Dukeries Lodge Hotel

The steak was the part that spoiled lunch. I ordered an 8oz Heart of Rump medium rare, but it came out dry and cooked closer to medium-well. The menu makes a point of quality grilling, locally sourced ingredients and 28-day matured beef, so I expected better. I raised it politely, and the waitress checked with the kitchen. She came back saying the chef could make another, but believed it would be the same because he thought the first steak was medium rare. That was more disappointing than the cooking itself. I’ve worked in hospitality and know errors happen, but I felt my reasonable concern was dismissed and the front-of-house staff were left in an awkward spot. I asked for a refund and went elsewhere. The Olive Tree on the High Street, less than 500 yards away, served excellent food for the SAME price, with attentive service and genuinely delicious tapas. The difference between the meals was clear. Service was generally fine, apart from a few small niggles, including being out of Guinness, which I wouldn’t normally mention. It was the way the complaint was handled that lost my future custom.

It was lovely to see the place beautifully restored after our first date here 52 years ago. We came for an Easter Friday evening meal for two, and had a warm welcome, delicious food and excellent service, even though they were fairly busy and short staffed. The atmosphere felt friendly and comfortable. The lady looking after us even took our anniversary photo and stopped for a quick chat. Thank you, we’ll be back soon.

The vegetables were lovely, but the tuna was inedible. It arrived cold in the middle. I know tuna is often served medium rare, but I expected it to be warm, brought to room temperature, then seared and rested like a beef steak. When I complained, a staff member asked if he could touch it and I said yes. I didn’t realize the same piece would go back to the kitchen and be microwaved. It came back grey, like tinned tuna, and I didn’t take a bite. The creamy dauphinoise had no visible cream or garlic flavour either. The manager wouldn’t speak with me or offer a solution, and I was blocked from their Facebook group after commenting.

The meal was fresh, cooked well and came out quickly, and there were some nice choices on the menu. I was with a large group of friends, and the service was great. We had to wait a little for our table because the previous group stayed past their allotted time. The restaurant was clean and well kept, with a big free car park. There was a wide dessert selection too, including cornflake tart, which I hadn’t heard of before.