mill on the soar

This is a great pub to take your kids, if that’s what you are locking for. There is a large outside play area with a lot of activities to keep kids amused.
But if you are not taking kids, then there is little recommend it these days.
I was once a regular, but rarely go there now.
Three reasons:
I don’t really enjoy eating my food with other peoples uncontrolled kids running about round my feet.
The last few times I have been there, the food has been truly foul.
Some of the staff are great, but others are quite surly and rude.
I can get surly and rude at home so I don’t need to go there. I don’t think there has ever been much staff training going on there, if there was then the staff would have been told that some people (I accept not all) don’t like to be called sweetheart. darling, love, duck or dear, by people who are younger than their grandkids. Patronising and rude!!!
This place is often very busy, I suspect due to the kids area outside. If that is what you want, then it may well suit you. If you want a good meal in a pleasant and agreeable place, best go somewhere else.
Why don’t pub/​restaurants have an area set aside where only adults eat, that way they would have it all.

pictures on the menu, don’t resemble the poorly cooked food. truly awful place.

I had gone here with my parents and my youngest son just for a change from our usual places. I thought it would be nice to sit outside there. It was nice to sit outside, my son really enjoyed the large children’s play area. The whole place was busy but there was still plenty of room. The food was the same as all other Hungry Horse places. Cheap, edible but a little bland.
When we first went in, I ordered some drinks at the bar and that was all fine. I was served by a nice young man in a reasonable amount of time considering how busy the place was.
Then we ordered some food. There was a bit of a wait for food but not unreasonable and we were told that there would be a wait before we ordered. The menu was the same as any other Hungry Horse. They have a couple of 2 for meals but I think there were only about 4 of them on the menu. I just wanted a salad but the choice was a chicken salad or a chicken and bacon salad. I ended up with a baguette because that was about all they had for a cold option. The menu looks good until you actually look properly and realise that most of it is all the same. Not much more than steak, curry or a burger to choose from.
When the food came out, the lady who brought it to us was kind and helpful. However, we had ordered some sides and received the wrong thing for one of them. I had gone to get my son from the play area so I did not realise until I came back. So, I took the wrong item up to the bar and explained that I had actually ordered something else. The barman took the unrequired item from me, took it to the kitchen and repeated what I had said to the kitchen staff. This barman did not say anything to me, whether the item would be changed, how long it would be, etc. Apart from asking me my table number, I was barely acknowledged and not so much as offered an apology. I then went outside, not knowing how long I would wait for the correct side order. Then a waitress came over and, more or less, threw the item at me without saying a word.
When someone asked if everything was OK, my parents said it was but my son (aged 6) told them to sort out the problem! (I had already gone to sort it at this point!)
It is quite a nice place in a nice location. The food, for the price, is what you would expect. If it wasn’t for those two rude servers, I would probably have given 4 stars.

This is a nice family pub out of the way of the main villages.
It has a large outdoor play area for children and lots of outdoor tables for them warmer months.
We stayed in the accommodation here for 5 nights with our two children.
The staff were great and gave us two joining rooms that we could make into one by opening the door between us. This made it easier in terms of getting the kids to sleep whilst we were still awake.
The rooms were clean with TV and tea facilities and they were cleaned daily.
The meals were satisfactory with a nice choice of meals from your standard pub steak to more healthy salad options. They have a nice children’s menu where the kids can mix and match 3 items to suit their tastes making feeding fussy eaters a lot easier.
They pub itself is busy but not too loud, helping you to feel comfortable to be there with a young family.

This pub has a seriously large outside area, and on a hot summers day is simply gorgeous. The inside is very well presented, although the pub can sometimes be a little large and spread out to create an atmosphere. The staff are friednly, and the food is good, although not as reasonably priced as it used to be. Fine for young childrena nd families

Used to visit this pub/​restaurant all the time when it was a Hungry Horse, but visited it for the first time last night since its been rebranded and wish I hadn’t.
Oldest son had veggie sausage and curly fries 1 squashed veggie sausage & 4 (4!!!) curly fries arrived. My vegetable curry was cold in the middle. There was no ice at the bar it was 26 degrees outside and the children’s fruit shoots were warm, even though the were kept in the fridge.
No management presence, though they may have been kept busy dealing with the family on day release in the garden.
Such a shame, as this used to be a great place to visit with the children.

Great food at this pub. Its an interesting pub which is well designed and offers a side room to big events such as football matches with large tv, conference facilities upstairs a really well laid out eating area and a wonderful garden overlooking a fishing lake — not to mention slides and swings for children
for families its 1^st class — and for those wanting a quiet drink its — 1^st class
Eaten here several times and the food has always been hot and fresh
Service is good and parking is easy

Not a bad place to come as a family especially in the summer. The last time we went, the food was awful, the staff were incompetant and rude. However, they must have sorted that out because our friends said it was OK the other week.
They have a massive patio area where you can eat and watch the kids play on their decent sized play area. On the side of the pub is the working watermill that is propelled by the River Soar.
They have a nice fishing lake behind the pub so it’s a very relaxing place to chill out.
The Mill has a couple of function rooms and an attached hotel also.
The décor inside is nice and they have a restaurant section though I’ve never been in.
Despite having a poor time last we haven’t given up on the place — if they can or have sorted these little problems out it would be a 5 star place to go as a family.