Darwins Kitchen

We were a group of nine. The place is bigger inside than you’d expect, with funky décor. I had the 16oz steak, cooked beautifully, and chose a tasty side salad instead of fries. The food was good, but service let the place down. One of the female wait staff was fine, but the others seemed abrupt and unhappy, and didn’t apologise when they made mistakes. That’s why I’ve taken off a star.

We just stopped for drinks, as we weren’t hungry. The menu looked good, and there was a nice mix of ages in a relaxed atmosphere. The New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was delicious and reasonably priced. We would have eaten if we’d been hungry.

Really nice brunch and coffee, especially the eggs Benedict. We were a big group but got seated straight away at a good-sized table. Definitely recommend!

We couldn’t have picked a better place for our anniversary. We booked the suite at Darwin's Kitchen for two nights. It was easy to find and just a short walk from Wyle Cop car park. The building was beautiful inside and out, and the welcoming staff showed us up to the suite. When we opened the door, my husband and I both went wow. It seemed to go on forever, with a huge bathroom and a massive, extremely comfortable bed. The throws, cushions and artwork made it feel cosy and homely. I’d highly recommend upgrading to a suite, as it’s well worth the small extra cost. We ate in the restaurant on our first evening at our prebooked table. I had The Paddington, the cocktail of the week, and my husband had a pint of Becks. The whitebait with tartare sauce and meatballs tagliatelle starters were both stunning. For mains, we had chicken Kiev with roasted potatoes and lamb with Shropshire blue mash. The cheese went perfectly with the lamb, and my husband said it was the best Kiev he’d ever tasted. Breakfast was continental, with a menu dish as well. On the first morning, my husband had a bacon brioche bap and I had eggs Benedict on a toasted muffin. The next day he chose a sausage brioche bap, while I had poached eggs with crushed avocado on toast. Both breakfasts were delicious and cooked to order. Throughout our stay, all the staff were friendly, attentive and welcoming. We can’t thank them enough for making our first anniversary perfect.