The food itself was great however the service was appalling! Had to go to the bar to get drinks as had nearly finished main before they arrived then once done we were left at the table with our empty plates for half hour while they chatted amongst themselves ignored us. Others around us had meals delivered and cleared while we were waiting! We ended up having to go pay at the bar as no one came to offer us desert or even the bill. When we finally saw the bill they had added a bottle of wine that we didn’t get and a charge for service that we didn’t receive either! The poor staff really let down what could and should have been a nice evening out.
Christopher B
This was our first visit as a family since the change of name and, presumably, ownership. The food, service and ambience were all amazing on both visits and all of us (mum, dad, granny and two teenagers) loved it, so it works well for all ages. The first visit I had the best pub roast I’ve ever had! The second visit I shared a beef wellington with my wife which was really delicious. The cheese soufflé is always a favourite. Really well done!
Buttkicka
Absolute disaster. Staff clueless, without any management. My son's steak was rotten and smelt like sewage. My wife got sick during the dinner on the back of the garbage food. They knocked off the steak, but it still cost £300 for 4 people. I'm local, 3rd visit under the new Boot name - NEVER going again
valeriefI2348XA
Mattress awfull springs out and stainednbugs around buttons. Arrived late Thursday night so hold up on two motorways got there at eight kitchen closed no food even though chef was there two pckts of crisps for tea and boingy beds up no breakfast away all day table booked for five got there on time no food till six we waited till 6.30 to be told they had no starters only two others on menu not to our taste next course sirloin steak side dishes and chips steak was amazing lovely cooked no mushrooms sweetcorn side salad tomato or pepper sauce chips frozen chips cooked in dirty oil. Asked for sweet menu none this was madness Spoke to owner he promised if we come back all would be fixed Went to our spongy yucky beds some stained as well as springs broke. Staff looked to have lock in no sign of late licence went on till 2.30 amwhen husband went down went down for breakfast at eight no staff no owner no breakfast we could not pay our bill chapped kitchen doors ect none have tried to call them four times to pay our bill .
Ambersgate
We had arranged to come here for my mother-in-laws 70th birthday for the weekend. We took over 3 rooms of the hotel varying in size and spec. The rooms were clean, no bottles of water, therefore had to purchase in the pub. First night we went to the pub for dinner, arrived early so we could have some pre drinks. The manager of the restaurant kept pestering and pushing us to sit down at our table half an hour early, he was getting quite stressed as we wanted to stay in the bar. He barked that he needed the flow to run smoothly in the restaurant without distribution. When we sat at our table we ordered a number of drinks including wine, after 20 mins of waiting for our drinks the waitress came over and told us they had run out of glasses so drinks couldn’t be served. Really?!?! The food was good, we ordered steaks, fish etc and had a dessert before heading off to bed for a good nights sleep …at least that is what we thought. After having a relaxing bath and getting ready for bed, we heard loud shouting from the courtyard where our bedroom overlooked. A fight had begun between one of the waitresses and her boyfriend. The night porter was called. This is NOT what you want on a special weekend away. Sleep was limited. We complained to the manager at the sister hotel who apologised. No apology from the staff member or the pub manager. We will not be returning to the Boot again.
C9433CPgregs
Came for our anniversary. Dinner was outstanding, the staff couldn’t have been more friendly or done more to make our stay memorable for all the right reasons. We stayed overnight in a comfortable and well appointed room with character. Breakfast was of the same high standard and we spent a leisurely few hours wandering around the grounds of the sister hotel Barnsley House.
T7569GVbethanyw
Had the most amazing meal at the pub. The staff were incredibly friendly and kind, providing a dog bowl, bed and lots of fuss for my dog. We had a lovely meal, followed by dessert and coffee. I couldn’t recommend more highly. I can’t wait to come back to the area in November so I can come visit again.
TigerTravel74
I was really looking forward to eating at The Boot so I booked a table a couple of weeks in advance. I live in Bibury and was meeting up with a longstanding friend from university so we walked over the fields to Barnsley. We worked up quite a thirst on the walk so were looking forward to some cold drinks before our meal. We were shown to a table in the garden and placed our drinks and food order. We then waited and waited and waited for our drinks. In spite of a couple of reminders, the drinks were not forthcoming. The food then arrived first and I was about to go into the bar to order and get the beverages myself and they then arrived over 30 minutes after we had requested them and after the food. The food itself was outstanding. To start my friend had monkfish scampi whilst I ordered the pea soup which was divine. We both had smoked lamb as a main course, cooked with precision and delicious, a cut above normal gastro pub food. We then waited for our desert menus and also for the plates to be taken away. Yet again we waited and waited and waited. We were both starting to get a little irritated as there was no proactively by the waiters and the pub and garden were hardly full. As a result we skipped desert and I then had to ask at least three times for the bill. I remarked to the waiter that the food was great but the service was really very poor. He was a French sounding chap and acknowledged that it wasn’t great and that he wasn’t happy about it. He asked whether I was staying at the hotel and when I told him that I am local and live in Bibury he looked a little mortified. However, there was no attempt to take responsibility for the atrocious services. The service charge was not removed and nothing was taken off the bill. A small gesture like this would have gone a long way in acknowledging that it wasn’t great, Would I go back to the Boot? Probably not even though I live in the next village. If as much care was invested in the services as in the cooking this place would be a clear winner. In summary I struggle to see how The Boot can justify its rather punchy prices.
BrookeMorales
Lovely pub and restaurant in the quaint and beautiful village of Barnsley. Sit outside in the lovely beer garden and enjoy a drink or grab a bite to eat in the restaurant. Good service. Medium price point, beautifully decorated. A place we'll worth visiting.
danmC46UV
Fantastic Historic Property with Fantastic Staff and Service!! We had a wonderful stay. It was an Easter Sunday Treat. Easy check in. Great parking. Bartender Kevin was a cool dude. Thank you all! Cheers
Me and my husband had a fantastic time at the boot. The staff were extremely friendly- thank you so much to Kevin for giving us a very warm welcome along with outstanding service and also to Meg for going above and beyond whilst serving us. We absolutely loved our time at Barnsley house too, the breakfast was delicious and the grounds are beautiful. Again the staff were extremely friendly.
803mandyh
Very disappointing. Eaten there many times in the past when it was the Village Pub and had great meals with vegan options. As it was new management when booking we asked if there are still vegan options as both of us are vegan and were assured there was. On arrival it was explained no vegan starter except for bread, only 1 vegan main dish which is half a baked cauliflower on a plate (not good if you do not like cauliflower) and no desert. A huge step backwards in the menu for anyone vegan or vegetarian or with food allergies as the menu did not have any allergy listings. The waiter explained they like to be more personal which we found uncomfortable as we just wanted to choose a meal instead of having to discuss everything out loud for other diners to hear and have him go back and forth to the kitchen and then they say no to everything. Did not want to accommodate. We do not expect multiple vegan options but some options would be good and in this day and age expected. New decor very unappealing and uncomfortable seats. The fossilised rhino head over the fire off putting and out of place. Lost its Cotswold country charm with having taken out the flagstone floors and replaced with wood from Turkey. Atmosphere changed no longer the cosy village pub. It was a special occasion that turned out to be very disappointing and expensive! We are locals, unfortunately will not be returning after many years of great food and atmosphere and we are sad that is has changed not for the better.
Elcbee
Stayed here for a night. Not recommended for the tall - you'll be limboing under and round the beams. Room was small, well appointed, good linens and comfortable bed but COLD. Bathroom the same. Freestanding iron baths look great in the photos but lean back and it's Baltic on your bare skin! Style rather than comfort. Could have done with some information in the room. A reminder that you have to take breakfast at the hotel down the road, restaurant info etc. Very good breakfast in Barnsley house but then had to go back to check out and pay the bill as there was no-one around at the pub. Cheerful and competent staff. Good food but thought the offering is overpriced. The King's head in Cirencester is better.
johnthebridge
I've been here several times in the past, and the food is invariably alright, but this is about another issue, one that occurred last Summer. We, a party of six, had eaten in the courtyard. The meal was fine and the service alright and when I came to pay, the woman who'd waited on us presented me with the bill, which was something like £180. After she'd left our table I gave the bill a closer look and saw that the bottom section of the bill had been turned under, clearly deliberately. Imagine my surprise when, on turning the folded section back over, a service charge which, from memory was about £23 was written as an extra on that portion only. The bill had words on it to the effect that the service charge was optional and that I should notify our server if I did not wish to pay it. This I did, at which point her manner turned from smiley to surly. I don't like, but accept that some places incur a service charge. What really angered me here was the deliberately deceitful manner in which it was hidden from me. This is the 21st century for heaven's sake, not the 19th, and with prices of all goods rocketing, I don't expect to pay a service charge for anything I buy. A minimum wage seems to have passed this establishment by and, with this unprincipled act of dishonesty, I won't be returning any time soon.
j2720
We went to The Boot for the 3rd time on Christmas Eve (formerly the village pub) whilst staying locally in the Cotswolds for Christmas. Each other time we have been we have had a superb meal and service however this time was probably our least favourite. The food was brilliant (albeit the treacle sponge was incredibly sweet and I have a mega sweet tooth), reasonably priced drinks for the area however we didn’t perhaps feel as welcome as previous visits. The pub attracts a certain clientele and my husband and I perhaps don’t fit that mould. The manager spoke to every other table whilst they were seated apart from us which maybe I am reading in to it however it felt quite obvious to me. I have worked in a Michelin star restaurant and we have dined in some of the best restaurants/pubs in the country and felt like slightly put off by this however the young man who served us was very polite and knowledgeable. It hasn’t put us off returning however would hope for our feedback to be taken onboard as everyone’s money is the same colour when it comes to paying.
The food itself was great however the service was appalling! Had to go to the bar to get drinks as had nearly finished main before they arrived then once done we were left at the table with our empty plates for half hour while they chatted amongst themselves ignored us. Others around us had meals delivered and cleared while we were waiting! We ended up having to go pay at the bar as no one came to offer us desert or even the bill. When we finally saw the bill they had added a bottle of wine that we didn’t get and a charge for service that we didn’t receive either! The poor staff really let down what could and should have been a nice evening out.
This was our first visit as a family since the change of name and, presumably, ownership. The food, service and ambience were all amazing on both visits and all of us (mum, dad, granny and two teenagers) loved it, so it works well for all ages. The first visit I had the best pub roast I’ve ever had! The second visit I shared a beef wellington with my wife which was really delicious. The cheese soufflé is always a favourite. Really well done!
Absolute disaster. Staff clueless, without any management. My son's steak was rotten and smelt like sewage. My wife got sick during the dinner on the back of the garbage food. They knocked off the steak, but it still cost £300 for 4 people. I'm local, 3rd visit under the new Boot name - NEVER going again
Mattress awfull springs out and stainednbugs around buttons. Arrived late Thursday night so hold up on two motorways got there at eight kitchen closed no food even though chef was there two pckts of crisps for tea and boingy beds up no breakfast away all day table booked for five got there on time no food till six we waited till 6.30 to be told they had no starters only two others on menu not to our taste next course sirloin steak side dishes and chips steak was amazing lovely cooked no mushrooms sweetcorn side salad tomato or pepper sauce chips frozen chips cooked in dirty oil. Asked for sweet menu none this was madness Spoke to owner he promised if we come back all would be fixed Went to our spongy yucky beds some stained as well as springs broke. Staff looked to have lock in no sign of late licence went on till 2.30 amwhen husband went down went down for breakfast at eight no staff no owner no breakfast we could not pay our bill chapped kitchen doors ect none have tried to call them four times to pay our bill .
We had arranged to come here for my mother-in-laws 70th birthday for the weekend. We took over 3 rooms of the hotel varying in size and spec. The rooms were clean, no bottles of water, therefore had to purchase in the pub. First night we went to the pub for dinner, arrived early so we could have some pre drinks. The manager of the restaurant kept pestering and pushing us to sit down at our table half an hour early, he was getting quite stressed as we wanted to stay in the bar. He barked that he needed the flow to run smoothly in the restaurant without distribution. When we sat at our table we ordered a number of drinks including wine, after 20 mins of waiting for our drinks the waitress came over and told us they had run out of glasses so drinks couldn’t be served. Really?!?! The food was good, we ordered steaks, fish etc and had a dessert before heading off to bed for a good nights sleep …at least that is what we thought. After having a relaxing bath and getting ready for bed, we heard loud shouting from the courtyard where our bedroom overlooked. A fight had begun between one of the waitresses and her boyfriend. The night porter was called. This is NOT what you want on a special weekend away. Sleep was limited. We complained to the manager at the sister hotel who apologised. No apology from the staff member or the pub manager. We will not be returning to the Boot again.
Came for our anniversary. Dinner was outstanding, the staff couldn’t have been more friendly or done more to make our stay memorable for all the right reasons. We stayed overnight in a comfortable and well appointed room with character. Breakfast was of the same high standard and we spent a leisurely few hours wandering around the grounds of the sister hotel Barnsley House.
Had the most amazing meal at the pub. The staff were incredibly friendly and kind, providing a dog bowl, bed and lots of fuss for my dog. We had a lovely meal, followed by dessert and coffee. I couldn’t recommend more highly. I can’t wait to come back to the area in November so I can come visit again.
I was really looking forward to eating at The Boot so I booked a table a couple of weeks in advance. I live in Bibury and was meeting up with a longstanding friend from university so we walked over the fields to Barnsley. We worked up quite a thirst on the walk so were looking forward to some cold drinks before our meal. We were shown to a table in the garden and placed our drinks and food order. We then waited and waited and waited for our drinks. In spite of a couple of reminders, the drinks were not forthcoming. The food then arrived first and I was about to go into the bar to order and get the beverages myself and they then arrived over 30 minutes after we had requested them and after the food. The food itself was outstanding. To start my friend had monkfish scampi whilst I ordered the pea soup which was divine. We both had smoked lamb as a main course, cooked with precision and delicious, a cut above normal gastro pub food. We then waited for our desert menus and also for the plates to be taken away. Yet again we waited and waited and waited. We were both starting to get a little irritated as there was no proactively by the waiters and the pub and garden were hardly full. As a result we skipped desert and I then had to ask at least three times for the bill. I remarked to the waiter that the food was great but the service was really very poor. He was a French sounding chap and acknowledged that it wasn’t great and that he wasn’t happy about it. He asked whether I was staying at the hotel and when I told him that I am local and live in Bibury he looked a little mortified. However, there was no attempt to take responsibility for the atrocious services. The service charge was not removed and nothing was taken off the bill. A small gesture like this would have gone a long way in acknowledging that it wasn’t great, Would I go back to the Boot? Probably not even though I live in the next village. If as much care was invested in the services as in the cooking this place would be a clear winner. In summary I struggle to see how The Boot can justify its rather punchy prices.
Lovely pub and restaurant in the quaint and beautiful village of Barnsley. Sit outside in the lovely beer garden and enjoy a drink or grab a bite to eat in the restaurant. Good service. Medium price point, beautifully decorated. A place we'll worth visiting.
Fantastic Historic Property with Fantastic Staff and Service!! We had a wonderful stay. It was an Easter Sunday Treat. Easy check in. Great parking. Bartender Kevin was a cool dude. Thank you all! Cheers
Restaurantji Recommends
Me and my husband had a fantastic time at the boot. The staff were extremely friendly- thank you so much to Kevin for giving us a very warm welcome along with outstanding service and also to Meg for going above and beyond whilst serving us. We absolutely loved our time at Barnsley house too, the breakfast was delicious and the grounds are beautiful. Again the staff were extremely friendly.
Very disappointing. Eaten there many times in the past when it was the Village Pub and had great meals with vegan options. As it was new management when booking we asked if there are still vegan options as both of us are vegan and were assured there was. On arrival it was explained no vegan starter except for bread, only 1 vegan main dish which is half a baked cauliflower on a plate (not good if you do not like cauliflower) and no desert. A huge step backwards in the menu for anyone vegan or vegetarian or with food allergies as the menu did not have any allergy listings. The waiter explained they like to be more personal which we found uncomfortable as we just wanted to choose a meal instead of having to discuss everything out loud for other diners to hear and have him go back and forth to the kitchen and then they say no to everything. Did not want to accommodate. We do not expect multiple vegan options but some options would be good and in this day and age expected. New decor very unappealing and uncomfortable seats. The fossilised rhino head over the fire off putting and out of place. Lost its Cotswold country charm with having taken out the flagstone floors and replaced with wood from Turkey. Atmosphere changed no longer the cosy village pub. It was a special occasion that turned out to be very disappointing and expensive! We are locals, unfortunately will not be returning after many years of great food and atmosphere and we are sad that is has changed not for the better.
Stayed here for a night. Not recommended for the tall - you'll be limboing under and round the beams. Room was small, well appointed, good linens and comfortable bed but COLD. Bathroom the same. Freestanding iron baths look great in the photos but lean back and it's Baltic on your bare skin! Style rather than comfort. Could have done with some information in the room. A reminder that you have to take breakfast at the hotel down the road, restaurant info etc. Very good breakfast in Barnsley house but then had to go back to check out and pay the bill as there was no-one around at the pub. Cheerful and competent staff. Good food but thought the offering is overpriced. The King's head in Cirencester is better.
I've been here several times in the past, and the food is invariably alright, but this is about another issue, one that occurred last Summer. We, a party of six, had eaten in the courtyard. The meal was fine and the service alright and when I came to pay, the woman who'd waited on us presented me with the bill, which was something like £180. After she'd left our table I gave the bill a closer look and saw that the bottom section of the bill had been turned under, clearly deliberately. Imagine my surprise when, on turning the folded section back over, a service charge which, from memory was about £23 was written as an extra on that portion only. The bill had words on it to the effect that the service charge was optional and that I should notify our server if I did not wish to pay it. This I did, at which point her manner turned from smiley to surly. I don't like, but accept that some places incur a service charge. What really angered me here was the deliberately deceitful manner in which it was hidden from me. This is the 21st century for heaven's sake, not the 19th, and with prices of all goods rocketing, I don't expect to pay a service charge for anything I buy. A minimum wage seems to have passed this establishment by and, with this unprincipled act of dishonesty, I won't be returning any time soon.
We went to The Boot for the 3rd time on Christmas Eve (formerly the village pub) whilst staying locally in the Cotswolds for Christmas. Each other time we have been we have had a superb meal and service however this time was probably our least favourite. The food was brilliant (albeit the treacle sponge was incredibly sweet and I have a mega sweet tooth), reasonably priced drinks for the area however we didn’t perhaps feel as welcome as previous visits. The pub attracts a certain clientele and my husband and I perhaps don’t fit that mould. The manager spoke to every other table whilst they were seated apart from us which maybe I am reading in to it however it felt quite obvious to me. I have worked in a Michelin star restaurant and we have dined in some of the best restaurants/pubs in the country and felt like slightly put off by this however the young man who served us was very polite and knowledgeable. It hasn’t put us off returning however would hope for our feedback to be taken onboard as everyone’s money is the same colour when it comes to paying.