The Crown Inn Dial Post

My dry cider tasted too sweet for my palate, not even medium dry. The general gravy was reasonable, but the turkey was dry, the vegetables seemed “old”, there were only three roast potatoes, and the stuffing was stodgy. They replaced my first slice of turkey with one that was a little less dry, but for £25 I expected the food to be treated better. Previous visits have been much better than yesterday’s.

My game pie was lovely and filling, though the mash and petit pois it came with didn’t make for an exciting presentation. The classic turkey roast, on the other hand, felt mean for £25. We didn’t pay the extra £4.50 or £5 for cauliflower cheese, red cabbage, or roots. The included carrots and sliced sprouts were rather boring, there were maybe only three roast potatoes, and the single slice of turkey was very dry. We don’t like making a fuss, but my husband mentioned it and they readily replaced it. The new slice was okay, not wonderful. His requested dry cider was sweet, or medium at best. We’ve been before and really enjoyed those visits, but this time disappointed us.

The pub is lovely and the Sunday roast was good, but one staff member’s manner spoiled the atmosphere. She was abrupt and rude, never smiled, and kept hurrying us to order before the kitchen closed at 3pm, then to finish our food and drinks by 4pm. Closing on time is fair enough, but the way she spoke made us feel like an inconvenience. We had booked for five adults and a baby needing a highchair. When one wasn’t available, they offered a booster seat, which was fine, but then we were short a chair. The waitress argued that we had booked for five, so there were only five chairs, when we politely asked to borrow one from another table. It was a shame, especially as the other servers were great. Ross was particularly patient, kind, and courteous, and served us with a smile.

The portions here are huge, and the food is worth the little wait since everything’s cooked fresh. I had the homemade bean burger, easily the best veggie burger I’ve had in years, and the salads looked mouthwatering too. We only stopped in for dinner by chance, but this place feels like a hidden gem. Really friendly, efficient service as well. I’ll be back soon.