Reviews of Compasses Inn, Pattiswick
Review by Nick Sandford on 1st July, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 30/06/11
My wife and I visited the Compass Inn to celebrate our wedding anniversary last night.
It's a lovely rural location just 12 minutes from our home.
We were greeted warmly and I was given a couple of samples of real ale and choose the Norfolk Wherry to my delight.
We decided to skip the starters and went straight in at the main course.
As a non-meat eater I choose the beer battered Haddock and my wife also joined me. Unfortunately, after eating for a little while the taste of the batter completely replaced the flavour of the fish which to my disapointment was rather wet and pink in places indicating that it had not been cooked properly. The batter used had obviously become stale as the discusting flavour completely upset our digestive systems.
Upon our complaint we were offered tea and then departed.
The Compass is a gastro pub and one does expect a supberb meal. The main chef was apparently in charge and I will say that the management should take stock of this complaint and revamp their preparation of their battered fish. The chips were also hard....if they are too downmarket then stop selling them. As for the chef........!
Well we wrote off our anniversary celebration and the offensive taste of the batter is still lingering in my mouth as I write this report 15 hours later.
We cannot fault the serving staff it's just a pity we will never now return to the Compass Inn at Pattiswick.
Review by claire on 22nd May, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 7th May 2009
Had a fantastic meal and all staff were brilliant. Very friendly yet professional service and food is delicious....would definately reccomend
Review by b.jeffery on 15th November, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 14 11 09
My first visit since refurbishment,gone is the comfort service and value for money.
Service very slow,food served on semi warm plates so by the time the table had been served food was luke warm.
The menue was I considered very overpriced,from the starters to the desserts.
would not reccomend to my worse friend.
would we go there again NO
Review by Peter Bright on 26th April, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 25th April, 2009
Disappointing, considering the Compasses was crowned Supreme Champion at The Great British Pub of the Year Awards.
Started off OK although the atmosphere was rather stark - not a homely pub feel. My pigeon breast for starter was unremarkable save for the fact that it was rarer than I would have ideally liked. (Not asked how I wanted it cooked.) My wife's starter of smoked chicken was good.
Main courses (sole and pork chop) although well cooked were served without sides. Unfortunately we weren't prompted for sides when our order was taken and thus none were ordered. Equally bad we were not given a wine list to peruse whilst making our menu choice. Had to ask for one after the starter. Had to ask for water as well.
Apple/rhubarb crumble was served in one pot and another pot for custard. But the pots were not big enough to mix the two! Knickerbocker Glory was simply canned fruit cocktail mixed with ice-cream. Totally bland. With a solitary grape being the surprise at the bottom. Ridiculously overpriced at £6.95.
Coup de grāce was the bill. Items had been added that were for another table. Even when this was corrected the overall cost was still very high - £76 for two and only a pre-dinner drink and a glass of wine each during the meal. I regularly eat in London and this was definitely a London price!
Overall, food was well prepared but service was clearly not up to scratch. Perhaps it's good that we did not get sides and got the wine list late - otherwise we'd be looking at a £100 bill... Compasses - you missed out there!
Ps. I didn't add the optional service charge!
Review by E Johnston on 21st February, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 15.02.2009
After recently being spoilt with a trip to one of gordon ramsays restaurants I was very surprised to see that the same meal at the Compasses was MORE expensive! This pub is not in the middle of London and the meat certainly wasn't half the quality used at Gordon Ramsay's. I believe I could have bought better sausages from Tesco's! I know it is maybe inappropriate to compare the two, however, if you are to charge top prices, make sure the food is up to scratch. There is a restaurant not too far from the Compasses which does just this. Milsoms in Dedham
Review by Will Simmons on 23rd February, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 22/02/2008
Just come back from the compasses having had a fantastic meal. Great buzz - packed out and the staff were great. Food was the best I have had in the area for a long time. Well done compasses and thank you for a fab evening.
Review by Lucy Ellis on 12th February, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 12/02/2008
To say I was disappointed would be putting it lightly. Having booked a table for 1.30pm, and having ordered food at the bar area prior to being seated, our food didn't arrive until at least 3pm.
When food did finally arrive, the fishfinger baggette that I had ordered was cold and raw in the middle, and the salmon with beetroot risotto, ordered by my partner, was bland, flavourless and also cold. Needless to say, the raw fish was promtly sent back, but the replacment was then overcooked and burnt in places. Not good.
As a close friend of mine works there, I felt extremely embarassed for them as we went there in good faith that it is usually a good restaurant.
I think the problems that we experienced today were the result of an inbalance of the ratio of covers to kitchen staff, being that there were only 3 people in the kitchen, when I understand there are usually seven. This being the case, it shows poor kitchen management and staff rota organisation, something that I am aware of, coming from a catering background, and which is in bad need of addressing.
We also found that there was a level of preforential treatment towards the 'blue rinse brigade' and people of supposed 'higher status', as we noted the fact that people falling into this catagory, who arrived after us, and who ordered after us, had actually finished their meals and left before my partner and I were served our lunches. I appreciate that The Compasses asspires to cater to a particular clientel, however, as a paying customer, I expect the same treatment as everyone else.
Thoroughly disappointing. I hope that it improves dramatically before we would consider coming again.
Review by michelle on 1st February, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 20.12.2007
We visited The Compasses just before Christmas and were very suprised - the place is great! Great interiors, comftable seats. Staff very friendly and profossinal. Food - excellent! My steak was just spot-on and my husbands burger - heaven! Plus they have great selection of beers and wines. We can't wait for summer to come here with friends and family - restaurant is situated in the midddle of fields with large outside area to eat and watch kids playing on the grass or playground.
Review by monika on 1st February, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 12.012008
Surrounded by glorious countryside, it has a stunning private dining room with its own private patio area. The staff is attentive and will ensure your visit to The Compasses is a pleasurable experience and one you'll want to repeat. They will go out of their way to welcome families with a please-all menu of simple, fresh, home-cooked food. Food is excellent, best you can think of. Outside - large al fresco dining area with playground for children.
Review by bearne on 30th September, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 290907
no atmosphere
no music
not warm and cosy
staff friendly and helpful
fillet steak not cooked properly and tastless
well over priced
portions to small resulting in the price being over the top and left hungray
extra cost for veg most other resturants veg is included
salad no tomatoes or cuecumber
because of the cost and sweet menu uninteresting we went somewhere else for sweet and coffee
we have visited the compasses on a number of occassions in the pastbeofre the refit when it was cosy and the menu was extensive
will not be visiting again!!!!!!!!!!!
Review by Alison Heavey on 6th June, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 26/05/07
Had Saturday lunch here. Pre- lunch drink in a comfortable seating area. Tastefully decorated and a friendly atmosphere. The food was good and plentiful, service was attentive. No problems with being kept waiting. Only criticism was several of the young waiters were rather morose.
Overall a good experience and we will visit again.
Review by Pauline Palmer on 17th April, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 11th March 2007
We booked our table for 2pm and were told when we arrived it would be 2.30pm - not a problem but we did not get served until 4p.m. The food was at best luke warm. The Yorkshire puddings were hard as were the roast potatoes even though we were very hungry we could not eat them. The dumplings in the vegetable stew were solid. When the dessert came it was half the size we had seen being served as we arrived - they obviously ran out and cut it in half. We complained by letter but have not had a satisfactory response. Awful Awful meal.
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