Reviews of The Woolpack Country Inn, Alresford
Review by Neale Killick on 6th September, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 3 Sep 2010
We visited the restaurant based on the website and first impressions were not too bad. The main problem we had was the menu was about to change and we were not informed of this before we booked. Consequently some of the menu was either unavailable or had changed from the published version.
That said, the food was OK but fantastic but what really let us down was the service. All the waitresses dressed in jeans and t-shirts and they were not the most helpful. They were all rather snappy with us and given a member of our party has a strong allergy to chocolate and beef they thought we were just being difficult.
Also, one the funniest things I have ever experienced in a restaurant was a desert. It was a “very vanilla ice cream tub”. Now reading back it does say “tub” but when a pub is tring to sell itself as an up market restaurant selling food at restaurant prices I did not expect to see a white plate with tub of cinema ice cream on it; and there’s no way that deserved the price tag attached.
But the most disappointing element was the cavalier attitude of the staff.
I would not visit here in the near future but to be clear, the food was adequate but not brilliant (mainly microwaved given the speed it cooled down at) but the staff really spoilt the experience.
Review by Maria G on 19th August, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 19 August 2009
This place is horrible. We should have walked out immediately when the 4 bar staff ignored us.
I ordered a medium rare steak, which was delivered medium. When the waitress offered to red-do it for me, it was returned sliced open from end to end with the message from the chef that is was medium rare. My husband's rare steak was dripping blood. My so-called medium-rare steak was brown. It was humiliating and devalued me as a customer. I are the thing because I was hungry and time constrained but we won't be going back. The owner heard me complain but did nothing. They must be struggling if they cannot afford to present a correctly cooked steak. As for being aged for 32 days... it was full of gristle. My husband said his tasted like leather. One to avoid.
Review by jessi on 24th March, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 10/03/09
My Family and i are very very happy guests when we dine at the Woolpack. We always order the Squid as a starter and the Hand cut chips are a must. We are so pleased that there is a fantastic family pub that we can all go to and bring our friends.
Well done Brian and Jarina.
Review by Very annoyed on 8th March, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 8th March 2009
Wouldn't normally do this, but am so annoyed about what has just happened to us this afternoon.
We took our three children and my cousin and her husband for a meal at the Woolpack this afternoon.
We booked in the morning, and made plain we were bringing children with us.
When we got there (on time) at 1.30pm we were placed in the main restaurant area, (not the bar, so, you know, the bit with the cream carpet) and ordered some starters (for the adults), then mains for everyone. The starters arrived promptly, within 5 minutes. Then we waited, and waited, and waited.... the children started fidgeting, crying and generally behaving as very bored, hungry children do.
At nearly 3'o clock, I asked the waitress if we could expect our main courses any time soon, because the children were by now, very hungry and very upset. She told me it was "my fault" for not stating that I wanted the children's meals at the same time as the starter (which option, incidentally, was never given to us). The fact that the mains were nearly an hour and a half late, was, apparently, neither here nor there.
In desperation, I rummaged in my handbag, and found a banana... which I gave the children to share.
Eventually our mains arrived, and at the end, when I refused to pay the service charge, the manager's wife was extremely rude, repeating that it was my fault for not stating I wanted the kids' meals with the starter.
We left, and as we pulled into our driveway, I got a call from the manager of The Woolpack on my mobile, which number I had given them when booking the table.
He said that he was 'concerned about the state of the carpet' and wanted a contribution to having it professionally cleaned.
Whilst I'm aware that, in retrospect, banana and white carpet don't really go (and I will be more careful in future with my emergency food rations) I am also aware that, when running a restaurant, a white carpet is not exactly the most practical choice of floor covering.
Just wanted to make you all aware, so that you don't go with children (in case they make a mess with the food, when it *eventually* arrives, or indeed, with the food you have to provide for them whilst waiting), you don't go expecting good service (ie less than an hour and a half between courses) and that in the event of your children dropping their food on the floor, you expect to be pursued after the event for damages.
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