Clive Restaurant, The Reviews

We ate a superb Sunday lunch at The Clive Last weekend. We arrived without a reservation and the staff were very obliging and found us a table in the bar. The menu was excellent and I tried the venison and was served with the most tender and tasty venison I have ever had. The desserts were excellent as was the service. This will be a regular haunt for Sunday lunch in the future.

It was very disappointing, we went there expecting some good food and service but got neither. The Fish was sloppy and inedible but when sent back we were told that the chef had said it was meant to be like that, would not recommend! The service was very poor too.

I am writing to comment on the poor service offered by inexperienced and poorly trained young waiting staff at The Clive who do not suit the ambience or the good reputation of the Clive. The food is excellent and the new refurbishment very attractive but it is just the staff who do not come up to the standard of this restaurant. I run a bed and breakfast and used to send many guests there for dinner but after several bad reports about the way they were looked after, I no longer recommend it to my guests for fear of embarrassment. My husband and I had dinner there recently with friends who were not local and we were appalled at the service and lack of respect for us as their paying clients. We made it quite clear that we were not leaving a tip.

We ate lunch at the Clive today; we were hoping for good things having read positive reviews. Unfortunately we were disappointed - in spite of booking in advance, we were given a table in the corner by the bar, so that staff were continually passing and regularly banging into my chair. We ordered but were not asked if we wanted drinks and had to stop a waitress to get some. Once we'd had our starters there was a wait of some 25 minutes without any sign of our main courses; we had to ask the staff what had happened and were told "the chef is just plating them now." Seven minutes later our tepid food arrived. My partner's lamb was so undercooked as to be inedible. During our two-hour lunch, other couples arrived, ate and left. Some tables seem to get plenty of attention while we were ignored. We shall not be eating there again.

I must have been to a different restaurant to the previous reviewers or maybe we've just been unlucky.

The food IS very good, but unfortunately the place has a very pretentious air about it that spoils any atmosphere. the teenaged waiters and bar staff in their Next ties rarely smile and are rather "sniffy", I almost felt that we'd forgotten to get dressed appropriately or had stepped in something on the way in (and no, I'm not a chav).

A number of my friends have also said the same thing and it's a shame because there is very little else to fault about it. Smile for heaven's sake!

Stayed for one night at this "trendy" restaurant with rooms. Accommodation very comfortable in converted outbuildings. Room quite large with lovely white bed linen and bathroom with power shower. Very quiet so a good night's sleep is guaranteed. We ate in the formal restaurant, as opposed to the bistro. Food was superb, served by friendly staff. Bar a friendly place for that pre dinner drink. Would highly recommend this place.

Fantastic food and great service, what more could you ask for? I have visited The Cookhouse a number of times and would always recommend this restaurant to anyone.