Steak Burger
The Star Inn

The Star Inn

Newbury Road, RG20 5TR, Basingstoke and Deane, United Kingdom

Pub • Steak • Vegan • British


"What a horrendous experience. I really don’t know where to start, we work hard all year and finished work on Friday 22nd so booked to go to the star on Saturday to start our family Christmas celebrations. Were had a dreadful year and were looking forward to a nice meal out. Firstly when we arrived the waitress came within minutes to take our order. I asked if we could order drinks and just give us a few minutes to look at the food menu. My son ordered a regular Coke, I ordered the Christmas cosmo cocktail and my husband the zero alcohol peroni. My god this was hard work , firstly I was told they might not be able to do the cocktail, my son was brought a pint of Coke and my husband a pint of peroni? He queried if it was correct as shed checked at least 3 times before what he wanted and was assured it was. However a few minutes later the waitress rushed over to advise it was in fact alcohol!! She then didn’t come back to take our food order for over 30 mins (I’d point out at this point the restaurant was more than half empty) When taking the food order we ordered the cheesy garlic bread , chorizo bites and olives to share as a starter. We were advised they didn’t have any cheese , so the bread would just be garlic bread. We agreed that would be fine. My husband ordered the duo of lamb, sorry no lamb was the response ! Eventually after another long wait our starters came out and omg ! The garlic bread was burnt to a crisp ! Black ! My husband took this back to the waitress and told her to take it back and take off our bill. How on earth any self respecting chef let that leave the kitchen , or a waitress bring that to a customer’s table is insulting. When the mains came we were at the point of giving up. Both my husbands main and my main were cold !! Stone cold. We decided to just eat what we could and get out of there. So we asked for the bill. We waited and waited and waited. All the time all three members of staff were huddled around the til. Obviously having an issue. But instead of coming over and apologising for the wait we were left sitting there. Eventually after calling IT they resolved the issue. On the way out my husband did express how bad the experience was. The manager offered to deduct something off the bill. But that would make no difference to our ruined lunch out. The food is below par, the prices were an absolute rip off!! Nearly £30 for a burger with a pig in blanket screwed to the top. I will not be returning here. It was a shame because 13 months ago we’d had a lovely meal , but this experience was horrendous. Never again"

The Inn On The Pond

The Inn On The Pond

Nutfield Marsh Road, Tandridge, United Kingdom

Pub • Steak • Vegan • British


"Oh Dear! What a difference 2 weeks can make. My daughter (who lives in Farringdon), and I, visited on 21st April and had a lovely meal in a very pleasant environment. Fantastic, we thought, somewhere lovely that we can get to easily from Merstham station, and it accommodates dogs. So, when my daughter and her partner came for a visit on Friday 3rd May, we rushed to get there in plenty of time (kitchen closes at 20.00), and arrived at 19.15 having already read the menu and having decided on our meals. Unfortunately this was a completely different dining experience. No one came to take our drinks order so we had to go looking for a member of staff. We found the staff having a very sociable time with each other but with no one engaging with the customers to ensure all was in order. Our waiter was lovely but clearly inexperienced and getting absolutely no support from the 'team '. Two of our mains were incorrect, and after a 20 minute wait for the missing portions of chips, we decided that we wouldn 't bother because we had eaten the rest of the meal. Our desserts were very obviously micro waved not a problem but were delivered to our table in stages, and the final plate of sticky toffee pudding was returned because it was cold. Desserts that had been specifically ordered with custard were delivered with ice cream. It was now 21.15 and so we decided not to push our luck and didn 't have coffees. When my husband, and then my daughter, approached what appeared to be a more senior member of staff, his response to their concerns was blasé and very unsupportive of his team throwing the chef and the waiter under the proverbial bus, in front of customers, is not the best way to manage a customer service situation. We alluded to Fawlty Towers all evening, and fully expected Manuel from Barcelona to show up, but after a while the farcical humour of the situation wore very thin and spoiled our family get together. Such a shame but we 'll definitely be swerving this 'restaurant ' (unless the owners take control of the situation and engage in a very robust training session with the staff)."

Bistro Este

Bistro Este

221 Upper Newtownards Road, BT4 3, Belfast, United Kingdom

Soup • Fish • Meat • Bistro


"Been going here since it opened and always felt it well priced, imaginative food and good ingredients. Last night it could only claim to be one of the three. The flavour of the scallops in my starter was killed stone dead by the spicyness of...the XO sauce which was good in itself, but the scallops belonged nowhere near it. My main of fish cakes and prawns was a disaster due to the poor quality of the ingredients. My hake a grey colour and mushy, not the firm white glistening piece of fish I would expect for a dish. The prawns also soft and mushy, clearly not fresh. The fish cakes were in fact potato croquettes fish in these was nonexistent. My dining partners dish of lamb was dry and as a slo cooked piece of meat one would expect the opposite. I suspect not freshly made for it to eventually dry out like that. His gnocchi hard from being re heated and fried, the element of mint was there but fading. Service was average as our table piled up with empty glasses and an empty water bottle I had to pile them to the side to make it obvious. White and rose wines are chilled to death. Its a rather annoying trait that they swirl ice in each glass to make it cold then pour refrigerated wine into it. A Viognier I ordered was barely recognisable. The rose I suspect oxidised by living a long lonely life in the fridge. It was drinkable though. Trip advisor need to update prices here. Starters are and mains start at for chicken and for veggie option but most with fish and chips Gone is the early bird menu."