Harwood Arms

On reading the other reviews here it is clear that there are a lot of undeclared interests involved – on both sides, so I didnt know what to expect when I went there last night. So here is my unbiased summary:

The Food: Was amazing, some of the best I have had. Starters were delicious , I had the special, which was venison, while my wife had the scotch egg from the bar menu – the egg was still runny – quite a step above the marks & spencer version.
For mains we had the Duck and the Pork Belly – which could not have been nicer. The Duck was my favorite of the 2 – the Pork portion was a little large for my wife, which was another plus for me. I had a glass of Tempanillo with it, which again was very nice – I plan to buy some for home. Desert was also great – simple coffee ice-cream with choc biscuit – delicious.

Service: Was good, not silver service, but this is a pub – and it was fine – attitude was positive and helpful which is important for me. The waitress brought my wife a sample of one of the wines to help her decide – nice touch.

Atmosphere: No problems… More

Goodness only knows how this place got a Michelin star!! (It must be owned by a friend of an inspector!) It is a disgrace. The staff were untrained and ill-mannered and we waited ages without a drink or food. When the food finally arrived it was very average and uncomplicated ‘pub grub’ at michelin prices. The new ‘Assistant’ Manager was rude and unhelpful and freely admitted that the michelin star had raised customers expectations way beyond the service and quality the pub was able to deliver.

What a shame for the great chef ! Amazing how the front of house can destroy a great dining experience. After hearing so much about this great new eating establishment myself and my group were really looking forward to a great evening. What met us was an arrogant server (don’t know his name – tall with a goatee) who waved in the general direction of a table we could sit at. Not ones to be put off – we reminded ourselves we were in a pub – we sat down and waited ! and waited ! Eventually our server arrived back and gave us menus and pointed to a board – hidden by a wicker room divider – and told us “that’s the special” given that we couldn't see it we had to ask him to tell us what it was ! Mind boggling – there was only one item and he couldn't take the trouble. We ordered and took his advice on the beef on the bone for two, as a main. The starter we choose was really great – full of flavour. The main course eventually arrived and looked quiet nicely presented – however you can imagine our disappointment when we found the plates and the food was actually cold. I… More

Worst meal and dining experience I've had in a very long time.

The staff were hopeless (particularly the tall shaven haired guy with the little goatee and the French sounding girl).

Starters were decent – the terrine and prunes were good. The butternut soup was very average. The poached salmon was bland.

Main course was dire. The “beef on the bone for two” was embarrasing. The beef arrived cold on cold plates, the vegetables were soft, the yorkshire puddings were stale on top and soggy on the bottom, and the potatos were so salty it was ridiculous. We sent the dsh back only to have THE SAME ONE come back five minutes later, with microwaved veg, staler yorkshire puddings and the beef had gone from med rare to medium. Utterly ridiculous.

The tbone of roe deer which was the day's special and described by the waiter as “well yeh it is what it is, a tbone of roe deer” was totally average and bordering on undercooked.

The cod was very average. When the waitress came to collect the plates she asked if we enjoyed the meal – we said “no” – she asked why – we… More

My office used to be housed in a semi-industrial unit on the site of a former car park, right next to the Harwood Arms. I moved out just before the latest Incarnation, having seen every previous attempt fail I had started to regard the site as cursed. I was wrong.
The pedigree of the team behind it is plain for everyone to see as soon as you walk in. The revamp concentrated on the stripping back the chintz and getting everything to look ‘pub’ again. The cutlery, the tablecloths, the chairs and the napkins are all just right for a country pub in London.
The food is outstanding. I have been back many times and had many great dishes and some outstanding ones. My standout out winner was at christmas last year – Glazed ham hock, roasted parsnips, brussell tops and mustard sauce – it came presented on a small wooden board with a sharp knife. The knife was redundant as the hick was meltingly tender and could barely keep itself attached to the bone.
Other dishes that have made me drool over the last 15 or so months since the rebirth have always seemed too intelligent… More