The Smokehouse

I was staying here because it was close to my job. The room was tidy when I arrived, and they replaced the little tubes of shower gel and shampoo twice during my five nights. The shower pressure was amazing, which is why I’m giving it four stars. Breakfast was included, but it was honestly the smallest portion I’ve ever had. The pub downstairs serves good food at reasonable prices. The landlord wasn’t very friendly, and I had to ask twice about the price when I needed to book another week.

The steak was cooked perfectly, and the skin-on chips were lovely. There was a pretty good selection of beer on tap, and the service was very good. The atmosphere was just a little lacking, but we still had a very pleasant evening out.

The food and service were good, but this visit left me feeling it was very average. The new menu was somewhat limited, and when we were told the ribs weren’t available, I lost my choice of main. A side order also went missing. Several waitresses checked on us during the main course, which kept interrupting us. It might help to have a system so the team knows when a table has already been checked. I’m not sure I’d go again.

The burgers were really good, but the chips and milkshakes could have been better. We brought our two young sons, aged 2 and 5, and they enjoyed the meal and the memorabilia on the walls. It’s fine for a family meal if you want somewhere independent rather than a chain. I wouldn’t pick it for date night, though. I think you might come away a little disappointed.