Yew Tree Inn, Highclere, Berkshire
Despite rumours that he was no longer the owner of this country pub/restaurant, his moniker still appears on the gable wall. So this is more properly known as Marco Pierre White’s Yew Tree Inn.
We went here last year on Lisa and Gav’s joint birthday, and repeated the party this year. Once again, the food was great, the service warm, friendly and efficient, and the company brilliant.
Potted shrimp with melba toast (could have been improved by warming the potted shrimp, but maybe that’s not the idea?)
Asparagus with vinaigrette dressingRoast partridge with all the trimmings (chipolatas, game chips, bacon, brussels sprouts, chestnuts, bread sauce, breadcrumbs, cooking juices)
Steak with snail sauce and chips
Smoked haddock with crushed potatoes, poached egg and mustard sauceUpside-down apple tart with cream
Rice pudding with red fruit compote
Creme brulee
Despite a heavily French wine list, the antipodean waitress recommended a nice and good value Aussie shiraz when I asked for a recommendation of “something like a New World shiraz”).
John | Family, Food, Restaurants
One of our worst dining experiences in the last 30 years. We waited for over an hour and a half for our booked table, our wine glasses had not been cleaned properly, food barely adequate but to be fair it was relatively cheap. Staff run around like headless chickens apologising for everything that has gone wrong but not putting anything right. I wrote to the manager after our experience and received a detailed response accepting that service during our visit had been unacceptable and offering us a complimentary return visit. When we repsonded with our thanks and a date for this visit, two emails and two letters were left unanswered, further adding to the level of professionalism you can expect from this very poor restaurant.
Having booked, we left this restaurant after waiting twenty minutes and having paid £15 for two bottles of water we had to fight for, without being offered wine or our order taken. The place was run by a couple of teenage girls supervised by a scarcely less competent woman. A letter to the management has not been answered.
Marco Pierre White’s name means nothing!