The Ryandale Inn

I try to visit The Ryandale a few times every year because it’s such a beautiful place. The welcome is always warm, and the staff are so helpful. The rooms are lovely and really clean, and the food is amazing. I’d definitely recommend it, 10/10.

The food itself was lovely, but the service and how they handled my daughter’s allergies left us extremely disappointed. We’d booked for my dad’s 70th and were asked to come after 4pm for the Sunday carvery because family members have allergies, which was fine. My daughter has autism, coeliac disease and a milk allergy. Although the menu marked chips gluten-free and milk-free, staff said they couldn’t serve them because they shared a fryer with other food and there could be cross-contamination. When I asked if they could work around that, I was told they were too busy upstairs and they weren’t willing to help. They did agree to two burgers instead, but they came out burnt. We’d already waited 45 minutes, and I didn’t want to make a fuss on my dad’s birthday. The meal service was very staggered. Our two tables weren’t even together, and my brother, his wife and other family had finished before our food arrived. I’d also expected the children’s meals to come first. All 14 of us might have left because they couldn’t cater for my daughter, but Ryandale had taken a non-refundable £10 deposit per person when we booked. If you have allergies, I wouldn’t trust what the menu says.

The staff were so friendly and helpful throughout, from the receptionist to the waitresses at dinner and breakfast. They happily brought extra coffee and toast, and nothing seemed like a bother. I stayed for two nights while attending a wedding nearby this weekend, in an upstairs room at the back of the annex. It was beautiful and spacious, looked recently refurbished, and had a spotless bathroom. I could adjust the heating in my room too. I really enjoyed my stay.

The food was really tasty, no complaints about that. But the service needs work. Several tables still had the previous customers’ plates on them when we arrived, and it took a while to clear ours. The chowder came with a knife and fork, while the chilli and rice arrived with no cutlery. It was a long wait to have the starter plates cleared, then after 15 minutes waiting for someone to take our empty main course plates, we gave up on dessert, paid and left. Nice food, below average service.