The Arkley

"Have you booked?" (waitress)

"No we haven"t booked" (me)

"Well pick a table outside and I will come and take your order"

"We don't want to sit outside thank you"

"Well you haven't booked"

"I know we haven't but do you have a table for four...there seems to be plenty free in here"

"I'll have to ask" (waitress goes and speaks to a man with a clipboard"

"You have't booked?" (man with clipboard)

"This has been established" (me, losing the will to live).

Pause looks at clip board.....

"This table seems to be free" (me pointing to a table that we are standing next to)

"You haven't booked so I have to check"

At this point I looked at his dress and wondered if he was in some way related to a Sulphur-crested cockatoo.

"This table IS free" (man with clipboard)

We sit. Quite an effort!

Order a steak rare.

"I think the kitchen has an issue with rare steaks" (waitress)

"What does that mean in English please" (me very low tone voice)

"I don't think they cook rare steaks" (waitress)

I AM the customer and I AM going to have this steak rare (thinks me)

The steak eventually arrives and I am beaten. The waitress is correct they most certainly do not cook rare steaks! All the food and drink is best described as mediocre with the exception of the steak which failed to live up to this low expectation!

However the plus point is the people that frequent this place, sort of TOWIE look alikes all glowing various shades of orange teetering around on 8 inch heels. This makes for a quite amusing evening. Food, drink (beer) and service awful, however, if you like your mutton dressed as lamb this could be the place for you!! "Shut up" ;-)
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binforapint
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, April 17, 2012

i would firstly like to say that i am speaking now as a professional chef of 7 years experience, and I can honestly say eating at the Arkley today was one of my worst eating experiences. Having started my lunch off being told that they had no record of our booking, although we clearly had a booking reference, and that we may not get a table, a very rude manager who it seems could not run a bath efficiently proceeded to threaten to kick me out as i was protesting.

Unfortunately we did manage to get a table, and i say unfortunately because i wish i had left before experiencing the lack of well trained, attentive, knowledgable staff, and appalling food.

The menu is so large, which worried me straight away, jack of all trades, master of nothing, and i can truthfully say that this was the case.

I started with an "onion soup" what could go wrong with a classic onion soup?? Well, i wasnt expecting a bowl of luke warm double cream, with bits of celery and finely chopped veg. About 10 mouth fulls into my soup my body was telling me to reject this, and i promptly had to go to the bathroom. I felt much better after that and actually was looking forward to my steak.

That was also a mistake, i asked for it to be cooked medium rare, what was served to me was very well done. Having taken my first mouthful i was then unpleasantly surprised by an overwhelming bitterness. The bitterness came from burnt carbon, which was all over my steak, meaning in my experience only one thing, the grill that the steak was cooked on must have been filthy, as in not been cleaned that week, lovely.

My iced tap water was lovely though.

Needless to say i definitely will never be going back, and would never recommend it to anyone.
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Rob Goodkind
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Sunday, January 01, 2012

Very disapointing experience on what was a special and family occasion. Were shown to table then forgotten about. Had to source menus ourselves. In between courses sat for ages and seemed ignored by waitresses. Were never asked if we would like a drink throughout so made two visits to bar. Gave up after main course and went home for a dessert and coffee. Food was decent but service and attention was appalling. Spoke to manager who actually seemed amazed by my complaint. Checked bill when home and realized we were charged for two starter/sharing plates that we never received. Needless to say we shall not return or recommend.
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dave mc donagh
2 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Monday, December 26, 2011

Table booked for 6 persons for 3pm & table not ready when we arrived so we were told rather brusquely to go to the bar. We were eventually seated at 3.45 without any apology for the delay. It smacked of taking too many bookings and being greedy as it was so full. Food is good value and waiting staff are friendly but manager just obviously doesn't care if he welcomes you or not, this was a busy Sunday but no excuse for such bad behaviour.
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Marion Welshman
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Sunday, December 04, 2011

Really bad service.

We ordered white wine, which was just placed on the table, not poured or placed in a ice bucket.

No toilet paper in all 5 ladies cubicles, manager said she didnt know, maybe it should be checked on the busiest of nights.

Food was ok, but service was rotten.

Pay peanuts get ..... you know the rest.
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grant scheffer
4 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 5
Sunday, October 30, 2011

We went to The Arkley on a busy Saturday night to find they were fully booked, they managed to find us a table, we didn't have to wait long for our food and the quality of the food and service were both very good. Friendly atmosphere and a lovely evening. Will be attending again!
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Kate Ball
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, September 29, 2011

DO NOT BOTHER GO ELSEWHERE

Attended this restaurant yesterday and have never encountered such terrible service. Staff are RUDE incompetent and useless, would not bother.

I had booked a table for 10 people at 4 pm for a special occasion. We arrived 15 mins early to be told the table was being prepared which is fair enough, 4.15 no table 4:30 we were finally taken to our table no mention of would you like more drinks as we already had our own but it would have been nice to have been asked. Despite having booked a high chair at time of booking and asking on arrival we did not get one until we asked 3 times.

4.50 a waiter with the i dont want to be here attitide came to take our order. We all wanted to order from the Sunday specials menu at which point he said "Oh we have run out."

If they looked like they were going to run out why did they set up a table for 10 people and put the sunday menu on the table?

Why did they not inform us that they were short of food when we arrived or even when we were finally taken to our table?

Had our table been ready on time then we may have had the sunday menu still available.

NO APOLOGY FOR LATE TABLE and after much fuss we finally got a refund for our drinks. I wish i had read the earlier review about the microwave food as I would not have bothered going here.

Dont bother going here as they have zero idea of service
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- View all reviews by this user
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, August 08, 2011

Some of the reviews here must be from people who only know how to cook with the aid of a microwave and/or have more money than brains or breeding! The review by Anon below sums this place up fairly accurately. Save your money and find yourself a a decent restaurant or pub which this place just ain't!! Never in the field of restaurant dining have I been given so little for so much that's taken so long!
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binforapint
1 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Over-priced rubbish for locals who can't cook. Popular with divorcees in the area so in the evenings it takes on an unpleasant 'sad & single' vibe.

Staff change every week and range from well-intentioned but badly trained to absent and incompetent. The manager is arrogant and obsequious. Only at The Arkley would you be charged for a 'risotto' so microwaved and thick with cream (!) that it was inedible. Some of the food is passable. None of it is worth the prices charged.

Drinks are also over-priced. Don't bother with cocktails, they can't make them. A Cosmo arrived full of lime flesh (WTF) and for months they served French Martinis made from vodka and Chambord, no pineapple juice, thanks to a menu misprint.

Save your money for a meal at a proper restaurant, rather than a jumped-up 'gastropub' that proves money can't buy you taste.
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Anon.
3 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, May 30, 2011

Have visit and eaten here dozens of times. Consistenly good food, good atmosphere, very welcoming and good friendly service.
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Fardad - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, May 03, 2011