Beresfords Restaurant in New Forest

Service was appalling, with nobody in charge and long waits to be shown to tables and for service. The meat dishes were very good, but the vegetarian options were dreadful and very expensive. One half of an aubergine with very little garnish was not a balanced meal for a 30 year old. Very disappointing. The other vegetarian dish, gnocchi, was luke warm and did not have enough sauce. Again it needed more vegetables or ingredients to make a balanced meal. It was by far the most expensive meal that we ate during our stay in Brockenhurst, but the poorest experience. We left hungry and went elsewhere for dessert, as the service was so poor.

Went for Sunday lunch with high expectations only to be disappointed Service extremely poor Some of the food was good -- the cod dish for example but the porchetta was poor fatty and no crackling The deserts flattered to deceive A nice location but the service not up to the standard required

Spent an enjoyable 3 nights at Balmer Lawn but not sure we'd stay again. Hotel is quite local to us and a place we are familiar with and in lovely location in heart of New Forest. Staff were very friendly and attentive, breakfast was good with plenty of choice, dinner in the restaurant was very good, use of local produce always a bonus. However, we thought our room on the top floor was very drab and certainly not what we would expect from a 4* hotel. It was also noisy as above the outside terrace area and facing the very busy through road. Housekeeping was very good but there was no mini fridge to keep drinks cold or safe for valuables. The bathroom was small and having to climb into a bath to shower is not acceptable or safe. I did raise the issue of poor quality pillows and having a nice fluffy pillow would add to sleep quality.

My wife and I visited Beresford’s whilst on a two night trip to the area. With the in house restaurant at the hotel we were staying at not being up to scratch we opted for Beresford’s having visited for a drink the previous afternoon. What a great decision this was. The restaurant was spacious yet cosy. The service from Anna was exceptional. She helped with the selection of dishes demonstrating real knowledge. My wife opted for the duck and I went for the cod with Indonesian curry. They were both exceptional. First class produce and execution. Truly wonderful. Followed with the chef selection of deserts (once again recommended by Anna). Wow!! Again superb. All this with two glasses of Prosecco and a glass of fine wine for me for a total of £129.75 inc’ service charge. Fantastic value for such an exceptional experience. It certainly matched many Michelin starred restaurants we’ve visited. Thank you Beresford’s and especially to your kitchen staff and Anna. Highly recommended.

Great Sunday Roast for Father’s Day!!!! Decided to book after discovering the Balmers Court Hotel back in early May where we enjoyed drinks on the beautiful outdoor terrace. The service was excellent and we enjoyed a 2 course roast with wonderfully cooked roast beef and pork, and fabulous desserts. I would highly recommend and will definitely be back.

To be clear this is in relation to the restaurant of the hotel not the hotel itself as we only popped in for cocktails and dinner. G&T was superb (but then again it should be) but the Champagne cocktail tastes odd until we noticed that the bottom of the glass was laced with undissolved sugar. When I went to the bar to mention this, I was told it was a sugar syrup (clearly wasn’t or it would be dissolved) and was handed the tab for the drinks to settle. Food however was another story, the Nibbles of Smoked Mackerel Choux buns and Pork Belly bites were outstanding, followed by their Scallops and Cheese Croquettes for starters. Also exceptional. The main course let it down a bit, with the Stonebass Special being a bit sad (dry dauphinois and sadly very little of the crab velouté which was a catalyst for ordering) however the veg were really taken care of. Other half had the ribeye which was beautifully cooked. Dining room feels a bit confused with mismatching lamps, tired paint and very dark considering it’s the middle of summer, but taste is personal. Restaurant staff were delightful (Kate in particular) but was not a fan of the burly barman with the tattoos on his arms who was in trousers two sizes too small for him, that somehow managed to make a sugar syrup where the sugar doesn’t dissolve.

We stayed here for our dinners for three nights. The food was excellent but what stood out was the staff. We had a person with a disability and another with lactose intolerance and they took this in their stride. One person who was outstanding was Bryony who worked through the disability with thought and empathy in such a way that we never had to mention it on subsequent nights as all staff were fully informed. An excellent place for a quiet dinner.

Excellent Saturday evening dinner preceded by drinks outside overlooking cricket pitch, very tranquil. Friendly and efficient staff and superb food made for a very memorable evening, thank you.

It had been some time since I was at this restaurant and I visited due to a seasonal offer. This was their opportunity to impress me and my friends to make a return visit. However, what a shame - the roasts, which looked magnificent on delivery, were poor. The beef was rare so that at least one was red and wet - fortunately this diner was happy with that - BUT no enquiry had been made as to whether rare or well-done was preferred. More dubious were the vegetbles, with the potatoes tasting definitely reheated; the green veg under-cooked and parsnip and carrot over-cooked! I understand the gravy was good! (This might have been better served in a gravy-boat as people vary a lot as to how much/little gravy they prefer.) I had chosen the souffle starter and the Bream main course - the fish dish was predictably a little small - but fine following the souffle. Two of my companions had the Frangipan dessert BUT I understand this also tasted reheated/the thin raspberry jam layer was brown, and there was very little almond flavouring. My friends and I often dine together and none of them are picky; I feel quite confident that their negative comments were well-founded. Let me say here that the front of house staff were all superb - friendly, attentive and helpful without being intrusive. (On this occasion an accomplished pianist/singer was performing and was mic'd. As a huge fan of 'live' music, I would often be delighted at this. However, when eating and hoping to catch up with friends, the volume was much too great - 'subdued' is the most required.

Beautifully cooked & presented food. A very creative chef with unusual options (White chocolate toffee apple dessert... actually looked like an apple! Tasted delicious). Venison perfectly cooked too. Service very attentive and professional. New decor was lovely.

We stayed here for three nights, the service in the restaurant were second to none, and the food superb, both at breakfast and evening meal. The waiting staff were very friendly, polite and knowledgeable.

Very pleasant lunch with friend's. Midweek and only 3 other tables in use. Festive set menu excellent value and choice. All staff very friendly, Food excellent. My Bream was best I’ve had for a long while.

Beresfords continues to maintain its high standards. M. and I had dinner there on the Friday evening and the dish for two of saddle of lamb with potatoes and root veg was delicious. The meat literally fell off the bone but was still moist and very tender. Deconstructed tiramisu with zabaglione was delicious. We had a family roast lunch there on the Sunday. Daughter in law, K, who knows her stuff on food, has previously declared it the best roast ever. The standard was maintained. Service remains impeccable.

Very disappointed on Saturday, it clearly states that non-residents are welcome to use the bar/restaurant. So we popped in to have cocktails. It wasn’t busy, but we had to request a cocktail menu after waiting for 10 minutes, this was delivered by return. But 25minutes later we was still waiting for our order to be taken, so we left. Our friends have stayed there twice in the past and were very upset and disappointed, not the service you would expect.

Amazing food and dinning experience. The starter very tasty sea bass and pomme anna in a delicious sauce, me and my wife had the same starter, for the main course I chose a 8oz steak witch was perfectly cooked medium rare delicious sauce and crunchy potatoes on the outside and fluffy on the inside… just perfect. Very attentive waiter ( a Greek guy) can’t remember the name. The ambiance was just on point, calm and relaxing with good background music. All in all a very relaxed dinner out, well worth the money. Would definitely recommend as it was one of the best meals I had in New Forest area.

The special starter was a small salmon roulade appetiser. Very tasty and well presented. Main course was lamb, deliciously cooked to a delicate pink. It did not come with green vegetables so I ordered a side dish of broccoli and spinach. Both were perfectly cooked. I gave in to a small slice of treacle tart that was worth all the calories. One glass of white wine and sparkling water topped off a delicious meal. It was very expensive at nearly £80.00. The restaurant is in the hub of the Balmer Lawn Hotel and largely open plan located beside the reception. Whilst the restaurant staff are excellent and attentive the restaurant lacked an upmarket restaurant ambiance and decor were not suited for such an expensive meal.

We had the perfect Sunday afternoon at the Balmer lawn hotel. On a lovely sunny afternoon we enjoyed pre lunch drinks on the terrace, listening to live music in the Lodge outside restaurant. Very chilled atmosphere and an amazing female vocalist put us in a great frame of mind for our fabulous Sunday lunch in Beresfords restaurant, which didn't disappoint. If you like good size portions of well cooked and presented food, delivered with humour and professionalism then you will love this restaurant. Post dinner cocktails on the terrace rounded off the perfect day.

Staying at Balmer lawn, we had heard a lot of good things about the restaurant and wow we were not disappointed. We were treated to some tasters upon sitting down from the fantastic chef Callum on duty, they were just a hint of the amazing food that was to come. From there our starters and mains were fantastic, I went for the ham hock terrine, followed by the risotto with chicken breast (I make it sound less fancy than it was) my partner went for scallops and the gnocchi, all washed down with a gorgoeus red wine and lastly the sharing dessert recommend by the chef Callum on duty! All fantastic, the chefs were approachable and happy to talk about the food they were serving, really went the extra mile. Will be back!

We had passed the restaurant a few times whilst visiting the area. As we are 3 couples we called to see if they could accommodate us, which wasn't a problem. Decided on their special menu and all were extremely pleased with the quality and quantity of the food. Service was excellent. Highly recommend. Thank you

Second time visiting. First time we sat in the bar area around Xmas time with a set menu. Limited menu but plenty to make our choice difficult!! It was all delicious. This time we were in the main dining room which has a wonderful feel to it. The service was great. They didn’t have the wine we wanted but the alternative they offered was exceptional. Now to the food. Really interesting menu, fine dining at its best with clever pairings & flavours. Presentation was also excellent. We had a wonderful evening & we will be back!!

Visited with friends and had delicious lunch, it was all excellent with the best roast potatoes Friendly team with great service.

Went to Beresfords for Mothers Day lunch and came home incredibly impressed with our work experience. The food, service and attention to detail was exceptional and with the fixed price menu was extremely good value. Portions were very good sizes and the special touches such as the Prosecco on arrival for the mothers and the pianist were great. We live locally and this was our first visit here in many years and will definitely be coming back!

we were a table of 6, and had a great evening. I had the pork loin which was perfectly cooked, and had a delicious sauce. but the star of the evening was the fish. it was a sharing platter that my husband shared with a friend. perfectly cooked, and probably enough for 3. delicious fish and lovely accomnayment of gnocchi (which seemed home made - but in any evert were very good) tomoatoes, samphire and capers (that were not at all vinegery). great value. great evening.

This was our third visit to the Balmer Lawn Hotel to celebrate a family birthday and we were not let down. We had dinner on the Saturday night and lunch on the Sunday at Beresfords. The choice was excellent, the service exemplary and the food delicious. All the staff were pleasant and efficient but a special mention for our waiter, Denel, on the Saturday evening. He was charming, courteous and took such trouble to ensure the accuracy of the order - not easy for a party of seven, including two grandchildren! We are pleased to read that this lovely hotel has been taken off the market and that the present management will continue. They get everything so right.

Excellent meal on a family night out. The staff were very welcoming and the ambiance perfect. We all enjoyed the food, I started with the Carpaccio, which was amazing and followed with a lovely seared pollock. We then shared a sweet board of the Chefs choice. Pricey, but well worth it.

Food is fantastic, service very good and decent value for money. A great selection for all 3 courses. Would highly recommend.

Great food (afternoon tea and evening meal) wonderful atmosphere and top notch staff/service. I’ll definitely be back. The Sunday lunch looked yummy along with live music so maybe that’s my next visit.

Amazing experience! Really great food and service from the starter to the dessert. We ordered scallops and chicken as a starter, sirloin steak and duck breast as a main and in the end fallen ice cream as dessert. Everything was beyond expectations! Service was impeccable...

My mother and I had a memorable lunch during a day trip to the New Forest. I would thoroughly recommend Beresfords to anyone visiting Brockenhurst. My mother and I both orders scallops which were served with with pickled walnuts and raspberries, an unusual but actually...

Very poor roast dinners. As if you could not be bothered. 1 slice of carrot 2 slithers of parsnip a nest of raw kale and rock hard roast potatoes that must of been hanging around for ages. Lovely setting good service but totally let down...

It didnt start well. Excited children running around the restaurant. We arrived 30 mins early, expecting to be shown to the bar but were shown straight to our table. No mint for the mojito. The pre dinner drinks arriving after the wine and the starter...

A gift voucher for an afternoon tea . Rang and booked reception staff very helpful. Arranged for agreed time . We arrived and shown to the main dining room , staff were very efficient and took our drinks order . The afternoon tea was of...

We started our evening with drinks and outstanding nibbles, on the terrace looking out over the cricket pavillion and the New Forest beyond. The service was friendly and super efficient. We then went into Beresfords which was busy, but with enough space between the tables...

Every time we come to New Forest, we have a dinner at Beresfords. We love the place. Or used to . This year I was a little disappointed. The menu has obviously changed since the last year or the year before, but not for good....

A good venue, where staff are attentive. Somewhat annoying that they hold a wedding on the ground floor near the restaurant, so make sure your seating is at either end of the restaurant. Partner had soup with poached egg and trout as a main, whereas...

Dreadful. Gin and tonic not served correctly. Salty bread served with added salt crystals on salty butter. Poached egg in a veloute served with the white raw. Very unpleasant. No spoon. Side dish of vegetables with no spoon. Undrinkable red wine by the glass. Not...

Have to say try and eat at this hotel once a month as my husband loves the Sunday roast beef and have to say Sunday I had the Guinea fowl wild mushrooms and polenta came with a lovely truffle sauce which was presented beautifully and...

Did not have a great meal here. The food was not worth the money, especially compared to what you can get from other restaurants in the surrounding areas. It was very average .. £9 for 3 florets of cauliflower in a horrible batter cannot be...

Fantastic food and impeccable service if your staying local definitely book this restaurant The food was amazing and is cooked to perfection

Went here for the first time for a birthday celebration with our friends. We had a drink in the bar which was so cosy then into the restaurant. There is a great menu with lots of choice considering the 2 rosette award!! We all had...

Reviewed within my Balmer Lawn review January 2022 Beautiful food served by helpful staff. Everything was freshly cooked, piping hot and delicious.

Can honestly say this is one of the most amazing meals we've had it was faultless. We had 3 of the small bites to start, prawns, pork belly and Korean chicken all so tasty. Mains were cod and monkfish both absolutely delicious. Cheesecake and chocolate...

The atmosphere was great, the menu had a good range of options, food was very good and well presented. The staff were outstanding, at every meal the staff were very attentive, food served promptly and with attention to detail.

We decided to eat at Beresfords after checking a few review sites. We arrived and were greeted by friendly staff who showed us to a lovely table. Service was good, Head waiter was very organised. Did y feel rushed at all. Food was lovely- garlic...

Not too many choices which I prefer. Lovely food, beautifully presented and service was excellent. Nice soft music in the background ads to atmosphere.

We visited this restaurant for Sunday lunch. The food and staff were first class. The atmosphere was made more enjoyable by having a pianist. The pianist played a varied selection of music which only added to the wonderful day. This restaurant must be on your...

We were let down by another hotel for a Golden Wedding dinner. Beresfords fitted our party of 8 in at the last minute. The food was excellent, the service first class and we had a wonderful evening. Our waiter could not have been more attentive....

I had the duck - it was really tasty. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his fish & chips. The tiramisu choux pudding was excellent.

We ate here last week, the food was amazing, I have the veggie burger and my husband had the duck. Both delicious. My husband said his desert was one of the best he has ever had (Salted Caramel fondant) the service was a bit slow...

Great food and service, with good sized portions. Lots of space between tables. Would come here again, especially for the dark chocolate mousse and pistachio ice cream dessert!

the most indifferent service i have rarely experienced worse we were left without menus until we got up up to find a waiter to ask for some. No one came to take our order until we specifically called someone over. No one came to check...

Really nice spot just outside of Brockenhurst. Plenty of space in restaurant so not too crowded. Food pretty excellent, particularly recommend the sea trout and gnocchi dish. Along with the food, Highlight was service - staff extremely kind and attentive Alexi the Maître d’Hôtel was...

We pre booked afternoon tea. On arrival 20 minutes before our allotted time we were taken to out seat. Waitress arrived promptly and took our drink order. We then got asked 3 times by differing staff what food we would like and 3 times we...

Apparently the restaurant has two AA rosettes. Sadly we saw no evidence of it in what we ate. Of the four meals we ate in Brockenhurst, this was the worst and the most expensive. In more detail: 1) You would assume that Berresfords would be...

Booked in for a Saturday evening meal. Quickly shown to our table and served drinks. Quite a good choice on the menu. A minor issue was that the cutlery was on the table as we sat down, though on napkins, and the table was sticky,...

We booked a table for my birthday as I wanted a fine dining experience. When we booked it in April the website was promising fine dining with dishes such as Turbot, scallops and Cote de Boeuf. We phoned on the day to book a place...

The food at Beresfords Restaurant at the Balmer Lawn Hotel is excellent. My pasta starter with prawns and fish cream was particularly delicious. Staff are professional and friendly. Very good atmosphere in restaurant. Delicious breakfast served here, too.

Had a fabulous birthday meal here whilst staying at the hotel as well as breakfast on three days. The evening meal was outstanding, the menu has some unusual choices such as cockle salad starter and mackerel. As fish lovers these were a delight and very...

This was truly awful. Booking was confused. Staff didn’t know which menu was available. Confused service - we were told our table was ready, but when we went in staff didn’t know where. My plaice was nice and fresh, but all other meals were poor...

We booked a table on 10 June for dinner at 7 pm for 4 people. The waiter who took our order was not overly attentive. We also ordered a bottle of white wine and a large glass of red, which we had to chase up...

After an early evening walk, we saw what looked like a lovely outdoor bar for drinks. The signage and website suggested they accepted non residents, so we were looking forward to a relaxing drink. We entered reception and we’re approached by someone in the restaurant/...

Tables well spaced apart, due to Covid attentive staff. Amazing menue, food well presented. Good wine list. Ate here 3 nights

So disappointing. Astonishingly poor service. This place appears to be an up market eatery but falls down very badly on its level of service. Having placed initial orders we had to ask for almost everything else, no one suggested that we might like another drink...

Very helpful and friendly staff, no upselling and great food! A well earns post lockdown anniversary escape. My wife is a celiac and felt very comfortable and trusted the support and advice from staff, who would also reassure the gluten free food as it was...

Took my family to this restaurant and was blown away with the service and food quality so much so I've rebooked for this Friday

We tried out the new Lodge at Balmer Lawn last week. It was simply fantastic. The atmosphere was great, definitely something hard to achieve at this time! It is outside but undercover with patio heaters so you do need to wrap up. They have blankets...

We had dinner at this restaurant twice during our recent stay at Balmer Lawn Hotel. The first night we were served a very flat glass of Champagne, which wasn't a great start. The first night we chose a sharing board and selected three items: Halloumi,...

3 years to the day since we got married at the Balmer Lawn, my wife and I went for an anniversary meal and it knocked the socks off past anniversary meals elsewhere. The staff were attentive without being overbearing and the food itself was simply...

We ate dinner twice when staying at the Balmer Lawn. Organised, friendly and Covid safe service. We thought good value too for the quality of ingredients used.

We had a two night break and booked two evening meals at the Beresford. Although the menu was smaller than usual the meals we had on both nights were fabulous. We really enjoyed it and the way the staff coped with the extra covid measures...

Restaurant on ground floor of a reasonably large hotel. Food was excellent and service also very good. Good distancing between tables . A few groups of friends which made for a lively setting.

Came on a Saturday night for our ‘would be’ wedding day. Chef’s menu was amazing, really good mix of meat and fish across the 8 courses. £50 for the sample menu, £75 with pairing wines of which you get four. Food is fine dining and...

We went on a Friday night , had to uber in from Southampton as unfortunately the hotel was fully booked. Everything that followed was simply excellent especially the service and attentiveness of the staff. We ordered the tasting menu and it was "solid" - but to be fair at around 1/2 the price of a London tasting menu. Highlight was the ash beef. Throuhgout delighted by all the staff who genuinely seemed to enjoy working there. Would definitely return - thanks

Great service, great food We booked for lunch here quite late the night before without really reading any reviews so didn’t know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprise. COVID wiseWe had our temperature tested on arrival, all staff wore visors or masks and plenty of hand sanitiser was provided.ServiceService couldn’t be faulted, staff were really friendly.FoodThe food was delicious, particularly the nibbles! My husband and I shared 3 nibbles, the pork puffs, battered hallumi and red onion/sweet potato baji’s. My god the the hallumi was best I’ve had. We also had the burger... which tasted amazing. Atmosphere We sat outside which was lovely. The only issue was half way through someone was doing some maintenance which was extremely loud and disturbing.Value May be on the slightly richer side, but it is a fine dining restaurant. The restaurant was taking part in the eat out to help out scheme which was a bonus and made the value great.

Pre booked our table for dinner. Served by a lovely gentleman who I wish I had caught his name as he is a credit to Balmer Lawn. Faultless food, we both opted for the burger with rarebit which was gorgeous. No room for pudding on this occasion. Would highly recommend a visit here.

Lovely service from the charming - and attentive - Alexis .I had sea bass with violet artichokes - and it was one of the best fish dishes I have had for a long time. The vegetables were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of crunch and the fish was absolutely excellent. It was a real treat.

We live locally and had never visited Balmer Lawn, and we are on a mission to eat Sunday lunch out once a month. At 1.30 on a Sunday we were a bit disturbed to find only one other table was occupied. Was there something we didn’t know? The answer is that this is something other people don’t seem to know, so I’m reluctant to post this review in case we can never get in again!The food was exceptional. Wonderfully generous portions of roast meat and vegetables, properly cooked, nothing seemed pre prepared. At two courses for £19, 3 for £24 it represented great value for money. Someone here really knows how to cook, so long may it last. I am still dreaming about that char-grilled breast of lamb with cockles that was my starter.And yes, the restaurant soon filled up with some lunchtime latecomers, then an influx of rather large ladies scoffing Beresfords rather large afternoon tea, which looked equally tempting and sinful.We hope to return!

M and I, plus the black labrador, have had a couple of nights at the delightful Balmer Lawn Hotel in the New Forest - to celebrate M’s birthday. One of the reasons we return to this hotel is the great food available in the restaurant - Beresford’s. We were not disappointed on this occasion. We are of an age when we eat just two courses so cannot comment on starters, but the mains and the puddings are so well put together and presented. We enjoyed seabass and duck on the first evening, and pork and venison on the second. Setvice is exemplary. Alexis looked after us superbly on both evenings. And there is that lovely loaf of home made bread brought to the table before the meal itself, together with delicious butter. Totally decadent. Thank you, Beresford’s. We will be back!

Had a lovely meal here great setting great staff and amazing food. We had 3 course ( be rude not to when the food is of such a standard) all the courses and the home made bread are presented well and were delicious, I finished with the cheese board it looked great and tasted even better warm freshly cooked cookie with your coffee such a nice touch . We visited on a Tuesday it was't busy but enough tables for atmosphere and the gentleman who looked after us was very good indeed. It wot be the last time we visit and we have been telling everyone how great it was.

I nave never reviewed anything before but to say l was disappointed in the Christmas meal is an understatement. The main course was dreadful, it was a travesty of a Christmas meal. The roast potatoes tasted as thought they had been done the day before & warmed up, the roast vegetables the same, the turkey was just about edible. but tasteless. The service was slow & the meal was cold by the time the watered down cranberry sauce & so called bread sauce arrived. The bread sauce was a yellowish coloured runny liquid. Nothing like bread sauce at all. I left most of the course, as did my neighbours.The Christmas pudding was nice however.I am not giving any ratings as so disappointed!

Several couples fined at Beresfords last week and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite! Our meal began with the warmest and most amazing sourdough bread and fresh butter. Followed by a selection of starters with prawns or scallops which I tasted and immediately wished I had ordered!! Then most of us ordered the steak (all cooked to perfection) with the most amazing oversized chips. I opted for the pork belly with a delicious gravy and cauliflower purée! Finished our meal with a supersized cheeseboard that couldn’t disappoint anyone. We will, of course, be back very soon!

A well thought and prepared Seafood Tasting Menu to complement a very nice menu, served by very professional staff

This restaurant is now one of my favourites . The service is excellent , and the Sunday lunch is superb . I wouldn’t consider going anywhere else now when we arrive for our timeshare week in Brockenhurst.

Spending five nights here is a fab hotel with an equally fabulous eating spot - Beresfords. The menu is varied and so far quite delicious. The service is friendly and WestEnd professional. Relaxed but somewhere caring and genuine. Try the soufflé it is gorgeous. Wear what you like. Eat what you like and have a lovely time.

we visited whilst on a trip to the new forest in late July. we often choose fine dining venues and don't mind paying for excellent service and very good food . This charges the prices , bill was £120 for 2 with no dessert but doesn't deliver on the quality expected from such a venue or service or ambience . we arrived with a reservation, we were asked 3 times by different staff if we had booked , then some great pretence of checking the list and asking our name twice , the restaurant was virtually empty during our visit . Took 20 mins for anyone to bother to take a drinks order, then another 10 for it to arrive . We are happy with fine dining portions normally, but these were mean . Starter of mackerel and pigeon were small and pretty bland in taste . The duck main was only half a duck breast , skin was flabby and horrible . Tip for chef either remove it or crisp it ! I wouldn't serve food like this at home . we ordered new potatoes at 5.00 and they came up unpeeled ( fine normally ) but dry and not even a glimpse of butter on them or the offer of it . Service was poor by the lady who served us initially , clearly she doesn't crack a smile and it was all a bit of an effort . The lad who brought mains was much better , but he didn't make up for the poor food . No ambience , not even background music , and only 3 parties in including us . I would definitely not recommend , it has pretentions of grandeur but doesn't deliver on culinary skill or service .

Lovely setting, we booked here due to the great reviews but I can only assume that the chef was not working as the food was surprisingly bad. The sole was dry, the sea bream tiny, over cooked and hardly resembled the description on the menu and I’m not sure what had happened to the gnocchi. Very disappointing

1. Sat outside, ordered a drink, but were next to a wasp trap - good idea but did attract wasps across our table

an all round superb retaurant woudnt hesitate to eat there again but its a long way from faversham..you will not get a more tranquil setting.

We dropped in for lunch. We chose a starter and a main and more than 30 minutes later we were told that one important ingredient, asparagus, in the starter was not available. We decided to go just for the main which after delay appeared. This was a small fillet of bream with a few warmed up new potatoes, they were rather black, and lobster sauce. Very poor value and poor service. We would never recommend Balmer Lawn and will not go back.

Three generations of visits and each time offering something special.

A couple of mediocre meals. However, a green veg risotto was excellent. I think the chefs need more veggie mel practice...

After morning coffee, we decided to stay for an impromptu lunch. All the staff were amazing - friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. I chose two starters, Lamb Shoulder and Malaysian Wontons. My friend had Seared Tuna. Balmer Lawn is a lovely hotel. I’ll be back.

Pleasant atmosphere, good choice of food and wine and friendly attentive staff. Care taken with food intolerance.

The meal was included in our stay with a £30 discount. The restaurant is bright and airy with a stylish decor. The waiting staff are very attentive, friendly and helpful and obviously take a great pride in their work. I am not a foody but this was first class cuisine, with plenty of choice. Served in a contemporary style the Chef had obviously made a great effort. It's on the expensive side but you definitely get what you pay for and its ideal for a special occasion.

Had the scallops as a starter for the first time ever, really tasty and cooked so they weren’t tough really enjoyable, played a bit safe on the main and had a steak, this was cooked to exactly as I like it, it came with fat chips (and I mean fat) and to be honest they were far to big and just two was all I could eat.

We had 2 meals here as part of the overall hotel package. Everything was ok, but you expect better at these prices.

Visited for lunch in a party of 7 on Sunday 28th April 19. Used to regularly visit The Cloud, but that has gone down so much since the change of management that we thought we'd try Beresfords Restaurant. Big mistake! The staff are very friendly and helpful. Can't fault them. The problem is the food! All 7 meals were dreadful. Beef, lamb and pork, all very tough, tasteless and some too fatty. Roast potatoes, well they had obviously been part cooked and deep fried - as per chips! Couldn't cut through the rock hard outer layer. Yorkshire puds, very hard. Vegetables, some too hard, others, just ok. Some even tried steak knives - didn't work.

A quick stop over on the way to a spa weekend. To get the only negative out the way first, it was totally unclear whether we were in the right place. Sat Nav said yes but even as we drove by the terrace we couldn’t see any signage for Beresfords at all. After 5 minutes of debate we decided to go into Balmer Lawn Hotel and ask.....luckily it was located in there. Once in, the place is beautifully decorated with the ambiance provided by a saxophonist. Good choice of beers and wines. We were only visiting for a quick bite to eat and the doorstep sandwiches didn’t disappoint. Roast beef with horseradish and cheese & chutney were spot on with some nice fries. The staff were excellent and for the quality of produce the price was reasonable. Now we know where it is we will be back for a more substantial visit. Thank you.

We have been for several meals before, all of which have been great but Sunday lunch had escaped us until now. The quality of the cuisine served here has always been good and they have there own unique way of doing Sunday lunch. They have an excellent pianist playing for some well know songs which created a very pleasant and warm atmosphere.

First visit booked for my mother's 80th. Started by being very accommodating for our late arrival. excellent options for seating to accommodate her wheelchair. the service was excellent from the word go and the food was absolutely delightful. Lovely little touches like a breadboard of variety of homemade bread and butter- delightful. Definitely can recommend and will be returning.