Bedford
Pavilion

Pavilion

Park Avenue, MK40 2NE, Bedford, United Kingdom

Tea • Coffee • Cheese • Noodles


"We were really looking forward to having brunch at the pavillion as we have good memories and have a history of good experiences there. We've all been so busy so we thought why not go to a place we know well to catch up. We...arrived and found a table outside easily as we usually do, so the visit started well. We went to order and the outside window wasn't open as it usually was but we thought nothing of it. Queued for the inside till and could hear everyone before us ordering food, we get to the front and I asked for a vegan sausage sandwhich and hash browns (was very excited as the menu appeared that they have extended the vegan options as I don't remember this being on the menu before). Sadly was immediately told not taking food orders, we've got a big party booked and the kitchen is backed up No option to wait for food. Disappointed and not wanting a wasted journey we ordered coffees to be told immediately there's a wait for coffee of minutes (it was actually way more than this by the time our coffees arrived). Disappointed again but we proceeded with our order and my friends had some of the cake that was left, sadly, there were no vegan options for me (I remember there used to be vegan cake so maybe they ran out that day again, very disappointing for hungry me). We sat at our table and caught up with each other as planned and eventually finished our coffees. We noticed people who did manage to order food were complaining of min waits for bacon sandwhiches. It all just seemed a bit odd because the large party hadn't arrived yet and the indoor and outdoor seating wasn't fun so how could the kitchen be so backed up . Eventually the large party arrived and it was a group of maybe people that's it. Again really surprising that this would cause such havoc on the kitchen and cause such big delays. Bit of advice: If you can't handle prebooking as it will stop your business as usual, don't take prebookings If you're taking prebookings and this may affect you then at least post on your social media go advise rather than letting people turn up and be disappointed, especially because Sundays people expect to be able to order food as usual from you If you can't handle the regular menu when taking prebookings then reduce your menu down to things like jacket potatoes, cook them earlier in the day and keep them warm in a hot pot ready for serving. You can do this easily with sausages and bacon too people aren't expecting fine dining with this menu The prices do seem to be a little more premium then before but again if you reduce your prices slightly people won't expect cooked fresh to order bacon and sausages which means you can cook a lot of this earlier in the day and avoid this backed up kitchen you described If you can't take orders just open with that when someone arrives at the till rather than letting them order and then telling them no You can see the staff were trying their best and were very polite about it. It's just a shame as I think the situation could have been avoided and the amount of people that didn't order food because of this one person prebooking must have amounted to a lot of money lost for the pavilion. Will be going to The Vardo on Castle Road Bedford or Dee Dees Diner in Biggleswade next time."

Ali's Indian Summer

Ali's Indian Summer

76 Tavistock Street, MK40 2RR, Bedford, United Kingdom

Pizza • Sushi • Mexican • Asiatic


"We went for date night at Indian Summer last night, booked the table online and they confirmed it within the hour without a hitch. The decor and cleanliness in the restaurant is phenomenal, and they have a much larger waiting area for takeaway pickups than most restaurants do, complete with leather upholstery seating. The wine list is more concise than some Indian restaurants but has enough variety and quality for connoisseurs. As we had both opted for lamb dishes, we chose the Dashwood pinot noir from New Zealand. I chose their signature dish of lamb shally with mushroom rice. It was to die for. The thin sliced potatoes were cooked to a crisp perfection, the lamb melted in the mouth and the combination of medium spices and garlic was phenomenal. The mushroom rice was also well prepared, well seasoned and didn't come drenched in ghee, they evidently used the perfect amount. My partner chose the lamb bhuna and voiced similar praise. My peshwari naan bread was also amazing, and it came sliced in quarters which saved me tearing it all up and making a mess everywhere. By a small miracle, we made room for desert the limonchello ice cream. It looked bigger in the photo but is smaller and more manageable in real life. Lemon sorbet with limonchello sauce. The perfect end to a perfect evening. The customer service was lovely too, and we had a talk with our waiter about my partner's coeliac disease and the various pitfalls of dining out it turned out that his niece had been recently diagnosed with the condition. We knew, though, that Indian dishes by and large don't use a great deal of gluten products, but yes I can guarantee: Indian Summer is coeliac safe. Come and dine at Indian Summer, one of the best modern Indian restaurants in Bedford. A clear cut above the competition in Tavistock Street"