The Horse and Groom, Rushlake Green

I have in the past enjoyed many meals here it WAS great food and lovely atmosphere. We hadn't been for a year and went back to celebrate an anniversary in the place where we met. I don't know if the place has changed hands in the last year, but . . . having booked in advance we arrived for our meal, the large blackboards that did offer a full range of fresh and changeable food had been replaced with standard issue album style menus and we were be directed to the smallest table in the pub. It had a huge central post and you couldn't get your feet under it, positioned with the garden door opening onto my seat and my boyfriend and I getting the full view and smell of the ladies toilet. I went to the bar to see if there was another table we could be moved to or if there was one that was about to become free that we could wait for and I was told bluntly no, but that the lady would lock the door so people would walk round and use the other door (it was a nice day and there seemed to be a constant stream of people coming and going and leaving the door to slam) a few minutes later she then came to ask if we were ready to order and we weren't - and still no door locked and people still coming and going. So we decided to leave, we went to the bar to pay for the drinks and explained why it was that we were leaving - it was our anniversary and we wanted a quiet and enjoyable meal - one we were clearly not going to get there, and they still made us pay full price for drinks that we hadn't touched as seeing that one of us was driving it would have been nice to have that one drink with the meal. I will stop recommending the pub and would NOT go there again.

21 Feb 2008 10:26