The Royal Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire

Booked table for 12.45pm for Sunday lunch, but did not get seated until 13.25pm - 40 minutes late! Staff advised that earlier diners were still at the table, but no attempt was made to move them on or to another table to allow us to be seated. Manageress was also less than helpful and just expected us to wait indefinately and only offered compensation when I specifically requested it. We were ushered to bar area to wait but several of our party due to limited mobility had to stand as they could not use the high bar stools available. A terrible dining experience that totally ruined our planned family lunch, would not recommend this venue to anyone due to poor service and staff response, food was very nice though.

We've visited here a few times and had a great experience however not this time. Our steaks were great well cooked and just as we'd ordered. The sides were awful. The chips and dumplings were extremely greasy and tasted like the cooking oil needed to be changed. The sauce we had with the steak was lumpy and not warm. As for the desserts, they were tiny compared to what we've had before. When we said to the waitress we were dissatisfied with the food she could not of been less interested. This has completely put us off visiting again especially as it's quite pricey.

Excellent food and service. Our group has was split between tapas and 2 of us having b steak. Everything was freshly cooked. My hubby has a particular love of the cheese board to finish!

WOW! What a gem of a restaurant. We had heard great things so met with friends for Sunday Lunch and the food was much better than we had expected. Lovely pub restaurant, great staff, nice atmosphere. There was a good choice of meats for the roast dinner and you could have one of each meat if you want "The Royal Roast" We had homemade are puddings too which were also superb. We will definitely be back! Excellent Chefs surrounded by a great team.

Rather than cook, thought we would eat a roast out today and we were, as with every time we visit, impressed with the food and the service. The only one thing was that the back door by the toilets had been wedged open as access to the garden which caused a draft through the restaurant but we will definitely be going back soon.

Mixed review. Homemade bread was excellent, was excited for things to come.... The tapas was .... ok. No flavours jumping out if each dish. Its all very well presented and nice. But I genuinely think I could make each dish at home with ease. Mongolian lamb, what made it Mongolian? There was no spice, sweetness. Just very 'ok'. The kangaroo was under seasoned also. Service was excellent. In all we had a lovely evening but would I rush back for the food? Probably not. I'll just pop across the road and make the dishes myself.

Superb steak, and excellent service. Excellent value for money.

The staff were very friendly and helpful it was a excellent meal

Incredible food. Price is slightly higher than I would normally pay for tapas but the quality justified the price. Great selection and quality of beers too. Staff polite and helpful. We were seated in the conservatory which isn't very atmosphere but that wasn't a problem.

Our first visit a few weeks ago was lovely food, great service. Today the conservatory air con was ice cold. I discreetly asked if it could be adjusted as worried my food would go cold quickly. The owner manager was stood next to our table for some time talking rather loudly, so much so our waiter struggled to hear our order. Our food came and was piping hot. The owner manager came to our table. Then said I’m moving you to another table. I said no it’s okay we’re fine we’ll eat our food then go. He then said I can’t have you sat here winging and moaning in a disrespectful tone. I was offended by his comments and repeated winging and moaning saying back don’t ever that to me again. He said you’ll be leaving before you finish your meal and accused me of being rude. His body language and tone were aggressive so we left. On the way home I rang The Royal and asked to speak to him he was still rude and aggressive asking what I wanted. I said I wanted an apology for being accused of winging and moaning. It was clear that his hospitality skills are non existent and he can’t possibly in any way be at fault. Had he showed a little humility I would in time have considered revisiting the establishment. However on my experience today I can not recommend The Royal as the owner manager has zero people skills. Which is a shame as the staff are lovely and food is great.

Our first visit a few weeks ago was lovely food, great service. Today the conservatory air con was ice cold. I discreetly asked if it could be adjusted as worried my food would go cold quickly. The owner manager was stood next to our table for some time talking rather loudly, so much so our waiter struggled to hear our order. Our food came and was piping hot. The owner manager came to our table. Then said I’m moving you to another table. I said no it’s okay we’re fine we’ll eat our food then go. He then said I can’t have you sat here winging and moaning in a disrespectful tone. I was offended by his comments and repeated winging and moaning saying back don’t ever that to me again. He said you’ll be leaving before you finish your meal and accused me of being rude. His body language and tone were aggressive so we left. On the way home I rang The Royal and asked to speak to him he was still rude and aggressive asking what I wanted. I said I wanted an apology for being accused of winging and moaning. It was clear that his hospitality skills are non existent and he can’t possibly in any way be at fault. Had he showed a little humility I would in time have considered revisiting the establishment. However on my experience today I can not recommend The Royal as the owner manager has zero people skills. Which is a shame as the staff are lovely and food is great.

We had an awful experience at The Royal Wootton Bassett. We went for my Dad’s 65th birthday. The tapas dishes were very nice but the steaks were horrendous, actually close to inedible. My dad had a sirloin and it was so chewy that my dad could only eat half. My husband and I had the cote de boeuf at a cost of £70. When it turned up all I could see was fat. I know this piece of meat should have the fat rendered off but this wasn’t the case. At least half the cut was fat. I managed to only have two slices of the beef and my husband not many more. We complained to the staff and were offered a side, which I didn’t take but my husband did. When it came to paying we were only offered %10 of the whole bill. Needless to say we will never be going back there and I’m amazed they have kept their good reputation for so long, it was truly shocking. We have since heard from the staff at the eatery who replied to my Google review. They accused us of reviewing the incorrect pub as they didn’t believe the points I had raised in the review. After a phone call where I pointed out their inaccuracies as not being so she was defensive and accused me of being rude. If this pub had asked what they could have done to correct the problem then there would have been a different outcome. I have had many conversations with friends who are local to this pub and their general opinion is that it is nowhere near as good as it used to be and their customer service is shocking, especially when the standard you’d expect from their food and cost isn’t meet.

We had an awful experience at The Royal Wootton Bassett. We went for my Dad’s 75th birthday. The tapas dishes were very nice but the steaks were horrendous, actually close to inedible. My dad had a sirloin and it was so chewy that my dad could only eat half. My husband and I had the cote de boeuf at a cost of £70. When it turned up all I could see was fat. I know this piece of meat should have the fat rendered off but this wasn’t the case. At least half the cut was fat. I managed to only have two slices of the beef and my husband not many more. We complained to the staff and were offered a side, which I didn’t take but my husband did. When it came to paying we were only offered %10 of the whole bill. Needless to say we will never be going back there and I’m amazed they have kept their good reputation for so long, it was truly shocking. UPDATE: I have since had a conversation with the staff due to the rude reply to this review. I corrected them on their inaccurate statements which wasn’t met with a kind response. I was accused of being rude and talking over them. If this eatery dealt with honest and sincere complaints in a manner that it deserves, especially due to the cost of their food then negatives reviews wouldn’t be necessary. I did ask them to remove their inaccurate reply to this review but clearly they didn’t.

The food here is absolutely amazing. We had four tapas dishes and a side between two, it was too much for us but we really tried to eat it all because it was so so good. The pork scallop/medallion dish was my favourite,one of the best sauces I have ever tried. The staff were lovely, really helpful and friendly and the restaurant is beautiful. It was a little expensive, but dont let that put you off. It was worth every penny. Treat yourself.

I only popped in for a quick drink because the weather was great and I was looking for a beer garden. I checked out the menu and definitely want to go back and try some food.

Was a really excellent meal loved it .

Le tapas sono un piatto da prendere assolutamente in quanto sono squisite. Sono rimasto molto deluso invece dal fatto che in un posto come questo nel bel mezzo della area campagnola di Wottoon Bassett non avessero nemmeno una birra "inglese" alla spina... ma dai... è come se un inglese viene in Italia ed entra in un ristorante tipico e si sente dire che non hanno la pasta asciutta...

Loved the tapas! Never had tapas before but decided to give it a try and it was amazing. I particularly liked the pork dish which was supposed to be served with Hunter's sauce but instead we chose to have it with Marsala sauce (much creamier). Everything was so flavourful and the desserts were really tasty too. Friendly staff, good food and clean loos. What more do you want?

Friendly service and delicious surf and turf!

I don't often leave reviews but, when the food is good... The food here, is seriously delicious! Good sizes per dish, not to big and friendly table service. I would highly recommend a visit here.

Dog friendly outside and a fantastic roast!

A lovely selection of superb tapas dishes, I would definitely come back here again. Many other dishes on the menu to suit everyone.

The staff were great, if a bit over eager. The food was ok, I wouldn't recommend the bread and olives, the bread was too chunky and bran-like. There is too much battered halloumi in a portion. Good parking, disabled access. Good location.

Lovely food sensible price and friendly staff

Food is fantastic, and service is brilliant. Highly recommend.

Great food, better than you’d think and brilliant beer (neck oil) Love this

Food very good.One waiter in particular very rude and had no people skills.

Excellent. Great food, friendly staff.

Excellent Sunday lunch. All parts were delicious. Fab desserts. Good service. Would highly recommend.

Tapas lunch Menu. Yummy. Unusual and very tasty.

Food was excellent but service was awful! They kept coming to the table every 2 minutes (literally 2 minutes) to ask if we had finished. The pub was nearly empty and it wasn't that late but I guess they just wanted to close and go home. Very poor service and really a shame to feel so unwelcome. My friend that had already been there said they always do that (try to kick you out ASAP). I don't think I can recommend the place even if the food was very good.

All this for two people at just over £85, absolute rip off

The food was absolutely delicious. Excellent service 👏

Party of 5 for a work dinner. 4 of us had tapas which was lovely, 1 had steak. Asked for rare and was very cooked the first time around. Took 20 minutes for a replacement which seems a long time for a rare steak.

came here for my birthday. lovely place and staff very polite and service was great. we enjoyed it. only disappointment is that it advertises as tapas - but only Spanish option was veggie paella. would have liked to have seen authentic spanish options such as tortilla, potatas bravas and at the very least allioli with the bread. really should be advertised as small plates.

To dine at The Royal is a treat for me so it was a little disappointing, and I am sorry to report this. The starter with oil and balsamic and olives, well the bread was just unpleasant. Four of the tapas dishes were flavoursome, but the pork belly was not enjoyable and very chewy. Sides were lovely. Puddings and coffee excellent. The service was not the best, I was forever having to attract the attention of the staff to ask for plates, cutlery, and remind them of the drinks we'd ordered. Staff however were pleasant and apologetic. The facilities were lovely and not too overcrowded, ie. space to move around tables. Good size car park and easy to find.

Love dinner here. I've been doing it for a couple of years when we visit on a 3 months basis. The small tapas suits my friends and I love the steaks. Also goos beers snd wines. Loving this pub.

The food was excellent, with attention given to gluten-free needs. Our server was great. Despite the recommendation to order several small plates each to share, the portions were quite large, larger than tapas portions that I'm used to. We ended up with too much food. Gluten free items included sea bass, poutine, chicken rogan josh, and broccoli with bok choy. Traditional items included a beef roulade, cheese dumplings, and a tartlet.

What can I say it was brilliant and I mean brilliant recommend it lovely part of Britain

What a find!! We tried the Himalayan steak with sides which was excellent .👌 We definitely will be back for the Tapas menu next time. Lovely team well done.

A lovely meal, the lunch deal of £35 for 2 people is a bargain and the food is amazing!

Stunning food can't recommend enough, service is outstanding, highly recommended, I will be going back

We had a Sunday lunch today, it was outstanding, staff, service, environment, food above and beyond, fresh, excellent choices, meat superb, home made dessert, couldn't fault it, best we ve had in a long while, cannot recommend highly enough. 10/10.

Gorgeous food excellent value for money lovely service too.

Overpriced.. annoying music playing in the beer garden. And twice when I went into use the toilets the chef never washed his hand after using the toilets how disgusting 🫣

Beautiful roast Dinner. And amazing deserts. Loved it

Food was fairly good but overpriced, Service was rushed, asked to split the bill, waitress said that the card machine would work out the split, we paid what was asked, waiter came back 10 minutes later to say that our bill wasn’t settled and we needed to pay the final amount, thinking we were short by 5 pounds or so, no…. 1 penny….. Won’t be going back in a hurry

This yous to be my Favourite place to eat but sadly its gone down hill.. Steaks and sunday roasts are not as good as they yous to be and there are much better places to eat....also Atmosphere aint that great.

Food was absolutely wonderful, great roast. We had a great time on Mother's day. Large Family group age range 11 -80!

Wonderful food , great service 👍

The food was very nice and the staff were pleasant, but the service was a bit slow and the orders were also a bit mixed up. Overall it was a pleasant atmosphere and an enjoyable meal.

Had a lovely evening at the Royal. Been many times, food as good as ever, atmosphere great But this time I have just had a major knee operation. I could not find any disabled toilets without going down steps, which at this present time I cannot do. So please be aware of this. But will be back again when better

a lunchtime meet with a friend. A lovely location with friendly staff. Easy parking.

Really disappointing as we stopped especially for it. The staff seemed pretty disinterested and we ordered form the "World Tapas" menu. Sadly, of the 6 dishes we ordered .... The pork was excellent but the dumpling (singular) was rock hard and tasteless. The Mongolian lamb was Ok but chewy. The kangaroo was very bland although the sauce was tasty. The potato "tartiflette" was ok but very greasy. The pil pil prawns made the potatoes seem grease free and there was so much chilli in it you couldn't taste the prawns at all and the bread served with it was hard. Finally the cajun chips - way way way overcooked All of that disappointment cost far too much. Won't be returning

Just a sheer joy, food was amazing as expected, the staff were faultless, lovely atmosphere, and will be going again, often

Pork tapas dishes were amazing, service was really friendly and the food came out a lot quicker than expected. We will be back again!

I went with my husband a daughter for lunch,triple cooked chips were to crispy and over cooked. There was no children's menu available. The table was by the kitchen door and we felt like we were sat in a walk way. The tapas starters(pork belly)were good and lovely steak and good service but felt it lacked atmosphere. Maybe we picked a queit lunch time.

Food was gorgeous. Nice selection of drinks.

Food and service was second to none! Anther amazing visit to The Royal at RWB! Thanks Team!

Very busy tonight, great table service and all our food came out together...really good chef/kitchen staff. Very tasty and well presented food. Whole family had 2-3 individual plates. And we ALL thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Thank you.

Excellent, efficient, and pleasant service. Food also excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed the tapas dishes. Will be visiting again.

We had Sunday lunch, the food was nice, decent portion, and reasonably priced. I went for the Royal roast, which is basically the pork roast with the addition of a slice of beef and slice of turkey. A couple of minor items/point's for improvement, plate was not hot and my pork crackling was very hard, so couldn't eat it, which is shame as I love crackling. My partner had food from the Tapas menu instead, the sea bass and the beef roulade. She enjoyed both. Service was very friendly, but being at a table in the conservatory it was more challenging to gain attention for drinks, so had to get up to find someone. I'd likely go again. 😋

Called in as we were passing..We had the Chateaubriand medium to well which was absolutely amazing. Sauces were so tasty too. Will definitely call again

We have now visited three times. The food is good quality but portion sizes small and all accompaniments are side dishes charged at £5+ each which adds at least £10 to the cost of a main course! Tapas quality is good. Veggie options are limited. Drinks are costly. Service is ok. Atmosphere can be hit & miss depending on how many diners are there. It’s a shame they are so intent on upselling everything as it spoils the experience & we have skipped a starter or pudding because of it. Maybe they want to get you out of the door quickly? If so, the ploy worked ….. No cheese, coffees or liquors for us. The steaks are good quality though.

Good food, but horrific service. Couldn’t even pour a Guinness.

Food was very delicious. My partner had a filet steak and it was very juicy I got roasted turkey.

First time here , and have heard so much about the place! Firstly cheapest pint if Amstel I've had in a while. The food is spectacular! cote de boeuf absolutely perfect in every way . Staff attentive freindly, not in your face. Just fantastic food , great service , clean and homely atmosphere, New favourite place to eat !! Thankyou

Very busy when we came here and was very surprised when 2 drinks came to £16 but the atmosphere was nice, the staff were attentive

Fantastic meal, great service and wonderful food .. definitely be back

Absolutely love the food, all cooked with passion. Haven’t had a bad dish here ever Highly recommended My only little gripe is that there could be more seafood on the mains menu

Fabulous meal, great evening. Staff really friendly and professional, food delicious 😋 will definitely go again.

Outstanding food, very friendly staff. Cannot recommend it enough.

We were there for Friday dinner the service and the food was excellent!!! The staff there was very friendly and professional!!! Highly recommend this place to everyone, 5*.

Great Sunday lunch eat there any time

Just fabulous in every way. Ridiculously good, the most attentive service and a nice venue. This was one of the best meals I have had and the price was very reasonable. Booking in advance is probably needed. It’s popular for a reason. Delightful meal and I cannot recommend more highly. Thank you for a great evening. You made our long weekend away

Tapas food is fantastic - great range of dishes, all brilliant flavours, and good portions. The place is well decorated, warm (fire was on which was lovely) and felt cosy. Downsides are the staff - felt abrupt and like she was shouting/ loud at us - and the toilets aren’t wheelchair accessible and there’s no baby changing facility.

Staff were happy to describe the meals to help in making food decisions. The waiting staff were very efficient and attentive. Food was delicious. Left feeling very full and satisfied. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Lovely evening meal, staff were really friendly and the food was sooo good 😍 definitely would recommend!!👏🏼

Lovely roast dinner, was full to the brim by the time I finished it

Food was exceptional and made the meal for us however the staff were clearly busy and frustrated which took the edge off this being a fantastic Sunday lunch. Cannot fault the food, one of the best roasts I've enjoyed in my 35 years however the staff need a reminder on customer service. If you're busy, that's a sign your business is doing well, if you need more staff employ them as you must be raking it in. If you don't want to pay more staff, remember that's your decision and your service needs to meet the standard of your food. You guests want to feel welcomed and desperate to come back, we felt rushed and like we were a frustration. Your food is immense and the reason why you've scored more highly, but your service needs to match it else you will lose business in the long run.

Superb food, soooo many choices, and great service!

Fabulous tapas- well worth a visit!

Really great, lovely wine, a nice selection of gin and nibbles. Got a Swoop Taxi here from Swindon to meet friends. Will be back and will spread the word

Excellent service and food we will go there again

What a find!!! This place is great. The food was delicious and the service excellent. The vegetarian options were quite small but very tasty indeed. It is good value for money, 2 adults and a child shared 6 dishes and had drinks for approx £50

Very nice tapas restaurant/pub , well worth a visit, don't order too much!! Very filling!

Food is beautifully prepared and is absolutely delicious. Staff are friendly, couteous, and polite. Highly recommend

Excellent food , great service, bit warm in the conservatory with the sun on you ( unusual foe September) Blinds may be a good idea but we will certainly return 😀

Chateaubriand is top quality. Tapas is dead on service is great. Massively rate this place

We've been several times now and wow!! Everything about this venue is top class. Not one bad thing to say. Will be back again guys and thank you all for making our anniversary meal special. ☆☆☆☆☆

Very delicious Royal Roast! When ever you hit the road from Bristol to London, stop here!

Great start when they playing John Denver as walk in. Not been to Tapas place before but enjoyed the selection of dishes and cheesecake pudding was delicious. Friendly welcoming staff 👍😉

Great place for the best Sunday lunch we've ever had out. World Tapas is great too

There were 4 of us, the service was over but we were welcomed nonetheless. Very nice warm welcome and feast! What a surprise we came by chance...we keep the address carefully. THANKS.

Terrible place. The food was cold and uncooked and the staff are worse

So if you're local to Swindon and the surrounding areas you may be familiar with The Three Crowns at Brinkworth from between 10 & 20 years when they had a stellar restaurant with things like Pork Tenderloin and crispy cheesy dumplings or the Call of the Wild featuring crocodile and kangaroo. The owners of the time transitioned to Swindon and The Weighbridge but sadly that went away in recent years and Swindon lost a great place to eat. Well The Royal at Wootton Bassett has revived the spirit of The 3 Crowns and The Weighbridge menus in a new tapas style format! Not sure of the story of how The Royal has come about or the relationship with the old businesses but I'm glad it exists. Last night's meal for my wifes birthday was perfect and certain elements were a culinary trip down memory lane. The only suggestion I could make would be to introduce a full meal option of the dishes available as an alternative to the tapas format. Can't wait to visit again!

I ate here a few weeks back and the food we got was mediocre at best and for the price point. The prawns I got where overcooked and rubbery wouldn't go back.

Fantastic Tapas menu and cooked to.perfection. All the staff were lovely - speedy, efficient and attentive.

Lovely roast. Just felt like the card machine was thrust at the earliest possible opportunity. Also fairly noisy, very large group next to us. Had to sit on high stools, they couldn't offer an alternative. As I have a bad knee this was less than ideal.

Great food and great staff. You should come here where you're in the Wiltshire area.