Basil and no Manuel. Do visit the place on a lovely warm summer's day but I suggest just have a few drinks and then leave.

The Falcon is now a fab place to visit, not only for its gorgeous interior, but also for the impeccable service and great food. We've been a few times over the last few months and love it. I would say there was once when Sunday dinner was not the best but the rest of the time we can't fault it. And the last time I took my mum for a drink, they stoked the fire and we sat next to it with 2 large lovely glasses of red and it felt like heaven. Returning today for Sunday dinner :)

The Tuckery, Warwick, UK Visit: 5th May 2025 Lovely little Café with a good selection. Reasonably priced tasty food. What a plate full. We'll be back.

Mostly used the back function room as it's bigger. Always had a good point poured.