Nesbitt Arms Boutique Hotel

Breakfast was filling, though the coffee was a letdown: a lukewarm filter jug being passed around the room. Individual cafetieres would be worth considering, since good coffee matters these days. Tea felt like the safer choice. Dinner at the Ramblers bar was lovely, especially the chicken curry, one of the tastiest I've had outside Leeds. The Sicilian white we picked was among the nicest wines we've had for €20, and the drinks were excellent. The rooms feel old-fashioned, as does the service, but the staff were polite, capable and pleasant.

The meal at Rambler’s Restaurant was absolutely delicious, and everyone I met there was friendly, professional and seemed to truly care about guests. I’m sure I’ll be back before long. I grew up in Dublin, Ireland, then lived in the United States for more than thirty years and served with the US Marines around the world. After all that travel and life experience, I know a great hotel and restaurant when I find one. This place deserves five stars and more. You won’t be disappointed!

The Sunday lunch was the reason we stopped, but the food was awful. The beef roast was chewy and came with salad leaves drizzled in balsamic vinegar, which was an odd thing to serve with a Sunday roast. We left feeling unwelcome and hurried; we were even told we couldn't order another drink unless we sat at the same table where we'd eaten. It took ages for the middle-aged waitress to bring condiments. She seemed to have an attitude, then interrupted our meal to ask for contact details for our party of three. She could at least have waited until we were finished. The younger staff seemed pleasant enough, but the senior staff could use a customer service course. Not a nice visit, and we won't be back anytime soon.

The staff were great, and the area is beautiful, which makes the stay all the more disappointing. Our room was nicely equipped, to be fair, but tiny. The restaurant really lets the hotel down: the steak sandwich was shoe-tough and gristly, though the chips were okay. The roast beef seemed reheated, and the mashed potatoes looked bad and tasted worse. Very poor for the price. I won't be back.