Hardwicke Arms Hotel

The food had some good points. The minute steak sandwich was tasty with crispy fries, and the scampi came with proper chips. The staff were friendly and the menu looked interesting, so there’s promise here. But the pasta was overcooked, the sauce barely had any taste, and they’d run out of Parmesan. We were offered grated cheese instead, which seemed to be a very mild cheddar. It’s a dark-looking place, with wood panelling through most of the interior, and feels like an old coaching inn. It wasn’t busy on Monday lunchtime, apart from a couple of tables arriving together. We expected some delay because everything is cooked to order, but the shared pâté took a surprisingly long time to arrive. The mains were ready as soon as we’d finished it. Paying was another wait. We’d seen someone else having trouble with the card reader, so paying at reception was fine, but the bill still took about ten minutes to prepare. I went to the bar to ask again and was told the amount. They had to clear the phone line first, since the hotel, bar and kitchen share it with the card reader. The staff joked about Faulty Towers, and by then I’d have been happy to see Manuel. There’s a lot of potential here, but the delays and other letdowns are things they could fix.

Jane and the team were kind and helpful, and the food was excellent. My steak was cooked perfectly. It’s a lovely, very old building that’s been kept in good condition. The room and bathroom were clean. The bathroom isn’t en suite, which is understandable given the age of the place. Highly recommended.

Breakfast was fantastic, and we felt right at home. The food was delicious and the room was very clean and tidy. We stayed in the family room a few nights ago. The bathroom is across the hallway rather than in the room, but that wasn’t much of an issue. We didn’t realise there was a travel cot in the wardrobe. I’ll be sure to come back if I’m in the area again. Thank you.

The welcome was good and the staff were friendly and helpful. We asked for a children’s menu, which had a nice range of choices. When the food came, I actually checked whether it was a child’s serving because it was enormous. The adult portions were huge too. There wasn’t any small cutlery, though.