I went to the Durham Ox on Saturday using a Groupon promotion shown above.

We were shown to our seats and I asked if we could move to a better table. "No problem Sir" was the reply. Big, posh menus were duly issued.
When the waiter returned I said "I did mention when I booked the reservation that we have a Groupon Deal - do I have to let you know before ordering?" "Oh" he replied, "you can't have these menus". He returned with a 'Groupon special' menu which was an A4 sheet of paper. He also asked us to move to another table as they had strict seating policy (presumably for Groupon customers).

The food was very tasty, but TINY portions. My chicken (the size of a computer mouse) sat on a bed of lettuce and when the waiter popped back to see if 'everything was alright with our meals' I said that I was waiting for the accompaniment - potato, greens etc. "Oh no Sir, that is all you get from this menu".

I left the restaurant with a bad taste in my mouth - this was not due to the food but a feeling of being slightly ripped off by the Durham Ox. I was under the allusion that this offer allowed me to experience food from their 'normal' menu. Not have a special 'cheap skates' menu or be herded into a Groupon section of the restaurant. Nowhere on the Groupon advert did it mention that the menu would differ from the one shown on their website, they even stated "Sample delicious dishes such as sea bass fillet" on the advert - that wasn't on the menu we were given.

The wording on the advert implied that you could choose from the items mentioned, NOT that they were on a separate, higher priced menu. It read: "There is something for everyone to choose from though, with other options including: Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Tiger Prawn a al Plancha, Dolcelatte Tart, Sea Bass Fillet, Butterflied Leg of lamb, Chip Shop Fish & Chips, Roasted sucking Pig".

I also didn't notice the tiny writing at the bottom of the menu that said that a gratuity would be automatically included in the bill - that amount was much more than the usual 10% - it was £5 - so every Groupon customer really paid £20 for this offer. No one's fault except my own for not noticing that this, but still it adds to the feeling of being ripped off.

I feel as though the Durham Ox have not entered into the spirit of the Groupon deal fairly and rather than attracting new customers by allowing you to sample the real flavour of the Durham Ox, they have made every effort to not lose money by offering a set menu, smaller portions and an automatic £5 gratuity.