please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I was excited about going here as the owners are of the superb Belle Epoque, Knutsford and I dont mind splashing out if the food is good. I went on a quiet night which accentuated the dull, ambiguous ambience of the interior. The juxtaposition of the mass of overpowering olive green and cheap looking 'Euro' posters in cheap frames coupled with the dim lighting meant our dining area was a bit depressing ! These guys should look at the interior of the Bunning and Price Pubs, the Bears Paw at warmingham or even The Frozen Mop in Mobberley to see how it should be done. The toilets here were equally unimpressive. The food was fairly good, if somewhat dated - maybe it was supposed to be retro and the portions certainly were - very nouvelle cuisine !! I will say that the quality of the food was good actually and above average - taking into consideration, the stale, hard bread and overcooked stiff chips. The lamb was almost sublime though as was the construction of the dish and its ingredients. I feel this establishment struggles with its identity and what it is attempting to be. Is it a Restaurant with a bar? Is it a gastropub? Is it neither? The menu jumps between several styles without trully capturing any. There is a degree of integrity in the dishes but I am not sure the Duke of Portland is paying more than lipservice to local ingredients as it claims on the website. The process needs to be followed through right to the kitchen with love and attention to detail. The best thing here was the staff, who were friendly, efficient and attentive which was lovely. In summary, this place ultimately disappoints and does not quite deliver or achieve its goals. In light of the pedigree of the family who owns this business, the Duke of Portland experience is an anticlimax at best. I hope it improves here and I will try again later in the Spring or early summer. My mark is 6 1/2 / 10.
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I went to the Duke of Portland last week, it was superb, had an excellent couple of Jennings before we sat down for food. The food was well presented and good value. Got chatting to the new manager who was excellent. Have not been here for more than six months, they've refurbished the dining areas and ladies and gents loos,(overdue as other reviewer mentioned), best food and drink I've had overall for a long time, strongly recommend.
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Went for lunch & things must have changed because we found it very good.
Recently refurbished I guess. We did wait quite a bit but you would expect to for freshly cooked food.
We ate off the Market Menu (2 courses for tenner) and it was good quality with ample portions. All in all very nice.
On the down side the loos were not great & would appear not to have been done up for many a year. (wife said ladies were grotty) and didn't quite get the TV on the window ledge?
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just tried this place for sunday lunch as party of 5 adults, having got there a little after opening time some of the starters were not available, the soft drinks for drivers were absolutely flat (the staff already knew about this) the special Sirloin dish I ordered was terrible as about 50% was fat and grissle (on a siloin) and the chasseur sauce left a very bitter taste in the mouth.
This used to be quite a smartly decorated pub, which used to visit regularly, but since being taken over has been allowed to become tatty with chipped tables and chairs, and has also lost the ambience it once had,
How this Pub got such a high rating with the Times I do not know but it is my opinion that there are far better places to dine locally that here
Very Dissapointing
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Two meals for a tenner!!!? just screams quality!! Does she go to the drive thru or sit in? Stick with what you know ( very little)
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THE TABLES WERE DIRTY,IT LOOKED LIKE THEY HADN'T BEEN WIPED DOWN, THE CROCKERY HAD HARD FOOD ON THEM, THERE WAS NO MATS FOR DRINKS,WE HAD TO WAIT FOR AN HOUR FOR FOOD, AND THERE WASN'T A LOT OF PEOPLE IN. WHEN WE GOT THE FOOD THERE WASN'T A LOT OF IT AND AT �13.75 AND �14.95 FOR SET MENU'S YOU WOULD EXPECT THE PLATES TO BE FULL FOR THAT SORT OF MONEY.THE CHILDS PORTION HAD MORE ON THAN THE ADULTS. AND WHEN WE WENT TO PAY WE WERE OVER CHARGED BY �8.00, ALL IN ALL I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THEY WANT TO PULL THER SOCKS UP AND WAKE UP TO THE REAL WORLD MOST PLACES NOW YOU CAN GET TWO MEALS FOR A TENNER, OH FOR YOU GENTS YOU WILL PROBERLY LIKE THE WAITING ON STAFF AS THEY WERE VERY YOUNG AND HAD THERE BOOBS FALLING OUT ON TO THE PLATES WHEN SERVING YOU.
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Try their new place in tarvin, The George & Dragon, very good
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Our favourite local pub. Great chips. Locally sourced food! You know which farm the beef, potatoes etc came from!
Can recommend this to anyone for a lunchtime treat.
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Just had Sunday lunch,awesome! Right big hunk of beef, fresh veg (a bloody rarity!)Beautiful pint of Adnams Regatta
anonymous - 14 Aug 2007 12:20 |
Excellent food,beer & surrounding. Will return very soon
anonymous - 18 Jun 2007 15:09 |
All in all a damn fine pub, would love to find this place on my doorstep! Really great food, very well kept ale, sat outside til closing! wife happy with the Pimms, me with the heating & A storming pint of Golden Host, knockout!
anonymous - 8 May 2007 17:39 |
Not a good idea for sunday lunch! Very crowded , bad acoustics in overflow room, noisey ( uncontrolled children) jazz band playing nightime blues music at full strength so that it was intrusive and became impossible to hold a converstion.Service very slow - up to 35 minutes between courses. Amount and quality of food poor - 2 small broccoli florets and a few uncooked beans.Management did not respond to polite e mail.
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lovely looking pub, on the inside, loads of comfy drinking areas with big sofas, and the food lord above just awesome from fish & chips right through to the most amazing beef. why can't all pubs be like this?
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More of an eatery than a pub but food and beer both good and great beer garden
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AMAZING ! a choice of 12 cask ales, 7 of which were tried, some of the best food I've ever eaten in a pub, chips were so amazing we asked how they cooked them, beef dripping, oh god the calories. All the rest of our party(5 others) raved about their food, we will return!
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Just been for a meal.... As a pub this is an expensive restaurant!...�1.90 for bread, �3.80 for a bowl of rocket salad, �1.80 for a teacup of chips... all necessary accompaniments to a main-course meal. That said, the food that was served was OK, albeit slow in arriving.... we just needed to call in the take-away on the way home! Staff were pleasant, but not too upset that we'd had a bad eating experience... they seem to have enough punters with Range Rovers in the car-park ready to pay the price. Didn't try the guest beers, but the wine was fine and reasonably priced. We won't be going back.
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Atlast! We in Mid Cheshire have got one! A pub that is fantastic to sit & have a beer in (4 cask on) Even better to eat in, the food is way better than anywhere in the area, Go & enjoy !
anonymous - 19 Apr 2005 13:09 |
I posted before and was the person that suggested this pub. But now its been taken over i have to lower my score. Still serves great food etc, but has now got a 'snob' feel to the place. You feel guilty about just going in there for a few drinks, as it is now more like a resturant than a country pub. We have been there a few times on New Years Eve in the past, but the price hike has priced us out now. Just gutted.
anonymous - 11 Dec 2004 17:27 |
recently refurbished some of the best food in cheshire
f.a.d - 3 Nov 2004 21:20 |
A really nice pub to go to to get away from the trouble you get at your loacl. It's a fair drive from where i live but it is worth it. Recently taken over and now it produces some amazing food.
Martin - 17 Mar 2004 18:25 |
