The Fordwich Arms Reviews Summary

Atmosphere & Setting

Pros:

• "Created a relaxed and cosy atmosphere."
• "We sat outside with lovely views of the river."
• "The surroundings intimate with attentive staff."
• "Beautiful terrace with old Wisteria overlookibg the river."
• "The spot is beautiful and decor is a perfect balance between cozy and stylish."
• "The dining area is cosy, had a log fire on the go and beautiful Christmas tree in the corner."
• "Absolutely lovely setting, beautiful garden next to the river."

Cons:

• "The whole place has a very arrogant vibe."
• "The only downside was that we were the only table in the middle surrounded by all the others so it was a little loud."
• "The inside was absolutely soulless and not the kind of place we would want to sit inside at anyway."
• "Not the greatest river view but lovely gardens."
• "It was obvious that the carpark was full of cars that were not patrons of the restaurant at the time."
• "Parking can be a bit of a problem, you may need to walk a little, but its well worth it."
• "Worth noting that the carpark is tiny - we arrived 30 minutes into service and got one of the two remaining spaces."

Service

Pros:

• "The service was faultless."
• "Staff where do we start... all knowledgeable, helpfull, friendly."
• "The team there are friendly, approachable and professional."
• "The staff were really professional and polite and made us feel very welcome."
• "The service is the right level of attentive and professional, without making you feel like you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be."
• "The staff were very friendly and attentive."
• "Staff were friendly and very attentive."

Cons:

• "They were knowledgeable but lacked warmth and friendliness."
• "We were pushed for drinks, we didn’t have time to look at the drinks menu we were asked again."
• "Service was attentive but not natural and nearly an hour wait for the lamb course was excessive."
• "At £300 for two to dine, I would expect a much higher quality of service and quality of food, creativity, and delivery."
• "Service brilliant."
• "The sense of upselling made the restaurant feel more like an add on package deal rather than a fine dining experience."
• "Only negative was the slow service and plates left on table for too long."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Strong focus on local fish and seafood, a very tasty cuisine..."
• "Every mouthful of food that touched our lips was sublime."
• "The food was matched by the service and the atmosphere."
• "A wonderful beautiful restaurant well deserving the Michelin star."
• "Each course was tailored to suit our dietary needs if required and the flavours for what was essentially a twist on the traditional pub food was outstanding."
• "The raw Orkney scallop was a hit around the table."
• "The food is exquisite, such beautiful flavours and the presentation is artwork in itself."

Cons:

• "Ordered a prawn sandwich with mayo, but got buttered and a pot of mayo....!"
• "I went for the BBQ lobster, grape & spiced butter sauce, not worth the £25 extra cost."
• "The bacon flavoured (butter?) did not go with the bread and the Rye bread lacked flavour and was dry."
• "Food is over priced and overated."
• "The food was very salty! so salty for my likely! It ruined my pallet!"
• "The absolutely flavourless pollock which had zero redeeming qualities other than the courgette purée."
• "Over chilled oysters rendering them tasteless, over salted food."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "It is of course expensive so not an every day meal but worth it if you feel like splashing out."
• "Its slightly expensive compared to other restaurants but not for the style of dining that it offers."
• "The wines are great with a sommelier to guide you through and offer pairings."
• "Really inspired cooking that leads the English culinary scene into the future."
• "They provide fantastic food at a reasonable price."
• "All the courses were delicious and though it's obviously a treat meal, very good value for what you get."
• "The price was incredibly reasonable for a Michelin star restaurant, and a pint only cost £4.50 which was a pleasant surprise."

Cons:

• "Wines a little on the high side."
• "£308 (for two) later I was left underwhelmed and quite a lot poorer."
• "Lovely pub but the prices are certainly steep! Definitely no value for money here."
• "A la carte portions too small and now weakened value for money. Wine also good but slightly overpriced."
• "12.5% non negotiable service a bit of a surprise on a fiercely expensive menu."
• "We were disappointed to still be charged an £80 cancellation charge."
• "Giving it a one star because I specifically asked for a rose (£7)... This was extremely misleading and deceptive on the part of their staff."