Le Bouchon Brasserie & Hotel

The people were kind and welcoming throughout my hotel stay. Emma, Claire, James, Terry and their colleagues made it feel like a well-run place, with a lovely soft atmosphere in the restaurant. When I made a request, the answer always seemed to be, “of course you can.” I ate at the restaurant on my first night, and both courses were delicious: smoked salmon followed by Chicken Supreme. I complimented the chef, and the lovely waitress Emma suggested I tell him myself. I did, and had a nice chat with Terry. Breakfast was just as good, with a Full English the next morning and poached egg with smoked salmon the day after. I highly recommend the hotel and restaurant.

We’d eaten here a couple of times before and been really happy with the service and food, so we booked Christmas Day, knowing it would cost more. It turned into a miserable meal, though, and we kept talking about how bad it was for weeks. Paying the premium left us feeling robbed and angry. The main course was the real problem. The plates and food were cold from the start, and there was barely enough food. The vegetables were meant for four but hardly covered two: five sprouts cut in half, cold red cabbage, and some cold orange mashed vegetable. I don’t think the sprouts had been cooked in water. The roast potatoes were so crisp there was no potato left inside. With one slice of rolled turkey, we needed more vegetables. When I asked, the waitress said she’d bring the same amount again, but brought half as much instead. I told her the meal was cold when she checked on us. She offered to take it back and ask the chef to warm it up, which wasn’t acceptable. The Amuse Bouche was okay, the starters small but okay, and the desserts okay. My cheese board was good. I do want to thank the staff for working on Christmas Day, but the trouble started in the kitchen. At a premium price, the whole thing was a complete disaster.

The staff were so friendly and attentive, and the bar manager really knew his wine. He asked us a few questions to find out what we wanted, then picked a special wine that was fabulous. We could have kept drinking bottles of it! I took my Daughter to Le Bouchon for lunch last weekend as a treat. The venue was beautiful, and the food was delicious, full of flavour and presented beautifully. We were not disappointed.

The staff were welcoming and professional, and there are bars and restaurants in the hotel. The place has a lovely style and was clean during our 2-night stay. I’d recommend it, 9/10. Our room wasn’t very big and had no refrigerator. We were on the 1st floor, and I could hear music until around midnight every day.