Waterend Barn, St Albans

When this place first opened I really fell in love with it - it was perfect. I remember going into the restaurant for the first time and having cod in batter, and chips. The cod was so big it overlapped the (hot) plate by inches each side and it was beautifully cooked. The waiting staff polished the silver service cutlery, were cheerful and the whole meal was worth treble the price I paid. The manager I guess was Italian and obviously wanted to run a very attractive ship. Everything perfection 10/10.
Next time, looking forward to the same meal experience, I was served a nouveau cuisine / sardine size piece of cod. Oh dear, but still 8/10 bearing in mind the reasonable price!
After a number of further visits, the dining room was halved in size, had become bar service only and no sign of the 'Italian' manager.
My visits to The Waterend Barn have now virtully stopped but, based upon my last visit, I would sadly give it no more than an average Weatherspoon 5/10.
PS: I used to rate the average Wetherspoon at about 8+/10 but the phenomenen of hot food on cold plates, cold beer in warm glasses and general scruffiness and dinginess of the surroundings has changed all that. Please Wetherspoons management, retrace your steps and get back to the reliably high standards you started with.

10 Jan 2009 18:56