Pre-Dessert
The Garden Room Dormy House

The Garden Room Dormy House

Willersey Hill, Cotswold, United Kingdom

Fish • Cafés • British • Desserts


"Rebooked the garden room at the Dormy House while staying nearby at the Fish Hotel. The setting was very warm and inviting, and overall the food was very good. However, the service was severely lacking and left us bewildered by the exoerience. Given the thoughtful and extensive wine list, we were delighted to see one of our favourite blends from South Africa on the menu. After ordering, and about 15 minutes later, the server returned to say there was an error and they put the wrong varietal on the list and wanted to serve us a completely différent wine from that producer. We ordered a different bottle in line with the food we ordered. However, our appetisers came before our wine did. Another 15 minutes of waiting (we are now 30 minutes into our dinner with no wine) and the waiter comes back with another bottle saying they have lost our bottle but for us to drink this instead while we wait. No explanation, and not even showing us the wine she poured. That was the last we saw of our waiter as somehow the room got busy and she took take of the other guests for the rest of the evening. We eventually got our wine, which was brought to the table opened without the cork. Strange practice unbecoming a restaurant of this caliber. When we finished our dessert, we struggled for 20 minutes to get any server to acknowledge us or clear our plates. So we went to the server station to ask for the bill. We watched our server work at at least seven different tables before we had to go up and ask a second time. When the bill came, the server didn’t even ask us how our dinner was. We gave our credit card and the other server took it away mumbling. She returned 10 min later to say she lost the connection. She handed us back the card and cancelled processing statement, and said she wasn’t able to charge our card. She didn’t know what to do and asked if maybe we deal with it at the reception (even though we are not guests of the hotel) Will not return."

The Potting Shed at Dormy House

The Potting Shed at Dormy House

Dormy House Hotel Willersey Hill Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7LF, Cotswold, United Kingdom

Beer • Wine • Cafés • Hotels


"Rebooked the garden room at the Dormy House while staying nearby at the Fish Hotel. The setting was very warm and inviting, and overall the food was very good. However, the service was severely lacking and left us bewildered by the exoerience. Given the thoughtful and extensive wine list, we were delighted to see one of our favourite blends from South Africa on the menu. After ordering, and about 15 minutes later, the server returned to say there was an error and they put the wrong varietal on the list and wanted to serve us a completely différent wine from that producer. We ordered a different bottle in line with the food we ordered. However, our appetisers came before our wine did. Another 15 minutes of waiting (we are now 30 minutes into our dinner with no wine) and the waiter comes back with another bottle saying they have lost our bottle but for us to drink this instead while we wait. No explanation, and not even showing us the wine she poured. That was the last we saw of our waiter as somehow the room got busy and she took take of the other guests for the rest of the evening. We eventually got our wine, which was brought to the table opened without the cork. Strange practice unbecoming a restaurant of this caliber. When we finished our dessert, we struggled for 20 minutes to get any server to acknowledge us or clear our plates. So we went to the server station to ask for the bill. We watched our server work at at least seven different tables before we had to go up and ask a second time. When the bill came, the server didn’t even ask us how our dinner was. We gave our credit card and the other server took it away mumbling. She returned 10 min later to say she lost the connection. She handed us back the card and cancelled processing statement, and said she wasn’t able to charge our card. She didn’t know what to do and asked if maybe we deal with it at the reception (even though we are not guests of the hotel) Will not return."

The Peacock At Rowsley

The Peacock At Rowsley

Bakewell Rd, DE4 2EB, Derbyshire Dales, United Kingdom

Steak • British • European • Vegetarian


"In a gastronomic era dominated by a surfeit of no-choice tasting menus it is a delight to sample the fine dining choices offered by the menu at the Peacock. With its delicious, daily changing, amuse bouches and pre-deserts along with a hyper-salivatory choice of seven starters and mains, it takes you back to the masterfully inventive days of the 1970 with all the refinements of a modern and superbly creative kitchen team. This super bill of fare offers guests at the hotel a good reason to stay for a few nights without wondering where-else to eat. After temperature checks and hand sanitising we were warmly, and efficiently, welcomed into the bosom of this lovely old Hotel in the heart of early autumnal Derbyshire. The food was up there with the very best of British cooking. My starter of beautifully presented Tuna tartare with a soy flavouring and a thin yuzu gel covering was a sushi wonder and my wife's cauliflower soup with curry oil drizzle (another homage to the 70's) superbly creamy and flavoursome. Our mains (Stone bass with fennel and sardines and the superb goats curd and shallot ravioli) were accompanied by an excellent choice of wines by glass or bottle. Choice also included equally tasty but more traditional items from the bar menu and the meal was completed by desserts that would have made any Michelin pastry chef proud. We travelled for over an hour to reach this culinary haven and it was worth every minute. The restaurant, attentive waiting staff and, especially the chefs, provided us with an evening of foody delight. Just go there! You won't regret it."