Bridge

Excellent little restraunt in the middle of lovely Ashbourne. Good selection of beautifully presented food. Generous portions, good gluten free choices & full understanding by staff of coeliac dietary needs. Lovely ambiance.

A pretty setting and location but not as classy as it appears to be from the outside. The location is quite charming by the Henmore Brook. First of all I must say that I can’t fault the chef at all. I needed to know if the chips were gluten-free as I was visiting Ashbourne on business and wanted a light snack; I emailed in advance and was answered by the chef and told they would be gluten-free and to ask again when I arrived which I did. They were indeed gluten-free as I had no symptoms of contamination, they were huge chips, very tasty, rather too boiling hot but that’s better than cold and there were so many of them that I couldn’t eat them all. A great chef and the gluten-free care was appreciated. But the leather sofa I sat on was dirty, under the cushions there were bits everywhere, the floor of the whole establishment was dirty with bits of this and that all over the place, I was served a ‘Cognac’ in a completely filthy glass which I had to ask to be changed, the Courvoisier did not taste like Cognac at all, it tasted like cheap Brandy – (there is a Waitrose directly opposite so I wonder if the bottle has been refilled with a cheaper alternative), the barman was coughing all over the bar area, the tables and place settings looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in quite some time, the cutlery was already on the table in a pot when I arrived which is not hygienic, the salt pot which I chose not to use had unidentified bits of something in it which might be harmless but who wants something other than salt in their salt? The ladies toilets were not clean, the mirror was grimy around the edges, there were no hooks on the backs of the stall doors; only holes where the screws used to be, and the tap did not fit the sink – it poured water into the overflow hole at the back. All in all a disappointment, a tired place and the whole premises need a thorough cleaning. I must end though by praising the conscientious chef and his gluten-free food.