The Elk in the Woods

Agree with the other reviewers - this place has seriously gone down the toilet in the last 6 months or so. I had been once before and had a nice time, but tonight was basically terrible service and overpriced, mediocre food.

A message to the world's worst waiter - just because you have a beard and a top knot, and presumably play keyboards in a god-awful synth band, doesn't mean you aren't expected to at least acknowledge the presence of the luckless people who eat in The Elk in the Woods.

Avoid.
Comment on this reader review

2 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Saturday, April 27, 2013

I've been to the Elk for lunch a couple of times and always really liked it., which is why I decided to give it a try for dinner with friends. Suffice to say that after a highly disappointing experience I won't be going back.

First things first: on arrival I asked for a dirty martini (vodka with olive brine), specifying 'quite dirty, lots of brine'. This, you might think, would be a good time to say they didn't have any olive brine (and therefore they couldn't actually make a dirty martini). When it arrived, it was basically vodka with two olives and some globules of oil on the top. When I took it back, I asked if it actually had any brine in it and what the oil was. The waiter said: 'we don't have any brine, that's how we make it here- our olives are stored in garlic and chilli oil so that's where the oil comes from'. I pointed out that 'vodka with garlic and chilli oil' is not really a drink - or not one I'd ever heard of before - and certainly not the drink I asked for. So not a great start. Then there was the surly waitress, channelling Lisbeth Salandar from the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, who spent the whole night making us feel like she was doing us a favour by serving us and, finally, the fact that they happily took an order for a bottle of wine and a couple of drinks at five to eleven before coming over at twenty past and trying to boot us out and therefore leaving us no chance to finish it off. When we said that perhaps they could have pointed out that they would shortly be closing - ie literally putting chairs on tables - before they took that final quite large booze order the guy just shrugged and said that that was the license - ie not 'sorry' or 'let me refund the wine.' So the evening just ended in a bit of a damp squib.

It's a shame, as it's a nice setting and the food is decent, but no restaurant can afford to show this level of complacency. I for one won't be going back.
Comment on this reader review

Katie
4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Sunday, June 24, 2012

I've always liked The Elk, but won't ever be back after a shocking experience there this week.

We were shown to a table and then, an hour or so later, the waitress presented us with our bill and told us we had to leave as the table had been booked and the customers would be arriving in ten minutes. We told her that we didn't know the table had been booked and wouldn't have ordered a bottle of wine if we did. She left and then a particularly surly waiter came to our table, who, rather than apologise for the breakdown in communication or suggest some sort of compensation for the inconvenience, told us we had to move to a communal table or leave. He raised his voice, rolled his eyes and said that he couldn't understand why we were being so awkward. When we repeated again that the booking was news to us, he threatened us and told us he'd make us leave if we didn't vacate the table.

We were rather shaken by the experience. Being spoken to like this is unacceptable on every level - particularly in the service industry.
Comment on this reader review

Amelia George
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

I find this place very overrated. Staff borders on unfriendly - utterly complacent - and I had to ask for my drink three times. We waited over forty minutes for our food. Small portions, lukewarm and not as good as it sounded on the menu. My side order of cauliflower cheese gratin proved little more than a tiny pot of melted butter with a few undercooked pieces of cauliflower with melted cheese on top. The atmosphere and decor of the pub is nice, shame about the rest.
Comment on this reader review

Heather Heartly
5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Nice inside and nice to get table service for drinks. Had a gin and tonic with so many lime wedges (about 5 or 6) squeezed into it it tasted of... lime, and wasn't fizzy anymore. Will have a beer next time.
Comment on this reader review

- View all reviews by this user
5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 4
Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Elk in the Woods is very nicely furnished and decorated. The atmosphere is nice and the service is ok.

I was quite disappointed with the food. I ordered the duck from the specials board and was told the last one had just been sold. Then the waitress was informed that there were 6 more so I was delighted with the good news, disappointment averted.. "The price however has gone up from £15.50 to £17.50 because these duck breasts are larger"

I though this was quite annoying so went for the pork.

Generally the food was ok but did not justify the prices.

If you are not expecting good value, this is a really nice place.
Comment on this reader review

Daniel Grimshaw
6 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Saturday, January 29, 2011

Good atmosphere but disappointing food and shocking service.

Rabbit paella particularly poor, with overcooked rice and poor flavour.

Hard to attract attention of staff, who stood around chatting in a little gaggle. Dessert order forgotten. Took ages to pay as staff appeared to be ignoring us.

Has the ingredients of a decent restaurant, and have enjoyed eating here once before, but generally lacklustre and complacent on this occasion.
Comment on this reader review

DalstonJim
4 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Monday, October 11, 2010