The Cartford Inn - Fylde

I’ve eaten in the Cartford arms a number of times, always pulled back by the look and feel of the place but to be honest have never been blown away by the food. After my experience on Monday I honestly can’t think I’ll be going back. I’m a huge fan of belly pork and have had it every which way you can, so as it was on the menu it was for me a go to. It was described as being braised pork belly, my understanding means it should melt in your mouth. It couldn’t have been further from reality as unfortunately it was basically a few slices of belly that looked like and had the consistency of something that had been flash fried to the point, I mentioned this to the waiter, that it was inedible. I had a mouthful and left the rest. When we got the visit to the table to ask if all was okay I explained it was very tough and he said straightaway that a few other people who had it also said the same and said it wasn’t crispy or cooked enough. Also when ordering, I wasn’t sure what to order, surely if they had already had complaints they should have encouraged me to have something else?! In attempt to appease me the waiter said I could have a cup of coffee almost as a way of brushing it away. Appalling on all counts, the food was inedible, the waiter’s response to my comments was to offer me a coffee and then to top it all off the coffee, I exchanged for a pint of beer, was then added to my bill which I had to point out to him…. Sorry I don’t care how good everything looks if you can’t follow it up with at least cooked food and decent waiting staff you won’t be getting my business anymore…. A very, very poor experience !!

Wow! Amazing food on every plate. Oysters, cod with dahl, black pudding. The food we did not want to end. Staff were very attentive. Love the eclectic feel of this place too. One of my faves

First impressions were good, lovely situation by he river, quirky decor… expectations were high …. 8 adults and two children who are used to eating out and very well behaved. We were squashed into a space by the bar not in the restaurant… felt very claustrophobic…. Drinks were ordered , service was prompt and ok. Menu looked average but not anything special really…Squid was dry and lacked flavour… pork belly was burned in places and inedible…suet pudding was dry and needed more gravy… mash was cold and overall everything lacked flavour… banana flowers were odd …ice cream was very ordinary , one scoop £4…. Coconut panacotta was not nice , overset and rubbery….we were not asked if food was acceptable at anytime. Overall would describe it as disappointing pub food with an expensive price tag of over £400. Wouldn’t rush back .

This establishment is unique and as a colleague of mine used to say 'Top Dollar ' it exceeds expectations and overdelivers in EVERY way from the immaculate appearance inside and out the friendly and warm hospitality and service from the professional attentive upbeat hosts to the exciting diverse encompassing menu delivering delicious fresh quality food accompanied by a wide range choice of drinks Indeed I can 't wait to visit again Thank you and keep your vision focused As I person fortunate enough to experience 5 hospitality all over the world The Cartford Arms is world class However I am a little surprised at the lengthy negative reviews I can only speculate that these were left by patrons used to and enjoying a 'different ' kind of hospitality each to their own but personally I can 't wait to visit again

We 've visited numerous times over the last few years and always been impressed, the food at the Inn was good and TOTI was a great addition for coffee/cake etc. Overall it always seemed a well run business with diverse offerings for a range of customers, and of course a beautiful location..... However, upon a recent visit there has clearly been a significant drop in standards, both in terms of food quality but also customer service (and logic! . As a family of 3 we drove >30 minutes to the venue hoping to have a coffee and cake from TOTI only to find they no longer offer this (despite a commercial coffee machine being situated directly behind the counter , with the server proudly stating that everything you see is takeaway only no apologies or attempt to engage in conversation despite us being the only customers in there. Regardless, we purchased a cake each with a view to sit outside for 10 minutes before making our way elsewhere for lunch no, the seats are for people having lunch only we were told. This seemed strange as it was only mid morning and the car park was literally empty, although based on other reviews this now appears to be standard practice. Upon eventually tasting the cakes they were clearly not fresh and felt like a HUGE drop on standards from 12 months ago when I would have considered them to be amongst the best I 'd ever had! Overall a really disappointing experience, even more so considering how highly we once rated them! To be honest I probably wouldn 't return to either TOTI or for food at the Inn. A few additional points based on our experience and common themes in other reviews: 1. The Cartford Inn was once Michelin Guide recommended I doubt this will be the case anymore/for much longer. 2. If you own the business I 'd seriously consider reading more around how diverse revenue streams, revenue funnels and market capture techniques can be effectively used in your sector. As well as polishing up those customer service skills a bit. 3. As you clearly no longer need that coffee machine I 'll happily disose of it for you