This user has reviewed the following pubs:
Caldwell Pubs : Brownlow Arms pub in Caldwell near Richmond
'we had heard the food was good and decided to book when we had guests coming to visit. It was certainly an experience. The reputation for the food is well deserved but we will never be tempted to return. Our evening turned into something from Fawlty Towers. Our reservation was for 8.45 pm which we had made that morning. We asked if we would be in the restaurant and were told that it might not be possible due to other bookings. No big deal. We arrived on time and were duly informed that the restaurant was full and there was a table made up by the fire in the bar. There was an empty table at the other end which was cooler but had already been used and not re-laid. We asked if we could sit there and rather reluctantly the staff made up the table. We had wanted to book a taxi but didn't want to do it until we were at the pub and saw the menu so had a better idea how long we might stay. There was no mobile signal so the barman kindly offered use of the pub phone.
The owner/manager took our order and was not very welcoming but we didn't think much about it.
We all had starters and mains. Neither course was particularly fast in coming but again we were enjoying the company of our friends who we see rarely and didn't think about it. When the waitress took our dessert order she practically threw the menu at us. She came back 2 minutes later and was very surly when we said we hadn't read it and could she come back.
We had our desserts but noone mentioned coffee so at 11.10pm I asked if we could have coffee. The owner/manager said "sorry pet all the staff have gone and the machine is off" I must have looked a bit aghast so he said he would have a word with the chef. We then heard him ask someone, a women (perhaps the chef), who asked whether we were in the restaurant or bar. Why this mattered we weren't sure and we had wanted to be in the restaurant anyway. He then said "well they have spent £168 so we had better do one for them".
When he brought the coffee he asked what time we had booked the taxi! It was the night the clocks changed and when we said 12pm he gave me the most appalling look and said "so that'll be 1pm then". The taxi came at 12.05 pm by which stage we were the only customers left and the remaining staff were sat in the adjoining room. The taxi driver came in and we gathered up our things and went out. We got in the taxi and the taxi driver was about to leave when the owner came running out to say we hadn't paid the bill. Obviously we were mortified and my husband and friends' husband immediately went in and sorted it out. At this point he accused them of trying to do a runner and they told him how we had never been anywhere where the owner was so incredibly rude. I find it hard to believe that people who run from restaurants without paying the bill would leave their car parked outside the front door overnight and have to go back for it the next day. Our men folk duly informed the owner/manager that we had sat with our coffee for 45 minutes and he knew what time our taxi was coming so surely he could have brought the bill to us. It was not like there were any other customers left to take care of. Needless to say we paid the £176 bill without leaving a tip. But I will leave a tip for your readers: Never go to this pub. This guy has a great business thanks to the skills of his chef. But if he is a rude to everyone else as he was to us then it won't be a great business for long.
On the way home the taxi driver told us he had picked people up from there before who had been made to wait outside as the pub doors were locked behind them. Midnight is not what we would call late and if they don't want to serve later in the evening then they shouldn't take the booking'
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