The Feathers Hotel

The pork belly was the standout, cooked just right and full of flavour. I only came in for dinner, so I can't comment on the hotel. The crème brûlée with brandy and blueberry looked plain but ended up being one of the best I've had. The pistachio cake with raspberry sorbet didn't work as well for me; the flavours didn't come together. It's a cosy place in a lovely old building, with friendly service throughout. Evening parking is easy enough, though the hotel car park is very tight and there's plenty of room at the nearby library. Food was very good overall, and it's a lovely place to visit.

The building is the main attraction, with its rustic corners and cosy nooks that work nicely for a drink or coffee. It's been in use for over 450 years, first as a private residence and, I believe, soon after as an inn called ‘The plume of feathers’; later, it became a coaching inn. We popped in for a Saturday lunchtime drink and found a good range of beers and real ales. The bar staff were friendly, and the place was busy, clearly serving popular lunches. We'd recommend it for coffee or a meal, and plan to come back with friends to do just that.

The meal would have been £140, or £90 with the birthday discount. Even at £90, it wasn't reasonable value, and I won't go back. It's expensive enough that we only visit when we can use the discount. We struggled to find a starter we liked. The seafood lasagne was bland, and the chestnut mushrooms were barely edible, with burnt cashews in undiluted dark soy. The £25 Spanish white wine was watery and seemed more like a £5 bottle from a cheap supermarket. It was Sunday, so we carried on with the roasts. The meat was good and the vegetables OK, but the Yorkshire puddings were poor, and the plates were completely cold. We tried to find something memorable with the cheese plate, but the brie was unripe, the two hard cheeses were unidentifiable, and there was no butter. The blueberry crème brûlée was cold and flavourless, with no caramel crust. The young staff seemed confused, and the head waiter was casually disinterested. Fine for a pub, but not at these prices.

We had a room, dinner and breakfast package, and the stay was thoroughly lovely. The evening staff were great. My gluten-free three-course dinner was lovely: Chimichurri Prawns, Monkfish with crayfish and panang curry sauce, then sticky toffee pudding. There were lots more gluten-free options on the menu. Breakfast was fine but nothing special, and I was surprised there wasn't gluten-free sausage and bread on offer. The young man serving could probably have used a bit more training, an easy thing to fix. Our room, “Nell Gwyn”, had loads of old English character and charm, and the bed was very comfortable for a good night's sleep. Everything was spotless, including the bathroom. I especially liked the little touches: classical music playing when we arrived, a handwritten welcome note, lavender sleep spray, quality soap, dressing gowns, slippers, and a little rubber duck for the bath. The lady at reception greeted us warmly as we entered the stunning old building. We'd definitely stay again.