The Empress of Blandings Pub & Restaurant, Cadnam Reviews Summary

Service

Pros:

• "The service was fantastic, really friendly and also with a good sense of humour considering our unplanned arrival."
• "Staff very attentive and we all enjoyed our meals."
• "Service and staff were lovely."
• "The service was really friendly and attentive."
• "The staff were so welcoming and accommodating."
• "Very cheerful helpful service."
• "The staff were absolutely brilliant I can't rate them high enough."

Cons:

• "The service took a very very long time in coming."
• "Unfortunately they seem to be perpetually short of staff and advertising for more and the service is slow."
• "The service was terrible. Had to ask twice for a child's menu."
• "Waited over 15 mins to get a drink delivered never appeared."
• "However, as the restaurant wasn't that busy, the service was a little slow."
• "Had to repeatedly ask for water, had to ask for a menu to order food, had to ask for dessert menu & then had to ask to order."
• "We waited an hour for our for our main meals."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Amazing menu, great tasting food, polite and curtious staff."
• "Always love the empress of blandings, has great food, good specials."
• "Kids meals were just as fresh and well cooked as the adults meals."
• "The mushroom stroganoff was particularly good."
• "Absolutely yummy food, and in the bar area, where you can choose to eat, they let you bring dogs in."
• "The food was tasty and well thought out."
• "The food arrived hot, was well presented and tasted really good."

Cons:

• "The bread was so hard it would have broken my teeth so didn't eat it."
• "The sprouts were a bit overcooked."
• "The food is OK, but the steak is massively overpriced for what you get."
• "The white bait was over cooked, as was the calamari rubbery could on bounced off the table."
• "The food tonight was not great."
• "The food alas did not match her and her colleagues efforts. It was really very ordinary I had a greasy very thin battered cod with hard as nails peas and a less than generous portion of chips."
• "Food was stodgy and veg overcooked."

Ambience

Pros:

• "It was stunning inside!"
• "Interior and atmosphere was awesome."
• "Definitive Country pub, Garden, Carpark."
• "The pub had been decorated very tastefully and there was festive music playing in the background."
• "Great atmosphere and decor with lovely chilled tunes and ambience."
• "The atmosphere is like visiting a friend. The staff are very warm and friendly."
• "A lovely relaxing pub and not hectic in the heart of the New Forest."

Cons:

• "The pub was empty but we were seated next to the toilets at the back and the pub was freezing cold."
• "Menu is very basic very disappointing. No atmosphere in pub."
• "It was also very noisy as there were two tables nearby that let their young children run round chasing each other."
• "The atmosphere was so depressing and uninviting."
• "We were then told we wouldn’t be able to eat so they turned us away!!"
• "Visited last a few years ago and this place has gone severely downhill. Very disappointed."
• "The function room was far too hot as it is in the roof of the building and with the safety catches on Windows limiting how far they open and no air conditioning it was sweltering and uncomfortable for many of the group."

Management and Staff

Pros:

• "It has changed management and Beth made us feel we were back at home from the moment we entered."
• "Staff are well Presented and friendly."
• "The South African gentleman looking after us was amazing, not only with my children but with surrounding customers as well."
• "Staff were very friendly, food was great - the best we've had out for a long time."
• "Greeted promptly and politely on arrival."
• "The staff were knowledgeable and refreshing."
• "The team were very friendly and attentive and I had no issues."

Cons:

• "We had to complain about kids jumping around and shouting, who would have had a far better time playing with their new toys at home."
• "The staff were miserable, the girl who served us didn't smile once, didn't ask us how the food was."
• "We made feel very uncomfortable but think this could been my race, I have never felt so uncomfortable in pub or restaurant before."
• "When we arrived there was no warm welcome and didn't even ask if we had booked."
• "Found the Lady manger quite rude we made feel very uncomfortable but think this could been my race, I have never felt so uncomfortable in pub or restaurant before."
• "Young lad who served us was brilliant. I complained about the 10oz gammon stated it was not a 10oz gammon steak, the manager argued it was."
• "Both members of staff scuffed around the pub not one had a smile on their face."