The Hinds Head Reviews Summary

Service

Pros:

• "Very friendly, helpful and professional staff."
• "Service attentive, welcoming and friendly throughout and really makes it a great experience from start to finish."
• "Our server was professional, friendly and knowledgable."
• "Staff and atmosphere are amazing too and it’s attentive without being OTT."
• "Staff were friendly, efficient and attentive."
• "The service we received made us feel like royalty."
• "Their friendly and efficient service makes every visit feel special and appreciated."

Cons:

• "The staff seemed pretty highly strung and certainly did not cultivate a relaxing dining atmosphere."
• "Service was certainly well under par."
• "The staff were competent and professional but lacked warmth and friendly interaction."
• "Staff not slick nor finessed and definitely not at all Michelin, but not rude."
• "Hit and miss service from staff. Our waitress was lovely, but initial greeter was dismissive and forgot we were waiting for our table at the bar."
• "Service is frankly dreadful in this area."
• "Poor service - not up to 1 star standards."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food and drink was lovely and each of us had different dishes so we could try more of the menu."
• "Dishes that sound simple, but were sublime. (Pea & ham soup with mint oil, roasted cod loin, quaking pudding - every mouthful was bliss)"
• "The food is cooked to an excellent level, but not at all imaginative."
• "Every single item was done perfectly, nothing could have been improved."
• "The food was just amazing - I had the fish & chips which was hands down the best I’ve ever tasted."
• "The Duck: the meat is so tender and unctuous, that it melts in your mouth."
• "The food is to die for .... very well prepared and very rich."

Cons:

• "I was slightly let down by the donuts (lacked that fresh crisp) and wasn't a huge fan of the chocolate wine."
• "The food however, was underwhelming (against a michelin star and £35 for a main), the food was overseasoned, slightly undercooked and salty for my taste."
• "To pay that price and be fed triple cooked chips that were quite frankly so over cooked it was like eating batter by itself, average starters and dry fish for my main, I’m not a happy customer."
• "Disappointing to be honest which is such a shame."
• "The food was very nice but overpriced and took a long long time to come out to us."
• "Was disappointed that there was only option available as a main due to an allergy."
• "The food was not reflective of the price which was a shame as we were hosting friends from out of town."

Atmosphere

Pros:

• "The space is suitably 'pub-ish' although the sits by the entrance have more charm than the back rooms."
• "A lovely relaxed Sunday lunch at the Hinds Head."
• "It’s tastefully decorated with a fun, slightly gothic theme with mystical creatures adorning the walls."
• "The pub has lots of character with low wood beams and a cosy atmosphere."
• "The Christmassy and warm atmosphere made the perfect framing for this delightful experience."
• "The atmosphere was comforting with real fires burning on a very cold night."
• "The environment is lovely, with a very traditional 'old pub' feel with plenty of space around tables making it feel intimate but not crowded."

Cons:

• "The bill did not warrant its £178 price tag for an alcohol-free meal for two as it was far from spectacular."
• "Quite disappointed as I had heard really good things about this place."
• "If this establishment didn't have a Michelin star we would have thought the food OK but a little overpriced."
• "Like the pickled food, we left in a pickle."
• "The whole thirty minutes we were there it felt like we were been watched by the two couples that was there in the upper bar."
• "There was no atmosphere it was almost silent which made for a rather uncomfortable night."
• "But service is lacking for a Michelin star restaurant. Clumsy serving and clearing of plates, table was wobbling, had to ask for menus."

Value

Pros:

• "With a couple of cocktails and three soft drinks the bill was a respectable £260."
• "We had a voucher from Buy a Gift and for the 2 was 160£ (without tip), for the 4 courses and a glass of wine each, a lot less than I expected for a Michelin star place."
• "The Sunday lunch menu was excellent value for the quality of the food."
• "Decent price and so much better than hand and flowers/Kerridge."
• "Our friends are residents in Bray and have the residents discount which was a right treat."
• "The weekend lunch menu is a steal and amazingly good value for money."
• "We were there at lunch and highly recommend the 3 course dinner... excellent and very fairly priced for such a well known establishment."

Cons:

• "Prices are very punchy though. Portion sizes are just adequate not generous."
• "Interesting that water served in a carafe is £4 a time."
• "I’ve had better scotch eggs than the one served here, the flavours just weren’t there."
• "It cost us about £450 for 4 people. I know for sure we get better value elsewhere."
• "For this sort of money I expect to be wowed and I wasn’t."
• "Very expensive for what was provided plus £18 plus added for service for an overpriced lunch."
• "£60 for a 300g ribeye that was chewy and relied on sauce for taste is not reasonable."