Black-a-moor at Troway - Has it re-opened?

[lizmachin]

But back to the Inn at Troway, or the Black-a-Moor as it should be called. It sounds to me like your main problem was one of unruly children, not the place itself. And I can empathise with that. I have two young children of my own and we do take them out to eat with us occasionally, although it's rare we'd be out after 8 with them in a restaurant midweek. They are normally in bed by then. However, we don't let them run around wild and turn the place into a giant playground - they have been taught how to behave in public.

 

Obviously not all parents place the same value on this. I think if you want to go out and sup beer and let your kids run wild, take 'em to a pub with a huge beer garden and let them burn some energy off. But not in a pub/restaurant.

 

When I was in the same pub the other week I noticed that they were looking to attract families with children, that's obvious from the menu that this is the clientele they are aiming for. They are not aiming it a people who want to come for a quiet drink with friends I don't think.

 

Anyhow, I wouldn't write it off if I were you, but maybe choose a less busy time - maybe midweek rather than weekend? I hear the food is worth it and you have to admit it's a very attractive place.

 

My biggest problem was not unruly kids. It was starvation. We went there for a meal and didn't get one. That's a pretty fundamental fault in my book.

 

It doesn't matter about quality of food if you don't get to taste it.

 

This was a Saturday night meet up with a group of friends who drove a long way to meet us. We were told on the phone that we couldn't book but there would be no problem fitting us in. There was. we arrived and with no where to even sit and have a drink we waited until all our party arrived and then had to clear off to look for somewhere else. Not easy at what was by now 8.30 Saturday night.

 

We made a mistake by going to a place that won't take a booking. Not a mistake I will make again.

 

You may well be a spontaneous type of bloke. That's great, but its no substitute for eating.

 

Incidentally I an not sure after reading some of the above posts that the food is worth the risk of not getting a table. It seems may who have eaten there feel the overcrowding is leading to a reduction in standards. Now that is a slippery slope to get onto.

[DippyDore]

I hear what you say and think you are spot on with the staffing. However wouldn't it be fairer on the customers to restirict numbers in that case by taking firm bookings.

 

It is very easy for a new place to get overstreached and ruin its reputation.

 

As for the distance part of it. It is not so much the time to travel there it is the time to travel somewhere else if they can't fit you in. It is no good turning up at 8.30 on a Saturday and finding no table, and nowhere to sit whilst one becomes available. Settting off in search of an alternative isn't really going to be easy unless you want to be eating a 2 for one meal.

 

As I say, I won't be rushing back to try again as the above option is about as appealling as eating out for the bins at McDonalds. :gag:

 

I think if they set out to have a policy of no bookings they should stick with that, but make it work. It's obviously the same set up as the Cricket Inn at Totley Bents and they don't do bookings there either but that works ok. As I've said, it's good to have places that serve up reasonable food in pleasant surroundings that you can just drop in on and not have to book. Really, there aren't enough places like this - unless you like eating in chain restaurants which I don't.

 

You have to be prepared that when a new place opens there may be teething problems and if they don't take bookings you're probably going to have a long wait for a table as its new and curiosity led demand is high. I think you're right though about the location. If you can't get a table at the Inn at Troway and you're not prepared to wait then your options locally are a bit limited. You could always go to the Butcher's Arms at Marsh Lane, who serve beer and a selection of crisps and pork scratchings - but not much else really.

 

You should keep out of those bins at McDonald's by the way - I hear they have CCTV installed.

[DippyDore]

My biggest problem was not unruly kids. It was starvation. We went there for a meal and didn't get one. That's a pretty fundamental fault in my book.

 

It doesn't matter about quality of food if you don't get to taste it.

 

This was a Saturday night meet up with a group of friends who drove a long way to meet us. We were told on the phone that we couldn't book but there would be no problem fitting us in. There was. we arrived and with no where to even sit and have a drink we waited until all our party arrived and then had to clear off to look for somewhere else. Not easy at what was by now 8.30 Saturday night.

 

We made a mistake by going to a place that won't take a booking. Not a mistake I will make again.

 

You may well be a spontaneous type of bloke. That's great, but its no substitute for eating.

 

Incidentally I an not sure after reading some of the above posts that the food is worth the risk of not getting a table. It seems may who have eaten there feel the overcrowding is leading to a reduction in standards. Now that is a slippery slope to get onto.

 

I agree with you that spontaneity is no substitute for eating I wouldn't be put off all places that don't do bookings though. Some do work well - and I mentioned already the Devonshire Arms at Beeley (where the food is very good - I doubt the Inn at Troway will be as good as this but I reserve judgment until I eat there - if I ever do).

 

The Inn at Troway is the same set up as the Cricket Inn at Totley Bents. To be honest, you may have a point about the food if the Cricket Inn standards are repeated at the Inn at Troway. For a start, everything comes on a bloody cheeseboard. I don't know who thought up this half-arsed idea but obviously Richard Smith or one of his advisors thinks this is novel and twee. It's actually a pain in the arse. Most of us prefer to eat off plates.

 

But it's all part of the imagery and marketing I think. It also reminds people that they are eating in a "soon to be famous Brewkitchen" establishment. This is the name they have given to their ventures.

 

I've eaten at the Cricket Inn on a few occasions - mainly because I can walk there of an evening and don't need to think about drinking and driving. The food has been.... err....well, just about ok I'd say. It's a lovely setting and very atmospheric dining hall but they seem to have got this weird twist on things. So, for example, if you ordered steak and kidney pie - as I did on one occasion - what would you expect to get? Something that looks like a pie with a crust on it would be most people's guess? No - not according to Richard Smith's Cricket Inn kitchen. You get something that comes with like a flat glazed crispy shell on it - not a pie at all. But there's no warning of that. Then there's the burgers - we were there with kids one afternoon and ordered burgers for 4 of them. They came heavily spiced and the kids couldn't eat them - there was no warning of this on the menu or from the waitress.

 

So, the Cricket offers food, but not as we know it - I wonder if the Inn at Troway will do the same? If it does then your reservations about it may be well founded.

 

Incidentally, there is another pub, related to these ventures, the Coach and Horses at Dronfield. They are blighted with serving things on a cheeseboard as well, but the food there is really very nice indeed. It's only a small pub but nice inside. They stop serving strictly at 0830 though On one occasion I

saw a bloke try and order food at one minute after half past eight on a saturday night. He was flatly refused. The girl behind the bar (who I think might be the manager) told him it was 3 minutes after half past eight with her watch. The bloke must have been waiting at the bar about 5 minutes before he got served! He walked out - I can't say I blame him. This could only happen in England I think.

[lizmachin]

I agree with you that spontaneity is no substitute for eating I wouldn't be put off all places that don't do bookings though. Some do work well - and I mentioned already the Devonshire Arms at Beeley (where the food is very good - I doubt the Inn at Troway will be as good as this but I reserve judgment until I eat there - if I ever do).

 

The Inn at Troway is the same set up as the Cricket Inn at Totley Bents. To be honest, you may have a point about the food if the Cricket Inn standards are repeated at the Inn at Troway. For a start, everything comes on a bloody cheeseboard. I don't know who thought up this half-arsed idea but obviously Richard Smith or one of his advisors thinks this is novel and twee. It's actually a pain in the arse. Most of us prefer to eat off plates.

 

But it's all part of the imagery and marketing I think. It also reminds people that they are eating in a "soon to be famous Brewkitchen" establishment. This is the name they have given to their ventures.

 

I've eaten at the Cricket Inn on a few occasions - mainly because I can walk there of an evening and don't need to think about drinking and driving. The food has been.... err....well, just about ok I'd say. It's a lovely setting and very atmospheric dining hall but they seem to have got this weird twist on things. So, for example, if you ordered steak and kidney pie - as I did on one occasion - what would you expect to get? Something that looks like a pie with a crust on it would be most people's guess? No - not according to Richard Smith's Cricket Inn kitchen. You get something that comes with like a flat glazed crispy shell on it - not a pie at all. But there's no warning of that. Then there's the burgers - we were there with kids one afternoon and ordered burgers for 4 of them. They came heavily spiced and the kids couldn't eat them - there was no warning of this on the menu or from the waitress.

 

So, the Cricket offers food, but not as we know it - I wonder if the Inn at Troway will do the same? If it does then your reservations about it may be well founded.

 

Incidentally, there is another pub, related to these ventures, the Coach and Horses at Dronfield. They are blighted with serving things on a cheeseboard as well, but the food there is really very nice indeed. It's only a small pub but nice inside. They stop serving strictly at 0830 though On one occasion I

saw a bloke try and order food at one minute after half past eight on a saturday night. He was flatly refused. The girl behind the bar (who I think might be the manager) told him it was 3 minutes after half past eight with her watch. The bloke must have been waiting at the bar about 5 minutes before he got served! He walked out - I can't say I blame him. This could only happen in England I think.

 

I have eaten at the Coach & horses about 20 times. In no way could the dining experience there be compared to the Cricket Inn and in particular the Blackamoor or whatever it calls itself these days.

 

When I dine at the Coach and Horses I pick up my phone and ring through to reserve a table. On occassions I have been politely told that no table is available that evening. That is fine, because I know early enough to look elsewhere. That isn't the case when you are turned down on arrival. I have never had a meal there served on other than a proper dinner plate, although I am sure if I ordered cheese and biscuits or similar it might be different.

 

They cook a superb steak in Thornbridge pie. A proper crusted pie served with chips. They also have a full range of Thornbridge ales for those who like the real stuff. All in all a very pleasant dining experience without loads of rowdy kids.

 

I never got to eat at the Inn at Troway. I won't be rushing back. I don't mind paying the price for really good food but it needs to be served properly in a civilized setting. I didn't see that at Troway

[sierraman]

I think they will quickly alienate many of the type of people who they hope will fill the place night after night. This pub has failed many times in the past. They might be filling the place at the moment...but when the novelty wears off.

The Martin Dawes review in the Star indicated that he got his starter at the same time as his main course and he still gave it 5 stars.

As for the kids running about and bouncing on the sofa's, I shall cross it off my list too! I've never seen kids running about the pub at the Cricket though

I hear customers have been complaining about the flies, not surprising as if I remember correctly there is no mains drainage and when it was the Black a Moor the sceptic tank was to right hand side of the pub under the outside seating area.

[ukdobby]

Went Sunday,food so so,service below average(empty plates on the table for over 15mins,plenty of flies,Cricketers far better,maybe teething problems?will give it another go in a few months.

[beer]

I think they will quickly alienate many of the type of people who they hope will fill the place night after night. This pub has failed many times in the past. They might be filling the place at the moment...but when the novelty wears off.

The Martin Dawes review in the Star indicated that he got his starter at the same time as his main course and he still gave it 5 stars.

As for the kids running about and bouncing on the sofa's, I shall cross it off my list too! I've never seen kids running about the pub at the Cricket though

I hear customers have been complaining about the flies, not surprising as if I remember correctly there is no mains drainage and when it was the Black a Moor the sceptic tank was to right hand side of the pub under the outside seating area.

 

Yes I noticed the flies as well. We spent rather too much time wafting them away. It is very odd how some places suffer from them and others don't. The Coach & Horses in Dronfield has been mentioned on this thread. I have diner there recently in a totally fly free zone despite the door being wide open. On another occassion I ate at the Bowshaw which is barely 200 yards away and the place was full of the damned things.

[HThorpe]

We popped in for a drink last week,the flies were really off putting and there was a really unpleasant smell that dampened the appetite!

[anarchist]

We popped in for a drink last week,the flies were really off putting and there was a really unpleasant smell that dampened the appetite!

 

I remember going to a beer festival and barbecue there some years ago. It was held in a large tent on the decking alongside the pub. Every now and then there would be a nasty niff. The landlord of the day told me that the pub was not on mains drains and the septic tank outlet was in the field alongside the deck.

[Bad_Hair_Day]

Five of us went last night and had a great time. Got a table easily at 7pm, although the place quickly filled up by 7.30.

 

The food was lovely & fresh, big portions and nicely presented, and the deserts were gorgeous (we shared two between the five of us as we were stuffed after the mains, but just HAD to try the puddings!)

 

The pub has been done out really nicely, the staff and service was good and friendly, and I didn't notice any bad smells and only one fly!

 

The prices are a little more than you'd pay in a chain pub (£11.50 for pie and mash) but the food was good so not a problem at all.

 

A thumbs up from us, we'll definitely go again.