The Greenhead Hotel & Hostel

The service was faultless, and the receptionist and young woman at the bar were such good ambassadors for the hotel. The room was very nice and comfortable, though higher bedside sockets would be a small improvement. I had the salmon fishcake, pork belly Sunday roast and sticky toffee dessert. Everything was spot on for taste, texture and presentation, and every vegetable was perfect. After the intense walk along Hadrian’s Wall from Carlisle, this was exactly the stay I needed. A single room with breakfast was £80, and the three course meal was £40. There’s a discretionary 10% service fee on card bills. We left it on and gave the staff more as well. The young female staff made our stay a complete delight. Best hotel stay I’ve had in a while.

The room itself was lovely, but it was far too expensive for what we got. The hotel and staff seemed poorly managed. Several items had been crossed off the dinner menu, and my porcini mushroom croquet starter turned out to be four button mushrooms with grated Parmesan. The table next to us found a hair with their steak. Breakfast was a sparse selection of leftover cereals, and the jars of ‘homemade granola’ were empty. We had to ask for cups, sugar and butter. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Everything else was fine, but I was a little disappointed by how much the chef seemed to put mayonnaise on. If you’re allergic to mayo, be aware that the menu doesn’t say which dishes contain it.

I don’t mind paying a premium when the quality is there, but this wasn’t worth £22. The chicken and leek pie was tiny, and its pastry was so hard that I struggled to cut into it. The food felt massively overpriced for what you get. Based on today’s experience, I’m sad to say I wouldn’t recommend eating here.