The Packhorse Eating Inn

We decided to have dinner at this gastropub after hearing good reviews. The menu was extensive, with unique dish names that piqued our curiosity. We were also informed that we had the table for a strict 2-hour limit, similar to many restaurants in London. However, the actual meal was disappointing. The soup was lacking in flavor and overly salty, while the risotto was too watery and bland. For dessert, we had basic vanilla ice cream and a coffee with a fancy name. To top it off, the bill for a mediocre meal at the pub totaled over £90 for 2 people, including a 10% tip that was automatically added.

We went to this restaurant on a Monday evening with a party of 3 for a business dinner. The service was fantastic with a warm and friendly staff. The food was delicious and served promptly. There was a wide variety of options on the menu and we were not rushed to leave the table even though we only ordered main dishes and drinks.

Today, I visited a restaurant and ordered the Brie, pancetta, and onion chutney panini. Unfortunately, when it arrived after an hour, the pancetta was burnt and there was no sign of Brie. The waiter took it back to the kitchen and replaced it, offering me a free drink as compensation. However, when it returned, there was only a tiny bit of Brie and the pancetta was still burnt and cold. I called the waiter again, and when he opened the panini, I was not happy with what I saw. He took it back and assured me the chef would remake it. He also said I wouldn't be charged for the dish. By the time my meal finally arrived, my mum had finished her meal. The chutney was a different color and the panini was good, but overall, the experience was disappointing. I don't think we will be returning as a meal that has to be sent back to the kitchen is just not acceptable.

Went here today for lunch with friends, 4 people in the party, we had not booked but were seated at a table immediately, given our menus and were asked if we would like a jug of water for the table to which we said yes, the waitress left and we didn’t see her again for quite some time. Another group of 6 people arrived and were seated near us and they were offered a jug of water which promptly arrived and they were asked if they wanted to order drinks which they declined, the waitress went to walk away and I called her and said could we order some drinks please, and could we please have the jug of water offered when we arrived. She took our drinks order but we had the impression that the waitress wasn’t too happy. When the drinks came we ordered our food which took about 40-45 mins to arrive. Two had steak burger, one had crispy chicken burger, one had pie of the week which was chicken and vegetable. The steak burgers were enjoyable but the crispy chicken certainly lived up to its name! to the point of being burned at the edge. The “pie”, however, was diabolical. The carrots and leeks were virtually raw, the chicken was tasteless cubes of “chicken” the gravy was thin and watery, the “pie top” was a circle of flakey pastry which had been overcooked and had been placed on top of the dish, awful! When the plates were taken away we were asked if everything was ok, I pointed out that the vegetables (which I hadn’t eaten) were under cooked the waiter said he was sorry about that. When we eventually attracted the attention of another waitress we ordered two desserts treacle tart and orange sponge and custard which were both very good. When we were ready to leave, instead of trying to get the attention of the staff, my friend went to the counter to pay, she was informed by the waitress that a 10% surcharge would be included if that’s ok. She said no actually, it wasn’t ok. We are able to decide for ourselves if the food and service were good enough and on this occasion it most certainly was not. We shall not be returning anytime soon.

What a stingy salad! I had Smoked Salmon Nicoise, a plateful of leaves but such a small serving of few thin strips of Salmon and a small spoonful of Avocado, it was really disappointing.