This is such a shame that a previously good restaurant is now so shockingly bad. We went today for my Son’s 11th birthday meal. All family and have visited before - many months ago. Mixture of adults and children. All was going fine, service pretty...inattentive and had to wave every-time to get a waiters attention, despite the fact they walked past us every few seconds. Ordered started and mains. Usual menu, nothing has changed menu wise in all the years we have been going - food was okay, nothing special, but something for everyone. Quality wise it has certainly not what it was. In the middle of my meal I called over the waiter to hand back my main course, it had a long hair in the salad. Totally put off I didn’t ask for a new one. No apology, just a shrug of the shoulders from the waiter. Note - nobody in the kitchen wears a hair covering. When the bill came I asked if my meal had been taken off the bill. The waitress, tried to help but the manager refused to take it off the bill. I asked to speak to the manager, he came over and told me that nobody in the kitchen has long blonde hair, despite is waiter picking it out the salad!! So it wasn’t them. Accusing me of planting a hair in the salad! I asked him if he was accusing me of planting a hair in the salad, which he then said “I’ve talked to the manager and you do this all the time” for the record - the last time I went there was over a year ago! Left pretty satisfied back then. He wouldn’t remove it from the bill. Accusing me again and again of being a serial “planter” of hair in food! Then another waiter came over to take photos of me, no idea why, then lied and denied he did it. Bear in mind I have my kids with me. The manager was the most unprofessional manager I’ve ever witnessed, he has no idea how to run a restaurant and I can see now why the place was half empty. I said to him I’ll happily pay for the dish with the hair in it to avoid any drama, but to take off the ridiculous service charge - service here is genuinely appalling and food not good enough, much better options at The Boars Head and other places in Stortford. As we left the rest of the waiters were equally trying to suggest that I had planned a hair in one of the meals - despite paying over £600 for the rest of the meal!! I mean seriously. A Geordie girl tried to tell me I wasn’t right and they weren’t right either - err then who was? Who taught these people the basics of guest satisfaction!!
It was my sons 11th birthday, the manger completely ruined it and all he had to do was apologise. Seemingly old fashioned hospitality and caring for guests who pay their wages isn’t something this manager and restaurant give two hoots about. Unfortunately for them Stortford is a small town and I’m pretty sure after I’ve shared this review with as many people in my various networks it will make people think twice about eating there. Genuinely I’d avoid being ripped off in this place, it used to be okay, now it’s shocking and the manager is terrible! Will never return and I’d strongly urge you to think twice about it also.
1 star - only because you have to!!More