Cliff House Hotel

We had a lovely lunch in the sunny, quiet garden, and our dog could come along too. The garlic and coriander humus with flatbread was delicious. My wife had calamari, while I went for the lobster and crayfish salad, and I left with those flavours still dancing around my mouth. We'll be back.

The food at our Mother’s Day lunch yesterday was superb, from the starter through to the main. I hope the chefs heard our compliments. A young waiter served us very politely and did a great job during a busy service. I hope he gets the mentoring he needs, as it seemed to be lacking, and it would be a shame to lose him. A few things kept it from being five stars. The senior restaurant manager asked us to take the dirty cutlery off our starter plates after collecting them, and I don't think cutlery used for a fish starter should then be used for a roast dinner. There was no crackling with the roast pork, and charging extra for stuffing with a traditional roast turkey seems odd when it could be included for the price. Some background music might also help. These are all easy to fix.

We came back on a sunny Sunday in January for lunch, and I wouldn't hesitate to visit again. The welcome at reception was warm and all the staff were lovely and attentive. Our Sunday roast arrived quickly and was piping hot, just right. I especially liked that the chicken came with a Yorkshire pudding.

I've visited three times. For a special birthday lunch, the food was good and the staff attentive, but our large group had the same dining and lounge area as the other customers. We took up most of the space, so I worried they must have felt pushed to the edges. A few days before the first lockdown, I came for a funeral wake, and they looked after us well. Today's Sunday lunch was lovely, though not cheap. I still think stuffing should come with the meal rather than cost extra. Sorry, guys, I was distracted and forgot to add a tip to my payment. I'll be back and do better next time.