The Old House At Home

The Brasserie

➤ United Kingdom, SN14 8AZ, Wiltshire

Menu • Steak • Cheese • Coffee • Chocolate

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"Had lunch solo in the Brasserie and felt a little bit disappointed. The food was fine but the service was a bit abrupt I had wanted and expected a lovely relaxing lunch with an opportunity to unwind and eat some delicious food. A gentleman behind the bar seemed a bit rushed I was the first person there and the restaurant was completely empty but the young lad who showed me to my seat and gave me the menu was charming and tried really hard 5 stars for him. Unfortunately the guy who seemed rushed came to take my order may have been the restaurant manager? I said something along the lines of It all looks absolutely delicious I can 't decide hoping I might get some guiding and be talked through the menu but his brusque reply was Well you 'll have to decide . The whole experience felt like I was in a cafeteria rather than the restaurant of an elegant country hotel. I had a little stroll round afterward and the pool area and gardens were stunning. I also wandered into the main hotel for a little look round and was warmly greeted and wished a Happy Easter by the super friendly staff there. It was a shame that the restaurant was so hit and miss."

Bybrook

➤ Castle Combe SN14 7HR, SN14 7HQ, Chippenham, United Kingdom

Menu • Drinks • British • Fast Food • Modern Brits

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"The seven course taster menu, eight courses including the Chef’s amuse bouche, is understandably a hefty £110 a head and with drinks no change out of £300 for two. Honestly, and as a treat, worth every penny. We started with a couple of on-point cocktails in the sumptuous Gin bar, a perfect Lemon (cello) Sherbert and Amaretto Sour before we were guided through to the main event. The restaurant itself is a delight and easily copes with it’s well spaced out 50 to 60 covers. Staff to customer ratios are high and service was excellent. No expense has been spared on the décor which balances top end, fine dining with casual informality. No need for unnecessary clinical, razor ironed white linen, silly cloches and suppressed whispering; this place was full to the rafters with elegant ease creating a confident and convivial hub. Being a nosy git I was intrigued by the crockery (I know sad) but truthfully the most tactile and design triumph plates and bowls I have ever eaten off. Sourced by JL Coquet in Limoges, France, my mate Google informed that each piece was a mere £100 plus a piece. Little wonder the waiting staff were clinging on for dear life otherwise could be an expensive slip. I had the full monte (fish and meat) menu whilst the blonde had veggie options as she isn’t a fan of anything fishy. Each course was a Tate Gallery artistic joy and has us both bereft of superlatives which extended our wonderment and appreciation through to the “proof of the pudding” the taste. There’s no way I’m going to cover all eight courses but they all ranged from very good to excellent to out of this world. Suffice to say my stand outs were the Chalk stream trout with oyster, wasabi and roe; Peterhead Cod with coastal herbs and sea weed butter and Coconut with mango, passion fruit and kaffir lime. She particularly enjoyed the laminated (sic) Brioche with cultured butter and Kohlrabi, celeriac and Wiltshire truffle. Look the bottom line is that these dishes are not for the unadventurous nor the faint hearted and nor are they for anyone who places high perceived value on quantity. That’s why Britain has Harvesters and Wetherspoons. A couple of pre-dinner cocktails, two eight course taster meals, a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio and a bottle of still water all came in at £333 including 12.5. service."

The Salutation Inn

➤ The Salutation Inn The Gibb, Castle Combe I-SN14 7LH, United Kingdom

Menu • Pub • Vegan • British • Fast Food

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"Great food (about £25 a head with a drink each and a starter and a dessert to share between two), good service, lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended. Vegetarian options: Not a massive selection, but all seemed very good. Parking: Some free parking, but might be tough to find spaces if it gets busy. Price per person: £20–30 Food: 5"

Lucknam Park

➤ Colerne SN14 8AZ, SN14 8BP, Chippenham, United Kingdom

Menu • Hotels • British • European • Vegetarian

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"I dined at Hywel Jones last week during my trip to the Cotswolds and had a mixed experience. First off, the good the food and wine were amazing. We chose to do the à la carte menu and each dish was so balanced. The amuse bouche which was a parsnip mash was incredible. The dishes were also beautifully constructed. Now on to the bad the hostess was awful and quite abrasive. She barely looked us in the eye and kind of tossed us the menus. She said she would send the sommelier over and walked off. As this was our first encounter with the staff, it instantly left a sour taste in my mouth. Luckily the rest of the staff were lovely. I had dined with 2 other people and we all realized that we had felt the same coldness from the hostess when discussing the dinner after the fact. A few minor things we noted about the service was that no one removed the crumbs from our table between courses and our napkins were not placed on our laps. These are things we have experienced at other Michelin star restaurants in France etc and while minor, they do enhance the dining experience."

The Bell Inn

➤ The Street, SN14 7BG, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Menu • Pub • Steak • Vegan • British

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"My son and daughter came to visit me and their mother in Wiltshire after she had been hospitalized. After the crisis passed, we decided to treat ourselves to a night out. We appreciated the quiet atmosphere at The Bell, with no loud music to interrupt our conversation. The staff, particularly the younger members, were friendly and efficient. We all enjoyed our meals, with starters of calamari and garlic mushrooms, and main courses of lasagne with dauphinoise potatoes and steamed vegetables, and Thai Cod and Prawn fishcakes. I am not a fan of dogs in restaurant settings, so I was glad to see none in the dining area. Overall, I had a positive experience and look forward to returning with my wife. I did not see an option for online reservations on their website, but I received a prompt response when I called to book a table."