Hotel Nineteen

The room's cleanliness was unacceptable, with marks on the bedding, faeces in the toilet, and out-of-date coffee. I have photos of it. We booked what was advertised as a “Deluxe King Room”, but it was extremely basic and tired, nowhere near deluxe. Around 1am, the loud sound of what seemed like lots of glass bottles being emptied into bins made it very hard to sleep. I've emailed them multiple times about the issues and been completely ignored. That lack of response and accountability says a lot about how they handle complaints. A very poor stay from start to finish, I wouldn't recommend it.

After living locally for a while and eating at places like the Strafford and the bells steak house, I know you can get a much better meal for the same money or less. The prices here are ridiculous for the food quality. The waitresses seemed unsure and mixed up the meals they brought out. We ordered a medium rare FILLET steak for £34, but it came very well done. Our food then took almost two hours, and when we asked how much longer it would be, the staff's facial expressions were stone cold. I'm never going back. The Strafford can have my money, with better food and better service all round.

The place has been redone as cafe19, with a stylish new interior and a menu I really enjoyed. I found it better than some pricier places I've eaten at. The staff wear quirky but smart uniforms. You can book for large groups, and it's welcoming to children, disabled guests and dogs in some areas.

We tried breakfast at the cafe yesterday and came away very happy, just as we had after an earlier visit to the restaurant. There's a good range of breakfast choices, including a generous Full English and focaccia with avocado, poached eggs and sun-dried tomatoes, which was excellent. The coffee was really good too, served with a Biscoff biscuit. Staff were warm and helpful, and nothing seemed like too much trouble. It's a popular spot, with lovely outdoor tables for sunny days. Dogs are welcome, and they even provide blankets for them. The gelato looked tempting as well. I'd happily recommend it for breakfast, lunch, coffee or cake.