The Crown at Whitchurch

The food was very nice, and the meat in the dishes was cooked well and tasty. The staff seemed capable, but the owner was trying to handle everything himself, from cooking and taking orders to preparing bills, serving tables, checking in hotel guests and seating people in the restaurant. As a result, everything took a long time. The rooms could use a bit of TLC. This could be a really great restaurant and hotel if the owner trusted his staff more.

We paid £36 for a few poppadoms and some bread, and the beers were just cans from the fridge poured into pint glasses. It was a truly shocking dinner and I'd suggest saving your money and eating elsewhere. The Indian food was the worst I've ever had. Both curries were meant to come on sizzling dishes, but arrived in cold bowls and were so salty we couldn't eat them. The lemon rice was too salty as well. The peshwari naan was the only edible item, though it clearly hadn't been made in the kitchen and came from a packet. When we complained to the FOH manager, he was extremely rude and offered a 20% discount on food we'd only managed about two mouthfuls of. Terrible service and atmosphere.

The food was good and the portions were a decent size. It's a really nice place inside, with good pictures on the walls and old-style furniture. The downsides haven't changed in 12 months: there's no disabled toilet, the gents is rubbish, and the ladies is great if you can get to it. The staff make you feel as though you're in the way. The place was very quiet, yet everything took ages. We waited 40 minutes for two jacket potatoes, scampi and a steak, with just one other couple ahead of us. Great place, but slow.

The food was lovely and the portions were generous. We also found the bar's pet-friendly area very welcome. There’s a small bar and a larger restaurant, both in pleasant surroundings. The staff were very nice, and there’s a good choice of bitter, cider and lagers.