Review The Old Vicarage Cafe, Restaurant & Bar - Christchurch

Beautiful food like its people! Good food is everywhere, but it takes an exceptional service given by wonderful people to truly stand out in the restaurant industry. Today was my first time dining at Old Vicarage, and most certainly not the last! My heart (not to mention my tummy too) was extremely full today! I want to especially mention HESTER for her amazing service on my special day celebration! She was so sweet and shared the same excitement giving out my birthday dessert! Me and my friends were at awe with what she did, and it truly made our night! For a late night dinner, Hester was in full spirits, with her brightest smile, and is extremely hospitable and accommodating. Thank you kindly Hester, keep bringing smiles to people! I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way toward Hester. 🩷 She was just an amazing and lovely person! Will definitely be dining again at Old Vicarage!

Our first patronage and we loved it. Delicious food and desserts Hope they change menu once a while so we can revisit to try new items. Highly recommended.

My wife & me booked first table for dinner. Nice food, great staffs and amazing restaurant ambiance. Must try✌️

We really enjoyed our meals, so yummy 😋 our waitress was new and still learning but she was great. Good Gluten-free options.

Great presentation and food was delicious. Good service and meals didn't take long.

Great dining experience. The food was very delicious and there was plenty of it. Great staff who do their best to serve everyone. When we arrived it was quite busy. We wanted to sit in the sun lit room on the other side of the villa but was placed in the small dark room at the front. Although it was lovely I do wish I got to experience the gorgeous garden and more of the other area of the building as that's why we went and I left feeling like I only saw that room and not the back where there's the garden. Other than that I was very happy with the whole experience.

Rainy old day and was really busy but worth the wait for great tasting food. Can't look past the avocado smash for brunch. Flavours were awesome. Once again loved the food. Service was great also, as was the coffee.

Visited the Old Vicarage for a delightful Thursday date night. The bustling ambiance paired with exceptional staff and service made for an unforgettable evening!! The pasta, lamb, garlic loaf, and garlic butter prawns were beyond delectable—each bite was divine. Portion sizes were generous, adding to the delightful experience 🌟 This restaurant truly delivers delicious cuisine, attentive service, and a highly recommended dining experience!! 🌟❤️

Enjoyable lunch out with friends, good seating areas, with indoor and outdoor options. Staff are very friendly and attentive. We had the Bangers & Hash, Salmon and Poke bowl....everyone enjoyed their meals which were well presented. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and we will be returning.

on Monday my partner and I and our friends went to have dinner here the service was great , when food came , it did very well presented , the food was outstanding , very tasty and fit for a king , Thank you for the lovely evening

We visited the Old Vicarage on Saturday. I ordered the confit duck thighs which were cooked perfectly, this was well worth the $42. There was one disappointing aspect which was the variety on the menu. My partner ordered a steak, which was the only steak option. Half of the meal consisted of a Mac and cheese croquette with broccolini, this place would have been a 5/5 for me on the food, If there was another steak option that included a variety of vegetables like all of the other mains. The staff were extremely friendly & the cafe itself is really comfortable and warm. I would definitely recommend this place to others.

We went here for breakfast last week and we love it. The atmosphere was wonderful. The staff were so lovely and helpful. The menu was great. My husband got a burger for breakfast (it was some of those days) and I had the eggs benedict. Everything about the eggs was good, except the spinach on the rosti made it quite soggy which was unpleasant. My soy chai was well done and the milk was silky! Most cafés just don't get it right. My husband liked his coffee too. All round it was a nice breakfast in a beautiful setting on a rainy morning.

It’s good could be a bit better service and cleaner but nice people and good food so yeah aha. The chips are soo good and I recommend the cokes and raspberry! Also outside is really nice

I was born and bred in ChCh, but moved to Melbourne 20 years ago. Every year I return in July to visit family and friends and over the last 3 years have returned each year to have a meal at the Old Vicarage. Beautiful food, very friendly, helpful staff and wonderful ambiance. The Venison is amazing and cooked to perfection. Really great service tonight (along with tuneful singing) from Mason - see you next year!

Our family has get together lunches here as often as is practicable and Sunday was another of those occasions. The staff were friendly and accommodating to our group of 15 and the food was nice with the exception of the rum and raisin ice cream which had the texture of sand. That was a little disappointing as it is my favourite flavour. We advised the waitress and she said she would let the kitchen staff know. The interior is nice and comfortable and the grounds are beautiful. We will most certainly be back.

Very lovely staff and great service the inside and outside are both lovely the food is fresh and great I would love to come back here and try more of the menu

Great venue for a brunch or lunch, lovely grounds snd on s nice day i could site and snack away hours. Service was good and well priced for such a great spot. By far one of my fav brunch spots.

ATMOSPHERE:<br/>Lovely house with nice outdoor bit. The room decoration was really cool, especially the library room<br/><br/>SERVICE:<br/>Was quite good and attentive, until later in the night we were forgotten as we waited for water and the dessert menu - we ended up leaving without dessert<br/><br/>FOOD:<br/>Entree - Calamari was bland, like really bland. The sauce was okay but did not help with the flavour a whole lot. <br/>Mains- Pork belly: Cooked well and presented well. Good sauce (maybe a bit watery). The crackle was slightly over cooked and tasted burnt. Rabbit leg was cooked beautifully with a great pea mash and sauce drizzled on top. Portion size was generous and filling.

This place is a stunning setting! I came here with friends of multiple ages for coffees and fluffies. There is lots of outdoor seating and different rooms with different vibes inside. We didn't eat but the menu looked delicious, good for a family dinner or a date.

Went there this evening, the place is quite lovely and I would like to come back one day for lunch on a nice sunny day. The service was prompt and nice. I ordered the eye fillet medium rare which was close to well done and the seasonal vegetables were very boring but the dessert was to die for. I got the mocha cup with was a very rich chocolate dessert and my partner got the lemon lime meringue pie which was uplifting and delightful!

Regularly go there for brunch, the "Vickars Grill" is the bomb.<br/><br/>Would be a 5/5 but the bacon has changed... Used to be better. Great place to have a meal on a summers day.

Been here a couple of times for breakfast. The setting is good and well set out restaurant.<br/>The first time coffee was great and smooth, second time however, not as good slightly bitter and lukewarm. <br/>Breakfast:<br/>Hotcakes were tasty and had great presentation! However, watered down maple syrup was a bit of a let down and the size of the hotcakes were the size of pikelets. <br/>The Breakfast burger was very tasty and substantially large with good presentation! Was good value for your money.<br/><br/>Overall experience was good food was nice and coffee ok would visit on the odd occasion

Food took an hour to come out after ordering, wasn't that impressed by the service or food.

Had a delicious meal. Service wasn't over the top amazing and our drinks and desserts were a bit of an after thought however this may have been due to them being super busy, it is a popular joint. I like the outdoor area! My flatmate used to attend a quiz night on Tuesdays which they seemed to enjoy, I attended one and loved the quiz host. Nice atmosphere. Not too uppity. Prices are standard. Overall pretty sweet.

Hi thereWhat a lovely time I had over lunch at The Old Vicarage yesterday (1 November). I felt very loved and so well looked after. Your staff are attentive, friendly, warm and just lovely. I was surprised at the high level of quality customer care and love from what seemed to be a very young average age. It was a delight to get this from these young women. I think every time one of them left our table I said to my friend "she was just lovely".We both enjoyed our food (whoop whoop mince on toas) and the location of course as we sat in the garden ... I had a delicious soy mocha, but that service really was the cherry on top!Well done all of you .... I will be coming back and spreading the good news.Thanks so much for a lovely time over lunch.Kind regardsRachel

On Friday night we decided to eat out and ended up at The Old Vicarage, arriving without a booking on a busy evening. They found us a table for two and despite it being near the noisy bar we were able to hear each other talk which was a relief. The service was very prompt, professional and friendly, there was very little delay at any stage, and the food was beautifully presented and delicious. Have been there several times now and always enjoy the food and the surroundings and the great service.

We have been to the old Vic before for lunch and we enjoyed the wide range of dishes on the menu.<br/>However, when we returned for a birthday dinner the positive experience from previous times were not to be repeated.The children enjoyed their meals of hot dog and chips but my wife and my meal was quite small in portion size and the cost did not really reflect the quality of the meal. This is Halswell not Hampstead Heath! I was disappointed that there were only six mains on offer and vegetables and salads were served as additional sides at an obvious extra cost. Most meals need vegetables/salads for nutritional balance,aesthetic purposes among other things. It would be good hospitality practise to offer this in the future.

My partner and I decided to have dinner at The Old Vicarage last Friday night. As we were both from the hospitality industry, we understand how stressful a busy dinner rush can be to manage. However, we were very impressed with their staff. They were all absolutely lovely and made our experience all the more better, especially Clara, our waitress. She was very informative and made sure our meals were changed to suit us. Everyone had smiles on their faces and the food was excellent.

My husband and I went here for our anniversary lunch recently and had a wonderful meal. The pork entrée was delicious and presented superbly and the salt and pepper squid was also excellent. Husband had the mac and cheese with scallops for a main which was fantastic. I had the smoked fish cakes which were also very good. The wait staff were friendly and attentive. Also bonus marks for offering wine in 150ml or 250ml servings for those who are driving but want a little taste or those who want to try a couple of different wines without having to order a full 250ml serve.

My wife and I visited the Old Vicarage on the 9th January to celebrate my wife's birthday. We have been several times before so were looking forward to the meal.<br/>We enjoyed the starter which was a serving of flat bread to share which was very tasty, fresh from the oven and a good serving.<br/>When our mains appeared our enjoyable night out stopped. My wife is vegetarian and so had the Spinach and feta FILO pastry pocket which she enjoyed. Our issue was with the Supreme Chicken that I had ordered. The whole meal would have easily sat in the palm of my hand it was so small. It was a chicken breast from a poulet bird that was tiny stuffed with a filling and sitting on a few leaves of baby spinach all hidden under the chicken. It was served on a large plate which didn't help the relative size. For $30.90 this was a very poor meal. It was tasty enough but would not satisfy many as a meal. Fortunately my wife eats a small meal so generously shared hers with me.<br/>When asked by the wait staff we explained that the portion size was very poor for the price. A short time later the manager arrived and agreed the meal was small and that the restaurant was looking at going back to regular chickens and offered my meal at half price. <br/>The wait staff was excellent and the quality of the food was also very good it was the portion size that was of concern.<br/>There were sides available to purchase as extras but this seemed unreasonable as an evening meal should be just that, a meal.

I Visited The Old Vicarage for the first time around a week ago, and I had an absolutely wonderful lunch with my husband. The food absolutely superb and was reasonably priced for what we received. Even though the restaurant was quite busy, our food still came out at a perfect time, hot and well presented. I ordered the Lamb salad - the lamb was perfectly cooked and juicy and the vegetables were not dry. To top off our experience, the service was outstanding. Our Waitress Lauren was delightful - very bubbly personality and helpful when it came to the menus. She came back several times to check on our meals and asked for more drinks when ours were almost empty. Another Waitress (unfortunately I did not catch her name) as we were paying the bill was also great, asking how we enjoyed our time and thanking us as we left. I am very impressed with The Old Vicarage and will most definitely be back again very soon.

My husband and I had a lovely dining experience. The wait staff were slightly casual, but very friendly, and helpful. The meals were delicious and very well presented. The Old Vicarage has a lovely friendly, comfortable atmosphere. The prices are at the higher end, but we felt we got what we paid for. A very enjoyable evening, and will definitely be back again.

My fiancée and I enjoyed (another) lovely dinner at the Old Vicarage last night and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Noting nothing exceptional happened it was simply a lovely evening, with no hassles or problems. <br/><br/>We ordered two different flat breads for the entrée and a bottle of Main Divide Pinot Noir. The service was prompt but we didn't feel rushed.<br/>We both had the fish of the day main, Akaroa salmon, the hollandaise was a nice touch.<br/>With wine left in the bottle we decided to have desert each. Everything was very nice, the courses were well timed and the service excellent.<br/><br/>We always like dining there and are pleased to see the high standard is being maintained.

We went on Fathers Day, and were all disappointed with the meal.<br/>I ordered the Vicars Grill- honestly I was going to share but I ate most of it - to me paying $21.50 compared to a lot of restaurants the serving was measly. The Rosti was a disappointment.<br/>For a fathers day menu there was no accommodation for children and we were told they could have "chicken nuggets" !!!!<br/>. Most children's breakfasts have Pancakes or something special. We asked for just bacon and toast for the children, this was eventually after a bit of persuasion on our behalf given grudgingly. <br/>Sorry I sound like an old "wowser", the only redeeming was the service from the waitress.

I had a great Saturday night with a friend having two steaks. I had the Angus Flint stone medium rare he had the Angus 250gm fillet. The duck fat roasted potatoes were fantastic. Steaks were cooked to both our requests. I had a monteiths IPA which was great but they are a tad stronger than other tap beers so I would not have too many if driving. Great atmosphere and staff were casual but very attentive. <br/>I will be back and the new menu is a huge improvement.

I recently organised a hen's afternoon tea, The Old Vicarage was very accommodating, with only booking a week ahead they were able to put my party of 13 in a private area. Was a lovely setting and perfect for the occasion.<br/><br/>I had pre-ordered an afternoon tea which we chose 5 options from a very long list of delicious choices. With some of my party being gluten free and Vegetarian the Old Vicarage were happy to provide alternatives at ease.<br/><br/>Everyone in the party mentioned they would definitely return again and had never thought to come out for an afternoon tea. <br/><br/>All the sweet slices, Rosti and Arancini Balls were definitely the favs of the day, Delicious!!!<br/><br/>Reasonable on Price, Great Service and delicious food!<br/><br/>Highly recommend!<br/><br/>Thanks Old Vicarage for making the day stressfree.

I have just experienced, possibly the worst breakfast I have ever eaten in my life, having ordered The Vicar's Grill. Where shall I start. Grilled tomato (boiled and tasteless); sausage, reheated and rubbery. Potato rosti (day old, at least - reheated). Bacon arrived burnt to a crisp, had to be returned. Mushrooms, swimming in oil. Tomato relish, watered down and thoroughly tasteless. Ciabatta bread, was actually very old garlic bread, which I can only assume was from the previous night's service. Poached eggs - surprisingly good. Trim flat white arrived, full fat and having been paraded around the restaurant, was lukewarm, spilled all over the spoonless saucer as our waitress had no idea where the order belonged!!!! For this travesty, a total waste of money $26.00. Whilst waiting to pay at the till, there is a window into the kitchen where I witnessed the chefs, with their filthy t-towels helping themselves to chips from plates waiting to go out to the restaurant!

I telephoned two weeks ahead re a booking for four. I requested a quiet area as two of us have hearing problems, and was assured I was booked into the library. Because I do not use my mobile often I gave my land line number and made it clear that it was the number to be used - again assurance was given.<br/><br/>Arrived on the due night to be told the library was booked for a function - in fact there seemed to be some confusion re even locating my booking. Eventually the entry was found and we were given a table in the overcrowded and rather noisy sun room. (Had it not been a special birthday celebration for a granddaughter visiting from Wellington we would not have stayed) <br/><br/>The food and table service were acceptable but the cafe style crowding and decor seems at odds with the menu and prices.<br/><br/>Verbal apologies were given but I feel that someone should have at least had the nous to offer some small token like a free round of drinks (we were all on soft drinks) as a matter of simple goodwill. <br/><br/>I said that a phone call re changes should have been <br/>made. Have just checked my mobile and find a missed call from them - another promise broken!<br/><br/>It was certainly not the pleasant experience that I had expected - it is unlikely I would go there again.

Recently I dined here at a large hen's party. The building and seating was warm and inviting. Our party was accommodated well -staff were really helpful- and I noticed a busy mixture of diners who seemed relaxed and having a good time.<br/>The meal (steak) was delicious; seasoned well and good portions. I am gluten free and prefer potatoes over fries and they accounted for me.<br/><br/>Great to see an older Christchurch building in use and full of life while offering great food.<br/><br/>I will return with my husband.

Had not been here for 6 months or so, it was very average last time, however thought we would give it another go.<br/>Only one of the wait staff was interested in doing her job well, a pleasant young girl. The others were showing very little interest and just going through the motions.<br/>Food was ok, they forgot the side of fries. Annoying.<br/>Won't be going back any time soon.

For a special family lunch celebration, the service was excellent, the food was particularly good. We had 17 people in the front room and the staff were most obliging over the music and the service was reasonably prompt. Definitely will return.

From the moment we telephoned to book for a very special family dinner, as most Cantabrians know, family celebrations are very important, since 2011. The staff talked us through what we needed, a private room (The Front Room) as older members of our party had hearing difficulties and this option was appreciated. The menu which was very varied. The staff went out of their way to accommodate our wishes and decorated the room for us, with items taken there the day before. On the evening, the staff were exemplary , our group of family and close friends could not not fault the fare, the room and as importantly the Staff. They were first class. We would recommend The Old Vicarage and Cafe to anyone planning a special family dinner.

Took the boys from work here had a couple of beer and some lunch. Food was great as were the beers on tap. <br/>Had a steak sandwich the rest of the guys had a breakfast, wrap of some sort and a fritters.<br/>We will come back good outdoor area with heaters round the side

Girls day out, 3 of us. How disappointing it was.<br/>The music was loud and not the right choice for that environment.<br/>I had fish and chips, huge plate full of chips, 2 pieces of fish which was mainly batter and certainly did not taste like fresh fish. The salad was limp and tasted "Fridgy"<br/>Another friend had Quinoa Salad and it was slimy and the dressing tasted of just vinegar.<br/>Other friend had the Onion Barjies and said they were the worst she had tasted.<br/>The waitress came And asked if we were enjoying our meal and I said "I'm not at all". There was no mention of letting the chef know.<br/>Would not go back ever, such a shame as the setting itself is so lovely. It's not that hard to produce fresh and tasty fare these days.

My partner and I had our 5 year wedding anniversary at The Old Vicarage on Friday night. I had the chicken and my partner had the steak which he told me was cooked perfectly. This was my first visit and I am a fan.<br/>The service was casual but very efficient.<br/>Well done we will be back

Have dined here often - Lunch usually as a gift for a friend's Birthday. Last week was no exception - 2 birthday celebrations - evening meal. One reason we come here is we can always depend on 'getting what we ask for'. We always request the table and location which will suit our needs and can always rely on the food being of top quality and the service excellent. It is nice not to be rushed from entree to mains which in some restaurants gives you the impression they want your table before you are actually ready to leave. I would recommend The Old Vicarage Restaurant as a 'guaranteed' place for any occasion.

Dined as part of a group of 10. Food was nice, well cooked and flavoursome however your service is letting you down! <br/>We ordered, received drinks then once our meals arrived felt somewhat neglected despite being right by the counter. A second drink wasnt offered until after finishing mains, when our glasses were empty before mains arrived. <br/>Dessert arrived except for one which the waitress seemed to have forgotten about. It arrived 5 minutes later.

We had very good experiences here in the past, and have even been for work lunches when everybody was happy, but this time was an utter disappointment. <br/><br/>We decided to treat ourselves to a rare lunch outing. <br/>Arrived without having booked ahead and got a table outside right away, which was nice, but then the wait started: we had to wait for the waitress to bring the menus, then had to wait for someone to come take our orders (only happened after alerting one of the regularly passing by wait persons, who don't seem to be very onto it and showed neither interest nor initiative), then we had to wait a long long time for our food to arrive. It came eventually, after we had gone in to ask about it.<br/><br/>I didn't check the time but the entire meal experience took well over 1 hour, too long in my view, esp. at lunch time. My dining partner commented that they did it on purpose to give people time to catch up and chat... <br/><br/>We decided not to have coffees or desserts (although they looked very good on the menu) simply because we ran out of time. Would have rather chatted some more over pudding ;-)<br/><br/>Food was average to ok, nothing to write home about and certainly not worth the price.<br/><br/>Definitely won't be back in a while.

Today my husband, mother and family member went to have lunch, booked in advance as previously friends had been turned away just for coffee???<br/><br/>Our booking was for 1pm we turned up 10mins early, this wasn't a problem as we were seated strait away.<br/>Garlic bread was ordered for entree. This came with drinks after 15 mins or so.<br/><br/>Meals were another story and hour and ten mins we had to wait, Connor our waiter approached us after 40mins to say our meal wouldn't be long, but took another half hour!! The number of times staff walked past us without a word was frustrating, I had to ask in the end. <br/>Waitress came back and said not long, then three of the meals appeared then mine took a little longer, 1 x Steak Sammie for the hubby, 2 x Salmon fishcakes for Mother and other and I waited for the Chicken Club Sandwich, when this was finally bought out to me the waitress made a comment, but I was so hungry I couldn't be bothered listening. <br/>I did make a comment that the food had better be worth the wait for over an hour.<br/><br/>Others seemed happy with meal apart from the salads that looked like they had just been chucked on the plates and was from yesterday and the overcooked chips, were dry. The bread for the Club sandwich was hard and dry.<br/>Frustrating part was other guests that were arriving quiet a time after us and were getting meals before us with a number of staff walking past our table and looking at us.<br/><br/>We were never asked if we would like dessert or coffee, but were then bought the bill like they were ready for us to move on.<br/>At the bar when we went in to pay Connor apologised and said the kitchen lost the meal docket.<br/>He could have told us this earlier and maybe offered a free drink or something.<br/>This was my first time here and after hearing all about it, don't see what all the talk is about, nice setting, menu sounds nice but disappointed with the taste, presentation and let down in service.<br/><br/>Staff seemed very young who just seemed to be walking around all the time, no leadership in front of house, who was the maitred d?<br/><br/>Don't know if I'll be back, won't be in a hurry anyway. Maybe they were too busy to cope but lots of empty seats and turning people away????<br/>Thank you Connor, this is no reflection of your service.

This place is alright, I wouldn't hurry back unless I couldn't get in anywhere else.<br/><br/>BUT as a bar I think it is excellent! Inviting, relaxing and not like an old man's pub. Gorgeous setting, lovely gardens. Actually I would go back for a wine on a summers day.<br/><br/>Service was friendly but a bit all over the place, both times I went recently there were not enough front of house staff on. They really did their best in a tough situation and were friendly and kept their cool (just not there much). If they had more staff on they would make more sales by checking up on drinks, desserts, starters etc.<br/><br/>Food is average on the whole. Brought in hollandaise, cold hashbrown, greasy nasi goreng. Under seasoned. Could have been worse, could have been better.

26/11/11<br/>Today we decided to lunch again at the vicarage. <br/>We live locally and in the past I have to say that the food here has always been a bit of a disappointment, so much so that we were reluctant to come back.<br/>Well this time we noticed some changes the ambiance was superb and the wait staff attentive.<br/>The improvements made where great.<br/>However the food was again a real let down, it was such a shame!<br/>My husband &amp; I decided to have a main each which cost in the $20-$30 range and a medium priced Sav Blanc $ $20-$30<br/>I ordered the Chili &amp; Lime prawns with salad &amp; my Husband had Blue Cod &amp; chips with salad.<br/>The prawns were tasty enough but the salad looked like it had been made yesterday and refrigerated, it was over dressed and wilted and the avocado was browning and very cold to taste. It also had corn chips broken and sprinkled over the top of the salad… (What were they thinking?)<br/>My Husbands meal was very tasty the Cod was delicious but again the side salad was taken from the same bin in the fridge as mine!<br/>We did mention our concerns to the waitress when she returned to ask us how our meals were. <br/>She said that she would pass our comments on to the chef. <br/>Please let it be known that we are uncomfortable with complaining but we also expect value for $ spent.<br/>In total we spent approx. $80.00 on lunch and when you consider we spent the same last week at Edessa there is just no comparison. How hard is it to make a fresh salad?<br/>Please, please get your act together regarding your chef…have some pride in what you present to you customers.<br/>I have the the sad feeling that it’s all about the profit with the Vicarage, and not about the food &amp; food presentation, do you want to be a bistro or a restaurant? <br/>You have such potential but your food is letting you down, the menu is fine but quite frankly I could produce your menu to a better standard from my home.<br/>Regards Heather Nielsen.

We have eaten at this restaurant on a number of occasions, but today will cast doubt over whether I will return. Waiting staff were great. We started with the garlic bread which was nice, my partner had the pasta which he said was tasty. I have had this dish before and it was lovely but decided to try something different. I had the Falafel Burger, the falafel was extremely dry and so crumbly I could hardly keep it on my fork, it was served with aioli, lettuce, tomato on a caibbata bun, there was a side salad with no dressing and a pile of seasoned wedges the seasoning looked and tasted like chicken stock. The burger may have been improved with some chutney or relish

Eight people really disappointed with our meal – chicken was dry; duck was dry; steaks tough and inedible; veges obviously reheated in microwave. Eton Mess wasn’t an eton mess and brulee was runny. Service was poor and clumsy. Never again. About 8 yrs ago it was good – but no longer.

I have been to the Old Vicarage at least 8 times,and each time it has been getting worse, the last time was today with my husband and I for lunch, and the time before that there were 8 of us for dinner. We were all disappointed with our meal at dinner and our lunch today. Martin had the seafood chowder which did not look great. We have been to other restaurants where the chowders have been visibly appealing, eg the mussels etc are in their shells. This looked like very runny mashed potatoes. It tasted of fish, but not appetising to look at. It didn't come with any bread etc. I had the goats cheese won-tons, with chilli sauce. The won-tons were over cooked, ( too brown), but tasty because of the chilli sauce. For our main meal Martin had the chicken and mushroom filo pasty, with salad. I didn't taste it but he said it was OK, he had tasted better. I had the the Chicken open sandwich with chutney, cheese, bacon, tomato and barbeque sauce, on fochia bread, with fries and salad. The open sandwich was dry, with a tiny bit of chutney, the cheese hadn't melted and the bread was very chewy. Didn't see any barbeque sauce. There were hardly any fries and the salad was just green leaves, no other vegetables were in the salad to add colour or flavour. I didn't taste any dressing either. We get the entertainment book and we noted they weren't in it. The waitress said that the restaurant was so popular that they didn't need to put themselves in it this year. Come on Christchurch this restaurant can do much better, the atmosphere is good, but they need to do better with their food. It is my local and I have given them a lot of chances, I will not be going back.

service was excellent, food delicious and fantastic wine. we had the lamb and beef for mains and garlic bread to start - all were perfectly cooked and delicious. we will be back

Don't go to this restaurant unless you have a lot of free time. We have eaten there twice and found the long waiting time unjustifiable.

The excellent food was let down by cold atmosphere,place needs to be warmed in advance. A lot of your diners will be elderly and need a warm environ.I also suggest the music level is set to the customers requirements not what the staff want.Music should be background not dominating.

Held a group dinner for 20 people. Good staff meant the service was excellent.A great selection of dishes cooked to perfection and good wine selection made this an occasion that will be remembered for years to come.<br/>We know you will enjoy this as much as us.

Myself and 4 other friends had lunch at the Vicarage on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it. The service was the best we have had anywhere for a very long time. The meal was lovely and the dessert divine. We will definitely be back.