Breaded Chicken Goujons
Gourmet 4 Liverpool Bromborough

Gourmet 4 Liverpool Bromborough

Unit 4, Croft Retail Park, Welton Road, Bromborough, Birkenhead, United Kingdom

Grill • Tacos • Drinks • Gourmet


"Unfortunately the experience at gourmet 4 wasn’t the best it could be. We walked in and we’re greeted by a female member of staff who was pleasant enough and asked if we wanted to use the app or a menu. From that point onwards a male member of staff waited on us and seemed to be rather distant and lacking in attention. When delivering food the member of staff would walk up to our circular booth then just place any item on the table. it’s rather strange to me that a waiter wouldn’t state the item, in order to enquire who had ordered that particular item. Then place the item near them. The same member of staff also would lean over the booth and members of our group rather than walking to where the person who’d ordered the food was seated (after he’d been told rather than asking who the item was for). We then ordered a desert and some drinks which took 20 minutes to arrive for some inexplicable reason (there was only our group of 4 and a table to 2 in the restaurant at the time). When the desert arrived it wasn’t even the correct desert which when questioned was greeted with a rather annoyed look by our less than helpful waiter. The food was decent size, tasted pretty good and good value. It would perhaps be an idea however to get some staff training, or at the least managerial oversight as I doubt the service would be up to standard."

Sheldrakes

Sheldrakes

Banks Road, WIRRAL, United Kingdom

Kebab • Pizza • Steak • Seafood


"Re-think!. Right. A stern correction to my glowing review below, as we've now had a couple of duds. The first was a dinner on New Year's Eve Eve which seemed very much B Team eg the lardons in a salad were just thin strips of anaemic supermarket bacon. Not horrendous, but not exactly covering themselves in honour. Then another dinner last Saturday, when, despite booking and arriving on time, we were left standing for almost twenty minutes whilst waiting staff ignored us, the owner assured us she'd be a minute, but then just hovered round other waiters serving a large table. Pressure to sit in the bar area and order drinks (presumably to aid the margin) and then a grace-less seating at our dining table.My son's rabbit terrine with ham hock had multiple small rabbit bones in it. Not good. We complained and were promised something compliementary, which never materialised, and it was left on the bill. His red snapper was then woefully overcooked.My sea bass with textures of rhubarb' and salad was an OK cooked fillet with slices of cooked rhubarb and a supermarket, undressed salad. My venison was MUCH better, thankfully. They also messed up my son's wine order.But the thing which now sticks in my throat a bit about this place is learning that the owner advertises for staff in Eastern Europe. All the waiters have been transplanted. That makes me worry a) how much/little they're paid and b) just seems a bit wrong on the Wirral, given it's had the stuffing kicked out of it with the demise of industry, to such an extent the biggest employers in the county are Tesco and Aldi.It's had chances now to follow up on its early promise, so won't be back.Destination Dining. Sheldrakes is an old converted sailing club/beach shack overlooking the marshes of the Dee Estuary and the North Wales coast.The interior was utterly unexpected opulent, funky, cocktail lounge type without being up itself. And the menu was moderately ambitious which, again, was a surprise for somewhere mins walk from our front door and, tbh, in the middle of nowhere.Prosecco to start served in proper champagne glasses, then wonderfully cooked HUGE scallops for me, on morcilla, with a swoosh of pureed salsify and pumpkin dust, and braised pigs cheek for himself with a Scotch quail's egg (never one to say no to slow cooked porky products).A lamb rack, again perfectly cooked to a blush, with a fennel and potato rosti and truffle sauce for me, and seared snapper (skin was so crisp) and a crabby parmentier potato base with a pear cider and mussel sauce for him.All really, really good. There's clearly a dab hand in the kitchen as everything was cooked to the teetering on the brink of undercooked point (which I love), and the (oddly, entirely Romanian, apparently the restaurant advertised there so loads of people came over and live locally) waiting staff were charming and efficient.We were on the for courses Autumn special, but were actually too full for pudding, alas, but will be back. Again and again.Other intriguing highlights on the menu include: home roasted smoked salmon with a lobster cake and vodka chantilly, Autumn mushrooms on gingerbread toast, pan fried turbot with a salsify and port reduction, peppered venison with an aniseed and parsnip puree and a beetroot and potato dauphinoise, lime panacotta with a G&T sorbet and olive caviar...I will enjoy our menu exploration! They do a sounds-a-bit-better-than-Toby Sunday carvery, and bistro dishes at lunch. Only word of warning, which came from the waiter, is that they make their money by hosting weddings at the weekend (we were one of only tables last night). They actually have three this wet-and-wild October Wirral weekend. So call ahead as, with the best will in the world, I think you might get a bit ignored if they have wedding guests to look after too.But thoroughly recommended. For once, food to match a view."

The Green Man

The Green Man

The Green Man at Lindsell Mill End Green Dunmow, Essex CM6 2DN, Uttlesford, United Kingdom

Cafés • Kebab • Mexican • Asiatic


"We used to go to the Green Man a lot under the previous owners and thought we would give it a try again for our wedding anniversary with our children. Bit of a mistake! You can see they are trying to improve the quality of the food, which was always good anyway but poor training and terrible service really let it down tonight. So we sat at 17:30 and it was 15 mins before we were offered drinks, not a massive deal. Food order another 10 mins. Both the kids ordered burgers so I specifically asked if there was mayonnaise in the burgers and if the coleslaw was separate and was told no mayo in burger and coleslaw separate. Starter sharing mezze was OK except only 2 bits of halloumi (for 4 people) and odd tasting sandy brown coloured olives. So the burgers turn up and have coleslaw chucked on the plate right on the burgers and mayo in the buns. So they went back and “replacements” came back from the kitchen very quickly which were the same burgers just in new buns with no mayo and the coleslaw in ramekins. Then the wife’s fish and chips. Looked nice and waited for service to offer condiments however seems we are being left alone now we said about the burgers. So she starts tucking in and finds a short dark black human hair on the plate. So that gets sent back. To be fair to the chef came out and apologised that he had not put his bandana on and unfortunately one of his hairs had fallen on the plate. OK forgive that once and say thank you for apologising. However it’s the same but if fish (as the wife had picked a bit off the end) and probably the same chips. Lovely. Then we totally get left alone. The kids were enjoying the burgers but slightly over salted and the water had run out so we thought get more water so they can finish and that someone would come near, which they did but to serve the tables around us and completely ignore us, even when trying to get attention. So in the end we get up (and could totally have walked out without paying and none of the staff would have been any the wiser) that’s not us though, so we paid. Told the chap at the bar that we had to come to the bar as we had been totally ignored (him being one of the many staff fawning over the people on the tables around us) and he just said OK handed the receipt. Now was the time for an apology, maybe even some sort of discount (which most places just do regardless) but no, nothing, no apology, no discount. Not bothered about the money So I paid in full and will be extremely unlikely to (read will never) set foot in the place again as there was no attempt at apology. Happy wedding anniversary! When you book there is a question “is it a special occasion” which we put yes it was our wedding anniversary and no acknowledgment so they obviously ignore those bits on the bookings. It felt like it was very clicky, like if you are known or are loaded you get looked after. Not a place for mere mortals."