The Forest

In search of somewhere to go for a family meal we came across the Forest. I booked me and my family in with Sean who was very polite and helpful. Even a last minute time change wasn’t a problem and no hassle at all. Upon arrival we were greeted with a warm welcome. Being a Sunday we opted for the Sunday roast. I had the beef which was fantastic. Tender, full of flavour, seasoned potatoes, a good Yorkshire pudding and gravy to die for. Others got the chicken which also looked lovely. It was a nice relaxed family atmosphere. A special mention for Sean who seemed to be running things with great effect through delegation or his charming self. He ensured our glasses were always full without us having to flag down a waitress or waiter. It was just an all round pleasant experience. From the staff, the service, and the quality of food and drink. Certainly the best in the area for food and drink. We now have a solid place to go to for future family meals. Thank you Sean and Team.

Came to eat here for the first time for my dads birthday and this has been one of my more difficult reviews because the scenery is beautiful and the lights outdoor and candles on the tables must look beautiful at night and most importantly there is an outdoor play area. it is small but there is one and the food was lovely. The place does have a lot of potential which was why I would love to give it 5 stars based on that however the review is as a whole, and it has not been looked after well, the tall chairs have half the studs missing out the back of them the regular chairs are mismatched, one of the arms was missing from an arm chair, there was only one high chairs for babies and it was broken which was actually a safety concern and the toilets are not very well signposted. In regards to the service was not the best firstly when we tried to get booked in they were floundering over the booking system then seated us. Once seated the waitress seemed nervous, didn't ask about allergies, was taking menus away before asking everyones order and I reminded her not everyone had ordered she laughed saying it must be because they were so quiet. of course when I specifically said no tartare sauce the food came with the tartare sauce which I pointed out. Also while ordering, the waitress needed to keep running to the back as apparently the menus had recently changed (for example the sorbet didn't say the flavour on the menu and when we asked the waitress didn't know) While i'm sure the staff are probably lovely people and I had no issue with their attitude in that sense, it wasn't the best atmosphere for a relaxed birthday lunch to have to chase down staff who are running back and forth because they don't know answers about their own restaurant, it was like everyone was new working there. Not sure if maybe it only newly opened which might explain it. We asked for the bill at least 2 or 3 times saying we wanted to split the bill into itemised amounts, each time someone said they'd get the card reader and we wouldn't see them again and even though we said we wanted to pay for our own portion they still just split it evenly and at that point we wanted to leave because we'd first asked for the bill ages ago by that point and the baby was getting fractious. So I summarise lots of potential, amazing place but decor needs TLC and treat themselves to functional baby chairs immediately and improve staff knowledge of products and procedures which I'm sure with practice the confidence will improve and customers will leave very satisfied every time. Fingers crossed for this place. It's got a lot more potential than most. Maybe even add a swing or something to the play area outside expand the play area? Also perhaps advertise for more business. Excited to see this restaurant reach its potential. Also sad that the chocolate brownie is leaving the menu it is the only dessert I was interested in (love simple puddings like apple pie, jam pudding and chocolate fudge cake and so do children it is honestly quite shocking to only have sorbet as a childrens dessert option not even a fruit salad or something)

fantastic 2 night break away for our anniversary and kid free. Beth is fantastic and looked after us the whole time we were there. Ethan was great with his cocktails. ans Sean keeps everything in check. even had a little bit of entertainment on the Saturday 😆 food is delicious and worked my way through the gin and cocktail list over the 2 nights. will definitely be back thinking in the summer as the beer garden looks lovely