Absolutely Clueless! Like an old episode of ‘Beadles About!’We had a bizarrely hilarious evening at The Cloche Hat! What started out as a few raised eyebrows turned into raucous laughter by the end of the meal! It was so bad, it was funny!Highlights included:Everyone in the restaurant wearing coats because it was so cold.Our aperitifs were served over a half hour period. 4x people ordering a Gin & Tonic, two glasses of Champagne and a Sherry. 30mins to serve all four of them! The last drink provided one of the best moments of the evening! The staff had no idea what a sherry was and brought a couple of bottles of white wine and asked “Is this right?” The guest replied “Do you have an Amontillado?”, and they scurried away. Once they identified what they said was “the only brand of sherry in the bar”, they served a large tumbler with approx half a pint of the stuff! It wasn’t sherry so after much laughter, it was sent back and a beer was ordered instead!Another favourite moment was when the first course of the tasting menu arrived. Four small dishes were placed on the table and the waitress walked away. One member of the group said “excuse me, can you let us know what this is please?” To which the lady replied “I don’t know”. Another waitress was walking past our table and overheard the exchange. Rescuing her colleague, she said “it’s pork and fish madame”.Service was ridiculously slow. After being sat at our table for 2 1/2 hours, we had completed only two of our 5 courses. By this time, other diners were starting to complain and one couple asked for their bill. The staff attempted to charge them for all five courses and more laughter ensued as they fervently informed the staff that they were not paying for five courses when they had only been served two.We asked for them to hurry up our final course (dessert) because we had to relieve our babysitter soon. We were told “this is a fine dining restaurant and the food takes time”.Following that, the FoH team brought our dessert course out before they had cleared the empty plates from the previous course. Standing there with a tray of puddings, the completely gormless waitress said “please can you pass me your plates” and we were required to clear our own table!By this time, the politely quiet comments about the standard of the service were long gone. Another table left before completing their five courses and the subject of all the overheard chatter from other tables was focused on the appalling experience everyone was having.Our desserts arrived with no cutlery. It was a large spoonful of something resembling ice cream with cream and some freeze dried red fruit crumbs. It was tasty if not attractive looking but we had to guess what it was because obviously none of the staff told us. We had given up asking what the food was by this point because the staff didn’t know even when we did ask! Anyway, asking for some cutlery, the waitress brought us knives and forks to tackle the creamy blob with! A more specific request for spoons saw them replace the knives and forks with soup spoons!It was just comically bad on every level!Finally, when presented with the bill, I asked them to remove the Optional Service Charge and provided feedback on our experience. The waitress (who I think might have been the FoH manager) said “we cannot remove the service charge”. She received a very firm “Yes you can” and she did.No apologies and no attempt to entice us back to give them another chance. I left saying “you won’t be seeing us again”.If the restaurant owners/managers read this, I have a recommendation for you…. Hire staff that have worked in the restaurant trade before and if you can’t do that, hire staff that have eaten in a restaurant before at least once in their lives!
Stephan Remy
Roberto has said it all. We were sitting next to them. Food is good (although you'll be hungry still after 8 courses, that is if you manage to stay 3.5h waiting for it). Service was appalling. Clearly poor training (if any). This was a complete joke. And considering there's a booking system, very poor hospitality planning.... we also asked for a discount (got £25). Oh and they forgot to serve us a dish so had cold fish after venison.... not going back...
Roberto van Meurs
*Would not recommend*My wife and I decided to try the Cloche Hat after having been to Stovells many times before and having loved it. Sadly under new management the restaurant did not live up to expectations. When we arrived, we were taken straight to the table and sat down with no offer of drinks. There was cutlery missing from one side of the table and when the wine list arrived it was missing a page so only had by the glass options. The only option was the 8 course tasting menu, which whilst fine they should have mentioned when booking. After the first course arrived, my wife had to clarify that she had a peanut allergy as no one had asked and no one had been around to flag down. It took until the 3rd course before we managed to get someone’s attention and ask for water as none was offered at all. Multiple times, we were asked what our last course was to make sure that the next one was right. Not what you expect when paying £85 per person for food. We waited for 40mins between some courses which was better than one of the tables next to us who had waited 1.5h for a single Oyster to come out and was on the verge of just leaving. Given the wait, you would think that they would keep the wine/drinks flowing but alas, that was not to be. Getting a waiter's attention was almost impossible and we were left with empty glasses for half of the meal. We then decided after 3h to call it a day and not wait for the last course given how long things were taking. Rather than being apologetic, the owner then proceeded to argue saying that "this is normal and what you get with a Michelin star chef". Firstly, this is not a Michelin star restaurant and secondly, having eaten at Michelin star restaurants, the service is always impeccable and the food stunning. Whilst the food was good, it was not mind blowing at all and well the service....beyond bad. Finally, he offered to remove £35 off the total bill, which given we didn't finish the menu seemed only fair. However, they did then proceed to add 12.5% service charge after all of this! You know its bad when all the tables are talking to each other and saying how slow and bad the service is and where most tables in the restaurant had no food on it. All in all, not a pleasant experience and will not be going back. Save yourself the money and time and go elsewhere.
Su Middleton
Although there seem to be more positive reviews than negative, I still feel the need to add this review from our November visit.Sadly, on the night we went, other than our table, there was only one other table of 2 people while we were there, which seemed strange for a Friday night.As we arrived, the restaurant looked like it was closed and, considering we had a booking, there was nobody in the reception area waiting to greet us.Instead of having pre-dinner drink in the bar se have done before, we went straight to the table as it was so cold in the bar area thinking it would be warmer in the restaurant. Wrong! The restaurant was cold as the fires were not lit, so I sat with my coat on for some of the time. The atmosphere was very cold and no ambience usually expected with surrounding chatter. We took relations there as a treat and were disappointed it was not the evening we had hoped for and therefore didn't stay for as long as we usually would.However, the food was OK. The young staff of 3 did their best but came across as feeling awkward and hovering and considering they weren’t busy we still had to ask for things.Sadly, although there are no restaurants of this type around, we would not go back again.
Ian S
Excellent food and good value for money.The menu is changing constantly, so if you see something you like then book in or you will miss it!I feel like this restaurant is a bit of a secret, it used to be run and owned by someone else. The new owner/manager/chef is excellent.
Ian Simpson
We have had some fantastic food here.The recipes and menus that the chef creates are very very good.The fact that the food is so good also makes it exceptional value.I must go here again before too many people find out about it!!
Arun Sharma
A missed opportunity.Unfortunately, we had a less than pleasant visit to The Cloche Hat. We had visited Stovell's many times, which was great, so had high hopes.Firstly, the restaurant was freezing. I understand it's an old building, but there are so many effective portable heating solutions that could be used. We were so cold throughout the dinner service, which wasn't a great start.We opted for the 8 course tasting menu, and my wife had called ahead to adjust the menu, which was appreciated. All looked good. I opted for the wine flight pairing.Hors d'oeuvres arrived which were ok, but the "smoked" butter was cold unsalted butter with a bit of salt on top. No idea where the smoke was.The courses and wine were served, but with no explanation. Usually in a tasting menu, part of the allure is having things explained to you, or at the least, reminding you what the course is (it's an 8 course menu after all) and what wine is being served. It was guess work, with us having to ask every time for information.The starter of salmon nicoise was bland with no seasoning or sauce. It was supposed to come with a quali's egg, however it was missed off. When asked about it, they explained that the egg was in the tiny bit of squid ink on the side. Clearly missed out. The wine was cheap and bland. Disappointing.The other courses were average, at best. The beef carpaacio was tasty, however the pate served with it was strange. The vegetable millefeuille was undercooked with layers of almost raw pastry, plus it was cold. The halibut was good, but served with cold cubed vegetables, which wasn't pleasant.We were then served duck which wasn't on our menu. Much confusion from the staff but in the end the correct mains were served. I'm not sure how it's possible to make such a mistake when there were only 3 tables in the restaurant! But mistakes happen. I decided to speak with the team to ask them to double check the menu, speak with the kitchen to let us know if anything else was missed off or different. We were told that it's all fine.When our mains finally arrived, I had venison and my wife had guineafowl, both were surprisingly good and well seasoned. We were happy with them.The Clementine sorbet was actually pineapple sorbet. Bear in mind I've now asked 3 times whether the menu was correct! The dessert was nothing special, with a chocolate and a fig option. After my plate had been taken away, I reminded the staff whether I was supposed to have another wine with the pairing, which they then remembered about... After taking my plate away.Maybe my expectations were high, but for a restaurant to charge £130pp, and offer an experience like this is very poor. I don't blame the waiting staff. They were clearly young and out of their depths, and hadn't been given the right training. They did a good job given the circumstances. We were offered a discount for the experience, but the damage had been done by that point.Some advice, if you're serving a tasting menu, have the waiting staff explain each course to customers. If they've got the wine pairing, explain what the wines are. Serve what you're saying on the menu, especially if someone has called in advance. If you need substitutes, that's fine but at least communicate! Finally, get some decent heating. There's so much potential, don't waste it.We won't be returning, but I hope you turn it around.
Christian Smith
Was booked to play here back in August. The pub cancelled last minute, resulting in lost earnings for the entire band. As it was a Bank Holiday Friday we had many offers for work that day after accepting the initial booking, however due to the late cancellation, we were unable to secure another booking resulting in lost in income for all band members. The venue has ghosted us in regards to cancellation fee, and have ignored every legal letter that has been sent to them. If you’re a musician, supplier, or any professional I advise you not to work with these people. I can see from the reviews that I’m not the only one who’s had this experience.
Very very disappointed here as we have provided the cloche hat every opportunity to pay their debts to suppliers but after 30.days we challenged them as per our agreement. They asked for a payment plan which they have not honoured.Not once an apology or any recalcitrance. Often we call and get promised call backs that don't happen.We appreciate people have financial difficulties but we are a small family run business and they have caused us major cash flow problems by ordering lots of stock and not paying for it.Real shame here as we hoped for a lovely relationship but sadly we don't approve of treating fellow human beings like this.
Simon Aird
First time back for dinner since the rebrand back to Cloche Hat. Absolutely superb, beautifully presented and amazingly tasteful food combinations. Back to its best. Thanks chef Kyle and team.
Petia L
Wonderful dinner at The Cloche Hat. Food was delicious and well presented. Had a Californian wine which was wonderful.
David Barry
My family and I had the pleasure of dining at The Cloche Hat last night, and it was an experience that surpassed all our expectations. We opted for their four-course tasting menu, which is a limited offering for the month of September.The food was simply exquisite. Each course showcased a high level of culinary craftsmanship, complemented by a well-thought-out combination of flavours and textures. It's evident that the chef takes great pride in sourcing high-quality ingredients and executing each dish to perfection.In addition to the culinary delights, the service was impeccable. The waiting staff were not only friendly but also highly attentive, adding to the overall excellent dining experience.The Cloche Hat is an establishment that should not be missed. Exceptional food, great value and attentive service make it a must-visit.
miLarKey
Amazing food and service. Highly recommend the 8 course tasting menu! A fabulous way to sample the menu. Lovely and friendly staff. Looking forward to eating there again.
Absolutely Clueless! Like an old episode of ‘Beadles About!’We had a bizarrely hilarious evening at The Cloche Hat! What started out as a few raised eyebrows turned into raucous laughter by the end of the meal! It was so bad, it was funny!Highlights included:Everyone in the restaurant wearing coats because it was so cold.Our aperitifs were served over a half hour period. 4x people ordering a Gin & Tonic, two glasses of Champagne and a Sherry. 30mins to serve all four of them! The last drink provided one of the best moments of the evening! The staff had no idea what a sherry was and brought a couple of bottles of white wine and asked “Is this right?” The guest replied “Do you have an Amontillado?”, and they scurried away. Once they identified what they said was “the only brand of sherry in the bar”, they served a large tumbler with approx half a pint of the stuff! It wasn’t sherry so after much laughter, it was sent back and a beer was ordered instead!Another favourite moment was when the first course of the tasting menu arrived. Four small dishes were placed on the table and the waitress walked away. One member of the group said “excuse me, can you let us know what this is please?” To which the lady replied “I don’t know”. Another waitress was walking past our table and overheard the exchange. Rescuing her colleague, she said “it’s pork and fish madame”.Service was ridiculously slow. After being sat at our table for 2 1/2 hours, we had completed only two of our 5 courses. By this time, other diners were starting to complain and one couple asked for their bill. The staff attempted to charge them for all five courses and more laughter ensued as they fervently informed the staff that they were not paying for five courses when they had only been served two.We asked for them to hurry up our final course (dessert) because we had to relieve our babysitter soon. We were told “this is a fine dining restaurant and the food takes time”.Following that, the FoH team brought our dessert course out before they had cleared the empty plates from the previous course. Standing there with a tray of puddings, the completely gormless waitress said “please can you pass me your plates” and we were required to clear our own table!By this time, the politely quiet comments about the standard of the service were long gone. Another table left before completing their five courses and the subject of all the overheard chatter from other tables was focused on the appalling experience everyone was having.Our desserts arrived with no cutlery. It was a large spoonful of something resembling ice cream with cream and some freeze dried red fruit crumbs. It was tasty if not attractive looking but we had to guess what it was because obviously none of the staff told us. We had given up asking what the food was by this point because the staff didn’t know even when we did ask! Anyway, asking for some cutlery, the waitress brought us knives and forks to tackle the creamy blob with! A more specific request for spoons saw them replace the knives and forks with soup spoons!It was just comically bad on every level!Finally, when presented with the bill, I asked them to remove the Optional Service Charge and provided feedback on our experience. The waitress (who I think might have been the FoH manager) said “we cannot remove the service charge”. She received a very firm “Yes you can” and she did.No apologies and no attempt to entice us back to give them another chance. I left saying “you won’t be seeing us again”.If the restaurant owners/managers read this, I have a recommendation for you…. Hire staff that have worked in the restaurant trade before and if you can’t do that, hire staff that have eaten in a restaurant before at least once in their lives!
Roberto has said it all. We were sitting next to them. Food is good (although you'll be hungry still after 8 courses, that is if you manage to stay 3.5h waiting for it). Service was appalling. Clearly poor training (if any). This was a complete joke. And considering there's a booking system, very poor hospitality planning.... we also asked for a discount (got £25). Oh and they forgot to serve us a dish so had cold fish after venison.... not going back...
*Would not recommend*My wife and I decided to try the Cloche Hat after having been to Stovells many times before and having loved it. Sadly under new management the restaurant did not live up to expectations. When we arrived, we were taken straight to the table and sat down with no offer of drinks. There was cutlery missing from one side of the table and when the wine list arrived it was missing a page so only had by the glass options. The only option was the 8 course tasting menu, which whilst fine they should have mentioned when booking. After the first course arrived, my wife had to clarify that she had a peanut allergy as no one had asked and no one had been around to flag down. It took until the 3rd course before we managed to get someone’s attention and ask for water as none was offered at all. Multiple times, we were asked what our last course was to make sure that the next one was right. Not what you expect when paying £85 per person for food. We waited for 40mins between some courses which was better than one of the tables next to us who had waited 1.5h for a single Oyster to come out and was on the verge of just leaving. Given the wait, you would think that they would keep the wine/drinks flowing but alas, that was not to be. Getting a waiter's attention was almost impossible and we were left with empty glasses for half of the meal. We then decided after 3h to call it a day and not wait for the last course given how long things were taking. Rather than being apologetic, the owner then proceeded to argue saying that "this is normal and what you get with a Michelin star chef". Firstly, this is not a Michelin star restaurant and secondly, having eaten at Michelin star restaurants, the service is always impeccable and the food stunning. Whilst the food was good, it was not mind blowing at all and well the service....beyond bad. Finally, he offered to remove £35 off the total bill, which given we didn't finish the menu seemed only fair. However, they did then proceed to add 12.5% service charge after all of this! You know its bad when all the tables are talking to each other and saying how slow and bad the service is and where most tables in the restaurant had no food on it. All in all, not a pleasant experience and will not be going back. Save yourself the money and time and go elsewhere.
Although there seem to be more positive reviews than negative, I still feel the need to add this review from our November visit.Sadly, on the night we went, other than our table, there was only one other table of 2 people while we were there, which seemed strange for a Friday night.As we arrived, the restaurant looked like it was closed and, considering we had a booking, there was nobody in the reception area waiting to greet us.Instead of having pre-dinner drink in the bar se have done before, we went straight to the table as it was so cold in the bar area thinking it would be warmer in the restaurant. Wrong! The restaurant was cold as the fires were not lit, so I sat with my coat on for some of the time. The atmosphere was very cold and no ambience usually expected with surrounding chatter. We took relations there as a treat and were disappointed it was not the evening we had hoped for and therefore didn't stay for as long as we usually would.However, the food was OK. The young staff of 3 did their best but came across as feeling awkward and hovering and considering they weren’t busy we still had to ask for things.Sadly, although there are no restaurants of this type around, we would not go back again.
Excellent food and good value for money.The menu is changing constantly, so if you see something you like then book in or you will miss it!I feel like this restaurant is a bit of a secret, it used to be run and owned by someone else. The new owner/manager/chef is excellent.
We have had some fantastic food here.The recipes and menus that the chef creates are very very good.The fact that the food is so good also makes it exceptional value.I must go here again before too many people find out about it!!
A missed opportunity.Unfortunately, we had a less than pleasant visit to The Cloche Hat. We had visited Stovell's many times, which was great, so had high hopes.Firstly, the restaurant was freezing. I understand it's an old building, but there are so many effective portable heating solutions that could be used. We were so cold throughout the dinner service, which wasn't a great start.We opted for the 8 course tasting menu, and my wife had called ahead to adjust the menu, which was appreciated. All looked good. I opted for the wine flight pairing.Hors d'oeuvres arrived which were ok, but the "smoked" butter was cold unsalted butter with a bit of salt on top. No idea where the smoke was.The courses and wine were served, but with no explanation. Usually in a tasting menu, part of the allure is having things explained to you, or at the least, reminding you what the course is (it's an 8 course menu after all) and what wine is being served. It was guess work, with us having to ask every time for information.The starter of salmon nicoise was bland with no seasoning or sauce. It was supposed to come with a quali's egg, however it was missed off. When asked about it, they explained that the egg was in the tiny bit of squid ink on the side. Clearly missed out. The wine was cheap and bland. Disappointing.The other courses were average, at best. The beef carpaacio was tasty, however the pate served with it was strange. The vegetable millefeuille was undercooked with layers of almost raw pastry, plus it was cold. The halibut was good, but served with cold cubed vegetables, which wasn't pleasant.We were then served duck which wasn't on our menu. Much confusion from the staff but in the end the correct mains were served. I'm not sure how it's possible to make such a mistake when there were only 3 tables in the restaurant! But mistakes happen. I decided to speak with the team to ask them to double check the menu, speak with the kitchen to let us know if anything else was missed off or different. We were told that it's all fine.When our mains finally arrived, I had venison and my wife had guineafowl, both were surprisingly good and well seasoned. We were happy with them.The Clementine sorbet was actually pineapple sorbet. Bear in mind I've now asked 3 times whether the menu was correct! The dessert was nothing special, with a chocolate and a fig option. After my plate had been taken away, I reminded the staff whether I was supposed to have another wine with the pairing, which they then remembered about... After taking my plate away.Maybe my expectations were high, but for a restaurant to charge £130pp, and offer an experience like this is very poor. I don't blame the waiting staff. They were clearly young and out of their depths, and hadn't been given the right training. They did a good job given the circumstances. We were offered a discount for the experience, but the damage had been done by that point.Some advice, if you're serving a tasting menu, have the waiting staff explain each course to customers. If they've got the wine pairing, explain what the wines are. Serve what you're saying on the menu, especially if someone has called in advance. If you need substitutes, that's fine but at least communicate! Finally, get some decent heating. There's so much potential, don't waste it.We won't be returning, but I hope you turn it around.
Was booked to play here back in August. The pub cancelled last minute, resulting in lost earnings for the entire band. As it was a Bank Holiday Friday we had many offers for work that day after accepting the initial booking, however due to the late cancellation, we were unable to secure another booking resulting in lost in income for all band members. The venue has ghosted us in regards to cancellation fee, and have ignored every legal letter that has been sent to them. If you’re a musician, supplier, or any professional I advise you not to work with these people. I can see from the reviews that I’m not the only one who’s had this experience.
SuperbParking: On premises
Poor place really for the
Restaurantji Recommends
Very very disappointed here as we have provided the cloche hat every opportunity to pay their debts to suppliers but after 30.days we challenged them as per our agreement. They asked for a payment plan which they have not honoured.Not once an apology or any recalcitrance. Often we call and get promised call backs that don't happen.We appreciate people have financial difficulties but we are a small family run business and they have caused us major cash flow problems by ordering lots of stock and not paying for it.Real shame here as we hoped for a lovely relationship but sadly we don't approve of treating fellow human beings like this.
First time back for dinner since the rebrand back to Cloche Hat. Absolutely superb, beautifully presented and amazingly tasteful food combinations. Back to its best. Thanks chef Kyle and team.
Wonderful dinner at The Cloche Hat. Food was delicious and well presented. Had a Californian wine which was wonderful.
My family and I had the pleasure of dining at The Cloche Hat last night, and it was an experience that surpassed all our expectations. We opted for their four-course tasting menu, which is a limited offering for the month of September.The food was simply exquisite. Each course showcased a high level of culinary craftsmanship, complemented by a well-thought-out combination of flavours and textures. It's evident that the chef takes great pride in sourcing high-quality ingredients and executing each dish to perfection.In addition to the culinary delights, the service was impeccable. The waiting staff were not only friendly but also highly attentive, adding to the overall excellent dining experience.The Cloche Hat is an establishment that should not be missed. Exceptional food, great value and attentive service make it a must-visit.
Amazing food and service. Highly recommend the 8 course tasting menu! A fabulous way to sample the menu. Lovely and friendly staff. Looking forward to eating there again.