Went for my Mother's 70th Birthday party, it's where she'd always wanted to go but none of us will be going back. You expect relaxed service, not being rushed and feeling well looked after. To start this is how it appeared to be but by the end of the night it was clearly just very poor service and it was over 3 hours before we got to order our desserts...by which time we'd almost given up. It was over 1.5 hours before we'd got our starters! The starters were fine, nothing special (£16.95 for asparagus and butter seemed steep). For main course the signature duck dish was terrible, dry and badly presented, two people at the table didn't eat more than half before giving up. The sea bream was massively over cooked, again two plates left with most of the food on them. The two steaks were good but unfortunately sharp knives were not provided. It took two requests to get sharper knives by which time the steak was getting past it's best. The side dishes were served, again nothing special, but once again we had to ask for cutlery, scooping couliflour cheese and potato gratin onto your plate is a lot harder when you don't have any serving spoons. As a party of seven only two ordered dessert and to be absolutely fair the pineapple dish was excellent. Wine was good but we didn't get a chance to drink much. We sat several times at our table with empty glasses and our bottles hidden away somewhere...we had to ask for our wine several times. Table wasn't cleaned properly, the waiter even managed to put the chocolates on a runner bean they'd left on the table...he saw it, didn't move it and plonked the plate on top. Before leaving I mentioned all that was wrong, not wanting to make a fuss and ruin my mother's birthday. The reply I got was that they were two waiters down and hoped we'd return another time. I was also told by one of the waiters that he'd seen me at the restaurant before...I explained it was my first time but to be told again that he recognised me...fascinating and I asked him of what importance it was but only got a sorry. The service charge was refunded and we waited for our cab that they had ordered for us...a cab for 5 people and they managed to get that wrong and ordered a cab for 4...it just about topped off the night, they can't even order a cab. To be completely honest there is nothing special about this restaurant apart from teh location which is beautiful. Maybe we were unlucky that night but having to pay well over £400 to experience being unlucky was a shame. Mother's 70th birthday well messed up...wish we'd cooked at home, it would have been better!

We used to eat at the French Horn, Sonning, a few times a year, as we have had excellent service there, especially when we celebrated our 19th Wedding anniversary with a party of 12. (We couldn't count and thought it was our 20th!!!!!!!!!)

We eat at Xmas and throughout the year when we celebrated a birthday, or just wanted a nice meal with good service.

We last eat there Xmas 2008, and although the meal was good, the service failed such that we no longer use the restaurant. My wife asked for something different to Xmas pudding, which she does not like, and the French waiter she asked, tutted rather loudly. We complained about this to one of the waiters, which may well have been taken on board, but we will now never know.

I would still recommend them as it is a family run business and it produces excellent food and service normally.

Food is wonderful. Service is consistently the best I've ever received anywhere, but also with a friendly nature you don't receive in a great deal of places.

The ambience of the restaurant is also excellent. I'd describe it as warm, cosy and intimate. The lawns and gardens are always immaculate, even after the flooding it often receives from the Thames.

I've been with my wife uncounted times now over the years, and will continue to do so for as long as possible. Long may it continue under its current ownership.