please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
My family and friends have used The Fire Crest regularly for the last fifteen years; so I thought it would be a good place to take my daughter for a birthday treat. The restaurant was very quiet and we stood by the bar waiting to be seated. A regular male waiter said, "bear with us guys". Five minutes later a miserable looking waitress then shouted out "who's next?" - although there was only my daughter and I stood at the bar and we were quite clearly together. I said, "I'd like a table please". The waitress then replied, "a table?" I said, "yes, a table for two". She then walked around the bar and said, "Would you walk this way for me?" The main area was empty but she walked us around to an alcove that was tightly packed with diners; in the centre of which was a small table for two. "Would you like to sit there for me? she asked. "No, I'd like to sit somewhere else" I stated, pointing towards the entirely empty main restaurant. "It was only a table for two wasn't it?" she replied. I said, "I would like to sit somewhere else". She then said,"You have completely the wrong attitude sir!"
I said to her, "if that is YOUR attitude I will go elsewhere" and I left in total disgust. My daughter left in floods of tears! This woman ruined my daughter's birthday and I am exceedingly angry about that! I will never go back to The Fire Crest and I will tell all of my family, friends, the people of the local communities of Wendover and Great Missenden and everybody else I can reach on social media about this disgraceful incident.
Goodness knows how much money this woman has been losing Vintage Inns!
The waitress was thin, small headed with collar length black straggly hair aged about fifty to sixty. We visited at 17:30 on May the 17th 2014.
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it'sa harvester, or a toby carvery or one of those chain type 'pub themed' restaurants. and if its not, it certainly feels like one. th bar area feels exactly like waiting area for a restauarnt, becuase thats what it is. not condusive to a nice relaxing pint.
two good positives though; firstly on a sunny day the garden is a great (road nosie yes, but nice veiws), and does feel like a pub garden. secondly, the beer was suprisingly good. Ubu ale and others.
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Very much a faux-Harvester. Brakspear Bitter and Purity Ubu on tap.
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Yes it is a chain pub (Mitchell and Butler) but it is definitely one of the better ones. The food is varied and good and sensibly priced, it is comfortable inside and the service is efficient, you may have to wait for food but why rush. 3 real ales on, the Brakespear I was served was off, and was changed immediately I complained. Overall a good food pub serving decent real ale, meets my needs.
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Not bad for what it is, a large chain eatery with standardised meals and spray-on interior. I guess though your overall experince is likely to depend on which of the hundreds of transient staff served you. Surprisingly had a decent range of beers on my last visit but hardly a place for the commited beer drinker.
Has been known by a variety of names over the last few decades; originally The Halfway House, the only one of its names which made sense as this is approximately half way between Amersham and Aylesbury and the pub was used as a coaching stop. Then for no known reason the name was changed to The Office and finally The Firecrest. Why, I haven't a clue.
Usually heaving which just goes to show that nobody ever got rich by over-estimating the good taste of the British public.
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very sad to say we have tried this pub on 3 occasions, service was poor (due to demand) and didn't get served with lunch till 3pm!!!Went back to give it a chance, no food till 2,30pm(having both times been there since 1pm)Last time yesterday 17th July, we both had roast beef(thankfully my son and daughter went A, La carte) Our food was cold, burned parsnips/roast pots, cold veggies( we sent back)guess what burned parsnips/pots returned, all be it warmer. So so disappointed, will not recommend for Sunday Lunch, (unless you have hours to spend!!!! not to mention money.
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Ate here last night. Nice pub with great beer garden but.......
Only one person serving at the bar. Took ages to get served. Was an hour gap between starters and mains being served. When I asked about the mains was told they'd be 7 or 8 minutes but it was more like 20. When mains did arrive the steak ordered medium rare was well done. The salad ordered with dressing on the side had dressing all over it and was warm. The fish cakes were inedible. Such a pity as this place could be great.
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Visited 3 Sept 2010.. Bar was busy and good selection of well kept beers. However bar staff only served those who pushed into the top bar, regardless of those waiting elsewhere. Staff enthusiastic,friendly and busy. Food standards have really declined in both standard and portion size recently. Rump steak was dry and undersized, with 3 small onion rings, half a tomato and a dollop of peas + chips. Kingclip fish was small and badly presented and Special Burger was not impressive in any way. Food profit margin must be excellent at these prices, but at the cost of losing customers, who will move on as there are plenty of better value alternatives locally.
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I pass this pub several times a week and have noticed that the car park is always full (and it's a big car park). So after an absence of ten years I decided to have lunch in there. It was my local when Bob ran it under the name of the "Office".
Upon entering I was politely greeted and was shown to a table and given a menu to peruse. About 35 people were there all of whom were eating ( a good result for lunchtime). My meal was served quickly and I really enjoyed a freshly cooked meal good beer and pleasant surroundings too. Sensibly priced quality food well served and presented. I can see why its so busy especially at Lunchtime Sundays. Recommended 8/10.
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A good place to take the family for a meal. Clean, cosy, welcoming and good value quality food. Not a boozers pub and not a 'local' as few people live within walking distance.
An added attraction is the steam train than runs about 11am Sundays at the end of the pub garden. Fit for purpose - do visit.
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Good basic pub food, quite cheap, with decent-sized portions. Pleasant atmosphere, though slightly synthetic: it feels like a chain pub (which it is). Main gripe is the beer: the only real ale is Wadworth 6X, and this sometimes seems to have slightly metallic flavour.
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Stopped for Saturday lunch, was fairly busy but plenty of room. Very cosy with a nice fire. Good food and service. Can't comment on the beer as was driving. Would visit again.
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I'm not sure what they are all talking about......
possibly the best cooked steak iv'e had in a long time and the red pepper starter is to die for, nisley washed down with one of the healthies pints of 6x that i have ever tasted. the decore could do with an update but it's really cosey with the fires roaring, and the staff, well, they are unbelivable so helpfull and so polite it really was a pleasent visit and i recomend to every one.
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I read some of the comments below about the poor food service, but my wife and I went here and there was no problem with it, hey ho. A nice meal, if somewhat overdone a touch, an indifferent pint of Wadsworth XXXX. A little TLC and this could be an outstanding place to go, specially in the beer garden with its views of the nearby hills.
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Aah, memory lane... Here it was, on our first outing from RAF Halton in our new uniforms, that we went and got thoroughly slaughtered. The beer was 2/6 a pint (half a crown) and the song playing at the time was "Hey Jude". You could get a whole pint down in the time it was playing! I went in there a few weeks ago for old times' sake. Pleasant place. Nice people. Good beer. Some things don't change...
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Bad service as they all say! Keep away!
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Yesterday evening we decided to have a meal at the firecrest,where we are pretty regular visitors.
There were four in our party.
We saw a few people leaving so went to search out their vacated table.
we made ourselves at home and the men went to the bar to get some drinks.
My friend and I started choosing from the menu a waitress appeared and asked us if we were 6 in our party we said no there were only four of us.
We were then asked to leave the table as it had been allocated to a party of 6.
My friend said we would move if they could find us a table for four,which she didn't seem to want to do.
my friend explained that in this type of pub she thought you couldn't reserve a table.
Another waitress came over and again told us to leave the table,we were appalled.
We left the table and the pub and will never go there again.
We have enjoyed the meals that we usually have at this pub ,but the way we were treated yesterday evening was disgusting.
Platform
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Irish coffees in here are superb. Can't recomment them enough. Not bad beer. Sunday roast is very good value indeed. If you go in about 3-4pm the rush has finished and you get served double quick. Nice to sit in front of the fire and relax. Watch out for the bar manageress / waitress dressed in black. Absolute fox with a figure to die for. Worth visiting to see her alone. Part of the same chain that owns the 5 Bells and also the Bugle Horn, I think. Vintage Inns?
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My experience of this place was we were kept waiting for ages for our food in fact so long many of us had gone off the idea of eating by the time we were served
Never again!!
anonymous - 28 Nov 2006 23:24 |
Part of a chain pub / restaurant group. Not so much a drinking pub as a dining pub. Reasonable value food with a good choice menu, average / fair beer. 7/10
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wanted to see pub as Ellen_h posted comment about this one and the last one she commented on was great.
I really liked it, had lovely caesar salad and sat in garden, my friend had chicken pie she said it was really good too. Not a pub pub but fab for food.
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Lovely large dining pub - with sep smoking and non smoking areas. Serve real ale but ale not particually well kept, children allowed but not encouraged, part of vintage inns group so menu is set.
Large garden where dogs are allowed. Prices very reasonable and all in all a nice place to be, is worth regular visits if you are local.
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