please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Apparently one of Jamie Oliver's favourite pubs. If that's not enough reason to avoid I don't know what is.
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I'm Clavering born and bred. If you do decide to visit I challenge you to find someone from the Village in there. I don't think I need to say any more than that.
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Some people here have had bad experiences it seems, but we loved the place. To celebrate my 64th birthday we booked a room for the night. Immaculate! The real ale in the afternoon was as it should be and the staff, all of them, would exceptional. The meal in the evening was terrific - sauteed lambs kidneys with bacon and black pudding - and the cheese board and red wine beyond fault. I would recommend this gastro pub to anyone.
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Over all not bad, but I was expecting better, imaginative starters, not a lot of choice in respect of main courses, very strange mix of English and Italian food, not executed properly, wine list on the other hand is extensive some very good offerings. Everything is very expensive in this pub, but most of all nice smile from staff and polite goodby and thanks, that money can not buy you here. Boring dessert menu, we have been in this pub on couple of occasions desserts menu has not changed. Positive sides are: nice decor, clean, opening hours longer then the most in the area, overall OK maybe worth a visit if you buy in all of that Jamie frenzy or you just need a place to eat late. Could do lot better and stand on its own feet if they can only hire more pleasant staff, who are willing to say thank you for coming.
Belma - 27 Apr 2010 18:41 |
Dreadful experience!. I ordered slow roasted duck which was dry, stringy and impossible to cut with the cutlery on the table (we had swapped ours with another table as it was caked with dried food). My plate was still full when the waitress cleared and she asked if it was ok. I explained why I hadn't eaten it and her reply was "No-one's ever complained before!" She came back to say that the chef had checked and it was supposed to be like that. I said "What? It's supposed to be inedible?" she turned and walked away. We have eaten at many of the best restaurants around the world and have never EVER come across such poor service. Over priced and pretentious. It didn't help to see the Chef sneeze on a plate of food either!!
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One to avoid at all costs! Rude staff, poor and slow service, and over rated food. Jamie's father is clearly making as much money as he can from his son's fame regardless.
I telephoned to book a table for a meal for me, my aunt (who suffers from Parkinsons), and my elderly Nana, in the bar side of the pub (rather than the over commercialised 'school dinner type hall' on the other side). I knew that the meal would be expensive but I had saved for sometime as this was my special treat to my Aunt and my Nana; it was a six hour round trip drive to the Cricketers as my Aunt and Nana do not live locally - this didn't concern me as I expected it to be a special day for them both.
How wrong I was - the problems started as soon as we arrived; we were given a table right at the edge of a walkway, with steps up to get to the seats, when I queried the table the sour faced bar maid told me that that was the table I had booked, when I said that was incorrect and I had actually asked for a table in the bar area she said "well you booked that table, and we thought it was odd reserving a table for six for just three people", not wishing to make a scene we sat at the table. Staff then proceeded to completely ignore us and walked past our table on many ocassions without acknowledging our waiting to be served; I had to stop a waiter and ask for the menus. We were then served (clearly reluctantly) by a rude and miserable waiter, our food eventually being almost thrown on the table; it was obvious that their misunderstanding over the table booking was for some reason making them reluctant to offer us any service at all!
The whole experience was ruined, my Aunt and my Nana are very special to me and the entire day was a complete let down. Not one to make a scene I later wrote to Mr Oliver to express my disappointment. His reply was extremely rude and filled with arrogance, not accepting that I did not ask for that particular table which caused extreme difficulty for my Aunt (who finds it difficult to walk let alone climb steps to a table), and my elderly Nana, to be comfortable at. His comments continued to respond with rude comments; it seems at this establishment as the customer you are never right!
One definitely to avoid is my advice!
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Over-rated restaurant not place to go for a drink and the service is slow.
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Fantastic pub/restaurant. Very cosy atmosphere.
Very busy, so would need to book. Fantastic fresh food, lots of choice, Great kids meals, and reasonably priced. We had Spaghetti Bolognese and Steak and Kidney pie. Both were full of quality meat and cooked to perfection.
No baby changing facilities though, and not a great deal of room for kids to runa round, but kids were provided with colouring things and stickers, so were satisfied!
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Pretentious, tacky and way overpriced. My partner and i took visiting relations there and we were mortified by how terrible the food was. The menu was vast, needlessly over-complicated and trying too hard to impress. The chicken in my partners dish was supposed to be corn fed and from a local free range farm. It tasted of low grade and appeared greyish in colour as opposed to golden. The lamb shank was flavourless and was covered in what tasted like a cheap tinned soup. i had a cider and blue cheese soup. There was a lot of it but i could not eat more than a few mouthfuls. It was like a pint of blue cheese sauce!. The pub itself looked lovely and the village picturesque. charming enough to get people through the door (along with the Jamie oliver association). but i would be very surprised if the place had many regulars.
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Really really disappointed. Staff were rude when we asked whether we could leave our 6 month old in a pram by the table, and for a "family friendly" pub, the facilities are aweful- no changing area, no bins in the loos, and generally a very poor attitude to children by the staff.
Then there was the food and service. We booked for 12.45, and our food took 90 minutes to arrive. Three of the four meals were cold, and again there was no apology, or even service with good grace. The next course took another 45min to arrive, and was equally poor. Overall incredibly disappointing- the "Jamie Oliver" reputation has not helped this place at all. Not recommended at all- your local fast food outlet will give you more satisfaction
IainC - 22 Sep 2008 21:37 |
What an overpriced sub standard place this turned out to be. Excellent location and old world pub , but that is as good as it gets.
Food was in short supply. Little girl waitresses very unsure of their position or what to do, although they tried. Very disappointed and let down.
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Went for a special lunch very disappointed over priced and very basic worst of all the staff mostly looked like they had been giver one weeks notice avoid.
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Ate here in April 2008. Really very good and it doesn't look tired at all now. Good selection of Adnams ales and some lagers. No seating inside as a pub - it's a restaurant. Comfortable seats at tables. Menu is extensive, attractive. Food very nicely prepared and served promptly and with very courteous staff. Wine list good value. Four people at lunch with drinks, cheapy wine, three courses (though only two having desserts and two having coffees), came to �136. Would recomend it. Very popular, need to book.
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A very tired looking building from the outside with some hideous 80's seating outside not in keeping with a village pub. Mediocre food. Would recommend if you are passing and desperate.
anonymous - 15 Feb 2006 16:09 |
I quite liked it here, but it should be remembered that this is now a restaurant, not a pub. Not even a gastropub, but a proper restaurant. Good food; the Jamie Oliver link hasn't hurt popularity, so need to book.
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A truly outstanding old pub (see details in Good Pub Guide) between M11 (near Cambridge) and A10, easily reached from either. Run by Jamie Oliver's parents. Outstanding menu -- not particularly cheap, but helpings so generous and quality so exceptional and innovative that it's excellent value. A good varied wine list at extremely reasonable prices. Adnams and other real ales in perfect condition. Very popular with discriminating eaters so essential to book. Comfortable and affordable accommodation, including delectable breakfast, in modern bedroom annex beside pub car-park, a few metres from the pub (pity about the duvets instead of blankets, though). Friendly and unpatronising staff. Altogether I find the modest ratings of other users absolutely absurd. No, I don't have shares in the place, don't know the Olivers and have no financial interest in praising it. As it seems to be permanently booked up and crowded, it doesn't need to pay for a puff!
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A wonderful old pub with sensationally good food. Run by Jamie Oliver's parents. Very popular with gourmet clientele: must book in advance. Just off M11, and easily reached from A10. Very comfortable and affordable B&B: modern rooms in annex a few metres from the pub.
anonymous - 21 Nov 2004 22:45 |
Top quality beer and food, friendly staff, good service, reasonable prices. I've only been at lunchtime, but never had a problem getting a table.
Dave T - 27 Jul 2004 17:23 |
the food was definitely good, but putting the chairs up on the tables around us at 11.00 p.m. was not what I expected from an establishment of this quality..... it did not make a happy ending to the evening!
anonymous - 5 Apr 2004 14:50 |
OWNED BY JAMIE OLIVERS PARENTS HAS A RESTURANT
anonymous - 10 Feb 2004 19:07 |
famous for having Jamie Oliver's parents owning I think??
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Used to be a village PUB where you could, as a local, go and eat there - unfortunately, it's now turned itself into something above that as you have to book three months in advance for the restaurant - seems to have lost the point in being a village pub somewhere along the way - shame...
Anon - 22 Sep 2003 15:20 |
