Retreat Grill, Bar and Restaurant
+44 1204 849313+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
12:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Mon
12:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Tue
12:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Wed
12:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Thu
12:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Fri
12:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Sat
12:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Food and ambience
Special occasions, Large groups, Bar scene, Business meetings
Is this a Steakhouse?
Details
CUISINES
Steakhouse, Bar, International, British
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night
FEATURES
Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Contribute
4.0
987 reviews
Excellent
429
Very good
248
Average
136
Poor
99
Terrible
75
LMDD
Bolton109 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
Went as a group of 10 and we were asked to pay a deposit and pre-order our food and we did as requested. On arrival I waited by the desk to inform them of our arrival and I was totally ignored by the 3 staff at the desk. A couple walked in, were acknowledged immediately and taken to their table - rude.
We were taken to our table 20 minutes later than our booked time, without apology or explanation. When our pre-ordered food arrived, 3 of the meals were wrong so had to be sent back which meant that some of the party had finished eating before other meals arrived. At no point did we receive an apology or explanation. We were NEVER asked if we would like wine or drinks and had to go to the bar for our own.
When the bill arrived they had over charged us, by adding the wrong meals to our bill as well as the correct ones!
Get your act together and sharpen up your customer service please.
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Off their P
Manchester4013 contributions
Nov 2020 • none
This was our last meal before lockdown and ultimately we left disappointed. This is a regular place for us and we’ve had some great times over the years but the food let it down this time.
To get the negative out of the way first, the braised beef hash was really poor. £16 for a small portion of fairly fatty meat in a tinned tomato sauce was just not up to scratch. It was more like a stew than a hash and wasn’t very tasty at all. To be fair, the other dish of their gourmet Burger was really good indeed but was quite cold when we got the food.
On the plus side, we dined outside despite the cold weather and really enjoyed it. They have done a wonderful Job of this structure and we were warm and cosy throughout. The service too was excellent and the young lady who looked after us was professional, friendly and seem to really care about us having a good time.
I don’t think it offers value for money anymore on the food front any more. It cost us £50 for two main courses and two beers each – that doesn’t seem very reasonable at all. When we get chance, we will go back but only for drinks from now on.
Written November 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelforever0311
Manchester17 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
Attended with family and was saddened to note that the food portion had been reduced, we go here when it’s not eat out to help out so was quite saddened by this as we have always had a pleasurable time although the music could be a tad lower. Sadly the chicken skewer consisted of three very small piece and the chips that arrived were the ends of the bag. I don’t think we will return in a hurry simply due to the reduced portions and the principle of it.
Written September 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RetreatRestaurants
Hi,
We haven't reduced any of our portion sizes to match any particular promotion, they are exactly the same as they were previously.
From the description it looks like you ordered the light lunch chicken skewer, this has 3 pieces of chicken as you say, which is half a chicken breast as we cut them into 6.
The chips are usually quite uniformed in size but we'll look into this, our apologies
Regards
Richard
Written September 2, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
1sttimereviewer_rb
Bolton32 contributions
Jan 2020 • family
The first time I came in December I presumed the service was slow because the restaurant was packed.
However, I returned for Sunday lunch and nothing had improved. Waiting staff were inattentive. We had to leave our table several times, 1 to ask for a children's menu, 2 to ask if we could order drinks and 3 to ask for coffees after the meal. The fire was on and one member of staff seemed more bothered about stoking the fire. At one point the whole room was enveloped with smoke because he kept opening and closing the stove door to mess with the embers.
After 2 visits, both with shockingly slow service, I will not be returning. The food was mediocre and the staff that did take our orders could not discuss the food or wine menu because they hey had no knowledge of either. For a waitress not to know what colour a Zinfandel is is petty pathetic.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RetreatRestaurants
Hi.
Sorry you were dis-satisfied with your visit - we are in the process of re-training all of our team when we re-opened on the 10th January, my apologies this was slow. You should not have to get up and look for staff members to get things.
In terms of the Zinfandel - it can be red or white (white Zinfandel being pink)
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cole D
Manchester28 contributions
Aug 2020 • couples
Visited here to help out locally for the eat out to help out scheme and it is the worst we have experienced so far.
We booked for 5:45pm and we were sat in the waiting area waiting for our table to be ready with our drinks. I asked the blonde lady on the front how long the wait is (considering we had already booked and so didn’t understand why there was a wait) and she showed me her clipboard and didn’t even say anything, as if I’m supposed to know how long her waiting list takes?! About half an hour after we were waiting I noticed a group of lads turn up and sit in the waiting area who were probably there for about 5 minutes until they were seated. I thought this was strange considering we booked for 5:45pm and it was coming up to 6:30pm and we hadn’t even been taken to our table yet they were being seated straight away when they had turned up significantly later than us. In the waiting area it started to rain really heavy and they said they had no tables left inside and there was no space under the canopy. We wanted to leave and asked if we could just pay for our drinks and they said no. It was so bad that I ended up waiting in the car whilst my boyfriend tried to sort things out with the manager because we were so unhappy and absolutely drenched with rain. We finally got seated at 7pm and no surprise was the group of lads who walked in later than us were laughing and joking with the manager so they were clearly friends and that’s why they were prioritised which was so out of order.
We sat and ate our food but hated it all and felt like we were unable to leave even though we were drenched and the whole experience was just completely ruined.
Will not be coming back ever again.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RetreatRestaurants
Hi,
I'm really sorry you were unhappy with your visit - from your review I'm really struggling to understand what went on - if you had booked a table then it would have been ready (or within a few minutes) so I have no idea why you'd be waiting 45 mins for that table unless you requested to eat outside and were waiting for a table to come free?
From the reservation system I can only see a reservation for yourselves booked on Saturday 12th August which is not a Dine out to Help out day? Did you make another reservation for another day in a different name or did you just turn up on the day?
Which actual day is your complaint from?
If you want to discuss the matter and we can get some more details off you - could you please email us at enquiries@retreatrestaurants.co.uk where we can look into the complaint?
Regards
Richard
Written September 2, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisandy
Bolton24 contributions
Feb 2020 • family
Party of 5 for a birthday celebration, the service was very slow, the food when it finally arrive was bland, my husband and I order different skewer dishes 1 minted lamb and 1 Piti Piti chicken - when it came they put one of each on the other plate when we had not asked to share, the food didn’t not taste as expected - not sure why I am surprised as we have eaten here before and never been impressed but this was way below previous meals (not that it was special before). When the bill came they had included food which we had not eaten. This restaurant offers a number of vouchers but when presented they would not accept saying that we were part of another booking which was not the case as the voucher was per table and we had separate bills. Overall a really poor experience with offensive staff. Will not be visiting again and on reading other reviews we are not on our own.
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RetreatRestaurants
Hi,
Thanks for another review of the same night on social media. Bending the facts on trip advisor to create a bad impression is never great - you were a party of 26 which were booked in a private area of the restaurant all together - yes these were on separate tables as we don't have 1 table which seats that amount of people.
You had no complaints on the night about food that was reported to the team and only became aggressive towards the manager when you were told (as per the agreement with the party organiser) that we would only be able to take the maximum number of 2 vouchers off the party.
The team are not here to be spoken to like a peice of dirt hence why the conversation with your table was cut short.
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Socialchaos
Greater Manchester11 contributions
Jan 2020 • couples
Went in for some lunch on new years day. Service was ok. However ordered 2 vegan meals from the menu, there are only 3 to choose from so not much choice for us. Dont waste your time looking at the menu on the website, this is different once you arrive and no vegan desserts are on offer here.
Jamaican jerk curry - more like tomato soup with vegetables and a bit of packet seasoning. Was served with yellow rice that had a few chopped peppers and onions thrown in. No flavour, my partner left half the dish.
Mushroom risotto - a little more flavoursome especially when I added my own salt and pepper. Mushrooms were chewy, almost lamb like in texture. Nice touch throwing some leaves on top.
Drinks - we ordered kraken spiced rum doubles with coke and lemonade. The drinks tasted like they didnt have any alcohol in them so I questioned the staff. They claimed that the kraken was all out so they made a substitute. I dispute that there was any alcohol in these drinks at all.
All in all bad experience and would recommend anybody especially vegans to steer clear and not waste your time.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jesus Macaroni
Horwich4 contributions
Oct 2021 • family
Retreat promises so much, it has a great location, great decor, it looks inviting, always seems busy, and the atmosphere feels good as you walk in.
I visited with the family, we were seated quickly, and our inexperienced waiter took our drinks orders quickly, the drinks took ages to arrive, and they didn't seem to have any basics at the bar, no ingredients for a Bloody Mary, and the wine choice wasn't available.
The real let down though was the food. Starters were underwhelming. Steak that cost £30 was overcooked, served with a tepid mushroom with a solid lump of herb butter that was never going to melt. Roast half Chicken had limp pasty skin, really dry. Nothing was well done and for the prices charged you expect quality as it wasn't cheap.
Really disappointed, won't be going back.
Written November 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian P
Westhoughton19 contributions
May 2021 • family
Just got back home from the retreat for Father’s Day meal and got to say I am not impressed with the service, choice, cleanliness of gents toilets and cost in the slightest . We arrived in good time for our 17:30 reservation and was seated outside which is the only reason I’ve given this 2 stars and not 1 as it was very nice and set out to nice standard . My first annoyance was with the service …. We were asked for our drinks order straight away while we browsed the menu which on the outset looked reasonable but however 45 minutes later we had to ask for the staff to take our order as they had clearly forgotten to do so … we were then told that there was no Sunday lunches as they had sold out !! Baring I’m mind it was not that late and just starting to get busy … so we went with the Wagyu burger , steak and a kids chicken burger ….. the time was now after 18:30 and we hadn’t ordered a starter either ….. so finally after more than an hour we finally got our food … although the wagyu burger was nice in my opinion but not that hot the steak for £24 was small and no veg with it aside from a few mushrooms and the kids chicken burger was cremated . We then asked for a sweet menu and looked at it but it wasn’t very comprehensive in my opinion and there was only one thing in there that both my wife I liked which was the passion fruit brûlée …. Nope they had none of those either so we asked for a cheesecake which was as we found out was vegan so dish they that and thought enough was enough and had a coffee and asked for the bill which was again in my opinion a lot considering what you got .
In conclusion to this I would say this place trades on its location rather than the quality of its food and service , it’s also a place I won’t be going to again to eat either .
Written June 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Henry D
1 contribution
Apr 2021 • friends
Ordered steaks at 28£ that were unseasoned and ultimately disappointing for their price comparable to something I would find at a Wetherspoons or other establishment for 10-15£. My friend also found a piece of plastic from a biscuit wrapper that the staff tried to blame us for and offered a 50% discount at one meal under protest. Ultimately a disappointing experience where managerial staff were rude and uncompromising with us. Cocktails were very good and waiters were good however would never recommend to a friend due to frankly rubbish food and staff.
Written April 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Holly R
1 contribution
May 2021 • family
We had waited months to try this restaurant after having an amazing take away during the pandemic.
Server was polite and took our drinks order and provided menus. We had a nice table in the corner which was quiet but rather cold, so it would have been nice for the fire to have been lit as the weather outside was dreadful and I didn’t warm up for most of the evening, I even ended up putting my coat back on.
Ordered starters and mains and the starters arrived really quickly. Garlic bread and goats cheese salad were amazing! My dad said he would come back just to have the salad again it was that tasty and the garlic bread was fresh and red hot.
When the mains arrived the waitress must have forgotten to tell the kitchen that my mum had changed her main course and so they gave her the wrong meal which we sent back. Unfortunately this meant my mum had to sit and wait whilst we ate as ours was going cold but when hers finally arrived she said that the fish was excellent and was glad she changed her mind. The chips were the biggest I have ever seen and were delicious. The rest of us had burgers and they were excellent, the portions were great value and everything appeared to have been made fresh.
Would definitely come again, food was as good as the Sunday roast take away we had, next time would just like the room warmer and our order to be correct :)
Written May 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Family
3 contributions
Feb 2020 • friends
Firstly the waiting staff we attentive. It was a very cold evening we asked to move nearer the fire as we were seated in a colder part of the restaurant. We were moved as there were plenty seats and tables,they even lit the fire, thank you. However my friend and I placed out coats over our laps as there was a very cold draught.
The starters were sparse and full of salad leaves. The flat bread was Warburton's thins. Three of us ordered the kebabs, my days they were terribly sparse More importantly they were cold! I did mention it and they replaced the beef one for me for a hot one, they offered to replace the others but my friend politely declined, much appreciated. One of the group had the lamb dish, she had nothing but praise for this dish. At the end of our meal the waitress did ask had we enjoyed our meal. We did politely explain how the food was cold and she was very apologetic. We meet up once a month and visit a different restaurant each time,sadly we will not be returning.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RetreatRestaurants
We're sorry this one dining experience means you won't be returning! We've suffered due to the extremely high winds ove the last few days, doors the the front of the restaurant get blown open and can send a gust through the bar - unfortunately with the building we have this is a small problem that will only happen in storm conditions. When this one has passed then there isn't a problem.
The food being cold is unacceptable and we apologise for that.
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Naomi B
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • friends
This was such a shame. I've been to retreat loads of times before lockdown and loved it, unfortunately its standards seem to have slipped. The menu was disappointingly sparse (i know restaurants have had to cut back, but this was extreme). The starters of "chicken lollipops" were relative to chicken drumsticks you would find at a family buffet, barely seasoned and woefully undercooked. I can't fault the mains, however a choice of 2 desserts simply wasn't enough, although the kinder cookie pie was good. The main drawback though was the dreadful service. Although we were asked what drinks we would like early after arrival, they hadn't arrived after about 30 mins. I was almost embarrassed when the waitress asked us if we would like more drinks, despite not having received the first. My "coke" arrived, which seemed like the dregs of the barrel and promptly returned. The blonde waitress who served us tried her best, but in general the serving staff seemed more interested in talking to each other. We had to ask for cutlery when the main arrived, and had to prompt them several times regarding drinks, the bill, and asking to make payment. Even when leaving, despite dismal service i attempted to tell the hosting staff "thank you, goodnight", but was promptly ignored. We won't be returning any time soon unfortunately
Written July 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Off their P
Manchester4013 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
This was our first meal out after this latest lockdown and we had a nice time. The restaurant has done a great job of creating a comfortable, cosy yet Covid secure outdoor eating area and we felt we could relax there.
There are lots of heaters and blankets so keeping warm wasn’t a problem. The service throughout was excellent and was both professional and friendly.
The food was good rather than great but not cheap. With no starters, desserts or steaks involved our bill was over £120 for four people. No wine either just a few beers between us. We had a great time but the cost would probably put us off going again for awhile.
Written April 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mr Duffy
Bolton2 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
Called for breakfast on Saturday morning and was shown to a table straight away. There was a slight mix up in that another table who arrived after us were served first and when it arrived part of my full English breakfast (bacon and beans) were cold, this was rectified immediately. My breakfast was delicious and well worth the wait. The quality of the products, ie black pudding, bacon and sausages was really good. It was so nice in fact that, despite the "mistakes" we will definitely be back again in the near future.
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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