The first thing you'll notice inside is that it certainly hasn't caught on. We found ourselves whispering. An empty restaurant, in short, is a hard place to sit. The decor does nothing to make you more comfortable. It's rather barren and dark, presided over by a cow's head.
Service can be amazingly indifferent or very good.
I long have noticed that empty restaurants don't mean good service. It's as if the staff overcompensates by slowing down and pretending they're busy. In one visit, we had a waiter whose chat I had to interrupt at the bar to get his attention. At another, our server was a candidate for the congeniality award in the Miss America Pageant. The food isn't bad but it is far removed from the fascinating work that distinguishes Catherall at his best.