I rarely leave reviews, but my experience at this pub was so utterly appalling that I feel compelled to warn others. No family should have to endure what mine did.
I'll start by saying that I am genuinely astonished that this pub is still in business, let alone holds a license to operate.
The most innocuous part of our experience was the food, which was overpriced, bland, and below average at best. Definitely a disappointment.
Then there was the service, which was disgraceful. From the moment we arrived, staff acted as though we were an inconvenience rather than valued guests. We booked in advance and had specifically requested a high chair, but one wasn't provided for the first twenty minutes. When one was finally delivered, it had a broken safety harness. When we asked for a replacement as that one was unsafe for our infant to sit in, very politely and apologetically I might add as we were already made feel like they were doing us a favour simply by acknowledging our presence, the waitress responded with visible annoyance, walked away without saying a word, and returned with another chair. Again, no apology, no acknowledgment.
And then came the truly appalling part of the whole experience: we were harassed by another patron. That would have been a bad and traumatic enough experience on its own, but to make matters worse, when we reported it to one of the wait staff, they didn't ask the aggressors to leave, failing to take reasonable steps to prevent continued harassment and to fulfil their duty of care to ensure that all patrons are kept reasonably safe while on the premises. Not only that, but they didn't even offer an apology or log our complaint. Their silence and inaction made it clear they preferred to ignore harassment rather than protect their guests.
I subsequently raised the issue with the manager, hoping at a minimum for an apology or acknowledgment of the horrid experience we had endured. Should I even be surprised at this point that there was none? The manager's indifference perfectly reflected the wider culture of this establishment: dismissive, careless, and utterly disrespectful towards their customers.
This was not just a bad meal--it was an unsafe and deeply unpleasant experience. Between the poor food, hostile service, unsafe environment for children, and total disregard for customer safety, this pub is a disgrace.
Castle Combe visitors beware and avoid this place at all costs!
TL;DR: Overpriced food, hostile service, unsafe environment for children, and inaction when we were harassed by another guest. Management was indifferent. Absolutely not family-friendly--avoid at all costs. read more