The Duncombe Arms

The Duncombe Arms reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. B

   Brian

   Birmingham5 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   The food is good but overpriced and somewhat pretentious
   

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2. J

   Jan

   Derbyshire2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Always excellent standard. Gréât food and friendly professional service.
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Derbyshire1 review

   3.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   3 beef roasts ordered. Food came out on cold plates. Beef was cold, Yorkshire puddings were cold, in fact it was all cold. Roast potatoes unseasoned, not fluffy & hard inside. Cauliflower cheese for 3 was about 3-4 florets and enough for 1 realistically. First time in my life I have sent food back. Absolutely embarrassing. Not once but twice. Ended up leaving without eating. As the meals returned to me were still cold on cold plates. Family ate theirs which were also not hot but were famished after a morning at rugby. Our waiter was friendly, polite & welcoming as on our last visit. He was the highlight of the visit.
   

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4. K

   Karen

   London2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Lovely country pub with amazing food, service excellent and the accommodation was wonderful. A hidden gem
   

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5. A

   Amanda

   Staffordshire3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   An amazing meal at The Duncombe Arms. It's been a while since we have been, so the menu has been refined we think, but for the better. The quality of the ingredients, the preparation of the meal, and the presentation for us were outstanding. There was a warm welcome from waiting staff and local customers alike that made us feel very comfortable. We will definitely be back and not take so long next time!
   

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6. N

   Nicola

   Staffordshire2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 13, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had table for 4 people for Sunday dinner ,service food and place was excellent. Would recommend this place 100%
   

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7. j

   jodie

   Derbyshire1 review

   4.0

   Dined on April 13, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had a lovely meal. Pie wasn't great...more veg than meat but was ok. Beef dinner was lovely. good size.
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Dorset1 review

   5.0

   Dined on April 13, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We are vegetarian but unfortunately there was only a pie or gnocchi for us which we didn’t want…we wanted something special as it was our anniversary. The waiter suggested we had the Sunday roast without the meat. Now I know this sounds daft but the vegetables were cooked beautifully and the overall taste was great.
   

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Birmingham1 review

   4.0

   Dined on April 12, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals at The Duncombe Arms. The starters were excellent, with the cauliflower soup standing out in particular—rich, comforting, and full of flavour. The mains were equally impressive. The gnocchi and salmon were both excellent, and my wife described the chicken Kiev as incredible—crispy, perfectly cooked, and really satisfying. I didn’t mention that my lamb was cold, as we’d already waited a little while for our food and I didn’t want to cause a fuss. That said, the flavour was still very good. One small concern was around allergen information. While I was given a dairy-free menu and advised which dishes contained nuts, I was told to speak to the waiter for further details. I appreciate that verbal communication is permitted under current regulations, but a clear allergen matrix—covering the 14 main allergens—is a legal requirement and would be a much more reassuring approach. As someone with allergies, it was slightly uncomfortable placing responsibility for that in someone else’s hands. Overall, though, we had a great time, really enjoyed the food, and would definitely return.
   

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10. P

    Paul

    Gloucestershire1 review

    3.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3

    On our reservation we requested to be seated inside in the bar but were actually shown to a table in the conservatory/bordering outside (doors fully open). When we queried this, we were then given the option of eating inside. Upon arrival, the sign directed us to report to the bar to notify of our arrival. We did this and were completely ignored by three members of staff who didn't bother to ask to see if they could help us. I ended up going to find a member of staff myself after the three bar staff all disappeared. We ordered 1 x Pork Chop and 1 x Lamb steak/chop. We eat out frequently at a range of high quality places and so can make the following statement with confidence: The meals were nice but overpriced. The amount of meat on both meals was minimum as a result of the bone/fat content on both meats. The general portion size of the meal was small and somewhat inadequate. The venue charged extra for side portion of greens which, again, was small in size and really ought to have been included within the cost of the main course. The side dish of greens comprised of some cut green beans - hardly what we would call a selection. Overall, the venue was a nice place but the dining experience was rather disappointing unfortunately. We chose not to pay the additional 10% discretionary charge the venue had intended to add to our bill.
    

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