Railway Tavern Northampton

It's a quaint old country pub, which makes the poor food such a shame. Our family of five stopped for dinner while staying overnight at the caravan park on the way north. We paid $160 for a drink and meal each, and all the food was terrible. Even the basic burger was inedible. I was just relieved nobody got sick at the start of our holiday. The food quality needs serious attention.

I hardly slept, and I'm writing this review instead. The room was rough, the paint job unfinished, and the musty smell mixed with bathroom cleaner. The ensuite was old and the toilet smelled. The mattress was unbelievably uncomfortable, hard and lumpy, with springs pressing straight into me and no soft layer. I didn't even know mattresses this awful were still around. It must be very old, and I don't think it's even meant to be a top mattress. The sheets were the cheapest synthetic stuff, and the detergent smell on the pillow was awful. There were only two pillows, one foamy and lumpy, the other a weird-shaped foam thing. For $175, this is absolutely not worth it. Maybe it would be acceptable at half the price. They've tried to give the old building a more modern style, but there are none of the modern comforts, and it has lost the charm it used to have. I'm not too fussy, but this is well below average. We would've been much more comfortable putting up our tent across the road at the caravan park. Very disappointed and uncomfortable. I haven't even mentioned the seafood basket at the restaurant. How does this get a 4 star rating? 2 at best, surely.

The barmaid was lovely and the service was great, but the food was terrible. We ordered two schnitzels and the daily beef curry special. The schnitzels were deep-fried to death and had no taste. The curry was horrendous, clearly a microwave meal and only lukewarm. I hope I feel okay in the morning.

We came as a group of nine, and opinions were mixed, with most people enjoying their meals. Mine was disgusting: lukewarm bangers and mash. The mash was full of lumps, and the sausages had been cooking for hours without being turned, leaving one side rock hard. The Chicken Parmigiana was processed chicken, and I've had better. The barmaid, though, was great, always friendly, knowledgeable and good with her service.