Abercrave Inn

I haven't even finished eating the steak and ale pie, but had to stop and say how good it is. The filling has a balanced, layered flavour, and the pastry is crisp outside but soft within. The chips were spot on, and the steak practically crumbled just from looking at it. If you haven't tried something this close to heaven, you're missing out. That chef deserves a Michelin star. Brilliant work, brother.

We came back for our anniversary after having a great meal here two years ago, so this visit was a real shame. The food was tasteless, and service was poor throughout. My steak arrived rare instead of medium, but nobody checked in, so I never got a chance to mention it. The red wine sauce, which wasn't listed on the menu, seemed like some kind of jelly stock, and there was undissolved jelly at the bottom. We waited a long time for the table to be cleared, then sat another half hour without drinks or anyone asking about dessert. There were only about six tables being served. We put on our coats, paid at the bar, and left without anyone asking how things had been. Earlier, we had also waited at the entrance despite the sign asking us to wait to be seated, although there were just three occupied tables. We were eventually seated, and the food arrived in a reasonable time after ordering. We won't return.

The beef and lamb were lovely, and the Yorkshire puddings were excellent. I grew up in Yorkshire, so I know my Yorkshires! We booked at the last minute for Sunday dinner with family and a baby, and the staff still made us feel very welcome.

We were eight of us, five adults and three children, for Saturday lunch two weeks before Christmas. The restaurant looked clean, with around 30 tables in different sizes and some that could be joined together. But there was only one person covering everything, from greeting people and working the bar to taking orders, serving tables and carrying food from a kitchen some way off. The bar was often unattended, and we waited a long time for things. One teenager was told they couldn't order a children's meal because they were considered an adult. The drinks were fine, but the food was a letdown. Four people got generous portions of garden peas in individual dishes, but they were cold. After we sent them back, they came out scalding hot. Two lamb shanks with mash, priced at £20 each, had a small portion of stiff, barely warm instant mash. The shanks themselves were a good size and cooked through, though the meat wasn't falling off the bone. A third lamb shank came with boiled potatoes that were still raw and inedible. We sent them back, complained again, and were offered chips or mash. The guest refused both and went without a side. One child's meal came with peas instead of the baked beans ordered. At the bar, I quietly asked for something off the bill because of the meal problems. First they offered a free dessert, which I declined, then £8 off, the price of one child's meal, from a £187 bill. We won't be going back for a while.