It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, and I was taking a relative to Loch Fyne for a birthday treat. I was looking forward to it; Elton is a beautiful village outside Peterborough, and the restaurant appeared to be inside an old building.
The service was somewhat frosty and sluggish. We were kept waiting a long time between courses. I opted for the King Prawns with Chilli, Lemon and Garlic to start. It was a very pleasant dish- there was just enough chilli for it to be warming, and enough garlic to be brave. My guest had the smoked salmon and rocket and was very happy with it.
The problems came with the main course. I opted for the talapia with a citrus marinade, new potatoes and samphire. I had mixed vegetables as a side order. I was being brave- I'd never tried talapia before. As it turned out, it was fine, just another white fish. I'm not sure I would have put a citrus marinade on it, especially when serving it with potatoes and samphire. The overall dish didn't really work as a whole. The mixed veg was a disaster. The carrots looked like they'd been peeled the day before and left out- they were grey round the edges. They were undercooked, but not as badly cooked as the broccoli. It was raw!
My guest had the dressed crab with new potatoes and green beans. She was bitterly disappointed- the crab meat was full of shell. A complaint was put in and we were told that the crab was dressed off-site. We were offered another main course, and chose whiting in parsley sauce with new potatoes. This was very good, but my guest felt slightly embarassed because I had nearly finished my meal by the time the whiting arrived.
It was a great shame. The restaurant has everything in its favour- a beautiful building, good parking, a nice village and a reputable brand. Sadly, it does not deliver, with the lack of care with the food and the poor service. I'll be sticking to the Chelmsford branch in future.
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