I only ever drove past The Blundell Arms. It's very near where I live, so I drive past it a lot! It…read morejust looked like another pub, and not very popular, as I never saw anyone parked outside. But in recent times I noticed A-boards outside mentioning food, so after a long time of realising this, I decided to look online, and lo and behold, it's not just a pub that has "food available", but a full on food-centric pub! Hoorah! When I drove there, I realised that the reason it looked so quiet and lacking in cars is because there's actually a sizeable car park BEHIND it, and that in turn is the entrance people tend to use to access it. When I walked in, I was very pleasantly surprised, this pub was not only very expansive in side (perhaps not in terms of headroom in some of the older parts!) but was wonderfully traditional, with beautiful rustic beams running throughout, and many nods to its past as a court house, showing the old stone placard, and a window showing the traditional wattle and daub construction. The other thing I noticed is that this was a very bright space. The winter sunshine truly cascades through the windows, giving a wonderfully comfortable feeling. This place had a 'good' feeling as soon as I entered. I was greeted by a friendly staff member who took me to a table nestled amongst the rustic beams, where I was given the menus, and had chance to also peruse the lunch menu. The lunch menu was really good value, and I'd happily order from it, but in this instance I noticed on the main menu, amongst all the delicious traditional and classic pub food offerings, and "chef's inspired dishes" was a gourmet burger. So I opted for that! I took the time waiting to have a look round at the rest of the place, which is where Ashleigh, the staff member, told me about the building's previous uses, and how pleasant the place looks at night with all the lights lighting up the corners of this old building. When my burger arrived, I was quite pleased. The presentation was simple but that's all it needed to be, as it was a big burger, and a pot of triple-cooked chips. The chips were great, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The burger was tasty, but I wouldn't call it 'gourmet', as it was quite a standard burger, but grilled fully through rather than pink (due to health and safety demands usually), so it wasn't juicy, but was still tasty, regardless. The bacon on the burger was a bit fatty though, I had to pull strands of it off, but that's merely my personal preference. For the price, it was a good burger, and a tasty lunch. I'd certainly order it again. All in all, I was pleased I came to The Blundell Arms! I didn't realise it was such a lovely building, and didn't realise they had such a large offering to eat, so I'll definitely be back to try some more of the menu, especially the dessert menu... there were a few things on there I very much liked the look of, but as the burger was so filling, I didn't quite have the room. Maybe next time I'll go for the lunch menu instead of my eyes being bigger than my belly! Next time, Blundell.... NEXT TIME!!!

A really nice pub/restaurant that dates back to when the world was black and white and everybody…read morehad a horse and cart. Food is good but can take a while to get to you as the service is a little slow. A liitle on the pricy side for nothing that is out of this world. Huge range of wines and beers all this in fantastic ye olde worldy settings.

Called in here for a quick beer over the weekend. I didn't know the pub before but has been…read morecompletely refurbished in the last year. Its very nicely done out now, modern but still welcoming. They have a huge range of ales most of which are brewed at their own brewery. They also had imported Mahu Spanish beer which happens to be my beer of choice when on holiday. I tried a pint and it was great, immediately transported to my favourite bar in Marbella!! The landlady was very pleasant and gave us some good tips for other pubs and restaurants in the area. I can recommend this pub and I shall definitely be back. One thing to add is no food served but they are fine if you did want to order in etc.

Hot, delicious and to table ultra quick. Lovely staff, beautiful location and just a great…read moreatmosphere. Will be back.

Good beer, staff and atmosphere, excellent decor, plenty of parking. Food TBA, as never eaten…read morethere.

Amazing beer and great staff. Entertainment on Fridays and good music for all types of customersread more

The Rivington Pub & Grill (formerly The Ridgeway Arms) in Blackrod is a warm, cosy, and comfortable…read moretraditional English pub, with a large focus on dining. If you enter the Rivington from the car park, you would firstly think that you've walked into a the bar of a pleasant restaurant, complete with leather winged armchairs, candles, and historical photos of the area. If you walked into the Rivington from the other entrance, you would think that you've walked into a traditional and friendly pub, complete with a roaring fireplace, wood panelling, and comfortable chairs. Fortunately, both are true. Whether you're there for a pint, or there for your dinner, the warm and pleasantly decorated and furnished surroundings automatically make you feel relaxed and comfortable. The main dining area for the restaurant side of the pub is in a horseshoe shape, with open fireplaces on each end, and a raised seating area in the centre. The food offered has something for everyone, ranging from the traditional to the modern, but done superbly well, and in good portions. The head waiter told us how nothing is ever frozen, and everything is bought and created freshly, hence sometimes there can be a wait for your food, but frankly if you want good food created fresh, you should anticipate a bit of a wait. It only makes sense For starters, I had the Saddleback Ribs, which were in a delicious BBQ sauce, which was very much a home made sauce, rather than the thick ketchup-like BBQ sauce you seem to find everywhere today. The meat was so tender, that I was able to simply lift it up, and the bone fell out! Very tasty indeed! The serving staff here are friendly and helpful, but for many of them it seems English is not their first language. This isn't a criticism as much as an observation, and a note that a few times we had to say things a couple of times before they understood, as we were often asked "sorry, what was that?". My only criticism might be a one off, as we asked the head waiter for our bill, but it didn't arrive, and after 15 minutes we asked another waiter about it, but as we did so, we saw the head waiter walk in, see us, and have a moment of realisation, before he dashed off to the bar to collect our bill. Everyone forgets something now and then, but as soon as he realised, he was on it! Although there are many vegetarian dishes available, I do have to say that the Rivington's forté is their meat! All of their steaks are dry aged for 32 days hung on the bone, and all of their beef is from traditional breed cattle. My personal favourite dish here is the rare breed minute flash-steak, which is tender, juicy, and full of flavour (as were my dining companions' above dishes too!). My flash steak came a specific way, but for other meats you are asked how you want it cooked, and obviously which sauces and accompaniments you would like. Steaks cooked without a sauce get lightly drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. I personally love their chips! Big, chunky, old fashioned chips. Proper comfort food! I feel I must point out that when asked what he thought of the Herdwick Lamb Chops, my father-in-law, who is a very difficult man to impress, declared them "excellent!", which frankly blew the rest of us away (my mother-in-law dropped her fork!). This is an old fashioned man who would usually say something was "not bad" or at most "not bad at all!", but to declare a food 'excellent' is something we've not heard before... so that's saying something! They offer a nice selection of after-dinner goodies, from teas and coffees to after-dinner tipples, but as beautiful as their desserts sound, I have yet only ever had their sticky toffee pudding, which is home-made and very light (not stodgy and heavy like you'd imagine) and served with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce (my favourite!). It's not that I don't want to try their other desserts, but I can't resist their sticky toffee pudding whenever I'm given the choice!! Frankly I should go there one day and JUST have a couple of desserts! The Rivington Pub and Grill is superb basically, and if you've only ever been there when it was The Ridgeway, I emplore you to go along and give it a try! Maybe have one of their amazing sunday roast dinners. It's the sort of place you could go as a couple, with friends, your parents, or even the whole family. It's a good example of a traditional English dining pub done right! I look forward to my next visit.

If you are looking for a traditional cosy English pub then look no further!…read more The Rivington Pub and Grill, formerly the Ridgeway arms, is the perfect place for a quiet drink or tasty pub grub. The modern yet traditional interior with open log fires makes you feel right at home. The extensive menu has something for everyone and the prices are extremely reasonable for the quality of the food. There are truly no pubs like this around the local area, it's a gem! I am a regular customer!

The Original Bay Horse, for some reason, has the unflattering and unfair nickname of 'The Flea…read morePit'. This may be down to the fact that a couple of minutes of staggering and you'll find another pub called The Bay Horse. This is definitely the finer of the two and, arguably, the best pub in the area. You see, what we have here is a proper country pub. Exposed beams and brass topped table and a bar that serves some really wonderful real ales (including the fantastic local Bank Top brews). The price of a pint in here is outrageously cheap (especially if you're used to city prices) and out the back of the pub is a great outdoor seated area. If you do nip in for a pint and the weather is nice, be sure to check out the ashtrays on the tables in the garden as you'll find that they're metallic dog dishes that have been nailed down. It's the quirky things like that which really make a pub for me. A must visit and a stone's throw to the bracing and frankly gorgeous West Pennine Moors.

Come on eileennnnread more

It's very confusing to review restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and other businesses as an American…read morevisiting for a bit. I did visit the Strawberry Duck with a local. When he told me about the name of the pub (several times), I was enchanted. I had the fish and chips and much were very fish and chips. I am also a long time vegetarian trying to eat some fish. Failing miserably. The draft beer selections were the same as every other pub in London that I had tried. Found out in my next to last evening in England that Heineken controls the draft scene. I was searching for local, traditional British beer. Only one place in Oxford! I'll keep trying!! Delightful and charming brewpub or pub (again, American). Very homey feel to the restaurant/pub. The service was something. Fine but I enjoyed my experience thoroughly!

After walking for 8.5 miles we ended up back here where we had booked a table for dinner…read more Walking in we were led to a table right in front which was in a middle of a 3 way much to our dismay as people kept constantly walking past us. What I did see of the decor was nice. The majority of the waitresses were young and what I felt inexperienced . Asking us immediately what we wanted to drink without providing a menu and us having to enquire what the soup and pie of the day was. Drinks ordered I browsed the menu. It was just a lot of generic pub grub with not a lot of fish dishes. Saying that I did see some fish and chips get served that looked fab. I did find the menu a bit uninspiring but luckily I clocked the special board and saw the Strawberry Duck with bubble and squeak with garlic mash. Himself had the minted lamb pie and we shared chipolatas with mustard mayo. The starter was nice but forgettable...the mains were the star of the show. My duck was cooked to perfection and everything tasted fresh. The sauce was of perfect consistency and not too sweet. The mash could have done with more garlic but it was a fine dish especially while sipping yummy gooseberry gin. The minted lamb pie was rich and full of flavour with thick chips that were a little undercooked in the middle. To finish we had coffee as we were full. Overall I felt the service let it down a little, Asking if we want sauce when the starter was served with it, not asking how are food was in the beginning , not informing us about the specials etc and in the end we had to order Drinks at the bar as felt a bit neglected. It was nice to have a swift recommendation of what to have with the gin though and the bill was reasonable . Yes I would come back if I went for a walk in the area.

Not bad at all. The same format as the rest of the chain, including free salad bar access, and a…read moregood selection of classic pub food and some tasty desserts at a good price, especially some of the offers they run. The venue itself (although identikit to the rest of the chains) is modern and relaxed, with earthy pastel tones and chunky furniture, as well as the kitchen being on open view, with the grill taking stage right by the 'viewing' hatch, allowing the sights and smells of the cooking to drift through the dining area, as well as cooking chickens on a rotisserie spit for the same effect. It works well really to be honest! On the opposite side of the restaurant is the main bar area, which has the same decor and styling as the restaurant, but focussed more on relaxed social seating. There's plenty of parking here, as it shares a car park with a hotel and another restaurant, it's also within a 5 minute walk from Horwich Parkway Rail Station.

Great family restaurant. Good selection of food from both adults & Childrens menus. Waitresses &…read morestaff are always friendly. Atmosphere is generally good & not too noisy. This is always our go-to place on random days. Recommended for families with children.