I went here for my boyfriend's birthday this week, my first ever visit - and it was fantastic…read more The food was quite reasonably priced and really delicious! There was quite a wide variety of food available too - so loads of choice. Also had a tasty glass of wine :) The staff were lovely and really attentive - even though it seemed fairly busy. Very pleasant experience! Would definitely go again.

Used to go here about 12 year ago, as the food, service and prices were always spot on…read more Recently went back and I'm glad to say it is still spot on. Great traditional british food (and a good few ethnic dishes) on offer, nice pleasant staff, good prices. If what you want is a great Sunday Roast or more - go here and enjoy.

This is a regular haunt of ours, for a stop off on a walk/bike ride for a sandwich and a pint or…read morefor dinner. Always good quality pub food, great selection on the bar menu or the a la carte menu. You have to try the 'smokies' the taste is something else, the food is reasonably priced and the atmosphere of the Eagle and Child is welcoming and homely. A good selection of real ales and beers behind the bar as well as an extensive wine selection. If you are out this way then its worth the visit, or even a drive out. Look out for the beer festival held here annually.

Oh my lordy lord I'm home. This is the very village in which I grew up. Nothing happens here…read more Seriously, have a wander round Parbold on Google Street View. If you've got your preconceptions of rural countryside living from Emmerdale, think again. The most drama you get in Parbold is when someone's dog goes missing, there's a strange smell in the local shop or they put a new shelter up in the train station. I say home, it's a very long time since I've considered Parbold home. Since my parents emigrated to the Canaries I've taken to thinking of sunnier climes as my hometown, and Parbold's something of an anomaly. But many happy memories reside here, and considering the Brunette is still a Southport dweller we occasionally partake in drives here to see what's going on. You can't beat a bit of country fresh air and acres of farmland. As I've mentioned before, the Eagle and Child used to be run by friends who've fallen off the contact radar, except via the spying joy that is Facebook. Now it's been overtaken by the Ainscough branch, so I had to see what was going on. Now this place is a bit more like it. You know where everything's from, some from its farm shop next door and plenty of local produce including its own meat grown on Parbold farmland. It's a simple and small but thoroughly upmarket British menu, with starters including black pudding, potato and bacon salad, game salad, carrot and cumin (interesting twist) soup with carrot crisps and suchlike. You've got two veggie mains to choose from; a Thai style veg curry and a pasta with wild mushroom, both of which are inventive enough but don't feel in situ with the rest of the menu really... cornfed chicken, sautéed pork, Croston Hall pheasant (eww, I went to high school in Croston). But it's all really tasty stuff, and the sweet menu is equally traditional yet interesting with apple and rhubarb crumble, apple and mince strudel, bread and butter pudding, lemon and vanilla crème brulee and some great ice creams to choose from. You can't get more picturesque than Parbold, and I have to say they've done a sterling job. There wasn't a sign of any of my old friends there and I wouldn't trust most of them with cheese on toast so I imagine there's been a reshuffle. If you're in the area I'd say pop in for some nice grub.

Went here before Christmas for Saturday lunch on the suggestion of my vegan dining companion. She…read morehadn't been here before and may have picked up this claim on their website: "The local vegetarians and vegans, who regularly eat in both the Bar and Southwell's Restaurant, say we have the best selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes in the area." As a vegetarian myself, and having cycled past the Farmers Arms on many occasions, it seemed worth a go. We ate in the bar, but from a passing glance on the way in the restaurant looks very luxurious by any standards, let alone for a pub restaurant in these parts! The bar does the English pub ambience reasonably well, with a warm glow from the woodburning stove. Staff were friendly and welcoming throughout our visit. We both ordered some sort of curry from the six or so choices on the vegan/vegetarian menu. While my overall experience of Farmers Arms was OK, the food was definitely sub-standard. The curry itself, both my companion and I thought had a strange after-taste. I suggested at the time that this might come from some indian vegetable or herb, but it dawned on us later that a green potato was a likelier explanation. Which doesn't really surprise me, as the veg was a hodge-podge of roughly cut baby potatoes, julienne carrots, uncaramelised onions and nothing else outstanding. The curry sauce was thin and unappetising - even a scoop of a Patak's jarred curry sauce would have been a big improvement. Poppadom on top (OK) and by far the highlight of the meal was the food service chips served as part of my friend's half rice/half chips. Coffee after the meal for the lady was "bog standard" in her words. En route, we had passed from Fir Tree Farm Christmas Market into the farm shop and cafe itself. There don't seem to be menus on the tables these days at Fir Tree, only a short, daily changing blackboard menu. If it were all about a safe bet for wholesome sustenance, a bowl of soup at Fir Tree would wins hands down every time. But one needs to take a chance, and here is hoping that the next throw of the dice turns out a bit luckier! It wouldn't surprise me to read a good review of vegetarian food served especially from the restaurant at Farmers Arms. But I feel it somebody else's job to take a chance on that one!

The best pub in this featureless snobby, inbred area…read more The nearby Eagle and Child is a overrated, pretentious, snobbish dump serving overpriced substandard food to inbred snobby p**cks in Range Rovers. Choose this place instead.

We struggled to get in here on Saturday evening when we moored on the canal. That it's fully booked…read morebodes well and is deserved. The service and food were good, even thought we had to eat outside on the terrace where it was a bit chilly. Well worth a visit.

I was invited to a christening at the Blue Mallard and it was an amazing experience. The food was…read morefantastic and there was such a relaxed atmosphere. There were quite a few young children, and we were really impressed by the facilities and the food was perfect for everyone. Another benefit is that you can take a look around the Burscough Wharf which the Blue Mallard is part of. There is an old fashioned sweet shop, an art gallery and lots of other things to look at. You can almost make this a day out! I would strongly recommend the Blue Mallard for any event you are looking to run.

The Cafe at Cedar Farm is charming and homey. After walking around the farm and seeing the…read moregalleries and animals, we were ready for a good lunch. The Cafe didn't disappoint. We got homemade tomato soup with salad, cheese, and bread. The tomato soup was great but was a little odd with lots of bread in it. I didn't eat the bread bits but the soup was really good. The cheese was also really yummy and came with some British sour fruit spread stuff which I hadn't had before. When it came time for dessert, I had no clue what any of the items were on the menu as they were English desserts I'd never seen before... I finally decided on "Sticky Toffee Pudding" which turned out to be a very nice soft, warm gingerbread tasting cake with hot caramel syrup. My British friend with me got "Summer Pudding" which was soaked bread with berries. It was really good and overall a really great lunch.

Good pub grub... There's two levels of food: the a la carte restaurant is situated upstairs or…read moregeneral pub grub, which is still above and beyond your normal pub fair. Nice pub, gets busy in the evenings, but the prices are reasonable and the pub grub is good.

Carvery good on Sunday but need to book, gets busy. Staff reasonably pleasantread more

Everything was very good. As an American still getting used to some of the customs here. Ordering…read moreis quite different from American restaurants. You order before you are seated and go to the bar for your own drinks. All in all the food was good.

Extremely disappointing! Having visited and very much enjoyed the food and atmosphere at the Owls…read moreon many, many previous occasion, sadly Saturday nights experience was very, very uncomfortable due to the restaurant being extremely cold and draughty. These cool conditions prompted our party and other customers to dine in the upstairs seating area in our outdoor coats in order to keep warm. We did request a warmer place to dine and after eating our starters, were subsequently move to the downstairs conservatory which was marginally warmer. Clearly, the heating arrangements were totally inadequate. Regrettably! The food was also not at the Owls usual standard, ie the sprouts were stale and unpleasant and the carrots appeared to have been kept and reheated. Sadly, our family and freinds will not be returning to dine at the Owls in future unless the comfort conditions and food quality greatly improve from our latest experience.

This was our 4th visit in as many months, this also being our 2nd family get together (around 20 of…read moreus). Previously the food has been passable but this time, for me, the main course was far from enjoyable. I and another member of our party had pre-ordered an ox cheek pie. to say the crust was hard is an understatement. A hammer and chisel would have been more appropriate than a knife and fork to get through it. A complaint to the waitress went unheeded (ignored being the operative word). The other family member and I were left in no doubt that it was a like it or lump it situation. I complained again to a Scottish lady when paying and was met with "we all make mistakes". So I had to pay for the cook's mistake at having had the pies in the oven for far too long. This attitude is a sure fire way of losing customers. I have friends who won't go to the Wayfarers and I am unsure if we'd go back, although in the main everyone else was satisfied at the quality of the food they received. I feel the staff need more training in how to deal with complaints.

Went on Christmas Day and the meal was awful. Was second sitting so guessing it had been sat there…read moreall day as it was do dry. Definitely not worth the £90

Value for money this place is one of the best I've been to. The normal menu is very reasonable and…read morethen you are presented with another menu, £8.50 for THREE COURSES. That's right, £8.50. It's not shoddy stuff either, I had melon to start, beef stroganoff for main and apple crumble with custard for dessert. I genuinely couldn't believe how good value for money it was, I'd have easily paid £15. The location is very good, the place was busy and the decor is to a good standard.

Situated on a quiet country lane, The Robin Hood is a hidden gem of a restaurant…read more The food is all freshly prepared and there is really something to suit all tastes.We have never been disappointed, theonly thing i felt that let it down a bit is being seated upstairs, we were in a party of 8 and the seating area was at an akward angle. Other than that the food was well worth it. On this occasion it worked out roughly at £15 per head including drinks. Well worth a visit.