The Old Orchard in Faranah

A hidden gem, tucked along the edges of Harefield. It has spectacular views of the Northmoor Hills Nature reserve with the canal skirting at its foothills. The ambience is classy and the food is great, though not many options for vegetarians. The staff is very friendly.

Great for drinks and atmosphere. Absolutely horrific food now. Used to be great for Sunday roast but as youll see inside on a weekend most the tables are empty. Coy Carp a stones throw away has incredible food, thats the sort of food they should be producing.

Breath-taking views but book 2 weeks in advance to avoid disappointment. The pub only offers indoor service unfortunately so the outside tables are for coffee and a beer

Had dinner at Orchard this week. Lovely decor and friendly service. I ordered their prawn salad and deep fried cod. Both were delicious. Bravo to the young female server, who was helpful and always smiling. (Sorry I didnt catch your name.Good dining experience.

The place in itself is a 5 stars, a lovely building, well furnished and with a breathtaking viewing.The road where it is however is in total darkness at night, scary and very dangerous to walk, literally no lighting.On rainy days in the evenings, if you are walking you would need a torch to check the pavement to avoid being run over or fall into a hole full of water 😔The sign is also not lit at the beginning of the road so unless you know where this place is, its easy to miss out if you are driving.I had some nibbles and the oil used for the fried squid must have been used a million times how dark the frying was and for what the price was, they could have added a few more.Orders taken but not listened well either as at least 3 mistakes made and not good.This place has a huge potential, quite a few improvements need to be made if you want this place to fill in, as opposed to a nearly empty room like on a Friday evening 🙏

Absolutely ridiculous. We ordered a simple steak burger and fish and chips. Waited 50 minutes and it still didn’t arrive. We got up to leave…. Didn’t even receive an acknowledgment from staff about how long the food took. Not even a ‘sorry’ from management. Absolutely appalling. Left the pub and never EVER going back, even if someone put a gun to my head.

Spectacular views and very tasty grub, not quite 5 stars if you want to nitpick on service. Simple things to make the experience top notch were forgotten, no salt and pepper on the table, no steak knife offered, chips forgotten from the order. Staff were apologetic but its the little things if they want to really impress. They are dog friendly which is always a plus, but when I asked if they could bring a water bowl for the dog the waitress was bemused, and I decided not to insist. All in all definitely a visit for a tasty spot of lunch.

Had a fabulous birthday lunch here with friends. Highly reccomend the food choices

Have been coming here for the last 12 years even supported them when they reopened during Covid but they are never getting our money ever again! I have to compliment the chef, as the food was delicious as usual but I echo other’s frustration at the poor management. Maddi who was managing that night has absolutely no people skills or understanding of the establishment she is running. Rude, aggressive, no idea about hygiene standards (stroking dogs, then serving our food), absolutely ruined our visit. She is not experienced or mature enough to be left to manage a popular busy pub. When we asked for her name from our waitress , she stormed over to confront us about asking for her name and how we were ‘obviously going to complain’. She said she didn’t care and gets loads of complaints! Not surprised! We have never had such a horrible experience there in 12 years and they’ve lost our custom forever!

Our party of 7 had Sunday lunch here yesterday and we were all very pleased with the food and presentation. I had roast loin of pork which was delicious and very nicely cooked. Great service by friendly efficient staff . Will definitely return.

Amazing views, plenty of space, very cosy pub, but could improve their menu and introduce a few more exciting dishes. Very typical pub food with no variations. If it wasnt for the cosiness and the views, we probably wouldnt visit that much (rather rarely).

Fantastic restaurant. Large car park. Beautiful view of the aqua drome. Dog friendly. Friendly staff and the food was reasonable. Was not hot only bit yo complain about. But overall excellent

Great location but poor staffing - this was our second time here, this time around was less busy, but unfortunately the food took a very long time to reach us, our waiter was nice enough though the food timing didnt help, the food was nice enough when it arrived, has dampened our original view on it. You can never be let down by the view, this is always a nice touch.

We visited when the kitchen was closed, apparently due to staff shortage. There was a BBQ in the garden with 4 food choices. The ale choice was also very limited. The staff that were working were doing a good job and trying very hard to accommodate customers. I am sure that once the staff shortage is resolved then the pub will return to its very best.

Great place for a Sunday lunch. Food is delicious and the portions are generous. You need to book on advance as always busy.

Amazing views in garden and balcony, and food was excellent, with waiting time for food not to long.Would have given 5 stars but staff were just going trough the motion.

Myself and 3 friends went for drinks and dinner... The outside area was lovely and we enjoyed the views on a hot summers evening, however the dining experience was awful. The restaurant wasnt busy, I counted 4 tables with guests. We ordered our food at 7.20pm and it did not arrive until 9pm, after numerous complaints to the waiting staff and then eventually the manager, the food arrived (in the meantime we got some crisps from the bar while we waited for our food).. When the food did arrive, I immediately called the manager to show him what had been served.. There was no apology from the waitress for the long wait, just plonked our food on the table and off she went....Fortunately it was the manager that had seated us so knew exactly what time we had arrived and ordered our food.The food was luke warm at best and my steak sandwich was cold, it basically looked like the food had been sat on the counter for ages and then someone remembered to bring it out!!The staff sadly dont seem to be that bothered, slow and lazy which is a shame (having read some of the other negative reviews that seems to be a common theme).The manager said that he would not charge us for the food and agreed that the service we had received was not up to the high standards that they set. It was our first visit to the restaurant and not the best experience (to say the least)... I still dont know what the issue was because as I have mentioned the restaurant wasnt busy at all and there seemed to be plenty of staff.We stayed for drinks in the garden in the evening and I ordered some crisps and was told that they had run out, when I asked the bartender to check, he came back with a whole box of crisps.... back to the lazy staff theme..Hope they sort out their issues as its a lovely venue, if I do return, it wont be for the food, itll be for drinks and well eat elsewhere.

A great garden with a great view, but thats about it. You are not allowed to order food in the garden, the level of service was not just low, it was simply non existent. We sat on the terrace only because we wanted to order food, the tables there were terribly dirty. we got our food but no one brought cutlery and napkins. So my overall rating is 2 stars because of the nice garden, but even that cant make up for the poor organization and management of this establishment.

Food was absolutely amazing, location is beautiful, But two members of staff were terrible, a woman manager moved us 3 times telling us the the table was reservedNo reserved sign after we finished our meal no one sat on the table we sat at the second time . Then a man manager with glasses maybe french chased us out the pub asking if we paid when I paid from when I orderedWas made to feel like riff raffWas not made welcome at allWill not be going back regardless of how great the food was the management were terrible

Popped in for a team lunch. Food and service both very good, had plenty of time to get back to the office. The views looking down over the lakes are fantastic. Really friendly atmosphere.

Great view and atmosphere. Nice crowd. We sat outside where there was a BBQ menu (separate from the menu insideand it was top notch. Had the beef burger and my wife had the chicken burger. Washed it down with a glass of their house white. Perfect summer evening and great food. Will be back. Nice staff too.

I was so disappointed with the food here and the service. The pub looked lovely with beautiful views and looked like the perfect place for a Sunday roast. Unfortunately the roast was possibly the worst Ive had. Gravy was so salty made my tongue go funny, carrots were rock hard potatoes were dried out and hard to cut. Unfortunately none of the waitresses checked to see if we were happy with the food so we left without eating it.

Really nice scenic pub with lots of outdoor and indoor space. Lots of car park space available too.Last time we sat inside and we were served by a lovely waitress who was very attentive.I had the chicken pie and I was not disappointed. The portions are very generous. Will definitely be going back!

My previous review was 5 starts but after yesterdays and todays service I must change it to 1.Everything is fine - amazing view, nice garden, wonderful kitchen chef and delicious food. Everything apart from rude bar staff and always miserable manager.Yesterday I ordered 2 coffees and a cup of tea. I was waiting for it 10 minutes. My latte had no taste of coffee so I asked to replace it. Another one came with horrible taste and grained beans inside of the glass. The waitress shouldnt serve it and should offer refund of money, eventually recommended something different, if they couldnt make proper coffee. This latte was disgusting.Apart from it, Manager stomped on my shoe and did not apologise.Today, the same Manager didnt hold the doors when I was leaving the restaurant. I had 2 beers in my hands and got slammed on my face.Whats wrong with them?

Lovely place, with a spectacular view…. We had few drinks in their garden, the prices are just as everywhere else. Very friendly staff. We had a great time, definitely recommended!

Beautiful scenery, free parking available at the location and usual London price for the drink!

Beautiful place, stunning views, pictures don’t do it justice. Please improve the food and service and then would give it a 5*. Would also like the option to eat in the garden area.

Really nice pub with great outdoor garden with amazing views . Can combine with a beautiful scenic walk by the water.

No outdoor eating any more due to "staff shortage" although I have never seen so many bar staff in s small pub restaurant.Told we could sit under the canopy if there is a table. There wasnt a free table so we waited. Once a table came free, I ordered from the bar: cod & chips X2 for £16 each.When it arrived, there were no more than 9 chips. I challenged this with the waitress as £16 is more than most places, to which she said "cod is expensive".If that was the case, it didnt explain why they were so mean with the chips.The waitress looked puzzled that I would even question the portion size.I asked if she would pass on my feedback although I have no confidence they cared.Service and quality has gone down massively and we will not be going back again. Spending £50 on two meals and two drinks, you would think they would try to keep customers coming back.We seem to have only paid for a nice view, nothing else worth going for.

Very friendly staff. Beautiful views. Ample parking. A real secret world.And well behaved dogs are allowed in part of the restaurant.

Nice pub, good atmosphere and great views.My rating is down to the food factor!!Absolutely crazy that customers cannot have their food in the beer garden.Pub will be ALOT more busier if this was allowed

We went to the old orchard for a roast. The value for money was very good, good portion size and quality taste. Only downside was the service was a bit slow and a few things were left off the order. However, we were not charged for the missing items and ultimately didn’t need them as the roast was so big.I imagine during the summer season the outside seating is amazing. It overlooks a lake and the sunsets on that side. However, even during this autumn season, there is a tent and outdoor heating.Overall I would recommendOctober 2021

Ive been here a few times now, and its consistent. Nice food, decent pricing and friendly staff. It has lovely views outside and is cosy inside. Not sure what more youd want really

The first time we have been to this venue, amazing outside garden location overlooking the hillside green landscape.Very friendly feel the place and didnt feel too busy, the service itself was good and the food was an excellent nice hot and a very good portions. What was a slight letdown was all the food didnot come at the same time and I had to wait for my main dish. Definitely will come back again.

We loved being at the Old Orchard. We visited on a week day so things were really quite. We walked in without a reservation and the staff did their best to make us comfortable. Food was well made and was surprisingly well priced. The clincher is the decor inside and the views outside. It is wonderful to have a place like this at such a short drive away from London! Parking is free and ample.

A very old historical pub with an amazing view! This pub is just so beautiful, I wasnt expecting it.I would recommend to book in advance if you want food we didnt manage to find a table even showing up early in the evening.If you come walking or cycling you should definitely check the canal walk just under the road its stunning!There is a huge parking space so you will find a spot if you come by car.

Our server Genie was very helpful and lovely, always had a smile on her face. She really did complete the hole experience for us. Also 1 of the best roast dinners I have had, the lamb was incredible. Beautiful place.

Pleasant sitting in a quiet environment with a beautiful view of the lake and friendly staff..

Fantastic food in a cosy setting with stunning views overlooking lakes. Lots of different spaces for different sized groups. Wine list was great! Recommend the tempernillo. Staff and service was excellent!! Would be back in a heartbeat!

Loved this place,very unique .Food was good but the highlight of this restaurant is the stunning view!!

Food extremely good. Service needs a lot of improvement. Took lots to gave us a table (which we had already bookand them wait ages again for the food and drinks. Only two very helpful ladies serving the tables (no full). However 5 yes five staff in the bar serving and they were not busy totally different having a good chats between each others. Management check CCTV so you can see that I am saying the true. Same the food was very good.

Great lacation, great outdoor seats if you can grab a table. Food is good, menu could be better. One thing really puzzled us: we booked a table in advance, when we arrived we had to join a long queue starting at the outdoor patio to the bar. 40 min queue, same queue with all those ordering a drink, at some point I asked a waitress thinking I might be staying on the queue for nothing, but she confirmed that the tables were dealt by the bar, so I had to stay on the queue. Very strange arrangement since I noticed there are 2 doors after all, they could just use one for the bar and one for the restaurant. It was quite busy, and service was consequently affected. Overal I would recommend this gastro pub.

Managed to go to this elegant country gastro-pub over the weekend. Upon arriving at our table, we were lucky to be enjoying the lovely weather with lovely views and terrace seating.Whilst the food was good, unfortunately the service was not. They did have a lot of waiters and waitresses, but the attention to detail was lacking and the time to get your food was far too long.From ordering our meal to actually getting our main course was a wait of 1 hour 5 minutes, which is totally unacceptable.My pudding was the waffle with banana toffee sauce and ice cream; there were three chunks of banana on the plate (not even half a normal sized bananait was another portion control issue in my opinion.Other friends had been to the Old Orchard many times in the past and always raves about it! but based on the service and the fact you have to queue up at the bar and order yourselves; we will not be going back any time soon or recommending it to family or friends. On a bright note, the views are spectacular as you can see from the photos and ample parking for over 100 cars! If you’d like to go yourself i would strong recommend to go visit on a weekday.

The food was delicious but I think some attention to detail on requests would be appreciated since my friend asked for no pickle on her burger but it came out with a pickle. No big issue but would be nice to have the order correct. Atmosphere was lovely. The scenery is excellent.

Whilst the pub food and general ambience of the restaurant was very good and a beer garden with a view to rival the best in the land 🇬🇧, the service speed was extremely slow considering the amount of staff they have working.One glance on trip advisor and you can see this place is living off its reputation of 5 years ago. Its certainly a shadow of its former self since I visited 6 years ago.👎🏼Some of the staff were just chatting and laughing at the bar whilst we were waiting 20 minutes for drinks in the restaurant area next to the bar so I just ended up going to the bar and ordering myself because it was quicker. The waiters were extremely friendly so it may be that they are poorly organised that is the issue or maybe just lazy and whoever is managing them is just not picking them up on it.Its a shame that the chefs good food and the kitchen is let down by seemingly badly managed staff because they all seem competent and friendly. All our food was served at different times with my son waiting in between which meant our friends started their meal first which, again, I think is poor for the relatively higher than usual price you are paying.🤦🏼‍♂️Toilets 🚻 (malewere awful upstairs with urine and toilet paper all over the floor. Not sure how often they check these.Conclusion: Good pub, good food but should be excellent if it was run efficiently. It takes years to build a good reputation and this place is going down the drain quickly. I hope they invite the owners over soon to actually experience what its really like.

Amazing place great view, would be 5 star but price vs portion size is a bit high.Update we went again, this time the food was good (still not huge potionsbut the roast beef was undercooked and chewy.

December 2021: Glad to be able to visit The Old Orchard at Christmas. They always have a real fire going and mulled wine. Unfortunately, they hadnt started the mulled cider yet but, had a hot toddy; both were wonderful. Well done guys for offering these.The food , for starters we shared prawn salad, very refreshing. My partner had the chicken and leek pie which was yummy. I had the salmon, which was disappointing, dry and bland, the veggie accomplishment were tasty.January 2020: I really like this place and come here regularly. Looking forward to coming in summer.Having been here many times over the last 4 months, I have to say the menu is limited and boring. Very surprised they havent thought of changing it or varying it a bit.Also wish they had a few more cosy tables and chairs. Apart from the 1st time we came always get put on a small table for 2 despite asking for a square 4 table and plenty being available.The service could be better, waiters dont write the order down and then forget to bring you drinks.Despite the above I still like this place but, its these things that is the difference between nice and amazing.December 2019: Came here on Christmas Eve and had a lovely evening.September 2019:Went to The Old Orchard for drinks and dinner on a Friday night. I hadnt booked a table so we had to wait an hour and a half. Which was fine as it was a nice evening we sat outside then had to move in due to it getting a bit chilly. Would have been nice if they had patio heaters, I would have liked to sit outside. Blankets would also be a nice touch.The views are amazing.Food was very good, facilities were clean and the staff were friendly and provided a great service.I will definitely be coming back.

Gorgeous outside under cover seating with stunning view of the lake.Beautiful in the summer and cosy in the winter. Service is great and prices are reasonable. This is a hidden gem and by far the most stunning location.

Lovely afternoon here with beautiful views. Tasty food, would love to try the Sunday roast. It does get rather busy, especially on a lovely day when everyone wants to sit outside. Dog friendly.

Stunning views and around 20 walk in tables available but worth going early as a queue was forming from as early as 11.50am before opening. Very friendly staff and great service with all covid rules applied along with QR code ordering and payment but staff happy to help and take an order in the good old fashioned way. Had the Sunday roast with usual trimmings as well as parsnip and apple sauce and crackling and good amount of gravy. Due to the weather being cold the food gets cold quick but that’s the weather. Also worth trying the sticky toffee pudding. I would rate the roast 6/7 out of 10 as beef was a bit tough but the roast potatoes were big and amazing and nice gravy. No mocktails however so could be a good addition in the future. Dessert I would rate at 7 out of 10 as the @hawksmoorrestaurants sticky toffee is still top of the list I am afraid. Can’t fault the service or view just really great place to go and look forward to going again as more food to try.