Marlborough Gate Bistro At Milton Keynes Theatre

This little restaurant is a hidden gem!! We ate here last night (27th Feb). The lay out of the restaurant is modern and stylish. The waitress Emily was rushed off her feet, but she was perfect and made us feel very welcome. Nothing was too much for her and she made our evening enjoyable and relaxing. Thank you very much Emily The menu is on the smaller side but with a time limit I understand why. My husband had fish cakes to start which looked very well presented. He said they were very light and beautifully cooked. We waited 10 minutes before our mains arrived. For mains my husband had a New York burger and I had a chicken and bacon salad. The burger was full of flavour and again well presented. The cheese was melted perfectly and the bacon was cooked just right (not too crispy or undercooked). My husband would have liked more cheese but he does love the stuff. Normally I’m a little worried about ordering a salad because they come with just lettuce and tomatoes. BUT this salad was without a doubt the best salad I have ever eaten!! It had everything you could ask for! The chicken and bacon were cooked to perfection. It was dressed with a lemony dressing which worked so well. I can’t fault it!! It looked gorgeous! I have never had such a lovely salad. Even thinking about it is making my mouth water! I then had a cheesecake, my husband was too full for dessert. The cheesecake came out on a decorated board with lemon and gin coulis stars which made me smile lovely little touch. It had a delicious crumb sprinkled around the board which gave it that extra little touch. Overall, our dining experience here was 10/10 we will be back again very soon. I hope this gets shown to Emily and the chefs in the kitchen. It was also nice seeing the chefs smiling and enjoying themselves through the kitchen window. You can tell the chefs who made our food really really cared and puts all their love and passion into making the food look fabulous. Again thank you

As a family we had paid extra and booked a theatre show which included a meal at the Bistro in the theatre premises for New Years Eve. We arrived early , and were directed over to the restaurant by the Doormen where we waited for someone to help us. No one came over , so I went to someone selling the merchandise and asked if the restaurant was open, and she said no it is shut tonight . I went to the Box Office, who said they had to close it due to staff shortages. They provided a very small refund, and told us to go to a nearby restaurant. By this time, the previous theatre showing audience were just leaving the Theatre so all of the restaurants would be full, and being New Years Eve, most would need reservations. This was terrible customer service, appalling to have to close a whole restaurant due to staff shortage , why on earth are Milton Keynes Theatre even contemplating having this restaurant under the same premises when they constantly seem to be letting them down . I would advise people not to waste their money or time on booking this restaurant and go elsewhere. It was a huge disappointment to our plans on New Years Eve , and they don't really seem to care which made it worse.

Where to start. The two course meal in this add on to the ticket price was good but expensive when drinks are £9.20 a glass of wine so with a tip over £50 for two people. The second part of the VIP experience was worse. On our previous trip to see 9 TO 5 (excellent show) we used the Ambassador Lounge and received a large G T as a welcome with nibbles and also in the interval. On our latest visit Kinky Boots again excellent stage show we got a Tonic and a single G T and no nibbles. We were told that any further drinks eg interval were at full cost. Considering the cost is £15 each a rip off in our view and we will not get caught again. I asked for a complaint form but didn't get one.

To make matters worse, they were low on lager and had no Heineken, so my partner had to settle for tap water. Our starters, Chicken Yakatori Skewers and Halloumi, were underwhelming with the halloumi being overcooked and dry. When our Chicken and Bacon Burgers finally arrived, it was a disaster. The waitress, already flustered, dropped our chips on the floor while bringing them out of the kitchen. The portions were small, lacking garnish, and we had to ask for cutlery and salt and pepper. The burgers themselves were terrible, with overcooked chicken and rubbery texture, and the fries were soggy. Despite the waitress' apologies and efforts, it was clear that there were many issues behind the scenes at the bistro. The lack of management presence was evident, and we felt sorry for the staff. Overall, we were extremely disappointed with our experience and would not consider returning to the bistro. The VIP package did not live up to its expectations and was a letdown in every aspect.

We were concerned about the previous reviews, but today The Bistro exceeded our expectations. We enjoyed a delicious meal, made to order and beautifully presented. Our server Richard was attentive without being intrusive, and we had a wonderful dining experience. The convenience of being on site and close to the show was a bonus. We will definitely be coming back. Thank you for a great experience, and please continue the excellent service.