The Fat Dog, Shrivenham Reviews
Latest Reviews
★★★☆☆
“Very disappointed”
Written on: 04/03/2012 by Tawneyd
Went there last night for my parents wedding anniversary, as had been there a few years ago and enjoyed the experience. Not this time, the service was slow and the member of staff was not friendly. I had the scallops for starters, 3 very small ones, and not really tasty, didnt warrant the cost. Overall we found the food bland, the lamb shank and pork medallions were tough. Cost of a glass of wine spritzer was £7.00. The decor bland and there was no atmosphere......would have had a... (read more)
★★★★★
“EXCELLENT FOOD, SERVICE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL”
Written on: 13/07/2011 by cptcargoltd (1 review written)
Neil and his team welcomed our party of 28 guests to the restaurant for a late Sunday lunch party in early July. Prior to the event we worked with Neil and his chef to come up with a mouthwatering and affordable menu with plenty of choices for all. The food served was excellent, portions were very large and satisfied our hungry guests!! Our "late lunch" went on until 8pm in the evening (by choice) and despite this overrun we were still made to feel welcome!! Nothing was too much trouble.... (read more)
★★★★★
“What a recommendation!”
Written on: 11/07/2011
Had heard through friends that the Fat Dog was great and the new chef was good but they really undersold the place. Super food, spot on service and the atmosphere was wonderful. Loved stopping for lunch and will return very soon, would highly recommend and also have a look at this venue for parties and celebrations too. (read more)
★★★★★
“Excellent lunch venue”
Written on: 04/07/2011
I recently stopped here with friends when heading back to Swindon. Had a lovely 2 course table d'hote meal - wonderfully prepared and served. The outside of the building doesn't do justice to the internal decor orquality of food - please ignore the boring exterior and give it a try - I'm planning on taking my family soon! (read more)
★★★★★
“The food was incredible. Didnt have a long wait and...”
Written on: 14/04/2011
The food was incredible. Didnt have a long wait and service was brilliant... The best food i have ever tasted. Well done to everyone at the Fat Dog.Amazing evening...will definately be back (read more)
★★★★★
“I had a meal at the Fat Dog on Friday 8 April with a...”
Written on: 13/04/2011
I had a meal at the Fat Dog on Friday 8 April with a group of friends. It was my first visit and we had a lovely evening. The restaurant was very welcoming and tastefully decorated - we instantly felt at home.
I chose black pudding with soft boiled quail's egg to start with followed by roasted pepper stuffed with walnuts, couscous and sun-dried tomatoes in creamy spinach sauce, and finished up with lemon tart. Each course looked and tasted delicious and the portion sizes were just right....
(read more)
Neil09's Comment
Written on: 14/04/2011
Many thanks for your review. I am pleased that you enjoyed your first experience of The Fat Dog.
<br/>
<br/>I will pass on your comments to the chef and the front of house team. The new dishes have received very positive feedback on both the taste and visual appearance side from a number of new and existing customers which is really exciting for us.
<br/>
<br/>Look forward to seeing you again.
<br/>
<br/>Regards,
<br/>
<br/>Neil
<br/>
<br/>
Reply to this comment
★★★★★
“I had meal here with a colleague. Very good quality...”
Written on: 12/04/2011
I had meal here with a colleague. Very good quality food prepared just right. Plate had a variety of flavours and left me wanting more. Have booked a table for Friday night, taking some good friends out for a meal. Looking forward to a good night out - I am going for the lamb again!
Fondant was excellent and came with vanilla and almond ice cream made on site.
Based on today's meal, I can only recommend the Fat Dog.
Thank you guys!
(read more)
Neil09's Comment
Written on: 13/04/2011
Thank you very much for your comments.
<br/>
<br/>We look forward to welcoming you and your friends back on Friday.
<br/>
<br/>Regards,
<br/>
<br/>Neil
<br/>
<br/>
Reply to this comment
★☆☆☆☆
“how the dog got fat is a mystery given the portion...”
Written on: 04/04/2011
how the dog got fat is a mystery given the portion sizes on offer. As someone of diminutive stature 5'6" & 10 stone i never expected to walk away from a restaurant hungry. The food was tasty but not enough of it. We were advised to order veg dishes adding to the cost and then we waitedover an hour for it to arrive. Not impressed by the consolation free bottle of wine because we'd been sat so long. It didn't make up for the lack of food. Over priced undersized and too long to arrive wouldn't... (read more)
Rachel1966's Comment
Written on: 07/04/2011
Please note that the previous Directors of the Fat Dog in Shrivenham, Jim and Rachel McKenzie left the business on 31st March 2011.
Reply to this comment
Neil09's Comment
Written on: 09/04/2011
As the owner of The Fat Dog I am obviously disappointed to read your review. Last weekend was a transitional phase for the restaurant as the previous head chef left during the week and we were in effect combining two menus. We identified a problem where parties went straight to mains, such as yours, which caused a delay in service. This has now been rectified.
<br/>I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your experience with us in person and as such would be grateful if you could ring me on 01793 783443 or by email at info@thefatdog.co.uk.
<br/>Regards,
<br/>Neil
Reply to this comment
★☆☆☆☆
“We had been to the Fat Dog once before but it was...”
Written on: 03/04/2011
We had been to the Fat Dog once before but it was newly open and we had a 25% of voucher. I think this mat have clouded our judgement! We returned last night with two friends and we were all very disappointed. Over priced, small portions and slow service. We all agreed that when we left we felt completely ripped off!! We decided not to have a starter after the experience of our previous visit when we thought the starts were expensive for "not a lot". So we order main courses. We waited an... (read more)
Rachel1966's Comment
Written on: 07/04/2011
Please note that the previous Directors of the Fat Dog, Jim and Rachel McKenzie, left the business on 31st March 2011.
Reply to this comment
Neil09's Comment
Written on: 09/04/2011
As the owner of The Fat Dog I am obviously disappointed to read your review. Last weekend the restaurant was in a transition phase as the previous head chef had left during the week and in effect we were combining two menu's. The dishes had been adjusted to reflect previous customer feedback that our portion sizes were too large but I will take on board your comments and review the dishes your ordered with the new chef.
<br/>We identified a problem when parties went straight to mains, such as yours, which caused a delay in service. This has now been rectified.
<br/>I would like the opportunity to discuss your experience in person and as such would be grateful if you couldcontact me on 01793 783443 or email me at info@thefatdog.co.uk.
<br/>Regards,
<br/>
<br/>Neil
<br/>
Reply to this comment
★☆☆☆☆
“I visited the Fat Dog this month with great...”
Written on: 08/11/2010
I visited the Fat Dog this month with great expectations but was very disappointed. The food from start to finish was pretty average and really only what you'd expect from any old pub. Definitely not a gastro-pub by any stretch of the imagination! The service was not exactly friendly and the place didn't seem to have any atmosphere at all. Overall poor and I would not recommend this to anyone. (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 20 Reviews
★★★★★
“Following a change of ownership recently, this...”
Written on: 28/10/2010 by neilb999 (1 review written)
Following a change of ownership recently, this restaurant is really coming in to its own. I have to confess to being a fan of the owner's cooking having had several excellent meals at previous establishments where Jim was in charge in the kitchen and he does not disappoint. Although not cheap, there is a wide choice of starters, mains and desserts and a very good reasonably priced wine list. I believe that if you are going out for a special occasion or even just a treat at the weekend,it's... (read more)
★★★★★
“Ate dinner there last night - really nice. Lovely...”
Written on: 03/10/2010
Ate dinner there last night - really nice. Lovely welcome from host. Table too big for 2 of us, so they quickly moved place settings near to each other. Very attentive waiting staff, quick to ask if we wanted drinks etc. Lovely menu choices. Food delicious - clean plates sent back! Dessert menu lovely too. Not the cheapest meal, but it was good. Yes, I would recommend this to my firends and colleagues. Perhaps for special occassions rather than just a meal out. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Very disappointing, serving staff friendly but kitchen...”
Written on: 15/09/2010
Very disappointing, serving staff friendly but kitchen let them down, waited too long for food. The food when it arrived was just average about the same standard I would cook at home for a week day evening meal, deserts were not very appealing had to choose ice cream unheard of for a foodie like me not much of a choice either. On the plus side the table wear and furnishings are modern. Would I go back or recommend to a friend definately not (read more)
The Fat Dog's Comment
Written on: 21/09/2010
Many thanks for your comments which will prove valuable to our new business moving forward and highlights where we need further training. If you would like to contact me to discuss further I would appreciate speaking to you. Please call 01793 783443. Kind Regards
<br/>Rachel
Reply to this comment
★☆☆☆☆
“My Daughter in law gave me a flyer for this...”
Written on: 06/09/2010
My Daughter in law gave me a flyer for this restaurant, so my Husband and 2 friends, decided we would give it a trylast saturday night (4/9/10) especially as there was a special for september and there would be 25% off the final bill. The starter was average, but what really spoilt it for us was the wait for our main course. We had to wait over an hour after our starters, the dessert menu was very poor. Personally I would never go back or recommend it to anyone (read more)
The Fat Dog's Comment
Written on: 21/09/2010
Many thanks for your comments which are valuable when opening a new business and will help us to improve going forward. If you would like to contact me direct to discuss further, then I would appreciate you contacting me on 01793 783443. Regards Rachel
Reply to this comment
★★☆☆☆
“First time to eat there was Christmas Day, what a...”
Written on: 26/12/2009
First time to eat there was Christmas Day, what a mistake!! 8/9 tables were laid up for lunch, was greeted and served by 2 very polite and friendly members of staff, service was appalling 25 mins for our first drinks to arrive, then about 20 later the starters arrived from a preset, preordered menu, Starters was crab and scallops only just average,We were quite fortunate here we only waited 20 mins here our main course arrived, Turkey was shredded as opposed to sliced with one small ball of... (read more)
★★★★★
“I visited the Fat Dog recently to celebrate a family...”
Written on: 03/12/2009
I visited the Fat Dog recently to celebrate a family birthday and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The service was excellent and very attentive, and the food was filling and tasty. I believe that the restaurant is now under new owners and, although I haven't been previously, think they're doing a really good job. We've now decided to visit them for our Christmas meal, and would genuinely recommend a visit! My only criticism would be that our red wine was a bit cold, but otherwise excellent. (read more)
★★★★☆
“We visited the Fat Dog over a year ago and have been...”
Written on: 31/08/2009
We visited the Fat Dog over a year ago and have been frequenting the place ever since. Some friends recommended us to try it. The menu has lots of choice.lots of meaty dishes for my husband and great pastas and risottos for me. The staff have changed over the year but have always been so welcoming and full of recomendations especially when it comes to desserts!.
The only negative is that we have had to wait on occasion for the food but when we get it it's worth waiting for.
(read more)
★★★★★
“Having recently enjoyed a stunning meal for six at The...”
Written on: 22/08/2009
Having recently enjoyed a stunning meal for six at The Fat Dog, Shrivenham I thought I would like to share our experience.
The main thing that made the meal exeptional was the quality of the food over such a wide variety of dishes ordered.
From starters of sardines, wood pigeon and trio of fish to mains of mushroom rissotto, lamb, fillet steak, lemon sole and belly pork to the wonderful sweets, we couldn't fault a single dish.
All this with friendly, efficient service and a friendly...
(read more)
★★☆☆☆
“The location and interior design of the Fat Dog,...”
Written on: 25/07/2009
The location and interior design of the Fat Dog, Shrivenham promised so much and yet the service standards let the whole place down. Upon arrival we were not met with a friendly greeting but ushered into our seats despite being 15 minutes early. The waitress was scruffy and focused on getting us out as quickly as possible. The main courses were delicious if slightly overpriced. However dessert was disappointing. I ordered apple and passionfruit crumble with ice cream and got rhubarb and... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“We had heard good things about The Fat Dog, Shrivenham...”
Written on: 03/04/2009 by ruffles819
We had heard good things about The Fat Dog, Shrivenham and decided it would be an ideal venue to celebrate our engagement with friends but left throughly dissapointed and would not recommend this place! Very poor service standards (read more)
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Guest's Response to cptcargoltd's Review
Written on: 14/07/2011
Thanks for the review. I am so pleased that the day went well for you and your guests. It is nice when all the planning comes off!
I will pass on your comments to the chef and the front of house staff.
Regards,
Neil