Bertie's at Ruthin Castle in Denbighshire

We went for afternoon tea…..from start to finish we didn’t have a good experience here! Dark gloomy room and only 1 table with 2 chairs and a bench with cushions! The tea was so weak and wasn’t very hot! The array of sandwiches and cakes weren’t presented very well, seemed to have just been thrown on too the plates! All in all very expensive for what we got! Wouldn’t go there again! The girl who served us was very pleasant and wasn’t to blame!

Booked afternoon tea as a treat for my friend's birthday based on a previous visit a number of years ago which had been very good and in the restaurant. I was so disappointed and embarrassed by my visit today. Not in the restaurant but in the back bar, and the afternoon tea was, without exception, the worst I have ever had, the sandwiches were ok, the scones were warm but dry and heavy and the cakes were awful, dense and heavy. Would not reccomend, there are other places that charge less and provide better quality and more value. Will never visit again, awful.

Dined as a couple when staying at the hotel. Following some of the previous reviews, it's important to note that the FSA rating has improved and is now a 4. Our meals were tasty and with a bit of additional care and attention, (fish was slightly overcooked for example, grapes on the cheeseboard were past their best), this would become a 'Very Good' rating. However, the meal was ok overall. The only gripe we had was the Gambas Pil Pil starter. This was more prawns in a spicy sweet and sour sauce, still tasty, but if you're expecting a traditional Gambas Pil Pil, this isn't it. This was dealt with very well when raised with the waiting staff and the customer service was excellent.

Had a voucher for the afternoon tea sadly we were very disappointed. Won’t be going again. Asked for a box to take home the scones we hadn’t eaten and were told we can wrap them in foil but haven’t anything to put the cream but did give us a small butter pat. It was also very cold so much so husband didn’t take his coat off!

Went for afternoon tea with my wife, using an 'experience' voucher from a well known site, costing £35.99 - absolute disaster! The description said 'sit down in the sophisticated dining room and tuck into a section of finger sandwiches, tantalising cakes, pastries, macarons and scones with clotted cream and jam. You won't want this afternoon to end!' Trust me, we could not get out of their quick enough and go and find somewhere to get something to eat. The sophisticated dining room was a large, cold room with only a couple of other diners, sticky wooden tables, with no table cloths, just a flimsy paper napkin and a knife and fork. We ordered a coffee and a tea, which came in the smallest teapot, I have ever seen. Later in the meal, when we asked for another drink, we were told that was extra and were charged another £5.70. The food was nothing like as described or pictured on the website. A sad looking selection of sandwiches - four quarters each of thin sliced bread - one containing a very small piece of processed ham, a second mashed up egg, third was some sort of fish, not sure if it was salmon or tuna; and finally some sort of green leaf with something wet on top - it looked like the sandwich had been made days earlier and then sat upon! No pastries or macarons but the two scones with clotted cream and two little pots of jam were OK, however the remaining small cakes were dreadful, none of them were fresh - there were two eclairs that were inedible, either the cream or chocolate was off and they were very dry; two little red velvet cakes, which again were dry and horrible; and finally two small pieces of carrot cake that were the least objectionable but again very dry. When we told the waitress the eclairs, she said she would tell the chef but no offer of an alternative. True, it was an unforgettable experience, but not in the way we had expected! We have had afternoon teas in top hotels, pubs, cafes and well known garden centres and nothing came close to being as bad as this meal. Needless to say we will never return and would strongly advise caution if anyone is thinking of going here.

On the whole very poor. When I phoned to book a table for lunch they could only fit us in at a certain time. On arrival we were the only ones in the large restaurant . We ordered sandwiches and chips. The sandwiches were dry & drab. The chips were skinny fries and cold. The dessert of sticky toffee pudding was cold & lacked flavour . The staff were polite & friendly. On the whole 2 /10 .

My girlfriend booked a table in your restaurant for a surprise meal for my birthday. She thought that she was taking me for a high-quality dining experience in a lovely setting. This could not have been further from the truth! This is the first time in our lives when asked, “did you enjoy your meal”, we had to state honestly that it “was disgusting”. In addition, we were given dirty wine glasses, the waitress got my starter wrong, and we had to move tables because the first one was extremely wobbly. Having expressed our dissatisfaction to the waitress, no-one came to our table to discuss our concerns and we stood up to leave. At this gesture, the waitress brought over our bill and said that the maître d’ had not charged us for the main course; still a distinct lack of care and attention about the whole situation. My girlfriend stated to staff that this was not the dining experience that one would expect from a 4* hotel. She was extremely disappointed that this was not the birthday meal that she had anticipated for me.

Sad, sad and a rip off . £79 a head paid in advance for a Christmas Day lunch in warm and happy surroundings.. Dark, dismal and COLD . One member of the serving staff managed a smile and was pleasant... I was there with two of my sons they were saving me from cooking yet another Christmas lunch. So my anticipation was great....the boys enjoyed their beef when it eventually arrived my fish was ok but a spud would not have gone amiss...I asked for bread to go with my starter...it eventually arrived...maybe they have a thing about bread and spuds...and as it turned or tartare sauce to go with my fish...nah never heard of it. Pudding which had been preordered and paid for never arrived at all .Coffee did ,,...cold, as were my feet and legs . All of this with long waits between each course. Ruthin Castle management if this is your idea of Christmas cheer....bring on Scrooge .

Very disappointed to say the place was lovely and so were the staff but the food was un edible.. The castle is worth the visit for sure.

I would respectfully advise not staying/dining etc at the Ruthin Castle Hotel. Its FSA Rating is ZERO!. The menu for the evening meal in Bertie's was painfully limited. The buffet hot breakfast items were tepid at best. We had to move rooms as we had a water leak through a light fitting! No suggestion of some compensation. No urgency seemingly to check out the leak. The main bar was not even open (though this meant we went to the nearby Wetherspoons, which was excellent). Parts of the building were in dire need of repair/refurbishment/renovation. The Spa, though, was excellent.

Delicious food all piping hot and quickly served we got a free starter of whitebait whilst we waited for our food too which was an unexpected surprise! I had leek and potato soup and partner had the mushrooms to start both delicious . Then the star of the show the ox cheek papperdelle it was so tasty and really generous portions too

Overpriced food served with no imagination. Ordered tapas charged £4.50 for a small bowl with 5 slices of chorizo straight out of a packet. The others were the same. Main course was supposed to be a cassoulet but it was just dishwater and had to be sent back. Service very slow.

Visited the castle wetherspoons today and was highly disappointed!!!!! The place is a cess pit of filth. It looks like it's not been properly cleaned in a long time. The staff were rude and unapproachable and all in incredibly bad moods and very unhelpful. We were made to feel like an inconvenience!! The ambience stunk like the place itself!! The food was disgusting. Come on wetherspoons, pull your socks up!!

I received a voucher so decided to use it for afternoon tea here. During the drive up to the car park the castle and grounds looked quite nice but upon walking through the door we noticed the 0 food hygiene rating on the door!! The receptionist was pleasant but when we found the afternoon tea room it was in a shabby extension attached to the hotel that had the interior of a village hall that looked out at a tree which limited any nice views. The service was fine. The afternoon tea was just white bread with options of tuna, cheese and ham which was fine but not special. The scones were nice and still warm and Prosecco was also served. Afterwards we went for a brief walk around the grounds which were mainly overgrown and there were SO many peacocks (of which i find intimidating so not to my taste but some may enjoy). They seemed to be making some attempts to tame the garden as some landscaping seemed to have taken place but mostly it was unimpressive. I wouldn’t return.

Only tried it once but never again. Poor choice of menu. 45 minutes wait for soup starter. 3 strips of carrot, spoonful of mash and small piece of pork. £29 for 2 courses.

my partner and I and my brother and sister in law thought the s food was fantastic. You could not have faulted any of the meals and you could not have eaten better in a Michelin star restaurant.

We had a course course meal as part of a deal. The food was well presented and tasty. We had a cheese board to share, which was more than enough for the two of us. I am surprised that the waitress couldn't name the unusual...

We were staying one night bed and breakfast 9th/10th December and booked an evening meal as we were travelling more than 300 miles by car. Our journey was delayed three times with problems on the M2, M1, and M6! We arrived and had a drink...

We attended Berties this past weekend for afternoon tea as part of a weekend break for two friends 40th birthdays. The restaurant looked beautiful on the internet however we were very disappointed. The decor was dirty and drab. The toilets where also dirty and not...

Had dinner here as part of a package. Probably the best part of our stay with friendly efficient staff and an excellent meal. Can recommend the mackerel starter and steak mains.

Within the environment of a hotel which has seen better days ( a long time ago) and relying on its faded glory, this restaurant presents reasonably good food. Whether it is worth seeking out for a good evening and meal is doubtful. As a restaurant...

Dessert was disappointing Must have been microwave after fish had been previously cook Because it tasted fishy

Deeply disappointed. Took my parents here for a Sunday lunch. Waitress deeply unattentive and tried to sit us in the corner as they were more interested in people coming for cream teas (which also looked dreadful). Asked for a gin and tonic and received something...

Stumbled across this castle while walking around Ruthin and decided to take a look. At first glance we weren’t sure it was open to the public, as couldn’t initially find any staff. We walk down empty corridors and peered in seemingly abandoned rooms before we...

We had our dinner at Bertie’s restaurant and we understood that there is a shortage of staff. However, my husband and I were overlooked by the staff like we were invisible as we waited for almost 30 minutes for the staff to take away our...

Simply very poor food and expensive, the serving staff do their best but that does not make up for standard of food served.

We were given a voucher for an afternoon tea for two as a present. We made the mistake of booking at The Ruthin Castle hotel. We arrived at 2.05pm and we were served to quite promptly. We then waited almost an hour for the afternoon...

Our first time eating here while staying at the hotel, a deal meant our meal was included. The decor is tired and in need of a refresh, the ornaments had cobwebs hanging on them and the 80's music did not improve the setting. The food...

The Sunday dinner is to absolutely die for. The best I’ve had around North Wales in a long time. However, the service was absolutely shocking. On 3 occasions we had a waitress/waiter come to our table with someone else’s order so I would really suggest...

We had a really good steak, and other food was of good quality apart from breakfast which was dried as it had sat in warmers for sometime. Staff were very slow and over charged us for drinks. The place is a beautiful setting but in...

Visited 21/07/21 although measures were in place for covid (now lifted) we waited 20 mins for tea which arrived with no milk or sugar. A further 10 mins wait for milk, which meant tea was cold. The actual breakfast arrived cold after 1 hour. Plenty...

Ate here twice whilst staying in the castle. Food was decent, if a bit pricy, service was ok, cleanliness not so great.

Finally got to cash in a Groupon voucher for Sunday lunch with bottle of wine. The wine was taken home as under current rules they cannot serve alcohol. However it turned out to be an undrinkable supermarket Talevera £4:50 plonk which was acidic and tart....

Very safe feeling in the restaurant. Well distanced tables. We chose starters and main course. All hot and tasty. Spotless linen. Thank you all.

I visited Ruthin castle recently, accepting an invitation to have lunch there with equianent who had the idea. I thought it was a good chance to see this famous castle. I was eager to see and observe this place. Unfortunately, she didn't show up. So...

My wife and I visited Berties for a romantic evening and were not disappointed. Obviously things were a bit different under COVID restrictions and social distancing but the booking process was efficient and the seating arrangements were very safe and comfortable. The ambiance and decor...

A attractive and stylish restaurant if a little eccentric in design. A somewhat restricted menu but thus may be due in part to the Covid situation. Good Covid systems in place.

Had a delicious two course lunch for 2 with a bottle of Sauvignon blanc. Starter was delicious but very small piece of mackerel. However the roast dinner made up for that and everything on the plate was so tasty. Would visit again.

The restaurant is small and friendly. Staff are attentive and happy to advise. The menu is updated each day with five choices for each course. The dishes are not overwhelming so we always had space for a delicious dessert. The belly pork and the lemon...

Dinner wasn’t as bad as some of the reviews but certainly isn’t up to a four* hotel standard. Breakfast was one thing: full Welsh. No alternatives. Hardly four*. No scrambled eggs because the restaurant was too busy! Orange juice plonked on the table in cartons...

We ate I. The restaurant on 2 evenings. Food was beautiful and service excellent we thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend

Purchased a group on voucher for a steak meal for 2 with a bottle of wine for £25 very good value for money, good food quick service. Only negative is hard to get through to hotel to make a reservation have to leave message and...

Dinner at Bertie’s was terrible. I’d go so far as to say the worst meal I’ve had in a restaurant that I can remember. The bread with butter were weird cubes of white or brown bread, looked like what you would give children to feed...

amazing restaurant food to die for, wine just right, staff fantastic loved every moment, it was my birthdy gift fro my husband had a truly amazin time

Our friends bought us a gift voucher for our wedding so we decided to book into the restaurant as well as an overnight stay. The food was delicious although we waited an hour to receive a dessert menu. There were also lots of other tables...

After spending weeks trying to call this place to our surprise someone actually answered the phone..... we went on a Sunday for lunch. For starters my partner had the gruel named mushroom soup that was vile and I had the chicken liver parfait which itself tasted nice but it was served on an ‘ocean’ of pickle with a piece of dry bread..... very disappointing. For mains we both had roast beef dinners, the beef itself was dry like cardboard and the roast potatoes were hard. Pudding next we both had the sticky toffee pudding which lacked sauce and was dry..... the waitress was friendly..... I certainly will not be booking again in a hurry and to honest the time it takes them to answer the phone I wouldn’t bother. Sorry 3/10 (that’s because the waitress was helpful)

Really nice food but rubbish spar only sauna & steam room which was quite pathetic we phoned to arrange things 6-7 times only to be let down by not having treatment/package available when advertising available online was told we would receive an email to confirm booking and were told they would call us back several times, not one email or phone call was made. LET DOWN !

Tried to book dinner at Bertie's at Ruthin Castle. Called the main number over two days at least 10 times. Either they went out of business or no one work there. I had dinner once before and it was great. I was able to get a booking at that time, but after ownership change you can't get no one to answer the phones.I have to assume the Castle is on its last legs by cutting back staff. I won't be visiting/booking with them again. Too bad.

Very nice setting and very nice tasty food beautifully served by friendly staff. Were pleasantly surprised by the amount you get and no waiting ages for it to be served either,overall a lovely experience.

Friendly staff. Food was very good, starter, main and dessert all perfect You really get the feel of having dined in a grand castle, lovely atmosphere and then another stately room across the corridor to chill in afterwards with roaring log fire.

Had to wait 45 minutes for a starter, main meal ingredients were changed without notice spoiling the meal. Try to charge the full value for supplements albeit the was amended.

Some serving staff were excellent whilst other serving staff were poor and lacked motivation.. The 2 course lunch was a problem. The vegetables were hardly cooked. The roast beef was cut too thick and the knives to cut through the beef were too blunt. The roast potatoes were under cooked and the small amount of luke warm gravy quickly left the lunch dry. On a positive side the Yorkshire pudding was top class. We noted meals being returned as unacceptable.The desert was equally as poor due to being cold and the wait for it to be served was unacceptable.

Christmas lunch there was the best ever. I have food intolerances and chose seared cauliflower which came sat on top of lovely potato and other veg. Crusty and perfectly cooked. The rest of the family had turkey. Large slices with superb gravy and my son is very particular. The room is lovely with giant chandeliers and the walk outside in castle ruins is well worth the effort.

I would have given 5 stars but the starter was tiny..... had the prawn cocktail two small lettuce leafs with a handful of prawns,very nice but too small,the pate equally as small one quenelle with one piece of Melba toast,so I thought I hope my dinner isn’t going to be like that?

Was only told the spa was closed on arrival but no notice of this prior or discount offered either. Room was shabby/old fashioned and just not a good standard for the price paid, suite was £215 for a night and I've stayed in better premier inns. Restaurant area was closed and moved to the bar area as it was 'too quiet'. No atmosphere just silence and gloominess everywhere. Best bit is the views and the building itself, would much rather visit the castle than the hotel any day!

It was very quiet in the restaurant si not much atmosphere. Food was enjoyable and the staff attentive.

Would highly recommend the Berties restaurant at Castell Rhuthun , we had the Steak deal which was very good value and

Have to say! The lamb was cooked to perfection! The staff on the ball. They paired fine wines with each individual courses. 👌🏻

We had a free evening meal as part of our stay the meal was very nice. The staff were all very pleasent too. The breakfast was a buffet which was not a problem for us, there was a good choice and all was good.

Evening meal as part of a weekend stay. Beautiful food, well cooked & presented, excellent & friendly service, the meal met expectations, will definitely be returning

Had cream tea for two before checking in to the hotel, mrs B had Welsh rabbit which she said was really tasty. Great value for money with relaxing surroundings. Let me say the bar man who served our food/drinks provided legendary service which is important to us. Thank you. Looking forward to reviewing the hotel and breakfast.

Despite the restaurant being empty when we arrived, we still waited a long time for our food to appear and it was a bit on the cold side as if it had sat there a while. Our mains weren't much better and my husband's steak was over cooked so again disappointing! Breakfast however was really good! Lots of nice hot food to choose from and help yourself to! So if you're staying overnight at Ruthin castle then would only recommend the breakfast

Amazing food!! The chief was accomodating and provided me with an on the spot Vegan 3 course meal. It was a beautiful setting and atmosphere.

Kyle and his team will give you a night to remember. My mouth water’s at the thought. The crispy duck rolls were an excellent starter.

We stayed at the Castle and ate dinner in the restaurant on six nights, between the four of us we had just about every item on the menu and the food was excellent, cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. We had a rather nice bottle of wine with dinner and left feeling really well fed.

well presented, tentative staff .. just feel need to open wine and pour it and replen as you go on , but also understand others may not like this ! but could always ask

The meal was fine although beef a bit on the tough side, but the rest of the meal was very nice , staff were good and polite but overwhelmed a bit so were slow.

Wonderful! We enjoyed every course, we ended the meal with a lovely Irish coffee. The staff were fantastic and a young chap made sure our glasses were never empty! I would highly recommend and the atmosphere in this outstanding castle is amazing. We will return!

high standard of food. good choices . substanial wine list to meet most peoples budgets. staff polite anf friendly. a lovely evening

Had lunch with friends and family was nothing fantastic just very ordinary staff are not the best everyone compared it with another Resturant we have been to on the hill

Spent 2 days at Ruthin. Lovely location, hotel lovely although a little frayed at edges in places which added to the ambience and rooms nicely decorated and coordinated. However not a positive experience in the restaurant. After travelling we decided to eat here on our first night and wish we hadn’t. Small menu which we were told had changed when we sat down. Should have guessed good would not be good as offered bread that had obviously been cut hours before as dry. Scallop starter was undercooked. Asked for lamb as main without anchovies which chef was happy to accommodate but then told later no lamb, even though in Wales! Pork belly with potato and veg and no sauce so one of the party passed on main. Two of us ordered Thai fish cakes with salmon. Weren’t anything like thai fish cakes I’ve had before with huge chunks of potato and so salty someone minister have dropped in whole salt cellar. One of party ordered pork belly which did not seem had been slowly roasted and just a lump of glutinous fat. When it came to dessert the cheesecake on menu morphed into crumble, no porn star jelly and we gave up will to live.

We ate here on the evening we arrived at the castle for our overnight stay. The food was amazing served by friendly, attentive staff. We were given just the right amount of time between courses. Next morning we enjoyed breakfast in the same restaurant.

Lovely place to have a lovely Afternoon Tea . Service very good , tea and coffee replenished . Good selection of cakes plus Scones , Sandwich s good selection too .

We ate here in the evening and for breakfast when we stayed at the hotel Amazing food presented well Staff very attentive

Go out to eat if you want pub food. Dine in if you want to enjoy some fine cuisine. (not large portions) But very tasty and great service.

second time visited by my parents and won't be the last. They loved every minute of it. beautiful room, surroundings and food. what more is there to say !

Visited yesterday for afternoon tea, what a disappointment!

The hotel restaurant at Ruthin Castle. We were a bit unlucky to arrive simultaneously with a huge group, which really put some strain on the crew - but they managed! Very nice service! The restsurant really

Had a voucher for afternoon tea, the cakes and sandwiches were very nice.

I observed a number of guests sending food back or complaining about the quality. Unfortunately I had to do the same. Our meals were truly shocking. I never heard back from management regarding the issue.

Both our Dinner and Breakfast were superb and the staff are attentive and friendly while very professional .

The restaurant is tackily decorated with musty old chairs covered with bizarre cherubs. The staff were quite lovely, but forgetful or absent-minded. They came out a few times forgetting which orders were for which tables. We also ordered a drink (sparking rose) which they didn't actually have much to our disappointment.

Gorgeous food. Some of the dishes were really clever and well thought out. Even if I didn’t stay in the castle I would love to come back just to eat here. Really good quality food which a fun flare.

As mentioned on review of hotel we had a first class meal here, Tarragon and mushroom soup was the best ive ever tasted, a tatse bud treat and the texure was perfect.

The spa was pretty terrible. Expensive, no swimming pool, basic changing facilities and the treatments were poorly delivered, however the staff were lovely.

We had the unfortunate opportunity to experiencing afternoon tea at Berties restaurant, this was a gift off a family member to my wife and myself. Over the last few years we have had many afternoon teas and can only say this by far was the worst we have had.Starting with the dirty plates and cups that were well past there best , I had a pot of tea and my wife had a pot of coffee that was cold and not drinkable, this was exchanged for tea which was hot but very week. The sandwiches were bland with no salad garnish, the scones were shop brought but probably the best food of the day. The very small selection of cakes were stale and inedible , we did complain and walked away very unhappy this was a total waste of our time ....

Our evening meal in Bertie's restaurant was excellent - Bertie being a reference to the Prince of Wales/ Edward VII.. The kitchen staff must have worked hard. My mackerel starter was very good and the salt marsh lamb cooked to perfection. The wine list was pretty good but not exceptional. The awards for the cooking are more than justified.

What a beautiful place, you can feel the history and only imagine what stories the grounds have to tell.

Absolutely awful wouldn’t recommend travelling out of your way for this! The food was hard dry and certainly not fresh! Coffee was cold with a horrible stagnant taste! Given a pot of lemon curd for the scone.....will not be returning

The food was delicious, however the service was a bit slow, with a wait to be seated and for our drinks to arrive, despite the restaurant being almost empty (only two other couples there before us ).

Two lovely meals both nights - well coked and presented and innovative vegetables and stylish sweets

On food alone I’d give a 4, our meals were tasty & well presented. But deary me, service was a shambles. Firstly, a wait for menus as there are not enough to go round. No cucumber for the Hendricks. Various other requests forgotten. We waited half an hour to order, an hour for starters. Circa another half hour+ for mains. Rigor mortis prevented us opting for puds. Staff were all friendly but just not on it. The restaurant is attractive & sumptuously decorated, the grounds are fabulous, but overall this business is crying out for investment & firm direction.

Kept waiting, then seated next to young couple that felt the need to swear when the restaurant was empty.

nourriture bien présentée et de qualité,et service fait par des jeunes (avril 2019)...service rapide,

Prices are misleading. We had booked an overnight stay with a 2 course meal included. We were advised that we could add a desert for the difference between the 2 & 3 course meals. The menu price difference was £6.95 so were surprised to find we had been billed for deserts at £9 each. We were told this was correct when we questioned it, Also you have to pay extra if you want vegetables with your meal - as most meals are served with vegetables usually we thought this a bit odd and I suspect an easy way to add extra costs to the bill of guests who have booked a stay with a meal offer. Food was average for a four star hotel menu.

Ruthin castle is a lovely building - well presented castle with breathtaking chandeliers. The restaurant lacked atmosphere but food was tasty and pleasing on the eye. No need to order extra sides if having 3 courses as already substantial enough.

Poor service. 1 hour to be served our Main meal. Apologies made but this tarnished our experience. Sad really as the food was very tasty.

This is the second time we have been to Berties Ruthin Castle and we have enjoyed our afternoon tea on these 2 occasions nice sandwiches cakes and a lovely pot of tea would recommend Berties.

This restaurant is suffering from lack of funds and staff. The food was OK but not as good as I had hoped. Everything was quite well cooked but the menu was not very inspiring and I suspect Michael Cheetham is no longer in residence.

Was treated to Mothers Day Sunday lunch at Ruthin Castle. The dining room is stunning, staff were very friendly and accommodating, the menu however was limited, but food served was good.