Design House Restaurant Reviews

My family went to the Design House for Christmas dinner, I have to say it was the best Christmas dinner I've ever had when eating out. The members of staff were brilliant, nothing was too much trouble for them, and the food was excellent. We were a party of 12, one in a wheel chair, which sometimes causes problems at other places but not here, and everyone of us enjoyed our meal and look forward to going again next year.

This could have been the most amazing meal I've had in years if it was not for the crushing sense of disappointment my wife and I felt after eating there. On the positive side, the location and interiors were excellent and the staff were attentive, yet unobtrusive. The real problem was the food itself. I had high hopes for this place after reading a review in a national newspaper. I ordered the chicken and my wife had the rabbit. Both dishes looked stunning but sadly all the creative skills had gone into their appearance and none into that actual taste of the food. The chicken, rabbit and bacon dish was bereft of any flavour. The accompanying side dishes were not better either. I hope this was an off day in the kitchen. As a previous poster has mentioned, this ought to be the sort of place we should be crying out for. Based on my experience, this is decidedly not the sort of culinary experience that Halifax is looking for. Others have said their experience was wonderful. I genuinely hope they did, but not me.

I recently attended the Design House on a busy Saturday night. We had three courses and a bottle of wine. I had the fix price menu, and the beef was wonderful, my girlfriend had the a la carte and also enjoyed her food. Portions were good sizes and the staff were attentive, however, they did forget about us for 30 minutes between main and dessert, which was rather too long. This was due to the fact we were not served by one particular member of staff, several served us and took orders from us throughout the evening. All in all a good restaurant and good value, although service needs slightly improving.

The food is out of this world, and the pre-theatre menu offers superb value.

Good food, wine, pleasant staff, nice pre-theatre venue for Viaduct Theatre - strong recommendation.