The Morgan

The locals seem desperate to love this gastro pub, although I'm hard pushed to guess why. Could it be because there's nowhere else to go nearby like it? And could that be the reason the prices are pretty much double what they should be for the standard of food? Well, without the competition they can set them how they like, I guess.

Anyways. The 'pub' part of gastro pub is an alright boozer. The beers were ok, the atmosphere alright, although everyone seemed the same; late twenty something and probably working in media. The 'gastro' part had a considerably more varied clientele (a good sign) and retained a feeling of intimacy in spite of the relatively large scale. The food from the (limited) menu was pleasant, well-executed and almost-fancy - but at typically around £16 per main course, I'm afraid I can't give this place any score at all for value for money. It's really not that good for that price. The only thing left to mention is the service: we had an attentive, helpful and responsive waitress, who also seemed a little nervous. Maybe I do that to people, I don't know.

So: if you're in the area and have the urge to visit a gastro pub, go along as you don't have an alternative. Just go to the cash point machine before hand.
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Tee Cee
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

This is a fantastic place for food, especially as there is little else in this area. We went for sunday lunch and I was impressed by the menu and the price. The ambience is good and the waiting staff are friendly and efficient. We felt relaxed and not pushed to leave (it gets busy later on in the afternoon). There were seasonal oysters (tasted like oysters should) on the menu for starters and a traditional selection of roast lunches with decent meat. Wine list is good too.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, February 18, 2007

Have been going to the Morgan for a while now, and have always had consistently good food that is not over priced. For example £12 for Organic roast Beef on a Sunday that is cooked to perfection is a good price. Too many other pubs charging higher for gristley, over cooked bad quality meat. Which is why this place gets so busy.

Fantastic wine list too, again not over priced, Cloudy Bay Sauv Blanc £30 - too many other places try to sting you heavily on the wine, its a welcome treat not to be stung badly!

Service we have found to be equally as good, with quality staff who have been working there for as long as we have going...this is good to see. They are also friendly and knowledgeable on the food & wine which is a help - as with any Gastro pub the Morgan does like to over fancy the wording for the food.

All in all highly recommendable, great cosy interior, always leave very satisfied.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, November 06, 2006

I recently moved to this area and have frequented the Morgan many a time (for both food at night and Sunday roast as well as for drinks only). As in any busy pub service suffers a little when busy, but that is normal surely and not unique to the Morgan! They recently extended the restaurant area with far more tables now available which should make things easier come crunch time.

As to the food. We have always had fantastic and innovative dishes. The menu is a bit fish heavy most all of the time with little choice in terms of lamb and steak (one of each usually), but everything ordered is well presented and of a high quality. Not cheap but I have always thought you get what you pay for here and the end bill with starter, main, dessert and wine is never more than a comparable restaurant in town.

The best thing about the Morgan though is the fantastic “boats” of dessert! You get a choice of four or five different desserts from the same theme, eg. Chocolate, Frangelico or Toffee. I highly recommend the Morgan and especially the desserts.
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Johann van Rensburg
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 5
Thursday, April 06, 2006

The Morgan is a fantastic pub to go to for drinks. Great atmosphere, good beers and attractive staff. However, the cooking always lets this place down. At these prices the kitchen should be delivering the goods time after time but it consistently falls short of the mark. They need to shorten the menu and concentrate on simplicity.
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Phil Gilbert - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Friday, January 13, 2006

OK so it's the run-up to Xmas and we were a large party, the classic headache for any restauranteur. Nevertheless, being told by our waitress - no matter how sweetly - that if we all wanted to sit together we'd have to 'sort out out' ourselves (in spite of having booked and pre-ordered), was not a good start. The food was no more than adequate - for confit goose, read cremated goose, unimaginatively served on a heap of 'cassoulet' (oh really? where was the flavour then?). I could go on, but suffice to say at these prices, just not good enough in the kitchen. Where's the care and imagination? Disappeared under the weight of expectation it seems. Still, at least one of the floor staff was professional enough to merit the 12,5% service charge, even if the rest of the team were scarcely worth 2.5%. Come on Morgan - sort it out; you may only be a wee gastropub, but you've got a big rep to live up to.
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Laurie Allan
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, December 20, 2005

The Morgan has fantastic food this is something that cannot be disputed. I Have eaten here about ten or twelve times and have always been suprised by their simple yet quirky dishes. An example is the way they have an occaional sampling dishes for pudding were you have maybe four mini puds of one type of flavour.

The beef on the Sunday roast is immaculate, nice and rare in the middle and even agreeable for the tastes of my outlaws from Grimsby. I am not a big fan of the open kitchen to the restaurant as watching a fat bald sweaty chef boss his brigade about should be left to the choice of a reality TV wtaching mongoloid rather than someone who fancies a nice meal out.

The manageres rides high on a busy pub and she can be a little false and egocentric in greetings. Whst's great to see is her constant bullying and belitlement of the much younger and more attractive waitresses. I enjoy the bickering and tension between chef/manageress/waitresses but it does come to the detriment of any warmth of service.

Its fairly local to me but I'd recommend it to anyone once. Another point to mention is that although it has a pub monicker dont expect pub prices around 70 GBP for a three couse and wine.
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Bongo Haynes
Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Let's be honest - This was a nasty grotty pub. It had a make over. It was a nice pleasant pub. It won an award. It is an overwhelmed, out-of-its-depth pub. Nice pub, nice food, if (and only if) they will serve you. Tempramental cooks who now think they work in Michelin starred restaurant rather than a local pub kitchen; indifferent, cold, vacuous serving staff with a "can't be bothered" attitude; harrassed and overwhelmed owner and barstaff trying to placate both unfed diners and local drinkers; mis- and non- communication between all three; are unfortunately very much the norm at the moment. If you are passing, and the place is empty you may get an excellent / fantastic meal. Otherwise don't bother. It is far too hit and miss. Recent visits include roast dinners running out 50 minutes into the 4 hour Sunday lunch service and being turned away from the half empty restaurant at 8pm on a dreary Thursday night - being told "the kitchen isn't taking any more food orders for atleast another 1/2 hour - they can only deal with so much at one time". They prefer to serve their later-arriving friends before other paying customers. Currently you are best advised to take your money elsewhere. When the award goes to some other (more deserving) pub, and they realise you cannot live on friends and fresh air alone, they will, hopefully, up their service and attitude. Shame, as the food is very good, but this smug establishment is best avoided.
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Ian
Friday, October 14, 2005