Park Head Hotel

I spent Christmas Day at Twelve by Jacobs at the Park Head Hotel with my son Elijah. We both left full, happy, and feeling we'd had one of our best dining experiences. Families around us were enjoying themselves, which gave the restaurant a lovely atmosphere. The food was beautiful throughout, and the service felt like a genuine 5-star experience. The team deserves huge thanks, and we'd be glad to recommend the place. We'll be back. The roast turkey breast with all the trimmings was outstanding, genuinely the best Christmas dinner I've had in at least a decade, and everything was cooked perfectly. Elijah couldn't finish his, so I helped out. We still managed dessert: vanilla cheesecake for me and dark chocolate and orange delice for him. As Elijah says, there's always room for dessert. We started with tempura cauliflower, but its sauce was just about at my spice limit. Elijah tried a taste and decided it wasn't for him, so the team quickly made him cheesy bites with dip, which he loved. That flexibility and care really stood out. When we arrived, Elijah already had orange juice waiting at the table, and the table was beautifully set. There was also a small present waiting at his seat, which overwhelmed him and made the day even more special. It was a refreshing change for me to be there as a customer instead of in my work role as Health and Safety Manager carrying out health and safety audits and inspections. I'm selective about where we eat, and knowing the standards behind the scenes, I can confidently say this place is first rate. It's a 5-star food hygiene kitchen delivering 5-star food, and I inspect it, so I know. One more thing, if you're passing and fancy a hot drink, their hot chocolate is truly exceptional.

The food was good, but the service was very poor: long waits and little attention. We were one of only four tables in, mostly couples, and our table had four people. The servers seemed pleasant, but there were about four or five of them and they weren't doing the job well. I don't know if they were lazy or didn't know what they should be doing. Simple things could make this a much better experience. We ordered drinks, but they only arrived after we asked again 15 minutes later. We placed our food order then waited about half an hour for it, followed by another half hour or more for the main. Glasses were left all over tables where people had finished, so we took ours back to the bar. I would have had dessert, but couldn't be bothered waiting for someone to ask or for it to arrive.

The staff were all so friendly and couldn't have done more to make our meal enjoyable. I brought my family after hearing great reviews, and everyone loved the food. I'd especially recommend the pasta bake. We'll definitely be back!

We spotted this place on social media, having never heard of it before, and I'm so glad we tried it. The food was delicious and the portions were huge, definitely more than our eyes could handle. The staff were friendly and really attentive. We'd absolutely come back and recommend giving it a try.