The Crab At Chieveley

Excellent food and good service. One tip double check your bill as they do have a habit of making mistakes.

After a very disappointing meal at The Crab I sent a ‘feedback email’ to the management. They could not be bothered to reply.
We were led through a totally empty restaurant to a little wooden pub-​table hard up against a cluttered fireplace. We found the décor of the room totally bizarre; why such strange eclectic clutter? The ambience of the room was slightly uncomfortable. We had been looking forward to a relaxed dining experience to make a welcome change from eating out at the pub.
We found the menu (a printed card?) quite strange to understand; all crammed onto one side and not well written. I asked if this was the entire menu and was given an answer that I failed to hear or understand, but it included the word ‘specials’. I assumed that the waitress was going to return with a better reply. When she returned no such reply was forthcoming so I asked again, and again I failed to hear or understand her.
Quite soon, though, we were visited by a very pleasant man who was a mine of information on ‘today’s specials’. He was amazing! He managed to reel off what seemed like a dozen dishes in a surprisingly short space of time: too much! He did chat and answer our questions about certain menu items. We listened to his repertoire repeated at the next table, but we both agreed that we would have preferred to have ‘the specials’ written down somewhere for us to peruse!
The service was prompt, the staff were pleasant, but not interested in feedback.
The food was disappointing and somewhat overpriced. The dish of crab cakes and cabbage was edible but far too salty. My Grilled Red Mullet was fried! Over-​fried! It did not taste good.
My monkfish was tasteless and chewy. Disappointing
We will not be returning and do not recommend this restaurant.

I felt that the food at the Crab verged on pretentious. This place has an amazing reputation but the décor just felt a bit to Disney for me and although the food was good I still felt hungry when I left.

We have stayed here 4 times. The rooms are nice and the service is ok. food is excellent.

An elevated position on the Downs above Newbury. A brilliantly converted (and extended) old pub which now serves fine dining meals. Fish is one of their major strengths, but all their food is excellent. We have never had a dud meal there, and if you are feeling particularly picky, and well behaved, the chef will vary his menu to your taste, within reason, of course !
If turbot appears on the menu, choose it.