Reviews of Whiteley's Family Restaurant, Bordon
Review by Peter on 18th December, 2014
Add your review Date visited: None
Notice of fact to all those spitefull people who love to backstab .Whiteleys when it shut belonged to Enterprise Inns.they are the ones that decided to sell for re development .There wasn't any thing wrong with what we did.Our food was good we had lots of people who were very sad that we stopped trading.When I took this place on when it was the old Robin Hood it was about to be boarded ,we however rescued it from closure back in 2009.I am amazed how many back stabbed there are.We were doing over a 200 people every week on a Sunday Carvery and weddings and Functions.The reason why it shut was it was not supported during the week days and you can not run a place of that size for just weekend trade.we tried to encourage week day trade but even giving two for one deals ,the only way to get to the place was by car no locals to speak of.I can give any body lots of good ref from people who loved our food and drink and service and I can not believe how vindictive some people are.I tried to keep the place going and all I have done is lost money because I attempted to keep it going .Well it's gone now and there is an old saying use it or lose it and you have lost it like all the other thousands of pubs shutting.keep using the2for ones and the hungry horses and that's all there will be left.Dont be so quick to judge with out knowing the facts.Enterprise tried to sell the lease but nobody was up for it.So it's shut forever unfortunately
Review by Tony on 15th October, 2014
Add your review Date visited: Not lately
Well, finally Whiteleys has been consigned to the dustbin of history.
This was never going to work, just read the reviews, bad service and unappetizing food at high prices are not a recipe for success in this day and age.
We used to use the Robin Hood which was a great pub/restaurant, not "run down" as Mr Whiteley claims.
It had been refurbished and extended in 2006 and was a great place, good food and great value.
Peter "Muppet" Whiteley took it on and announced that it was no longer a pub and you couldn't just go in for a drink!
How to win friends and influence people.....
RIP Robin Hood.
Review by Peter on 13th November, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 11th Nov
Reply to Mr Gardner,Your Carvery that cost you £11.95(which i might add is the Price that is normaly charged for a one course)Was Nothing wrong with it, it included 4 different vegetables roast and new potatoes and a slice of FOUR Meats if you wanted.So Whiteleys were offering you a free dessert in effect.They were very very busy and had two main waitress staff absent! i believe?I think they managed incredibley well ,given your party was so big and even reduced it further by another £1!you have to give them credit for that.I go to this carvery every week and it is the best!Give it another try
Review by Mr D Gardner on 11th November, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 11/11/12
I went to Whitleys to day as part of a party of around 38 people for the 2 course carvery. Whilst the carvery was okay in terms of the meat on offer the vegetables left a lot to be desired mainly the lack of variety however it all went wrong when we ordered the sweet part of the meal, we placed our individulal orders and I appreciate that with 38 different sweet orders you would have to wait a bit for it to arrive, however over an hour was a bit much and while we were waiting no one from the restaurant said anything to inform us what was happening with our order and it was only when someone from our party approached a member of staff only to be told that our order had been lost, somebody elso told our party that there was a mix up with our order. When my order actually arrived (which was Pancakes with Cream) the pancake was cold.
At £12.95 not very good value for money.
I would add that when I came to pay I had my bill reduced by £1 not a lot for all the hassle, still better than nothing.
Review by Peter on 19th October, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 18/10/11
Whiteley’s replaces the Run down Robin Hood Pub in Standford. Peter & Rossanna Whiteley are the proud owners of Whiteley’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant that has now been trading for over two years and continues to offer our customers quality homemade food in a clean ambient restaurant environment .Whether you require weekday value senior citizens choices, sandwiches or lighter bites or a first class Steak ,Seafood and world cuisine Menu. Our food is fresh and locally sourced; we do not buy frozen fish only fresh. Our Christmas Menu is out now, both the Run up Christmas menu and Christmas day and New Year’s Eve Party. In between these events we also do some splendid popular food nights with live entertainment and eat all you can buffet’s, whether Italian or South East Asian including a drink. Functions are the key to the benefits of this large venue, where we cater for up to 200 people for Weddings, Christening’s, Anniversaries, Birthdays, wakes, Kids Birthday Parties and many more. We even have our own indoor soft play area for kids. .This is a particular hit on Sunday’s where we do our full Carvery and our a la carte menu. We have two separate areas for dining, one for families with little ones and one for people who do not want young kids running about. Functions over 100 people we even let you use our own marquee for free! And of course we do not charge for the venue. We are a family of Chefs who really care about our customers enjoying themselves .We always strive to improve our offering and take note of our customers suggestions .We even offer a Membership card which gives you back 10% of all your drinks cost with us to redeem off food at a later date ,rewarding loyalty. We would love to see you all here at Whiteley’s and please feel free to check out our website for forthcoming events and Menu’s www.whiteleysfamilyrestaurant.co.uk or telephone 01428 751635.There are lots of other things that are planned for this site including accommodation and a large outdoor wooden kids play park! Watch this space!
Review by M Armstrong on 2nd October, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 1st October 2011
My husband and I went to the Italian evening at Whiteley's last Saturday. The food was splendid, beautifully prepared and delicious. There was plenty of it too and many people went back for second and third helpings. Included in the price of £23 was a glass of wine and superb entertainment for the whole evening. Ray Lowe, a Frank Sinatra tribute artist, was fantastic, and we have seen the genuine article in Vegas years ago!! Everyone had a fun evening and the service was excellent too.
Now we will visit Whiteley's on a regular basis and look forward to their next gala evening on December 8th.
Review by R.Marquez on 18th February, 2011
Add your review Date visited: Feb 2011
This restaurant is fantastic!all homemade food and lovely steaks and seafood.We went their with our kids and they even have an indoor soft play area.I have read the reviews on this site and i am shocked at the degrading comments a few people have made.9 of my friends from liphook have visited on several ocasions and they have all praised both the friendly atmosphere and the lovely food!Also its so CLEAN!what a breath of fresh Air.Keep it up Whiteley's
Review by peter on 12th November, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 12th November 2010
Stuart,i must point out to you that i asked your party of 30 people to order in advance off a limited menu and was told by you that you would as you can never expect what in effect was 15 tables of 2 people all ordering different starters and different mains(all freshly made and cooked to order) all at the same time + kids on other tables,sitting two different tabs to the same table,then moving to a different table,when the waitresses came out with an order people were saying its theres when it wasn't.As for the drinks price,we do not have any beer at £4.20 or £4.30 a pint.I accept that your experience was less than we normally expect as my waitresses got in a bit of a muddle with the orders.A child started to eat an adult burger and this was replaced.The food standard was good but some people got the wrong orders.This should not have happened and i should not have accepted your party on an add hock basis as the result speaks for itself.
I must strongly recommend that you pre order next time you go out as a party and stick to what arangements you make.these types of comments are not fair to any business,especially when prior arrangements were supposed to have been made.Whiteley's offers fresh quality superb food but can not always work miracles!
Review by Stuart morgan on 1st November, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 30th Oct 2010
We ate here recently and I can only describe the experience as a disapointment. There were 6 tables being occupied all by some friends. The rest of the place was empty. We all arrived at different times and ordered at different times (so no different to 6 normal customers arriving rather than 1 big group)
Firstly the service was terrible, food was served to the wrong tables adults burgers and kids burgers were mixed up, one of the party didn't get a meal. The quality of the food was ok, it certainly wasn't great and it certainly wasn't good value for money.
As for the cost of drinks, £4.30 for a pint of beer. £3.50 for a pint of coke and £1.75 for a childs fruit shoot!
When I questioned the cost of the drinks I was told it was because they were a restaurant rather than a pub. What the difference was I don't know and how that made the drinks more expensive I also don't know. It was a shame for us, it could be a location we could use a lot, but the price didn't get close to the level of service or food. I'm very happy to pay £30 for a main course if the food is worth it, the food here didn't come close to the cost.
Review by Alison on 29th August, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 29/08/2010
We visited Whiteleys today and were delighted with firstly the quality of the carvey and secondly the family friendliness of the restaurant.
The soft play and colouring provided were perfect for entertaining our children (age 3 and 5) to make our lunch time a stress free experience.
The carvey meat was very tender and the traditional veg were crisp, rather then soggy. The crumble pudding was also excellent.
The staff were very friendly and efficient.
We regularly eat out and have seen a range of establishments. This was certainly one of the better caveries we have had.
Review by chapman family on 3rd January, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 31st Dec 2009
My Family and i visited Whiteley's today!May i say what a transformation!from the past Robin Hood,We had a wonderful meal and the service was excellent!I can't understand the negative comments on this site???This is the third time of us going to Whiteley's,i had one of their tasty Steaks,so tender and well cooked,my wife had the Boneless Bangus!!now that was fantastic,its a Filipino marinated milk fish,so tasty and different from your usual finds,my brother had the Paella and his wife had the Moules,so much choice with friendly service.May i suggest that the other commenter's on this site try again as they are missing out big time!I have tried the carvery before and found it good.well done to the Whiteley family!we will be back.
Review by mullins family on 13th December, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 13th dec 2009(lunchtime)
We visited Whiteleys today and we were very much looking forward to trying out the carvery as most decent carverys are quite a drive away, but as this is only around the corner for us we were hoping it would be really nice so that we could use it on a regular basis, I had read the reviews on this site in the morning, but being open minded we wanted to see for ourselves, as sometimes someones elses bad experience isnt what you encounter. Both myself and my husband had the two course carvery and our daughter had the childrens one. Let me point out that my husband and I have eaten at some very high class establishments and have paid some very high prices for top quality food and service, this we do not mind as we are great believers in "you get what you pay for".
There was rib of beef or turkey on offer, so we all went for the beef, unfortunately this was extremely fatty, which yes you can argue that rib cut is and this is what adds the flavour, but as this is the only cut of beef i cook at home you can cook it so the fat renders down so much that you hardly notice it, but nearly every mouthfull I took was chunks of fat( this also wasnt helped by the fact that the chief was cutting the meat on the wrong angle, which ment you had slices of fat rather than slices of beef with a marbling of fat running thru) my daughters was cut from the outside so basically it was just dry, crispy bits which she struggled to eat, the yorkshire were very doughy inside (thick dough) the vegetables were basic, the gravy was very nice though and the roast potatoes had a lovely flavour but unfortunately had been kept in a closed ban marie which of course they would have then sweat in and so all the crispyness had gone from them all together. Very pour choice of desert for the price you are paying also. All in all for £12.99 per person this was disapointing to say the least, we have had much better for half the price in other establishments around the area, as said such a shame as we would have used this on a regular basis if we had felt it was good enough for the price charged. Staff were lovely, polite etc so no concerns there.
we were also interested to see the "regular" menu as this is stated as a seafood and steak, there is a good choice of steak, but as far as seafood goes it looked once again disapointing, we would have liked to find mussels, crab, lobster, or even a wonderful seafood platter to share, but unfortunatley it was a couple of different fish and good old prawn cocktail and smoked salmon, we also had a look at the salad bar which is a bit of a joke im afraid, a few tomatoes, cucumber and celery, so pleased we didnt have the faijitas and salad bar at a whoping £16.99!
Once again such a shame, we eat out with friends once a week and love to find really good places to eat, but have had to say to them we will not be trying here again, I do however wish them luck, as this could have been agreat opportunity to bring a touch of class to the area, I just feel they have missed this in quite a big way, it was all average for a higher than average price, I wouldnt say dont eat here,it wasnt totally repellant, but I myself will strive to find much better quality of food for my money.
thankyou.
Review by Melanie & David Boxall on 20th November, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 19th November 2009
I decided to book a table at Whiteleys restaurant for my husband's birthday. We live locally and it was nice not to have to travel too far. For a steak and seafood restaurant the menu was more in favour of the meat eater rather than the seafood eater. With an obvious lack of fish why do they only serve cod and chips on a Friday ? It would have been nice to have had the choice.
The smoked salmon starter was very inferior quality that anyone could have put on a plate with a bit of salad (my daughter's smoked salmon was oily and chewy) and both starters came without the tarter sauce that was meant to accompany the smoked salmon. Also it would have been nice to have had a portion of brown bread and butter.
The steaks were served well, but the homemade chips were slightly undercooked and not crispy. My daughter's tacos came with a small portion of grated cheese - when I have had tacos in restaurants it has been served with quacamole, sour cream and a tomato salsa. This came with nothing.
The place was empty with only one other table occupied and with very loud dated music there was no atmosphere in a restaurant that has the feel of 1980's with decor to match. The Robin Hood was once a cosy, rustic, village pub - this has all gone.
What a shame that Whiteley's has not taken the opportunity with its position in the community to offer a restuarant with good quality food which is reasonably priced. Who wants to pay £20.99 for a t-bone steak. My bill came to £96.00 excluding tip (4 starters, 1 kids meal, 3 main courses, 1 bottle of wine and 2 soft drinks). I would rather pay a little bit more for better quality food and in nicer surroundings.
I did make a few comments during the meal to the waitress who was friendly and helpful, but did not want to make too much of a fuss as it was my husband's birthday. My disappointment was reflected in a small tip.
Review by Peter Whiteley on 13th November, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 13/11
It is a shame that some people feel it is overpriced at Whiteley's ITS NOT in fact most people think that its very reasonable for what you get.In fact its the quality of the meat and fresh fish that's important and sourced from local suppliers,how its cooked next and the whole atmosphere of the place.Fillet steak is not found on a lot of menu's these days as its cost is very high,so if you are going to eat a good quality bit of meat then I'm afraid the old saying is ''you get what you pay for ''applies!It's my policy that my customers get home cooked food that's good quality.If my outside menu doesn't have prices on it its because i want to maintain this menu and don't want to update outsides menu board prices in a years time.Takeaway menu's are available inside with prices.I hope all our customers go away happy but life always proves you cant please everybody all the time.I'm achieving 95 percent very happy customers at present so that's not bad,but we will always strive to be excellent!There is no doubt that we will succeed given the support from local people.We offer an alternative lunchtime menu and a Saturday and Sunday carvery,we are starting a two and three course Christmas Menu 24th Nov to 23rd Dec;lunch time and evening.Also we are open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day where we are only charging £39.99 for 5 courses on those days which includes live music hopefully Grand Piano Christmas Pianist.
Review by local resident on 7th November, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 31 October
We wanted to support a local enterprise but this is an absolute disaster. The food is incredibly overpriced. £23 for a steak and salad leaf and at a "family restaurant.. The waiting staff was keen but inexperienced and the steak when it came was not how I had orderered it. This is not how to manage a restaurant although it does come with a couple of "firsts". First restaurant I know that displays a menu without prices outside. First restaurant to tell you very strictly on the menu that "tips are taxable". The site is good and the owner wants to succeed but the menu and the whole experience need a major revamp if it is to survive.
Review by Mr R. Brown on 5th November, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 28th October 2009
My wife and i visited Whiteley's on the day after there opening night and may i say that the standard was very high!We had a wonderful meal and the owner is to be congratulated on his ability to overcome the difficulties he had the night before,which he tells me is mainly due to the large numbers that came all at once without booking!well done Whiteley's thanks R Brown
Review by Tony on 28th October, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 27 October 2009
Decided to give Whiteleys a go on their opening night by way of encouragement.
We used to use the Robin Hood after its refurbishment in 2004/5 and lamented its more recent demise as we live fairly near and it was a convenient place to go for a nice meal.
First of all let me say that the food itself was excellent but even making allowances for opening night mishaps the experience was an interesting one.
The kindest way I can put it is to say that the service was compromised by the inexperience of the bar and waiting staff, with one main course arriving (cold) long before the other, in fact before my starter had been cleared away. The other main course took over 10 minutes to be served. Several other couples and groups appeared to be dissatisfied with the service on the evening. Let us hope that things improve with practice
Another comment worth making is that the menu offers a choice of one side only with a main course. For example with my rump steak came with a choice of vegetables OR salad OR chips OR potatoes. I think most people would expect to have it with vegetables or salad PLUS a potato choice but to have this would mean ordering the potatoes as an extra side dish.
That leads me on to comment about the menu prices which are a little on the high side. I can see that Mr Whiteley is trying to set a high standard and he is to be applauded for doing so but I fear that he will struggle to fill the seats on an ongoing basis at these prices.
On a positive note it was nice to see a well presented and varied salad bar available.
I wish Whiteleys much success - there is demand in this area for a good standard establishment like this. Hopefully with some price adjustments and a slicker operation we'll be able to make it a frequent port of call.
Review by Mr Whiteley on 11th September, 2009
Add your review Date visited: sept 09
Notice to all readers ,The Robin Hood is being changed to a family Restaurant called WHITELEY'S FAMILY RESTAURANT.This will be re-launched the second week of October 2009.It will offer a first class Steakhouse chargrilled and seafood Restaurant Menu + kids menu catering for family's and Buisiness clients alike a good quality wine list,together with a good drinks choice will be offered.The Chef owner together with his chef Richmond will prepair the highest of quality meals with a warm and friendly welcoming atmosphere.The New Owner and his wife look forward to you dining at our restaurant.Please note it will no longer opperate like a pub and no alcohol will be served without a meal to anyone.We will also be open for breakfast and Sunday Carvery.
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