Marquess Tavern

I ate here last autumn and had an amazing Sunday roast, truly wonderful. A happy pub/restaurant with a great atmosphere.

So, I invited my girlfriend and parents last Sunday to check out the "Best Sunday Roast in the UK". Things have changed. The service was very slow and unattentive, especially considering it was 12.15 and not very busy yet.

Basically the food was not good and not worth the price. I picked a joint of beef for 3 of us from the blackboard and was told "that's not enough for three people" so I followed the waitress's advice and went for a £42 joint (I'd chosen the £34). When it arrived there was clearly enough for nearly 5 people, but it was so rare it was blue (and I like my beef medium rare). So they took it away to be cooked more, however in the meantime they didn't think to take away the potatoes, yorkshire pud and kale (incidently the only veg you get, another disappointment). They did replace them though, but only when asked as everything was cold by then. Anyway the beef was very average and had little flavour, but the gravy was awful, with a strange sweet flavour - how can you get gravy wrong?

My Dad enjoyed the cod & chips and the fish did look fresh, but the overall feeling from everyone was "it was ok, but I wouldn't come again".

I hope they sort things out as it's a great pub in a great location, but until I hear things have improved massively I won't be going back.
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Hopey
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Thursday, May 01, 2008

Visited this pub on Saturday night after being slightly concerned about the recent reviews but very pleased to say all 4 of us had a great meal. The soup, lamb and crumble were all fautless and we had a great evening. The ambience in there is really something.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, March 24, 2008

Went for a friend's birthday dinner last night and enjoyed it so much I felt the need to spread the word. Lovely staff and atmosphere and the food was fantastic. I started with a pike salad - great to see such an underrated fish getting used, followed it up with a perfectly pink piece of lamb and ended with a rhubarb burnt cream - after a good natured debate with our waitress she convinced us that this wasnt just a french dish (creme brulee) with an english name and that burnt creams have a long tradition in british cooking, apparently originating at Trinity College, Oxford.

Thoroughly recommended. Good food (but not the cheapest), good drink and a food history lesson thrown in.
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simon11 - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Friday, March 21, 2008

When oxtail is braised for a long time, it's tender, flavourful, and lovely; mine was just hard work. The fried haddock -- in a place that says they champion sustainability? -- and chips was dry and very well could have been a bargain box from Iceland. Certainly not worth £12.50. We ordered a sticky toffee pudding, almost as if it were a dare, and sent it back uneaten. Pike salad? Wot??
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Dan - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Friday, March 07, 2008

I really want to like it .... Lovely pub,good beer, really nice staff and really like the principles behind the food here. 1st time: starter of smoked whitebait - fridge cold fish and althougth served with homemade horseradish, a lazy dish, the companions scallops were proclaimed great. We then had the beef, the gravy was the best I have had in a restaurant, winey,rich and deep. For somewhere that prides itself on its roasts, the roast potatos were below standard, smooth on the outside and slimy in the middle - bad choice of potato variety

Second time, dragged my rather reluctant parter. Had the pike starter as an experiment, not something that I would not repeat, although I blame this on the nature of the fish rather than the pub. For the main course lamb: whilst I like my beef practially moo-ing, lamb should be cooked to at least medium rare. It does not work when cooked rare, it becomes incredibly tough and flavourless. Mash however was fantastic. Only other gripe is that runner beans are not seasonal in February. I will give it another try because I still really would like to see it work.
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ECR - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Saturday, March 01, 2008

I've eaten here a number of times over the past few years, but I've become increasing disappointed in the food. This is a great shame, as it's a lovely pub, with excellent (but pricey) beer. Basically, the food is inconsistent, and I've sadly come to the conclusion that this inconsistency varies from ok to pretty dire.

We ate here last night, I had the haddock and chips, my companion, the oxtail. The fish was good, as were the chips and peas. The batter, however, must rank as the saddest I've experienced, being soggy and without any volume, the sort look you'd imagine had the fish been taken from the freezer and microwaved. This pressy much destroyed the whole point of fish and chips. Meanwhile, the oxtail could have been great, had it been cooked long and slow, but it hadn't, the meat clinging obstinately to the bone and no fun to eat at all. It reminded me of a lamb shank I had here some months ago, again a real struggle to eat when it could so easily have been excellent.

Given that none of this comes cheap, there really is no excuse for serving up food so obviously lacking in tender loving care. These guys need to get their act together.
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Pete
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Saturday, March 01, 2008

Group of 6 went there last night. We were late but had forewarned and they did not create a fuss. However, when it came to the food, we were all really underwhelmed. Everything was "ok" or "alright" which was very disapponting as we'd read the great reviews. All the food seemed somewhat bland and we think that they hadn't got the basic seasoning correct. My lamb chop was cooked as asked but using mallard's leg instead of breast left my friend rather disappointed and hungry as there was not much meat.

The pub is a wonderful old building and very impressive. However, they need to sort out the acoustics in the dining area as even on a table of 6, you could not hear what was being said only 2 places away.

Nothing hideously wrong with the place but not worth a visit back again to eat but they do have a great range of bottled beers, which would be worth sampling!
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Laura - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Thursday, February 14, 2008

We took the family to The Marquess last weekend for my fathers 75th birthday. My father is a notoriously fussy eater and a staunch believer in good honest British grub - 'none of that fancy pants stuff' in his words. Well, the old man WAS impressed.

We ordered a selection of starters for the table to share; The cured beef and the razor clams with samphire deserve special mention. Our waitress was friendly and efficient, although we did wait a little longer than we might of hoped for our main courses to arrive. However... what a treat when arrive they did! Four of us were sharing the forerib of beef (including Pops!) and it lived up to all the hype. Lovely tender meat, great roast potatoes and delcious meaty gravy. There was FAR too much of it but we are certainly not complaining as our lovely waitress wrapped up the remainder for us to take home!

We couldnt fit in puddings, but ordered them anyway. The chocolate pudding (which they placed a birthday candle in for my father, all together now - awwwww!) was to die for and the treacle tart was non too shabby either.

We couldnt have been happier to mark such a mementous occasion anywhere else. Simply wonderful.
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Sebastian Knight
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, October 04, 2007

Fantastic food. The beef was perfectly cooked, and the whitebait for appertisers were great with a chilled glass of chardonnay. Also try the lamb....very succulent and tender. The serving sizes were very generous for most of the dishes. Service was friendly and efficient.
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PBear - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, September 03, 2007

Visited the Marquess Tavern for Sunday lunch recently with my girlfriend to try the famous fore rib of beef. However, we were a little late (3.30PM) and all of the smaller cuts had gone. Ideally you need a party of 4-6 for the fore rib option.

Anyway, after a little wait, our order was taken and we opted for the sirloin beef and the rump of lamb from the normal menu.

All of the meat is sourced from regional providers who are proudly named on the menu - and rightly so.

Both meals were delicious and the accompaniments (cabbage, roasties and Yorkshire pudding with the beef, and green beans and barley with the lamb) were also well cooked and tasty. I ordered a side portion of mash for my lamb which was also superb. All this was washed down with a couple of glasses of reasonable house red.

Bearing in mind we had no starters or main course, it wasn’t cheap for a pub (albeit a ‘gastro pub’) Sunday lunch at £46 (inc. 2 glasses of wine at £4.50 each) but then again, I’m happy to pay a premium for well sourced regional meat.

Over all the service was friendly if a little ‘casual’ at times (yes, it is a pub, but for the price it could have been a little more attentive) and the food was hearty and flavoursome.

We will be back – although it will be mobbed handed next time in order to tackle then fore rib of beef!
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Charlie
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Monday, July 23, 2007