Watermill Theatre Restaurant in West Berkshire

Lovely before theatre drinks and meal. The food was cooked beautifully and wasn't over complicated. Staff were helpful and friendly.

As a result of having the pre-performance set lunch, we had a very unpleasant dining experience. The bread that was brought to the table immediately on arrival had obviously been plated much, much earlier and left to become dry. The main course was reminiscent in presentation and taste of old style school dinners: unpleasant to look at and tasteless. The dessert was slightly better in appearance but equally underwhelming in taste. We ordered a coffee only to be served with a sweetened liquid clearly made from some 'vending machine' mix. After pointing out the pre-sweetened taste, we were served with a much better coffee brought to us as replacement that had been made - I think - in the cafe/bar area. The staff, however, were pleasant, personable and hardworking.

Very disappointed with the food from here before a show. I had a pepperoni pizza which was greasy, sloppy, doughy and just inedible. My wife had a burger which was very dry and poor quality. The kids meals are decent value, especially the desserts, but our food was shockingly bad. Would not eat here again.

Mother’s Day booking. Staff bright, attentive and knowledgeable. Menu choices not too bad, drinks list perfectly acceptable. Three courses, fixed price. Deep fried Brie supposed to come with breads. (It didn’t) Prawns in starter were chewy bordering on the unpleasant. Chicken pesto was incredibly dry. However, allowances have to made for prices (£33.50 p.h.) service, ambiance, atmosphere and surroundings. All in all though, very pleasant. Would still recommend.

Really great pre show dinner, all 3 courses were fresh homemade food. The serving team were lovely and attentive. The roaring log fire added to the nice atmosphere

The cafe is a great addition to theatre and restaurant. Ideal spot for coffee and cake. Looking forward to coming back when it's not raining so I can sit outside.

Ate lunch here before seeing The Lord of the Rings. There were several good options and the food was solid. Service was quick, friendly, and efficient. There was a decent drink selection also and the coffee was good. A great pre show choice!

‘Starter’ was dry bread and butter. Already plated and left on the side - I said I think this is going to be dry - it was. Perhaps they were taking the hobbit theme too literally. Mains were very average - school dinner quality. My partner had bland chicken and dumplings which appeared to be made from sawdust. The chicken was edible but the dumplings were vile. I had chewy pour and apple pie. Despite the different meals, both looked the same. Desert was cheese cake with a horrible jelly dome on top. Passable again, like a school dinner. Overall, for £25 a head we felt ripped off. First experience and won’t be eating here again.

Had the two course set menu before seeing Lord of the Rings. The chicken mains were good but then things went downhill. Service was slow and we were left waiting ages after we'd finished the main course with plates sitting uncleared. We were one of the first tables to be seated but ended up being one of the last to get our desserts. When they finally did arrive they were very disappointing. Because of the delay it was then a rush to get to our seats for the performance. It could have been so much better which is a shame as it's a fantastic theatre and the Lord of the Rings was superb.

Went to see play at theatre with lunch beforehand. Theatre and actors get 5/5, our lunch gets 1/5 at best. Very disappointing, next time it's a bowl of chips in their garden or a sandwich in the car. Lamb tagine was bland and lacked flavour, Prawn Skewers were unattractive looking and tasteless. Elton Mess was a mass of cream, some strawberry and a lack of meringue. Pour value and disappointing. But on the positive, great venue, terrific play, nice setting, and looking forward to our next visit... minus the meal.

We enjoyed a lovely family meal in the Watermill theatre restaurant to celebrate Mother's Day. Delicious food served at a leisurely pace in an ambient atmosphere. Would have been 5 stars but we had registered one of our party as being coeliac but there didn't to be any gluten free catering on offer.

We had the pre-theatre meal. It was superb. We had the fish pie and chicken curry with bread and olive starter and key lime pie mousse and a vegan chocolate tart to finish. All we superbly prepared, delicious, high quality and generous portions. The restaurant is very nice. Service is fast and the staff are wonderful. Considering the quality and amount of food we had it was very reasonably priced. It adds to the whole Watermill experience.

Came here to see "Whistle Down the Wind" - was not disappointed at all. The staff were most welcoming and charming. The establishment is beautiful, surrounded by a lush garden and small rivulet. The service was wonderful and the show itself phenomenal. A refreshing change of pace from what one would expect to find in London.

The restaurant at the Watermill is ideal for a pre-theatre meal, making your whole evening a relaxed experience. However, I'm afraid the food needs rethinking, now that the buffet system no longer operates. The lack of a salad option means that the only choices are the rather heavy hot main courses, which mostly amount to large portions of food with very little finesse. The vegetable medley served on the side was extremely overcooked. There are no starters as such, but a platter of bread, olives, sundried tomatoes etc. The olives and tomatoes were good, but the bowl of oil was unnecessarily full, making the balsamic vinegar hard to access at the bottom, and the portions of butter were also unnecessarily large, and so soft they were in danger of dripping off the slate. Staff were very pleasant and helpful.

We visit the Watermill on average a couple of times a year and usually opt to have the pre-theatre dinner. The dinner is normally ok but nothing to write home about. However the last time we went it was horrible. The olives were from a tin, my husband’s starter was ruined by a totally overpowering horseradish sauce (which was also reported to the waiting staff by another member of our party) and the main course was totally ruined by undercooked lentils, a weird-tasting cream sauce and inedible accompanying vegetables (again, seriously undercooked). At £62 for the two of us (two courses plus drinks) we thought it was terrible value for money. The only good side to the meal was the service which we couldn’t fault. I won’t be eating here again.

The restaurant by the theatre always looks so tempting -it’s in a beautiful garden with beamed ceilings and friendly staff. It should have been great -but the food was not. Bread was fine. Soup not bad, haddock tart needed a lot more horseradish to give flavour. Breaded chicken escalope arrived in a thick sauce that promised flavour and provided none. The accompanying vegetables were woeful Overcooked courgettes, undercooked parsnips and unpeeled carrots that tasted as if they had been shoved into a microwave bowl with no thought of seasoning. Lamb and apricot tagine also lacked flavour. The mango and passion fruit trifle was basically a flavoured custard on jelly-not unpleasant but rather reminiscent of school puddings ( and no sponge component to warrant the description of trifle. The staff did their best to cheer us up We love this theatre when we come again we will bring a picnic and eat outside with a drink from the bar!

Recently ate here as attending a show and it set the night of perfectly. all the staff were friendly and service was good. would recommend.

I visited this restaurant yesterday when we were going to The Prince and the Pauper for lunch before the show. My granddaughter ordered fish and chips and I had the seafood crumble. Both meals were not good. Our friends had the cold option and certainly my wife was not impressed, although she thought her meal was better than ours. It is a great shame that this restaurant promises so much and delivers little. I ate here once before and it wasn’t good then! One wants to ask what do the management do for progressing the food quality. If they are wanting to increase turnover for the survival of the theatre then they have got it completely wrong!!! I will never eat here again although I think the intimacy of the theatre is great and the show yesterday was excellent. I would also add that the staff were very helpful and friendly so there in no problem there. Just sort your kitchen out.

Having not been to this theatre before, we were very pleasantly surprised with the beautiful setting. And hadn't expected the opportunity to have a meal, so booked immediately for pre-theatre. We enjoyed a coffee in the afternoon in pleasant surroundings. Staff were excellent, explaining the choices available. I had some reservations about there being limited choice....but the choices were excellent. My daughter opted for the pie and mixed vegetables which she thoroughly enjoyed. Although I was tempted, I opted for the salad as a main as there was such a variety of choice; gammon, fish, pies, many different salads and all delicious....with the only exception that the vegetable crisps were soggy (I struggled to find a negative). I was far too full to opt for dessert (why do we always put too much on our plate when it's a buffet?) they looked lovely and my daughter opted for a sumptuous chocolate cake. Including 3 alcoholic drinks, our bill came to £48 which we were happy to pay. We are avid theatre goers but live in Portsmouth so quite a journey for us...and we can't wait to do it again. As an aside, the show (Assassins) was brilliant and the theatre itself beautiful and intimate. Thoroughly recommended, can't wait to return

Four adults enjoyed a delicious meal before moving just a few short yards into the Watermill Theatre for the evening performance. There is a fairly limited menu available but it all looked great and there was plenty of food. I enjoyed the salmon in filo pastry for my main course and a fresh fruit salad with cream for my dessert. Wine is available from the bar and the non-drivers seemed to enjoy that. There is plenty of seating but you can't get in unless you have made a reservation anyway. I found the evening delightful and will be back for more soon.

A family reunion in this lovely restaurant. Good choice of foods.....the salmon wrapped in filou pastry was delicious. Also positive comments about the lamb dish. Really good and pleasant waiting staff. Top marks again.😊

Some old reviews made us a little nervous. We needn’t have worried. For a buffet restaurant the food was great and the service excellent. Great atmosphere.

I always go for the buffet option as there is always such a choice and also few other people ever do and stand in a regimented line waiting for hot food. I used to do this but on a couple of occasions found the vegetables not ideally cooked . Buffet has a wide choice to cover all tastes. have to say my only complaint would be the plates for the buffet which are clearly domed to discourage people putting too much on then. This does not give a good impression. Staff are always efficient and nice and it serves the purpose well.

Come for the show, not the food. It's hard to describe the food on offer, visually the buffet looked good but what a disappointment to eat. Everything was either tasteless or heavily vinegary. The bread was stale and the vegetable crisps were soggy. The hot mains were very canteen standard with vegetables served altogether, just plane boiled, with unscrubbed carrots! The cost of this meal, left uneaten, was £45 for two! The show was amazing, we'll come again, but we'll eat somewhere else first.

Our daughter purchased tickets for a show for our christmas present. We come to the Watermill as regularly as possible as its always a delight. The show was a musical, not something I would normally enjoy but it was fabulous. Enjoyed drinks pre show and at break time in their lovely bar.

Attended the play Trial by Laughter last night. We decided to eat at the restaurant. It was a dire decision. First, let me say that the servers and other employees were friendly and efficient and I would happily recommend them to work virtually anyplace else on the planet, because there can't be anyplace on the planet as bad as this is. The plan is there is a soup and salad bar and a choice of three mains. I am an American by birth and love a good salad bar. This was not it. A large bowl of "lettuce" was clearly emptied out of several packages of pre-shredded leaves. They were brown at the cut ends. There were several salads like carrot and chickpea in a vinegar and cheap curry powder. The carrots were cut to feed ponies. The thick ooze of vinegar and curry powder was sharp and bitter. There was a salad of beetroot and potatoes. The beetroot had been pickled in pure vinegar, no sugar or spices. Inedible. There were other things, all drenched in vinegar. The pre-made salad dressing was vinegar. The mains were, to be charitable, disgusting. A fish pie was topped with breadcrumbs, covering an ocean of sin inside. The sauce was essentially salty water. The alleged fish was inedible. There was a dish of lamb shoulder, cooked down to its stringy components, served with underdone potatoes and a trinity of overcooked carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. I didn't take note of the vegetarian offering. Our companions were both the product of English boarding schools and stolidly ate through this travesty. On the other hand, the production was outstanding, and the set design should win awards. Go see it if you can!

My Wife, Daughter and I went to see sweet charity and decided after a long break to try the pre show buffet. Unfortunately the last time we went, 2 year ago, the post dinner was so average for the price we decided not to do that again.However after 2 years, things might have changed? Unfortunately not.Starters were ok, but the mains were simply poor. The staff are very nice, The setting is nice but all our mains! No real flavour to any of them and the chicken was getting very dry by the time it was served to us.I love this theatre, it's a real shame they don't work on the restaurant side. It could be so much more than it is.

This visit to The Watermill was the first in 10 years having moved away from the Newbury area. We saw many many productions over 30 years we lived nearby and never saw a bad one, this one, Sweet Charity, was one of the best. If you haven’t been to The Watermill then don’t wait! You will need to book early as tickets sell out quickly, unsurprising as the theatre seats about 200. The setting is beautiful with gardens on the river, the restaurant and bar terrific and the quality of the productions as good as you will see anywhere in the country including the West End.

The post performance Friday and Saturday meals are very good; much of the rest is salads etc, which we don't want, but a

Booked a table but were told it had to be in the bar as restaurant full.

Arrive early and have a drink and a bite to eat to complete your theatre visit. Good quick friendly service. Lovely garden to sit in. You can take your drinks into lower seats but not the circle. Wooden spiral staircase to upper seats.

This is a good place to eat prior to visiting the theatre either for a meal ar just a pre performance drink. Also good for drinks in the interval.. The staff are very pleasant and also very helpful. Give it a go. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Always enjoy going to this lovely intimate theatre set but the river it is in alovely setting and has a great restaurant too.

Pre-theatre dinner menu basically salad bar and soup. Three mains and a selection of puds. Self service and queuing to get food which was overpriced and not good value in the opinion of my party of four. Theatre was great though.

We regularly have the buffet meal before a play here and it never lets us down, especially the wide ranging salad choices, which quite often I choose as a main course, despite not being a massive salad lover!

Love the theatre never had a problem. However the food in the so called restaurants food is cold over priced and of poor canteen quality. And no customer service which lets the whole place down. So called management cant and dont deal with customer complaints on the day or via email.

The theatre is wonderful set in lovely grounds , the show was very good so funny, had a meal in the restaurant before the show , it was abysmal , supposedly self service but was dished out by young women with no idea of how to treat a customer , very little choice very small portions , veg was undercooke and not at all apertising, defiantly cafeteria standard for resturant prices, we left hungry and disappointed, very poorly organised.

Absolutely amazing theater. We saw A Little Night Music and were entranced by the production. Do take the backstage tour (if available) followed by a lovely meal in the conservatory, then the matinee. I would return in a heartbeat!

Last night we went to the Watermill Theatre for a Pre-Show meal before going into the Theatre to see the...

The Watermill restaurant is an ideal place to eat before seeing a show in the theatre. Staff are attentive and the buffet is splendid there is also the choice of three hot meals and a vegetarian offering. Not forgetting the lovely puddings. Highly recommended

Our friends recommended the restaurant before the show. We both had the gazpacho soup to start, the Mediterranean veg bake...

I am delighted to say there was a vast improvement in the meal we enjoyed last night over the previous one we had had at The Watermill.

Beautiful theatre in fabulous surroundings. Not to be missed. Always excellent shows.Lovely restaurant with lovely staff.

As we were going to the Watermill Theatre we thought the most sensible place to eat would be at the theatre's own restaurant and it was a great choice. The restaurant is quite large and is divided into a couple of rooms though if the weather is good you can always eat outside. For the night we were there it would appear to us that most of the people going to the theatre were also eating at the restaurant so we were very pleased we had booked a table in advance. The restaurant opens for dinner at 5:30 pm (and is also open for lunch on Friday & Saturday, I think) and the theatre starts at 7:30 pm so it is more than enough time to enjoy a relaxing meal. For starters you collect a small dinner plate and then serve yourself from the buffet salad bar which offers a huge range of salads and cold meats with vegetarian options. There is a fixed price for this which also includes bread & butter if required. There were 3 main course options when we were there, meat --short beef ribs, fish & shellfish skewers and a vegetarian option. The main courses are served at a counter by the restaurant staff. We had the beef which was excellent. For desserts there is also a selection ranging from lemon merengue roulade to fresh fruit or as an alternative a cheese plate. The food overall was very good and the staff who mainly explained how the dining system worked and cleared the tables were extremely efficient and friendly. A lovely meal and great value for money

The Watermill Theatre, nestled within the small village of Bagnor, Newbury, is magical. Arriving at this 200 year old ancient mill, alongside the River Lambourn, you follow through into a picturesque garden and beautiful restaurant, housed in a 19th-century barn. The courtyard and fresco dining, allows you to enjoy a meal or a drink in this idlyllic setting before or after the show. The popular afternoon teas for matinee performances, need to be booked in advance. We booked tickets to “A Little Night Music” directed by Paul Foster alongside musical supervisor, Sarah Travis. After ordering our wine, we took our seats on the second tier of this intimate theatre, accessed by a spiral staircase. We were situated in the galleried section of the second floor (slip seats), which unfortunately had a slightly restricted view, but were priced accordingly.The set was a grand country house, home to the mother of Desiree Armfeldy, a glamorous, yet middle aged actress, who, is naturally rebellious. She schemes to rekindle her relationship with an old flame, Frederik, who is unaware he is the father of her daughter, Frederika. The story told, surrounds the entangled, romantic lives and emotions of several couples. There were outstanding performances by actor musicians, who not only showed their acting and singing talent throughout the play, but also their versatility and skill, in being able to switch between various instruments. The cast delivered.N.B. There are several ramps around the site for wheelchair users and an overflow carpark.

The theatre is great but the restaurant is better. The salad buffet is really good for a small restaurant and is often enough for us before a show. The choice of hot dishes is limited but all are well prepared and tasty. Service is prompt and with a smile.In short all you could wish for in a restaurant in this situation.

Having enjoyed the Watermill Restaurant on a number of occasions we were sadly let down this last time. There was nothing wrong with the cleanliness or the welcome but from then on both the food and staff let the place down. In the past the salad option has been fresh, interesting and zingy; three of us opted for the salad and we were all disappointed, there was nothing exciting or even fresh about the food on offer - it was bland and tired. The fourth really enjoyed the belly pork but felt the vegetables were over cooked.The service ranged from excellent to poor. I felt the young serving had never been trained not to stretch across diners to collect plates, to wait until all those eating had finished before starting to clear nor had they been told not to 'stack' at the table. The worst mannered of all was the girl who brought our bill who banged it down on the table. Quite a few years ago this restaurant was not worth eating at then it rapidly improved but after Friday night I feel it is slipping again.

Very intimate setting, the summer plays which incorporate the outside are amazing and really make it feel special. The actors are exceptional. Took our inlaws who go to a lot of theatre and they agreed it was one of the most unique and fantastic experiences they've had.

The large Cold Platter had some intruiging choices, lots in offer for the protein part, meat, fish, cheese combinations but the salad accompaniments come into their own, lovely beetroot infused jersey Royal salad, spicy red cabbage and peanut coleslaw.

The pre show supper is always excellent, and gives very good value. The range of salads and meats offered for the started plate could hardly be more generous.Clem and his team are always very attentive, ensuring a highly satisfactory dining experience.

Could not have been better with great buffet selection of plaice in a delicious tarragon sauce. Excellent cheesecake and 5 star coffee.

There is a good selection of food available at The Watermill which can be enjoyed either before or after the performance. There are a number of hot dishes on offer but we all settled on the selection of salads. There is a wonderful range salads available which can be accompanied by meat or fish; each salad looked and tasted delicious - there is a useful explanatory key beside each dish with the list of ingredients. It is served with deliciously fresh bread.To follow there is a hot pudding or a lovely selection of cold ones. The coffee was strong and tasty.You can enjoy beer or wine ( there is a reasonably comprehensive list) with your meal.

The buffet food was perfect for pre-theatre dinner. Brightly lit in a lively atmosphere - not for lingering but fitted the bill

A jewel. Fantastic atmosphere, never disappointed with service or food. Lunch is great and so is pre-show dinner

Staff were rude and unhelpful. Bar experience ruined the whole evening. Won't even come back for the show experience now.

Lovely staff very friendly. Food I must say not that brilliant - warm pate very dry, followed by pork ribeye steak with red cabbage - red cabbage fantastic - pork steak very dry and overlooked such a shame Disappointed from Thatcham

Unique pre evening show set-up Help yourself salad buffet or a very limited choice of mains which cost the same. Soup as a starter , and a minimal choice of desserts.

It is always popular, the salads are good but do think the bar sharing platters and some of the dishes lack imagination. Ambiance not great, but it seems to appeal to a certain age group (maybe I'm too young to appreciate it!)

Not our first visit to this great restaurant for either pre. or post performance dinner. This time we were treated by my cousin and were not disappointed. Antipasti salad, excellent sea bass and New York cheesecake were all enjoyed in spacious well furnished surroundings.

Yes it is premium priced but the quality of the food is good and makes it good value. The ambience is excellent.

I booked tickets for five adults to go to Watership Down, in slight trepidation worrying that it was only for children. No need to have worried, we have all thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Helped by the wonderful weather, friendly staff and perfect sharing plates. I will defiantly be taking my grand children to the pantomime plus more in between.

Idyllic setting but was let down by the restaurant's poor choice of menu, beef on the bone cooked with a few new potatoes and very tired looking vegetable accompaniments, dried out carrots, yellowing broccoli, saved only by the cauliflower. The cutlery provided for the beef was inadequate, it would have been thoughtful to have been provided with a steak knife. Also on the menu was a heftily priced cauliflower and chickpea curry at 12 pounds 50 pence. There was a rather dated buffet style selection of salads as starters/mains left open to the elements from which diners could help themselves which we avoided as considered it too prone to fellow diners' coughs, sneezes, cuffs, fingers etc. There appeared to be overly too many waitresses whose sole duties seemed to be to explain the menu/self-service arrangements, to clear the tables and collect prompt payment at the end of the meal. Perhaps they would have been better employed behind counters serving customers from a covered selection of salads? It is disheartening to feel the need to post such a negative review as the restaurant clearly has a loyal clientele and I understand the need for a prompt dining experience but other theatre restaurants can manage excellent meals to a tight time frame without resorting to a precooked menu. Sadly the excellent show at the Watermill Theatre was the only redeeming feature of a rather miserable and overpriced dining experience, very much like going back to the 70's, :(

Twenty-five of us sat down to an enjoyable meal selected and pre-ordered from a function menu. We unanimously rated it as very good to excellent, and hope to use The Watermill again. Many of our members had previously dined there, prior to going to shows and other productions. The atmosphere lent itself very well, the service was very efficient and friendly. Highly recommend this restaurant for pre-shows dining, or for functions.

We had some food from their function menu, the food was cooked perfectly and each dish complimented each other within the menu superbly.It is worth trying some of the non-house wine as it better compliments the food.Having eaten here on a number of occasions the food quality is always consistent and excellent as is the service.

Well the restaurant out did itself this time with a superb beef and ale pie served alongside the crispy kale vegetable. As always the atmosphere was spot on, the service prompt and the pudding trifle worth tasting.

Enjoyed the 3 course hot buffet here prior to a matinee performance at the theatre. The food was perfectly cooked and very tasty; I had the lamb shank whilst my partner had the vegetarian dish.The service was excellent and the surroundings are idyllic in the old barn with the watermill gardens outside.The theatre to say that it was established late last century looks like something that could have been there for years.The food is a little expensive but it allContributes to the cost of running the theatre.

Around forty years ago the restaurant at The Watermill was excellent but then it stagnated and slipped into complacency. Around fifteen years ago we had such a terrible experience we started eating at local pubs.I am delighted to report that the restaurant seems to be back on track. We had a really enjoyable meal from the pre-performance buffet. There was an interesting range of salads or home made soup, followed by either chicken, fish or vegetarian main course. We all enjoyed what we selected and were too full to be tempted by the delicious looking puddings.There is a good range of wines on offer and service by the team of youngsters is friendly and smiling. We will dessert the local pubs and return to the restaurant when visiting one of the excellent productions staged at The Watermill - don't miss Oliver.

We have been coming to the Watermill for at least fifteen years and in this period of time we have seen productions that have been brilliant and others that have not been to our taste. However, the pre-show buffet has just got better and better over the years. It is difficult to cater for up to (and maybe over) a hundred people in less than two hours but Clement, the catering manager has done this very well.The starter is a salad buffet, really good and constantly changing, this can be taken as a main course on a larger plate. Or a soup with bread. The main course is either meat or fish or a vegetarian. Then there is a range of deserts and coffee or tea. There is an extensive wine list, with some by the glass at very reasonable prices. This time my wife had the slow cooked rib of beef, which was very tender and tasty. I had the vegetarian, which was a stilton and mushroom pie, again extremely tasty and really enjoyable.The service and table clearing is very cheerful and efficient, it has to be in order to get the number of people through. Overall the price, I think very reasonable at just over £50 for two with drinks and coffee

Have been many to the Watermill Theatre and have eaten there on a few occasions and lately we have been extremely disappointed at the standard of the food, recently had a meal after the show and the two starters and two main courses were very poor, the pork especially was disgusting and virtually inedible, i think it was about £18-£19 for two courses and a bottle of wine totalled £60, we were presented with the card machine and asked would we like to add a gratuity, i hate being asked as it's rude, if i want to leave something i will, so £65 for a meal that would not grace any establishment....we wont be going back.....

As a member of a theatre group, we visit this theatre at least once a year, and we are never disappointed.The setting is beautiful, the gardens are lovely, the shows are always most enjoyable and we always enjoy the food.When you consider that the staff are serving hot meals to both coach parties and individuals in a very short time frame before the show, then I consider they do a sterling job.It is always a most enjoyable experience and I look forward to our next visit.

We visited the restaurant as part of a pre-theatre trip. The beef dish and the fish were very good - served buffet style. There could have been a bit more sauce put on the fish but overall excellent effort. The young staff knew what they were doing and supplemented the vegetables and potatoes served by coming to our table and offering more. The ales from the bar were flavoursome and the puddings top rate. Well done to the staff and the restaurant manager again!

We visited as a group for a friends birthday and the show was excellent, which was more than can be said for the food. This is such a beautiful venue but the only thing that lets it down is a decent chef. It was a set menu so it shouldn't have been too complicated to get it right. The soup and the chicken and bacon starters were good but when it came to mains it was a let down. The vegetables were very very al dente which is a pet hate of mine - for goodness sake aren't chefs today taught how to actually cook a vegetable don't just show it the water either serve it raw or cook it properly, I couldn't get my knife through the cauliflower. The lamb was just plonked on the plate with a big ring of sloppy fat attached - just a bit of thought to presentation would have been nice - remove the fat especially sloppy fat, and carve the meat - we had to ask for mint sauce no offer of it when the meals came. The food was tepid it needed to be a bit hotter. The puddings and the wine was passable - overall we had a good evening but were disappointed with the standard of the food - we will definitely come back to the Watermill for a show but would eat elsewhere.

I went there with a friend recently for the first time, though my companion knew it well. It is an ideal spot to eat before the theatre, and one can alternatively eat there after the show.The premises are attractive and the buffet meal well laid out with staff to help if needed. The service was attentive but I found the tables a little too close for navigating around the room.The buffet meal allows you to choose from several options, with many vegetarian salads and one vegetarian main course.I found the salads varied and the deserts all looked super. My coffee, caramel torte was superb.It is a wonderful way to visit before a show, booking is done at the same time as booking the tickets to the splendid little theatre.

The restaurant is attached to this small and beautiful theatre and booking is recommended. The service is excellent and helpful. The meal is buffet style with a choice of soup or salads as a starter, a choice of two main courses which vary from day to day, and several desserts. We would recommend have the salads as a main course. They are absolutely delicious and the variety of different salads to choose from are plentiful and unusual.We have never seen a performance here that has been anything other than hugely entertaining and to eat in the restaurant beforehand makes it special.My only criticism would be that the tables are quite close together and when the room is full it can be difficult to navigate your way through to the food!

The restaurant is part of the Mill complex. Roomy and comfortable. The food was well presented and courteously served. Service was attentive and friendly. Unusual and a great complement to the theatre.

We went for a pre matinee lunch. Food was very disappointing over cooked children's pasta that even our pasta- holic children refused to eat. Uninspiring buffet main, overlooked roast beef and array of sour tasting salads. Deserts were presented as if in a canteen in a garden centre. Service was totally amateurish although friendly. Nothing remotely special for a £93.00 bill. Never again!

Another excellent trip to the restaurant for a pre-theatre meal. The haddock was well cooked and the vegetables lightly cooked to perfection. The dessert which composed forest fruits on the top and rich chocolate underneath was note-worthy. Well done again team for attentive service, smiling faces and a positive experience.

Our first ever visit to the Watermill Theatre also introduced us to the warm and friendly atmosphere of the pre theatre buffet supper. We elected to choose from a wide range of well prepared and nicely varied starters and completed our meals with choices from the dessert range. Main courses were also available. Luckily we had reserved a table as, with a popular play at the theatre, the restaurant was very full. The staff were cheerful and efficient and the experience added to our enjoyment of the evening. Prices are fair, calculated per course and we would certainly rebook on another occasion.

Nice and upretentious food and great value for money.calm and friendly staff who are always smiling and helpful.would spend more time next time in the area

Clem Otiento has really got this restaurant running superbly, as an excellent adjunct to the theatre.He offers a pre show supper, or post show dinner. The former is wonderfully set out, with a wonderful cold buffet table for either starter or main course.His staff are cheerful, polite, helpful and efficient.

Didn't have much time to explore but it would certainly bring us back to this area. Loved surrounding areas.

As always here the food served as a buffet style was good quality and well prepared. It was tasty and well flavoured. The beef we had was cooked to perfection. Pudding was home made apple pie clearly thoughtfully put together. The restaurant manager did a good job in keeping all the serving staff organised as they were attentive.The meal we had was before the show and booking was essential as the room was full. Well done Watermill team -another excellent meal.

We decided to eat before the performance of Calamity Jane ten days ago. Unfortunately the main course for vegetarians was a spicy five bean chilli dish which my granddaughter was not willing to sample, I enquired if they could offer something more bland and a Stilton & mushroom tart was suggested. We ate the king prawn and red snapper kebabs but there was insufficient mixed rice, I thought. However the desserts were a knockout - on chilled plates[I shall copy this], we had a Chocolate and nut tart with cream and a beautiful vanilla pannacotta with a sharp forest fruit coulis. The cheeseboard at our neighbour's table looked good. Our Bill without drinks was £37+. The ensuing performance of Calamity Jane was so good, awash with musical virtuosity and dancing graced with Jodie Prenger's beautiful voice. I have seen it twice and thoroughly recommend you view it before it goes to the West End!

i have visited this place several times and am always pleased i did because it is so well run you just have the best time.The food is excellent and very well priced but what really is clever is the way they have organised the delivery by creating a wonderful method of you selecting your desired dishes without waiting for service by not having menus to select from or waiting staff to take your order everything is presented so you select what you wish to eat from a most wonderful array of dishes. It works because they have such wonderful food and clever management who obviously understand their customers.