The Langford Inn & Restaurant

The last visit was disappointing because my miso-based dish was far too salty, even allowing for the saltiness you’d expect from miso. I ordered something else after being told another one would be the same. The waitress may be lovely, but she didn’t smile at all, which took away from the experience. Just being honest. I still love this pub: it’s in a great location and the staff are generally very nice and helpful. The food is usually very good and well presented.

The food was very good, and I’d be happy to pay these prices for quality food with good service. Sadly, the service let things down. We ordered our toddler sausage, mash and peas with gravy on the side, but the gravy arrived over everything after the waitress came back to check whether we’d said mash or chips. Our fussy toddler doesn’t like sauce, so we sent it back and had to wait. Later, after our plates had been cleared, we waited about 20 minutes for dessert menus, then had to go to the bar to pay. We’ve been to the Swan and Ring O Bells several times and wanted to try this place. It was a great experience in most ways, but the service was disappointing.

Our prawn cocktail was delicious once it finally arrived, and the menu looked great, but the mains came before the starters. We ordered medium steaks and they were very undercooked, almost at the rare end of rare. Even after more cooking, they were still very rare, and my partner’s was quite sinewy. Both peppercorn sauces had split and made the plates and food greasy. We left a lot of the meal. Staff were polite but seemed under pressure, plates sat uncleared for ages, and by the time dessert was offered we’d lost interest. No one followed up on our request to light the table candle, so I later went to the bar for matches. We’d been looking forward to celebrating my birthday at the Langford Inn. It has lovely decor and atmosphere, but on arrival we waited several minutes at the bar before anyone acknowledged us, even though it wasn’t busy and three people were behind the bar. Once seated, service felt very disjointed. The food and service didn’t meet expectations for a special occasion. It felt as if the kitchen and front of house lacked experience and support. We left underwhelmed and unlikely to return, which is a shame given how lovely the place looks.

The breakfast was excellent, cooked to order in the main pub. I had poached eggs on toasted sourdough, and they were brilliant, cooked just right. The only letdown was that the orange juice came from a carton. I arrived very late, and the staff looked after me fantastically well, escorting me to a spacious, spotless and nicely decorated room in one of the converted outbuildings. The bathroom was spotless too. There was a nice coffee machine and hand-baked biscuits, a much better touch than the usual two-pack biscuits in most hotels. I got some work done and slept well, with the WiFi working superbly. The shower was powerful and held its temperature. Every staff member I met was a credit to the business. I was really pleased with my stay and will definitely stay here again. I’d thoroughly recommend it.