The Gurnards Head Reviews
Average rating
Food: 7.5 | Service: 5.5 | Ambience: 8 | Value: 6 | Recommendation: 9-
Faye and Friends
Jan 17th 2010
The Gurnards Head review
10 Very disappointed locals!!
We booked a table for 7.30 2 weeks prior.
When we were given our menus they only had 4 starters and 5 mains on ,we asked if there was specials to accompany the menu we were told no!
Then they explained they had run out of 2 of the starters and the vegetarian main course already! And only had 2 of the fish and 3 of the heart left. What ! The 2 vegetarians in our party and I were not impressed as I asked when I booked the table if they were catered for and was told `yes`.
There was only 6 other diners in the place I know some restaurants can`t afford to buy in alot of stock in case it goes to waste but not to the detriment of the diners enjoyment, it was a Saturday night and we had pre booked!
The manager was amazed when we asked is this it? He said he thought the veggies would have eaten the fish! How very presumptious of him, he said he would ask the kitchen if they would knock up a beetroot rissotto, he was cross at our response to their lack of choice and treated us like we should be honoured to be eating in such an establishment!!
I ordered haddock with a butter and spinach sauce, alas as it was my birthday was not nice and I could only eat half or it, the butter sauce was butter with a bit of stock it was so sickly and salty, coupled with the salty taste of smoked haddock and stock tasting mash it was all too rich and sickly, the spinach I literally had 3 wilted spinach leaves for colour, there was no veg or cream in the dish to cut through the acidity, it was not a very well thought through dish.
No one was impressed with their meal, and the service especially from the manager was curt and brash.
I looks great when contacts of yours write you great reviews in The Guardian newspaper, but it gets diners to come under false pretenses the Gurnards Head should be working on what happens when the diners get there by providing great locally sourced food, wine and great friendly srevice not boasting about their write ups, as sadly no one will return.
They are lucky the setting is so stunning and magical and provides most of the charm of the place as the service and food lets them down.
As local foodie people we could have spread the word of great food and service there but as it is the word of mouth form 10 people has spread and we have recommended lots of our friends and visitors to go to The Seafood Cafe, St Ives or The Bakehouse and The Bay Penzance instead!! -
Loubob
Jul 28th 2008
The Gurnards Head review
we ate here in June 2007: we had to ask to be shown to our (booked) table by the fairly ignorant bar staff, and then it was the smallest table in the restaurant, you couldn't even get your legs under it, while a couple adjacent were sitting on a massive table for 6! we asked to be moved as there were other tables free, but another couple were sat at the same small table shortly after, who reacted in the same way as us. That said, the rib eye steak was simple yet excellent. -
Susannah
Apr 24th 2008
The Gurnards Head review
This place is a jewel to come across and located in a stunning area on the coastal road out of St Ives. The food is excellent too. It certainly deserves the accolades we have been reading about.(We had no problems with service). On a beautiful Spring day, this location is hard to beat. I'll bet its pretty interesting on a wet and windy day too. Work up your appetite by taking a walk down the path behind the hotel to the cove. -
PB
Feb 6th 2008
The Gurnards Head review
Don't be fooled by all the publicity surrounding this place. The new owners obviously have good contacts within the media.
The food was ok, but not exceptional. Very limited choice for all courses and no shellfish of any description on the menu when we visited, which is unforgivable in this location. For vegetables you can have broccoli, broccoli or broccoli!
Strange lack of atmosphere and over-priced for the size of helpings. Not a patch on what it was under Kellis. I emailed the owners, but unfortunately they deemed me not worthy of a reply as I don't write for the Guardian. -
622billy
Dec 5th 2007
The Gurnards Head review
Went here for the second time recently. Food has been great on both occasions, indeed exceptional. Great credit on the chef. Unfortunately the service and ambience have been sadly lacking in terms of warmth and efficiency on both occasions. The first time I raised this with the duty manager and I was assured this would be addressed. Having spoken with the manager once already, I was disappointed on the second visit to see nothing had changed. -
John C
Aug 23rd 2007
The Gurnards Head review
I took my wife and son out for dinner on my birthday to the Gurnard\'s Head. Under the management of the Kell\'s it had been a great mix of good food and genuine pub character. It then fell into a parlous state when a consortium took over before being rescued by 2 Welsh brothers. They have transformed the Gurnard\'s Head and produced the best meal I\'ve ever had in Cornwall. The evening got off to a shaky start when we were given a \"leaf\" table near the door with a \"leaf\" that needed bits of paper to prop it up to stop the plate sliding to the floor. Clearly they weren\'t going for a Michelin star....however, the food that turned up was extraordinarily good. The service was pretty poor though and we had to get up and remind the barman to provide the drinks we had ordered to go with the desserts. For 3 people allow £30 per head including reasonable drinks
Stay in Zennor
Check out these links to quality Cornish accommodation to make the most of your culinary adventures
Quick find
Restaurants
Latest Reviews
-
Fifteen Cornwall - Newquay
Rating: -
Route 38 Restaurant - Saltash
Rating: -
Lamplighter Restaurant - Truro
Rating: -
The Station House - Marazion
Rating: -
Fifteen Cornwall - Newquay
Rating: