Bistro Le Coq Station Road, Stowe-by-Chartley, Stafford ST18 0LF

"Underwhelmed is how I would describe my overall experience at Le Coq. Initially we were kept waiting for ten to fifteen minutes (while sat on very shallow and uncomfortable pews) before anyone took our food order. It was fairly busy, but I got the impression the the gentleman who took it wasn't in a rush to get anywhere quick. I made a couple of light- hearted remarks but he made no response to my attempts at building rapport. He gave me the impression he was just there to do his job and had lost most of his enjoyment along the way. The mackerel pate was okay. It was a little salty and I could not detect any hint of horseradish. It was served with three paltry slices of what looked like Co-ops tiger baton which proved inadequate to the task of being spread with the course. It was imaginatively and stingely served but it was okay. The shock of the evening came with the main course. I had the bass and my wife had the lamb. The first thing I said to my wife after the waitress had left was "Well I'm glad I had a starter now!" The dish came served on a narrow oblong plate which the pair of fillets adequately spanned. The fish was a little overcooked (possibly because it was so thin) but pleasant. The two small fillets completely covered all the accompanying vegetables. These consisted of around two to three largish (sliced) new potatoes and four or five spears of asparagus. It was not an impressive sight. The dish left me with the feeling I was being conned out of £15.95. My wife enjoyed her lamb but from where I was sitting it looked like it was worth £12.95 rather than another £6! We both had the same dessert which was the apple and cassis confection which I think they describe as gateau but to all intents and purposes was a cheesecake. My overall impression of this was it tasted 'old'. It looked (and subsequently tasted) like it had been sat under a cover for sometime. It was lacking in definition and anything by which to recommend it. It was all very underwhelming. The menu leaves one with the impression that this has not changed for some time. No specials would further indicate that the kitchen are going through the motions. However I must commend the waitress; she was a very personable and attentive aspect of the evening. I can only apologise to her for the meagre tip we left due to the rest of experience. Le Coq Bistro leaves one with the impression they have stopped trying. Maybe that's why no-one asked us if we enjoyed our meal? Very disappointed."

"The food was absolutely lovely, the service wonderful and I cannot wait to go back."

"Our second visit and once again a superb lunch at a reasonable price. Delicious thank you, and we'll be back for more! UPDATE Dec19 We're somewhat alarmed to note that this fine establishment has changed its name and, now, the headline main course dish is some kind of burger. And it now opens for breakfast too, 2 bacon 2 eggs style. Fortunately the French lunch menu was still available last week and long may it continue. Needless to say, we won't be making our one-hour drive for bacon, eggs and burgers! We sincerely wish you luck and good business in the future :)"

"Food was beautifully cooked and well presented, creme brulee had a fantastic caramelised crust. Worth visiting if you want something cosy, out of the way with good food and service."

"We visited here recently for a birthday meal. It was my first time visiting and I couldn't fault the service and quality of food. There was a large party of us and nothing was too much trouble. Also, although there was a lot of us, the food didn't take too long to arrive. Lovely food and very friendly staff."