Harper’s Steakhouse & Bar at the Weighbridge

Gone down hill! Cost cutting victim? Frequent visitors since Harpers took over from the previous owners, we're familiar with the food and have enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere over the last few years. Visiting yesterday for the first time since the menu change, the menu and pricing were generally the same as before, but the quality of what is actually served is substantially different. Prices are comparable to most Michelin guide steak restaurants, which is fine if the standards are maintained. The steaks now seem to be a lot more chewy and the quality of the meat has regressed, whilst the prices remain the same: £40 for fillet, £77 for Chateaubriand. The fillet actually came out in two parts which is odd. This was the same for every person on our table. Chateaubriand was not as tender as it should be. The Bordelaise sauce, which is usually just a wine reduction seemed to be packed out with a gravy filler, so it had a gelatin texture. They no longer serve jacket potatoes so you have to have chips with your steak. The onion rings, which weren't available at the time are gluten free; the only option you have. The service is still the same and extremely good, it's just now being let down by the quality of the food that's being served. This is such a shame and I hope this review services feedback that hopefully leads to the standards returning back to where they were before.

We had 3 Christmas lunch bookings with Harpers all on the same day, & the same time on 12th December 2024, which was a lot to organise with pre-orders and trying to fit us all in. Natalie and Susie at Harpers Steakhouse, at the Weighbridge, Swindon, were fantastic in getting this sorted for us very efficiently. We had the usual last minute cancellations, due to sickness, but they dealt with those with no issues at all. They did their best to accommodate gluten free and vegan options, and clearly marked all food allergies on dishes they brought out. They had a power cut on the day of our Christmas lunch bookings but still kept going with no stress at all. Food was lovely and the service was fantastic. The team all worked very hard to make our visit great, thank you to all at Harpers Steakhouse, Swindon. Highly recommended.