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.

Good friendly staff that are very polite and would go again we need more like this so will…read moredefinitely be there again :-)

One of the oldest Inns / Pubs in the world, originally established in 1251 and rebuilt in 1636…read more Being exiled from Manchester at the moment & now living in Scotland, I was travelling back last week on a beautiful sunny, spring evening and decided to make a stop at a local hostelry. Having a penchant for older pubs, I searched for the oldest in Lancashire and came up with one of the oldest in the world. As you can see from the pictures on the listing, it is a beautiful pub. I met a very friendly local outside who told me that the Inn had a long association with cider and recommended I tried the Thatchers Cloudy on draught. I'm not a cider drinker, but I do value tradition and ordered myself a pint. It was actually very tasty and I felt more of a part of the history of the place knowing that hundreds, maybe thousands of others had drunk a similar brew before me. Being a mere stop on my journey onward, my time here was limited and I really felt so comfortable I could've stayed much longer. If you happen to be in this part of the world, I highly recommend that you pay a visit!

Utterly disappointing is the best I can say. I made the mistake of talking our friends into going…read morehere because we had a positive experience at a Toby Carvery in Gravesend a few years back, First, they stuck us in the back corner of the back room, furthest from the buffet and too close to the table next to us. Second, when we went to the buffet, the scruffy guy with tattoos and a beard serving us was extremely rude. He refused to listen, tossing Yorkshire pudding and sausages on the plate without my input. I asked him for some well-cooked roast beef, an end maybe, because I do not like rare meat, but he just started slicing the red meat and throwing it on my plate. I told him Ï don't like rare beef¨ several times, but he kept insisting that it was not rare as if I could not see the red meat with my own eyes. Third, I contacted the manager, but she only placated me despite my complaints. That is no way to talk to or treat a customer who is unhappy with something or someone. It was obvious she couldn't care less. Fourth, all of the meat was very dry, the mashed potatoes far too dry and tasteless, and the stuffing equally as bland. Finally, our server was the only positive experience during our meal. She was very kind and attentive. Her manager could take some pointers from her on how to treat customers. CombatCritic Gives The Watergate Toll Toby Carvery 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My ¨WALL OF SHAME¨... More Bombs Are Better! Two Bombs Equates To: TANGO UNIFORM Translation for Civilians: "Tits Up"

Myself and my husband went to the watergate toll . The Meal was awful turkey was dry the yorkshie…read morepuddings was hard tocut and so tuff and chewy. Every thing was terrible with the meal, told staff and they Said will tell the cheff. We wont be going again. The Morris FAMILY.

Meeting an old colleague for a catch up we ended up at one of her local haunts. This place is a…read morevast beautiful pub! Walking in I could see a mature customer base..chilling on chaise lounges and overall being very civilised. We approached the podium where a gatekeeper to the restaurant stood. She pleasantly took our names and said to come back when we fancied to eat. To whet our appetite we chose the berry special gin for £6.50 which was a long refreshing drink while we caught up. When ready we were seated in the restaurant and provided a menu consisting of pub classics. I chose a black pudding..bacon..poached egg with hollandaise sauce concoction while my friend had the cheese potato skins. Both arrived well presented and full of flavour. For mains I struggled to find anything thrilling. Eventually I settled for the fish pie and my veggie companion a sweet potato one. Mine was very decadent..full of cheese ans cream but it had good pieces of fish. My friend seemed to enjoy hers. Overall the venue is stunning with a family friendly vibe. The food just lacked that innovative edge for myself but I would come back for a drink.

I stopped by Tavern Fayre last weekend as I was on my journey back from Blackpool to my parents…read morehouse. Those from Bolton, or the surrounding area, will know this place as Tavern on Hunger Hill or 'Tavern on t'hill' (read that with a Peter Kay accent if you can). It was very busy when we arrived, a good sign! We waited in the bar for around 15 minutes whilst we waited to get a table. The menu is large, and has plenty of starters, lite bites and main meals to choose from. They have a specials menu too, which I find great for a pub! Although the chef must have gone crazy with the mustard this week, because there wasn't anything on the specials I would have liked. Still, others would! I ordered a homemade fish pie and it was lovely!! The service was fast and friendly and the bill was more than reasonable. If you're around on Hunger Hill and hungry - give it a try. They're been around since before I was born so I can imagine they won't be going anywhere soon!

Now that the sugar tax has come in, when asking for a vodka coke I would expect to be asked the…read morequestion " full fat or diet" see as people are allergic to aspartame the main sugar substitue in most leading diet soft drinks. As a result of this question not being asked my partner suffered a bad allergic reaction that cut our night short. Ask the simple question in future. Will never return.

Really good pub in the centre of Bolton. Now this is something you won't read very often! Prices…read moreare very reasonable. Crowd is a good mixture between younger and older people, which again is a good thing. The only draw back is the wait for a drink - but this is only because of the popularity of the place. Last night was the first time I've been and I'll definitely be back!

Here is a little hidden gem if Bolton, i can't believe this is the only review of 2014…read more The location is set in country surrounding just around the corner from Peter Kay's residence. The restaurant has a great warm feel to it, exceptionally clean, modern and roomy. Apparently there has been an extension and the whole place is like a series of rooms, very tastefully done. The food is most definitely awesome with a great choice from the menu and specials board. You would not be disappointed in making a stop off here for your lunch or evening meal.

Bank holiday Monday after our plans to go to Blackpool literally got washed down the drain, we…read moredecided to treat ourselves to lunch. A few months ago we used to go to Fanny's (as it's known to the locals) once every couple of weeks, the menu isn't massive so we cut down a bit. However the menu had changed slightly, I had scampi and chips with homemade tartare sauce, which was presented in a cute bucket. This quickly got tipped out, the hand battered scampi was possibly the nicest I have ever had. My beloved ordered pork belly with black pudding mas potato, it was presented nicely. I'm personally not a fan of pork belly as I don't like fatty meat but Ed loved it! The average price of a main meal is about £15.00. It can be hard to get a table and they do only serve food till 7 or 8pm. there is a comfortable atmosphere that matches the decor. If in the Bolton area I would highly recommend a trip to Fanny's even if it's just for a drink!

I used to work there as cook, as well as bar person always been a good pub and good ale.read more

The Old Three Crowns (or, in local parlance - "Ol' Three") is a great old pub that is slap bang in…read morethe middle of Bolton town centre. The pub used to be pleasingly grotty and very old-school but in recent years, it has undergone something of a facelift inside, now looking more clean and spacious. Sadly, some of the character has left in this make-over, but certainly not enough to warrant avoiding it. The range of beers isn't what it once was, but there is enough real ale to keep the more discerning drinker in burps. Alas, the Ol' Three needs to work on what it wants to be as there are other pubs within spitting distance which do a very similar thing, but better.