Alexandra in West Dorset

Lovely stay, excellent food and staff

Hotel has a good location overlooking Lyme Bay with a nice garden to relax and direct access to the beach ( although via a steep slope). Our review is based on the £345 per night, dinner, bed & breakfast charge. The hotel in our view cannot justify these prices. It looks nice inside, wooden floors everywhere and staffed by very friendly staff. Very young ones. No sign of a manager. Our room (2) overlooked Lyme Bay, average size with a very small bathroom. Duvets on our twin beds too narrow. We stayed for 2 nights. Dinner on the first night was terrible. Tough meat and a selection of fish that was hardly defrosted. Asparagus ( in October?) that were not cooked. Terrible presentation. I suggest the chef goes to the nearby Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth to see how food should be presented. The next night was slightly better. For breakfast one has to do everything oneself. Get your own tea or coffee, not forgetting to bring your cup, do your own toast not forgetting to take your tiny plate with you etc. £345 per night! Parking is charged for at £10 per night and it is still a bit of a nightmare to park. When we booked a month before we had to pay for the first night upfront and told this is not refundable; it all seems a bit calculated at the Alexandra Hotel.

Great hotel in perfect place. Travelling with elderly parents, one with very limited mobility, the staff couldn't be kinder helping him and us, a particular thank you to Ionut. One star down for exploding UHT milk sachets in bedrooms - a hotel this great should offer fresh. Thank you all!

Great hotel, very comfortable bedroom with stunning views and lovely grounds. The service from the staff was incredible and really made our trip. The food in the restaurant was also excellent and the breakfast menu was a surprising treat with the hummous/avocado/poached egg option!

Delicious grilled lobster at their weekly Saturday BBQ. We were just off season and the staff were all very new. This meant they were friendly and willing but not yet fully versed on how the restaurant worked. The gardens have a fabulous view of the bay and are beautifully kept making a very special setting for eating outdoors.

Beutiful Hotel. Fabulous location. Only one negative is that breakfast isn't served until 8.30 at the weekend. 8am weekdays. This should be 7am weekdays and 7.30 weekend.

Delicious meal in orangery overlooking garden and sea, drinks before meal in garden lovely temperature. Very glad we booked, all the food was top notch.

Beautiful setting with great views over Lyme Bay whilst you eat a very good dinner. The food is excellent coupled with a decent wine list.

Lovely stay in a fabulous location with wonderful views and gardens. Very pleasant lounge and dining room with very friendly and efficient staff. Looking forward to a return visit.

We did not stay at the hotel. We did have the best dinner of three outstanding dinners in Lyme Regis here. Excellent food and service.

Went to have dinner after a long absence, I shan't leave it as long next time. The first thing you should know is that the Alex from the orangery has the most picture perfect views and gardens, simply stunning. the food was very good, lamb mains was very good, lovely jus, as was the wine. Cheese board needed some stronger flavours

Exquisite boutique hotel with stunning views across the bay. Excellent food. Warm, friendly and attentive staff and beautiful interior décor. Highly recommended.

Excellent hotel with a good restaurant, lovely sea views from the rooms ,hotel nice, clean, with good staff, and lovely gardens to sit in car parking is £10 on site ,wheelchair access difficult.

Afternoon tea was appalling no vegetarian sandwiches, dry scones, poor quality cakes and jam. Very poor value and a disappointing experience

Having recently spent three nights here I would say this is a great hotel for a relaxing short break. The views from all the public rooms are good and the vast gardens are fabulous with unsurpassed uninterrupted sea views. We had a fantastic room (15) which was very comfortable with a sea view which would be hard to beat! Breakfast was lovely with a good choice of cooked to order hot food. We had dinner on just one evening which was a set menu and each course was excellent. Staff were very helpful and obliging at all times. They worked very hard to please everyone whilst being polite and friendly too. Well done all.

We had a table overlooking the grounds and the sea view. It made for a most romantic evening. Excellent wine selection and service. The food was delicious and the desserts were truly spectacular. What a nice date place!

We have eaten here for an evening meal twice in the last month and both times the food was excellent. The dining room is pretty, spacious and light , overlooking the gardens and a beautiful view of the sea. We found the staff to be welcoming and friendly to non residents. There is a good choice of dishes on a daily changing menu and the food is of a very high quality. We choose to enjoy cocktails in the sitting room by the fire before dinner and it was very welcome and cosy on a wet and blustery evening. There are several good restaurants in Lyme but this is definitely one of the best.

Very poor. We were told 2 days before our arrival there were no staff to service rooms! Finally got a discount. Our bedroom was damp, the bathroom was tiny bath size of baby bath. The shower over came out like a hose pipe! There was mould round the bath. We were given these ridiculous little cubes for washing your hair and shower wash, which dissolved into nothing! We were in the self catering accommodation and the bedroom window was below road level you couldn’t open it, not you would of wanted too! Only provided with enough coffee for 2 days. The food in the restaurant was terrible, we have eaten there in past, but standards have dropped. Only consolation was the staff were very nice and setting is lovely. Always wanted to stay here, so very upset with experience.

We booked tis restaurant 5 MONTHS before our planned visit and they cancelled us with 2 days notice because they were not taking reservations from non residents leaving us very little tie to find somewhere to eat.

Lovely hotel the best in Lyme, with large spacious grounds which is very unusual for Lyme with lovely views onto the Cob. Breakfast and evening meals were of a high standard, the oysters especially were outstanding. Lovely atmosphere helped massively by the friendly warm staff. With a special mention of Matt and Lucy. It was lovely to walk into the reception and get a lovely warm smile to set the mood.

Hotel looked superb as we walked past so we decided to have lunch and were shown to a table. The server was friendly and we ordered drinks and decided on the Devonian Beef as part of a set menu, 2 courses for £24.50. When the food came out, the steak had more fat than meat and was difficult to cut up. We were only served one small dish of potatoes and one of carrots/peas between two. My plate was collected still full with the amount of fat/rind. Dessert was ok. When the bill came it totalled £82 and we’d had only a drink each. Upon further examination our meal was titled ‘Misc lunch £75’. I queried it and he was apologetic but was only serving 3 other tables and seemed shocked when I didn’t want to give a tip! Give it a miss !!

My sister and I booked to have lunch there at I pm, whilst on holiday. The choice was very limited. We chose the beef. It took a very long time before our order was taken. We were served table water.Over an hour later we were served our meal with drinks. The meat was very tough. My sister sent hers back, and it was returned cooked a little more, but minus the vegetables that were on her plate. She had to ask for her vegetables to be returned. I left half of mine including the tough broccoli. An hour later we were served our dessert. Mine was burnt. Very cheap paper serviettes. I needed a new one with my dessert. But did not receive one. Lovely view from the conservatory. That’s all I can say that’s positive. We won’t be wasting our money there again.

We visited the Alexandra House restaurant for dinner following a recommendation from our hotel. The dining room was in a most beautiful setting with a wonderful view of their garden and the sea beyond. The tables were well spaced out, beautifully laid and the waiting staff very attentive and professional. The selection on their 3 course dinner menu was fairly limited and we thought very pricy at £45 a head. The food was no more than OK and to be honest we don;t think we would go there again. It may well suit some tastes as we felt you're really paying for the beautiful setting and the view in a very dignified atmosphere but we didn't feel it was worth the money for the food that was served

We stayed here for three nights and ate dinner once in the restaurant. The room was good, albeit slightly smaller than expected, but with a great sea view. The staff were lovely. A comfortable well stocked bar. Breakfasts were good. The restaurant food was a bit fussy and old-fashionedly ‘nouvelle’ i.e. small portions of overly fussy plates. With so much lovely seafood available locally a simpler menu of well cooked local produce would have been more enjoyable.

The Alexandra says the apartment faces a courtyard, it is in fact their car park. Cars are parked literally outside the main entrance of the apartment ( you can’t get in if people are at their car) and across both windows, so no privacy at all!!! The other side of the apartment is on the main A road, so lots of noise and people walking past the apartment continuously. Not as described by the hotel in any of their info. When we pointed this out to the hotel, essentially they have said because we were polite and pleasant when complaining they will not do anything about it. So they obviously want clients to complain loudly and make enough fuss and then they will take it seriously. To escape the apartment we did sit in the grounds, which did have good views.

A smart hotel in lovely grounds with a great view. However that was the best bit as I really didn't enjoy the meal which at £90 for 2 excluding drinks needed to be good. The crab Tian was good but tiny and my terrine was really lacking in taste. We both had beef which was nice but really nothing special. We eat out a lot and unfortunately this was the most expensive meal we had on our trip and the least good. It lacked atmosphere and is definitely not a place that I would go back to. Shame!

While we did not stay at the hotel it looked fantastic and cocktails in the garden was wonderful , as for the restaurant the food was first class and really delicious there are no complaints there . The staff were very pleasant but a little disorganised but taking into account that they have just recently opened it is understandable,also the waiters could have done with a little "sprucing up " for such a top quality restaurant they looked shabby i.e. ill fitting clothes that have seen better days . Overall we had a very enjoyable evening and will go again but think these points need to be addressed .

I decided to meet my girl friend in this location to have a chat and few drinks in the lovely lounge from this hotel but unfortunately left me an impression not quite pleasant considering how I was arrogantly greeted by one of the staff, I suppose he was a manager with another uniform and without even a name badge I was asked with an aggressive tone in whisper if I have a reservation and stay in the hotel! The smile did not exist the staff give me the impression are very stressed , as I entered I did not feel comfortable and decided to change the place and to really enjoy of my drinks in another place! My impression if you are not staying in the hotel you are not welcome to be there to have a drink,eating...so very disappointed!

We were welcomed by front-of-house staff who checked that there was a table for two. On being told that we would have to wait a few minutes we suggested and she agreed that we could take pre-dinner drinks into the garden. This conversation happened next to the bar and in earshot of the bartender and head waiter. So we tried to order our drinks but was told to "Go and sit over there. Somebody will attend to you". When we attempted to say we'd wait at the bar, the Barman said "I'm busy. Sit over there". We did as we were told, rather nonplussed by his rudeness.The headwaiter took our wine and food orders. He corrected my french pronunciation of bouillabaisse to "Bullybaze then" and instead of answering my husbands query about his menu choice, said "its as described on the menu" which he then proceeded to read out. Hardly the friendly, informative service we would have expected from a restaurant that clearly has high opinions of itself. We gave up waiting to catch anybody's attention for our bill and went to pay at the bar in the end.The waitresses were cheery and the food was good. However, the male waiting staff were so rude it was almost comical.

Decided to take my wife for a mini break at the hotel. Could have stayed a lot cheaper a few doors away but thought why not splash out for the bar and restaurant on site. Checked in at 12.00 and went fir a small walk returned to book dinner as the weather was rainy to be told the restaurant was full. Ive never stayed in a hotel that couldnt offer dinner to a staying guest. And no mention was made on arrival if possible issues. We now have to head out in the rain to find a restaurant. Too wet to dress up. This level of service does not reflect the cost of the stay.

Mid September Saturday night dinner pre-booked.First issue - we had been booked in the greenhouse with the bistro menu not in the proper restaurant.Second issue - too few staff and those that were around seemed disinterested.Third issue - there were thirty or so noisy and inebriated wedding guests staggering around the gardens spoiling what could have been a beautiful sunset.We switched restaurants.The young and inexperienced waitress (her black apron was covered in food stains that was rather unappetising) looked completely nonplussed when I asked for our Aussie Shiraz to be decanted. The scallops were poor and soaked in fat with a large portion of black pudding and only three small fat soaked scallops - 2/10.The steak was OK but the chunky chips were flavourless apart from the taste of the frying oil fishy and clearly well used. The grilled on-the-vine tomatoes saved the day 3/10.My wife's main fish course was so poor we sent it back.The manager (Emily) twigged that we were not having a pleasant evening and gave us free desserts and a glass of port to accompany them and reduced the bill to only £73.00.Such a shame that the intended high point of our weekend in Lyme was so disappointing - only the Manager's intervention saves the Alexandra from getting only 1 point.

Came to the Alex for lunch with friends over from Canada as we wanted to give them a special treat. At first they were wowed by the place, the views and gardens. We had walked all morning and it was great to sit in the beautiful Ammonite conservatory and relax. However, despite having booked for 1 o’clock to be sure of a nice table as it was peak season, we needn’t have bothered, as only one other table was occupied and the place seemed deserted. No staff visible even! The waiter arrived and we sat but no drinks order was taken; he offered us water. We were so disappointed to look st the menu and see that 2 of the dishes we had seen on the sample menu (website)!and enjoyed before, were not available. When we mentioned this to the waiter he was most irritable; in fact he seemed very stressed throughout and they were clearly short staffed. We got a delicious bottle of Prosecco, then we ordered sandwiches - big mistake. They took ages to arrive- 30 mins. The bread was thick and stale with thin tasteless dry filling. Mine was the crab with lemon mayo but you would not have thought so -and for £11, shockingly bad. The chicken sandwich had more filling but it too was dry and tasteless. My husband’s fish of the day which arrived even later, was over cooked. Unfortunately, as we were with visitors, we didn’t complain at the time- too polite and not wanting to spoil the atmosphere . We might have had another bottle of wine but were never asked if we wanted anything further and felt put off by the food. Such a shame- this place is in a world class location but unless the food improves people will not return.

We were in Lyme for a week with our children and grandchildren to celebrate our Golden Wedding. We chose to go for our celebratory meal here. We had the lovely long table looking out over the garden to the sea. The set menu is good value and the food was prepared with great care. It was all delicious. The staff are very pleasant. We had a great evening from aged 11 to 75.

Sunday lunch whilst in Lyme for the weekend. Great view and very airy and comfortable surroundings in the ' Ammonite ' restaurant on what was a hot day. Good selection of dishes and wine choices. Staff very helpful from booking to serving and phoning around for a taxi back to our hotel elsewhere. Hotel General Manager (Fiona) and receptionist (Mia) excellent, friendly, efficient and helpful. Good location away from the general crowds when Lyme is busy.

The good things first: all the food we had at the Alexandra was beautifully presented, and genuinely delicious. The restaurant has a lovely view over the gardens and it's a very soothing place to eat.Onto the bad - with the exception of one main meal, all of our courses were absolutely tiny. I had the asparagus starter and halibut main - the starter was three stalks of asparagus with a bit of salad, and the halibut was about the size I'd expect to be a starter. I had to ask for extra bread and steal some of my husband's chips to feel like I was at all full (and we went home via the Co-op to buy some ice cream for dessert!). To give them their due though, my husband's main course of mussels was absolutely HUGE, which was a weird disparity with everything else. The staff seemed a bit undertrained for somewhere which presents as silver service, they tended to cluster around the bar chatting to each other which meant that if you went out to go to the ladies or gents you felt like you were being watched by them (bit weird). Overall it was just disappointing because of the price - if my main course had been twice as big I'd have given this a 4-star review rather than 3.

Having had a shocking experience at Hix and then a so-so meal in a pub, we were feeling that we'd landed in a culinary desert but went for lunch at the Alexandra Hotel on our last day and had a lovely meal and excellent service. The restaurant also has wonderful views across the bay and the decor is delightful. I'd definitely go back.

lovely setting, great view and lush food. Very helpful friendly staff and reasonable prices, great for a stop off as you walk up the hill ...We only had a sandwich and drinks but I will definitely go back for dinner on another visit.Lots of old world charm too.

"He's from Barcelona" - Fawlty Towers and Manuel still in existence in Lyme Regis! It's difficult to describe exactly how bizarre our experience of "afternoon tea" was at this hotel. We arrived just after 3:30pm and ordered afternoon tea for 3 people from the barman, and had a seat in the bar. According to the menus displayed both inside and outside the hotel, afternoon tea was served from 15:30 to 17:00. He said he would be over to take our drinks order but never reappeared, so I had to go up to the bar to order some prosecco. I also asked for a glass of water which never appeared, and had to go back up to the bar to ask again. Several other groups of customers arrived over the next half an hour or so and appeared to be served cream teas. After about half an hour the waiter told us out table was ready, and took us through to the conservatory area. There was nothing on the table... after a bit longer a waiter brought the tea and coffee we had ordered. Then after another 15 mins or so another member of staff appeared and told us that if we had wanted afternoon tea we would have to have ordered this 24 hours in advance, and they would not be able to serve this for us. She asked if we would like the cream tea served now (er yes, as we have been waiting almost an hour...) but said they wouldn't be able to serve us the sandwiches or cakes. When we pointed out that sandwiches were supposed to be available from 10am until 10pm anyway according to the menu, she agreed to take our order for these... so we ended up having the cream tea first, then sandwiches afterwards. No apology was given. Absolutely ridiculous for a hotel like this to have a member of staff "serving" who cannot make himself understood to guests, and cannot understand what they are saying to him! We were staying at the hotel, but given our experience decided not to eat there on either evening, or to have breakfast on either morning - life is just too short!

Came here as non-residents on a very wet and blustery day in early April. Having read good reviews for the standard of meals here (award winning ,etc) assumed that the quality of the afternoon cream tea would be at least be on a par or better than those you would get in your average West Country tea shop. Couldn't fault the setting - spectacular sea views (well they would have been if the weather had been better!) in the beautiful newly-added conservatory. The actual cream tea however - bearing in mind the cost £10 a person - was not great. We each got two tiny scones - admittedly freshly baked and quite tasty. The tea looked and tasted like budget supermarket brand tea bags. I would at least have expected loose tea or better quality tea bags. The whole thing just lacked any finesse or thought for presentation which for me is an important part of the classic English cream tea experience. The jam looked like they had deposited the entire contents of a jam jar into a dish. There were two huge dollops of clotted cream which appeared to have been applied with an ice cream scoop! Honestly there was enough cream and jam for about 10 scones not 4! We just thought 'what a waste' as presumably what we couldn't eat gets thrown away.I guess some people would say getting so much cream and jam would be a good result! Personally I would have preferred quality over quantity. We also asked for some tap water and it tasted so bad we couldn't drink it.

Came for a 'dinner and movie' night. Very good cocktail, excellent service, food very well presented but quite bland - left feeling a bit underwhelmed and slightly hungry. Great choice of movie - seats uncomfortable in the chapel setting though and sound needed more careful balancing as it was hard to hear at times.

Despite visiting Lyme very frequently for the last 20+ years this was the first time we have visited the Alexandra Hotel restaurant. The set menu (lunchtimes and evenings Monday to Friday) was good value at £20 for 2 courses and £25 for 3 courses, including a glass of perfectly quoffable wine. The food was very good, but we both felt a bit lacking in flavour and seasoning, for example the duck salad starter had hardly any dressing and so was basically just leaves and sliced duck fillet. Portions are in the small size, but service was attentive and friendly and the hotel looked very stylish. Overall a good experience.

We were struggling to find a place to eat dinner that accepted dogs. They were happy to serve us dinner in the bar area and we didn’t get treated any different from their normal restaurant service which was impeccable. Lovely girl on the reception who said it was no problem to cater for gluten free and vegan too. I had the nicest steak I think I’ve ever had. Top food and service.

Saddened again by our meal missing competence service. Food is ok for the price a little over priced but wine is well over priced. This evening white wine served warm and total mess up with deserts. As a local an not infrequent customer it was disappointing, shame also now they don’t recognise locals but service was poor this evening no greeting or coats taken come on buck up!

We really enjoyed our dinner at the Alexander Hotel last Sunday evening.

Another visit to this favourite restaurant for lunch. Since we were last there, they have rebuilt the conservatory, the new one being elegant and better shaped. The food was as ever of a high standard, the sea view magnificent and the menu, we had the set lunch, and wine list quite sufficient although not extensive. A very enjoyable lunch as always, high standards are being maintained, and for the quality of what you get the price is very reasonable

We have been here before quite a few times and returned again this week, but I have to say the service and attitude of certain staff is poor and lets the place down.

My wife and I ate here on our anniversary in early September 2018, and enjoyed our meal. All the food was good, although the seafood sharing platter was really enormous (for us, anyway), and we weren't given much to help us eat it without spraying it around. (That is, the utensils provided weren't really up to the job, and we didn't get fingerbowls). (Sorry that my photos are fuzzy - the lens on my phone's camera wasn't as clean as it should be!).

Beautiful setting and a great place for a dog friendly garden. Service was fantastic. One of our favourite places in Lyme.

Visited for my wife's birthday treat. We booked the Orangery with the set three course menu at £45 per head. It was well worth it! Service was good and the sea views amazing.

Perfect lunch. Thank you for an amazing experience. Service was incredible and food was lovely. We’ll be back

The Alexandra is an older style building beautifully restored in the period style but with a modern restaurant overlooking the waterfront. Parking is difficult. The food was good with a varied menu coovering most of the typical English fare. I had the fish and loved it. We found it relaxing. Staff were friendly and efficient. It is not a large restaurant so the staff can be a bit more attentative. The food and wine are possibly a little on the expensive side but OK value when you consider the surroundings and the view.

We found this hotel by chance when looking for somewhere nice have dinner on our wedding anniversary. Most of the restaurants in Lyme Regis are closed for dinner on a Sunday evening but the Alexandra came to our rescue, and what a find it was! The food was exceptional and the wine list had some really unusual features. Our waiter Dorian gave us excellent service and we were even presented with a complimentary ‘petit fours’ to celebrate our anniversary. The setting and the view are stunning and after dinner we wandered the grounds, before retiring to the bar. The Alexandra provided us with a fantastic experience from start to finish and we are even contemplating returning on a future anniversary, but this time to stay at the hotel too.

We went to experience the new conservatory dining room. Stunning place and stunning views. Delightful staff. Decent menu. The food was good in the main but they have a way to go to deliver fine dining. I had the Brixham Crab beignets with chutney to start and that was ok. The beignets certainly needed the chutney. But then the Hand Picked Brixham Crab, Chilli and Spring Onion Linguini with lobster bisque sauce and micro coriander which is billed as a light bite sounded so delicious I had a main sized portion to follow. It was quite flavoursome but lacked texture. You might expect to see some evidence of Crab, chilli or spring onion but it was just as though it had all been put through a mouli. Even the linguini was chopped into pieces as though for a child! My wife had the salt and pepper squid to start which she loved. But then the warm chicken Caesar salad needed more anchovies and dressing to pep up the dry chicken. Altogether it was a lovely occasion for the ambience and company but the kitchen let it down.

We had a very good meal here which is clearly aimed at "fine dining". View of the gardens and sea and comfortable furniture. Particularly liked the fact that tables for two were set up so that you were adjacent to each other rather than facing each other. As one would expect not a large menu - four choices per course, one being vegetarian. Portions were of a good size for fine dining. Clearly cooked to order and well presented. Friendly and attentive staff.

Service was second to none! We had a very good waiter called Dorian from Rumania .

This hotel has been family run as long as I can remember, prob 3 generations and lately has undergone a massive modernisation, which I half like in the hotel, but the pretty dinning areas have remained essentially unchanged and remain a stunning environment for a formal meal. One could not scaly up from the beach and have dinner here, its very very elegant and refined dinning at this place.

When we were looking for a suitably small and intimate venue for our proposed wedding, my wife Christine and I chose to get married at The Lookout after previously visiting the hotel.

We chanced upon this hotel when we wandered up Broad Street in Lyme looking for a place to have lunch and relax. We reached the top and asked a local who directed us here. So close to the centre of town and yet a world away from it with a peaceful terrace and lawn to relax on combined with sea views and blessed peace and quiet. A lovely and obliging staff too. My brother and sister-in-law had a hankering for a ploughman's lunch and although this was not listed on the menu it was provided nonetheless and was not overpriced. Some local ale was also very palatable and we all considered the time we spent here to be a highlight of our holiday in Dorset. Definitely recommended.

My husband son and I had a wonderful afternoon tea here. We sat ( after asking) in the conservatory and had a stunning view of the lawns and sea. We ate the Dorset cream tea and my son had waffles. The food was delicious and the waffles apparently were the best ever tasted. The tea was lovely with lots of extra water. We sat there relaxing for ages and the boys enjoyed a fun game of croquet on the lawn. It was so lovely. We are definitely going to return and are thinking of booking for a few nights next summer.

I walked past this hotel and booked on impulse as I was about to drive home. I am so glad I stayed at Lyme Regis and will definitely be back to this hotel. The staff are wonderful and the food delicious. Amazing value for money. I great find can't wait to come again.

Had lunch here today, enjoying the conservatory only because the garden seated area was a bit chilly. Service is very friendly but professional. Fantastic homemade bread rolls and a jug of tap water with ice were brought to the table. The Mediterranean seafood soup is a meal in itself, with a chilli tomato base , just the tasty side of hot, and masses of mussels, juicy prawns and soft squid rings. The pea risotto was delicious too.We enjoyed a white wine spritzer and wandered into the garden which is unbeatable on the south coast for its views over Lyme Bay and along the Jurassic coast to Portland.

The food is always outstanding here but the service is not always perfect. Came in June for dinner and then afternoon tea the following day. Dinner felt rushed, the table had been booked for 7.30 but they had us seated and eating by then having arrived at 7.00. I would have liked to have spent more time relaxing in the bar then to have chosen my meal at the table rather than asked to choose my meal in the bar and ushered in to eat on the dot of 7.

Fácilmente la mejor comida que comimos en Lyme Regis fue en el Alexandra, Cuando aparecimos para el almuerzo. Había una amplia variedad de opciones vegetarianas en el menú del almuerzo y cenamos al aire libre en su muy precioso y muy bien cuidado jardín. La comida era realmente magnífico, no sólo la mejor comida que comimos en Lyme Regis, pero la mejor comida que he probado en bastante tiempo.

Un lugar perfecto a pesar del hecho de que me pareció que puede ser Coco, mi Labrador no sería bienvenida, así que era de la realeza. Una comida deliciosa en el bar con ropa gruesa en la mesa de mejillones et frites y delicioso, lo que me imagino era pan casero. Un lugar mágico, con unas vistas preciosas de los jardines y el mar. No es una queja, pero no creo que el 'naranja' no el lugar ningún favor debido a la reciente modernización.

Lunch in the sun, on the veranda was fantastic, crab sandwiches served by happy smiley staff along with glasses of fizz from local winery ,the very best ever, followed by a cream tea as we were enjoying ourselves so much here in the beautiful garden and the sea views below. Fab fab fab

We booked some weeks ago, it was my friends birthday and the restaurant were aware of this. They asked on the phone if I wanted a sparkler with her dessert and I agreed. They remembered my food allergies, but totally forgot it was her birthday. We were sat on an uncomfortable table where two of us could not get our legs under, next to the kitchen door which opened and shut all evening, and the waiters constantly knocked my friends chair. There were plenty of other unoccupied tables in the restaurant.The barman was really friendly and welcoming but our 'waiter' didn't seem to do much waiting, he rushed about and really seemed too busy doing not much at all. He got our pudding order wrong, even though I saw him write it down correctly, and then did not respond well when we had some comments about the food. I think there are much better places to eat in the town which is a shame as it is a lovely building and a great position.

They had run out of the seafood palter for two as a main by 7.30 pm.I guess we should take this as a positive to how popular it is but i must admit I was a little disappointed that a quality establishment by the coast at a town with a fishing harbour was sold out of seafood platter so early in the evening. I guess the advice would be if that is what you want then mention it at booking time. We had it the previous time we dined here and it was tremendous.The evening is not a cheap one, but I don't think you book a table here expecting cheap meal. Whilst expensive the ingredients are clearly high quality and well prepared.Overall a delightful evening, and a venue I would recommend if you are expecting to pay up to £150 for dinner for two with wine

Had a great two night stay. Such a perfect location with amazing views. Room 19 was great. Lovely big bed large tv nice bedding and amazing view. The bathroom and bath was small but not a problem. Food was very good and service was snappy. The hotel had great areas to relax in and was literally a 2 minutes walk to the sea. My only recomendation would be during the day for the bar staff to walk round the garden to take drink orders. The worse part of my stay was having to pull myself out of the super comfy sofa seat to go to the bar. Thank you

Four of us visited here for a family celebratory lunch, which was held in the conservatory overlooking the expanse of their lovely garden. We all had a starter and a main - mainly fish which was all delicious. We also had a bottle of English wine (a white Pinot Noir - not cheap but gorgeous; comes from a Dorset vineyard). Coffee to finish. Attentive, helpful staff helped to make the experience very pleasant. Not cheap but not too expensive either (for the more budget conscious, there is a set menu of 2 or 3 courses - which works out cheaper). Definitely recommended.

The menu ofered a comprehensive choice for all our group along with a good wine list offering a good variety of wines at sensible prices.All of our group enjoyed our meals and I would definately recommend this for a special meal.

A warm welcome on arrival for a 2 night bed breakfast and evening meal.I took a dog and was given a room at the top of the West wing with lovely sea views.The room was clean if not a bit drafty due to a stormy wind blowing through ill fitting windows.No loo brush.Plenty of tea coffee and biscuits.As we had a dog a table was kindly laid in the bar area where we had both our breakfast. I couldn't fault the breakfast especially the kipper 1 morning and smoked haddock with poached egg the next.However the evening meal left a bit to be desired, I had a rabbit pasty which tasted lovely until I found myself chewing on a small rabbit bone.The next day we were joined by friends, one of which had the rabbit pasty on my recommendation only for it to arrive burnt and it also contained a bone.2 of us ordered halibut for main course only for it to be under the food warmer in the Kitchen to long therefore causing it to dry out.It was mentioned to the attentive waiter who said the chef had realised the mistake and it was down to being the thin tail end of the fish which is why it dried out.Certainly not value for money at over £200 a night.Next time I visit Lyme Regis I will save a lot of money by booking into a B&B and eating out.

We had dinner here and found it to be very good, from the service through to the food. Carlos, who was running the restaurant and the young girl serving us were excellent - even bringing out delicious cheese and biscuits through to the fireplace after dinner. The food was well thought out, well cooked and nicely presented. The deserts were delicious and inventive (I thought the carrots were a lovely addition) my wife's blackberry desert was fantastic. All together a lovely romantic evening thank you!

We had high expectations of this restaurant for our evening meal. The main restaurant has a stretch of single glazed windows providing a beautiful view during the daytime, I understand. However, we and several other guests were very cold. Nothing could be done apparently. Surely a hotel of this standard could provide extra space heaters or blankets? I kept my coat wrapped around my legs! Food portions were small, although the main lamb course was lovely. Desserts disappointing, being removed from our bill after our complaint. Who puts raw(well, very lightly poached) carrots on a dessert plate?We won't be returning...

Another visit to a favourite restaurant. Standards as high as ever, The menu interesting, the food and service excellent and the view over the sea from the restaurant spectacular. Very hard to fault this place for high quality dining. The wine list is good and we had an excellent Tempranillo. Not a lot of point in going over it course by course, from the menu choice to the coffee it was all excellent as it always has been before, as a high-end just short of Michelin starred dining experience hard to fault. If you’re in the area go along, I regularly travel for an hour to eat here.

Three had dinner with the intention of re booking for a birthday. I ordered Johndory, there was very very little fish, but quite a lot of potato nokie.All sides were extra and, at £9-50 for the cheese selection, (select three from six not a true selection like most places) I refused.

Have stayed In Lyme many times but never been here before, was pleasantly surprised and returned two more times during the week we were there.Had drinks in the bar first evening, found it very relaxing with friendly staff.Had morning coffee there another day sitting in the gardens enjoying the views and then another evening which again was enjoyable with good bar food.

We were only there for lunch, and to check out this Hotel for a future visit. If we come back to Lyme, we would stay here. Expensive, yes, but unique. Delightful rooms with great views.We had lunch in the conservatory and really enjoyed the experience as well as the food.

Super lunch on a hot sunny day sitting on the veranda overlooking the glorious views of Lyme Bay and the busy beach.The lunch was excellent, comprising of a white crab sandwich with a naked salad and extra lemon wedges, as requested, a cafetiere of coffee, glass of tap water with plenty of ice and the most delicious glass of pink Furleigh Estates fizz to round of this delectable meal.Service was prompt, polite and friendly with big smiles from all members of staff present and all looking smart and were well drilled in their service, excellent. The gardens were well presented and everywhere lots of comfortable steamer chairs scattered around.Some in direct sun and others carefully placed in shaded nooks. The sun was so hot I wandered off and sat under a tree beside some gorgeous roses which perfumed the air around.A really super lunch in a fabulous location served by lovely staff.I thoroughly recommend

Great meal with kids in the conservatory. Interesting foraging type ingredients, good presentation, good choice of local beers. Would turn up on time as the kitchen is pretty small, and doesn't cope well if you are late!!

It was a lovely place for a pre-dinner drink and the restaurant looked out over the garden to the sea. The food was good, rather than amazing.

Excellent food, quality place for dinner. Amazing seafood with solid menu. Would have liked to see more seasonal produce especially amongst the deserts.We had a table in the conservatory with an excellent view of the bay and the restaurant was smart enough to schedule us so that our dinner finished just as the large party came in. Those things count but perhaps it was just luck as another couple came in as we left. Still excellent wine list and service definitely worth a visit.

It was a wet afternoon so we went for a nice cream tea. I asked at reception and she sent us through to the bar where someone would "look after us". 10 minutes later I went back to reception to say that no one had yet come to seat us. So the receptionist took our order and we sat in the lovely conservatory to watch the rain and the distant sea (it was still beautiful but hardly like the advertising photo)!All the cutlery, cups and saucers, teapot and tablecloth were immaculate as you would expect in such a fine establishment but the scones were very dry and the jam came in little jars (not homemade). The assam tea was lovely. We were just a bit disappointed.

This was a birthday celebration, so I booked a table in the window of the conservatory. Very friendly reception and the table was exactly where I had booked overlooking the fine garden over to the bay.The menu was not exhaustive, but then this is often a sign of a chef concentrating their energies on quality.We chose the scallops, and the mushrooms as starters and were not disappointed as both dishes were full of flavour.The chicken dish we both chose again was cooked to perfection and just left a small space for a dessert.There is a selection of nearly twenty ice cream flavours, and we both chose three different ones. All that we tasted were really first class, and some of the best ice creams we have sampled recently.Wine selection was extensive and we were more than satisfied with our choices.Coffee ended our celebrations, and we left with a smile on our faces.Just one point. In the summer car parking can be a problem, so you may have a walk before your meal!

Decided to pop in for afternoon tea whilst walking down to the beach , lovely gardens good afternoon tea very friendly staff.Did look at the inside of the hotel which was very good , if we are in the area again will try the accommodation for a night or two I would ask though for a room at the front of the hotel as the views of the coastline and harbour were excellent.Albeit the hotel has a car park it was very very small for the size of the hotel.

The lamb was delicious and everything freshly cooked - so you do need to go realizing the food will not be there in an instant. The service was very polite and friendly - we almost had the place to ourselves which was special too.

Had a lovely little lunch in this hidden gem of a hotel. We had a great posh fish and chips and then had drinks out in the beautiful garden where we enjoyed the sunshine and our drinks were regularly refreshed . It was a little haven away from the hustle and bustle but with a fabulous view of the Cobb . I would definitely recommend this place and we will definitely be back .

I booked afternoon tea for my girlfriends birthday. We had a bad experience with the service, we were not asked which afternoon tea we would like, also we were not given a selection of teas or coffee we would like . They just gave us standard tea , this was only changed when we asked them too change it. I don't even drink tea only coffee. Then during the afternoon tea they were about too clear it away when we were mid way eating I put a stop too this . Then when the bill came I was charged the full amount even though I had already paid a £10 deposit so they had too fix this and no apology was given. I am only giving 2 stars as the food was very good but you really need too work on your service. I had a chat with a few other people and they had the same experience with the service.

I booked this hotel having never been to this part of the world. We really landed on the best place. I knew no one who had been here but their website was excellent. We stayed for four days fromtuesday to Saturday at the beginning of May. The room was fabulous with wonderful views of the sea. The Alexandra is one of those hotels where there is still old fashioned and caring service. Well trained and interesting and kind staff in all areas. They were all so happy to help. Such a refreshing experience. We were so lucky that the weather was amazing while we were there and we took great advantage of the beautiful garden and comfortable garden furniture - where you are in the sun whatever the time of day. A wonderful deck area also built near the garden and a children's play ground and trampoline which would not impact on other guests. Well thought out and very attractive. The hotel is well decorated and may have been recently through a refurb. I gather plans are underway for more improvements but the decor is contemporary and very comfortable but doesn't spoil the age of the building. Well thought out. Loved the colour scheme predominantly pale grey with subtle touches. The food is excellent. They have a great chef and food was obviously sourced well and thoughtfully and very fresh and excellent quality. Good wine list too.For dinner we had goats cheese soufflé and mackerel pate but of the highest quality and for mains a lovely sea trout with chorizo beautifully cooked. Some lovely morsels of local cheeses and a pear sorbet to die for . The MD f and b manager Carlos is a sweetie and very efficient and knows what he is doing . Couldn't have been more helpful and kind. All the staff are good. Special mention for Fiona on the reception desk. . Sooo helpful. Sean the Manager even gave us a lift up,the road in his car to the Mark Hix restaurant. The lift was great and so kind of him to go that extra mile - the Mark Hix was awful. Wish we had stayed at the ALexandra I love this place and can't wait to come back. My idea of a lovely English hotel . Well done you guys and thank you for a lovely few days break. Made all the difference to us as we had had a terrible few weeks prior to our visit.

Hadn't been to the Alexandra for years and was really impressed with the public rooms and conservatory restaurant. The location of the hotel is stunning and the gardens and views are shown off to their best advantage. We had a set lunch - £15 for 2 courses and a lovely pinot grigio. Recommend the souffle as a starter and poached fish. Great service too.

My wife decided we should go out for my birthday, which meant that we she had to drive for nearly an hour to feed her ravenous husband ! We have passed this hotel on a number of previous occasions as I am quite happy to eat fish and chips on the sea front. However my wife had her way and we were both delighted with her decision. I ordered a bottle of a decent pink champagne mainly for me as my wife was driving and then ate a very good meal of Terrine and the an excellent and very well prepared Lemon Sole. The menu was good but not expansive. The food was of excellent quality and the young waiter from Croydon was attentive and very professional. My wife rated her meal as one of the best she had eaten but although it was very good it wasn't Michelin star. However ,if you can manage to get parked in their car park it is most definitely worth a visit. We will return.

Booked a table for afternoon tea for Mothers Day. Were seated on a lovely table looking over the garden with the sea in the distance. Afternoon tea was delicious and there was plenty of it, they even let us take away our leftovers. The staff were friendly and welcoming and really attentive with out being intrusive. They even gave mum a potted plant at the end for Mothers Day, very sweet.

We love the Alex and come every July for a few days of relaxed sophistication in its comfortable rooms and beautiful garden overlooking The Cobb. Today we retuned for Mothering Sunday lunch. Thank you so much to the wonderful staff for such super and attentive service; so professional and so friendly. And the food was excellent. All over- looking Lyme Bay. What a treat for us all. Thank you.

Called in for a drink mid week with the dog, who was made to feel very welcome. Staff very friendly. Good value for money

We recently dined at the Alexandra Hotel restaurant and it was an amazing dining experience.The food was beautifully presented, tasted divine and was sourced from local suppliers which is always a good move.The level of service was exceptional but not in the least bit stuffy, I even got a hug from Carlos when we left.All in all a massive recommendation from me, please don't miss this just because you think its ONLY a hotel!

Five stars *****The view from up the cliff is unbelievable. There is a nice grassy garden with more intimate corners all around. Plants are colourful and manicured, very peaceful and relaxing -a true jem.We had a family meal in the conservatory and chosen a guided menu. Every course was a surprise, so tasteful! And the service was superlative.We were all blown away by the experience. Extremely recommended, although not the cheapest.

3 lovelies in the header so why not 5 stars ? Because the price of the bottled water was very high (£18.75 for 5 bottles) and when I saw that oon the bill £300 for 9 of us it was a little surprising. BUT, that aside we had lovely food, a reall good time, a sparkly birthday candle at the end of a relaxing experience and we all said we would go back again. (But not have the bottled water !) A very special thank you to our two waiters who were very professional gents and they did things the "right way". A classy place indeed.

Exceptional the Alexander hotel is stunning inside was seated in the conservatory overlooking the sea spectacular Our 3 course meal was wonderful the food is excellent lovely choice of menu and very friendly staff service good too Keep meaning to go back

We returned to Alexandra to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (wedding reception was in Alexandra and it was incredible) and we were not dissapointed. We had fantastic venison with selection of great looking and even better tasting vegetables, we had scalops for starter and only dissapointment was that my favourite hazelnut brownie was not on the menu. View was fantastic as usual and service was very fast and very professional. In addition we sampled some street food from Alexandra chef during crab and mackrel festival and I must say that scotch egg in mackrel crust was delicious (and beautifully served in wooden container). Congratulations to chef for keeping standards so high both in taste and presentation.Prices as always very reasonable for quality and quantity of food.

A truly magnificent dining experience, try and sit in the conservatory as it has views of the sea.The food was impeccable and the staff very attentive (even when we asked for something to be cooked specially due to specific requirements )

We were welcomed warmly on arrival and had a good meal in the restaurant, service was efficient. Lovely pea and ham soup, seafood cocktail, main courses of lamb and lobster salad, however we felt the food was overpriced compared to other restaurants in the town.