Foresters Bar and Restaurant in Derbyshire Dales

Dropped in for some lunch. Can book a table on the Darwin forest website. Nice beer on tap, wife was happy with her cocktail. Kids menu worth the money. Food was really nice, £70 for the 2 adults and 2 children. With a beer, cocktail and 2 juices can't go wrong. Chicken burger was really big and tasty. Fish in the fish and chips was quite small compared to other places but was nice. If only they did discounts for those staying at Darwin Forest I would likely come more often.

Lovely food and attentive service. We had the beef and stilton pie, Sunday roast, 2 kids meals and puddings. All were really nice. Large portions, tasty food. The man serving us was excellent. We were staying on site and hadn't looked into this pub at all so were pleasantly surprised! Best Sunday lunch we have had for a long time.

We were staying on site so thought we would go to the Foresters as it was wet and windy outside and we weren’t disappointed. The Sunday lunch was one of the best we have had in a long time, hearty portions, lovely roasts and well cooked vegetables. The service from arrival to finish from the chap who seemed to be in charge was exemplary as well.

We haven’t been for a while but I have to say thankyou to all the staff our visit was a perfect Sunday lunch time , service was spot on and the food was excellent We will certainly return soon

Lovely interior and atmosphere, attentive staff and really good food. The best steak we've had locally for a very long time, and really competitive prices. Had the best evening and will definitely be back.

Had a lovely lunchtime meal. Three of us had different main meals and we were all very satisfied. My daughter's caesar salad was particularly good. Highly recommend the desserts. My cheesecake was excellent. The man serving us was friendly and efficient too.

Celebrated Dad's 90th birthday here with a fantastic lunch! Table decorations were a lovely touch. Dad really enjoyed his meal and can't wait to return. Thank you to all the staff who took the trouble to make this a lovely experience for Dad. Excellent food and service!

We stayed here over bank holiday weekend and had dinner on check in day on Friday as we knew we’d be tired from the journey with a toddler. We weren’t expecting much as these places are always average at best, however we couldn’t have been more wrong. The food was absolutely delicious. The best food we have ever had at a holiday park. I had the lamb and my husband the beef cheek. My toddler had the chicken goujons and they were delicious. Really good portion. We made sure to finish them off too when she inevitably gave up on her meal. The food was so good we booked for Sunday lunch and that too was incredible. Was such a nice surprise to have a side of cauli cheese included rather than charged extra. We both had the lamb and it was perfect. The Bakewell pudding was superb and my husband was so jealous he didn’t get his own. The staff were very friendly and accommodating especially with our active toddler. We are planning another trip back later this year and we will definitely be booking back into the restaurant. Thank you to all the staff there.

Sunday lunch was really good ! Nig yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and really big portion. We had beef and lamb and both were perfect. Service was excellent, very attentive and could not fault anything. Price was very reasonable. Will visit again !

A great choice of gluten free options and a good children’s menu. Friendly staff, very tasty food and reasonably priced. We enjoyed our family meals here during our holiday.

Used the restaurant 3 times during our recent stay at Darwin Forest. Each time we were met with a warm friendly welcome. The service and the food was excellent each time.

Really terrible service. Whole experience ruined because of rude and unaccommodating staff. Food not great. £100 for some takeaway pizzas.

We booked in here for brunch at 12:30pm on the 4th Thursday in June. .We both had 2 full English breakfasts ,a side of fries and 2 flat whites .Very friendly and focused staff, nice restaurant to sit in in with good outdoor seating too. Everything was of great quality and tasted great. Really. only small niggle was I didn’t like the coffee used for flat white -reminded me of cheap instant coffee. My daughter and son in law however had earlier booked in at 11:00am and they told me their cappuccinos were excellent Too many plusses and noticed they provided top notch Stokes Tomato ketchup sachets when requested, so overall excellent

Visiting for brunch is an absolute must when holidaying at Darwin Forest! Served from 11-3 (which suits very nicely as this gives time for a lay in!), all of the ingredients are such high quality and you definitely get what you pay for. Our Full English and Eggs Benedict were some of the best we’ve ever had. Staff were just so lovely and the restaurant has such a relaxing, cosy feel to it. Didn’t even need to reserve a table prior. Thank you!

Went here for evening meals. Dog was welcome, friendly staff and food was really lovely. Menu had been been extended since last visit and had more variety.

We do come to Darwin Forest quite often but we are not biased with our opinions, Great new menu , top marks for chef also the bar staff , the atmosphere was very good . Thanks

Had a great weeks holiday 11/11 to 18/11/22 But I must say that the FORESTERS RESTAURANT menu needs a total overhaul.Whilst the food on offer may suit Friday to Monday holiday makers, The meals are way overpriced and variety is minimal.On several visits last week the restaurant was nearly empty, yet ,there were plenty of lodge occupants. The menu needs more variety, ie Shepherds Pie,Toad in the hole,Chicken Pie,Gammon and Eggs,as examples,and prices to reflect !!!!!,This would encourage holiday makers to use the restaurant more,rather than travelling down to Matlock for cheaper but still good quality and better variety meals or having food delivered.

Well for me. it spoilt our holiday in what otherwise would have been a great holiday. The starters, well nothing like the photo I'm looking at!!! The starters are by far the worst value for money I have ever had in a restaurant, and not even very good ones. Their seasonable vegetableS on their meat pie and mash dish, turned out to be frozen peas only!!!! In fairness some of the main meals were adequate, tad pricey for what you paid, but would have been acceptable had it not been for the starters. Drinks also over the top price wise. Staff were great, very friendly, chef refused to come and talk to me...apparently too busy...there were 7 people dining at the time!

We drive around Matlock outside area , few bar / coffee bar also fully booked, so G search get this . Good parking space and area around . 1st look when walk in this Bar & restaurant very nice , friendly staff, good 🍺. Foods really basic , Fish&Chip with can peas . Reasonable prices for a place relaxing after kids play/sports .

We have just spent a wonderful week at Darwin Forest. We were a group of 8 so a large number to please on one table & each one of us really enjoyed our experiences at Foresters. The food is lovely, there is a wide variety of choice for those who require a gluten free diet & the staff are nothing but fab! They really did make our visits enjoyable (including the Chef & his kitchen colleagues) & I feel a special mention is deserved to our main waiter & our main waitress (I’m sorry I didn’t get your names) as these two were so welcoming & attentive. Thank you guys ☺️

We decided to visit while staying on the Darwin forest site and to be honest we were worried about what the food and service would be like after recent reviews. However, we were extremely pleased with everything we ordered. We went for Sunday lunch and all the meals were beautiful and plentiful. The staff were lovely and very attentive. The restaurant was extremely full and had a lovely buzz about it. We will definitely return

On our last evening in our Lodge we booked into the on site restaurant to finish our holiday off, on entry to foresters bar at 6pm all seemed pleasant, with 4 staff on duty, one of which led us to a nice table in the conservatory. There was only one other couple dining at this time. We promptly ordered from a very limited Menu! To start we had Calamari and Arancini, the Calamari was soggy, cold with no taste, which I left and did advise the waiter upon asking if everything was ok, telling him of the reason for the wasted food, although he said he would ‘tell him’ presumably the Chef, no one came back to us ? For main meals, with mainly pizzas on menu or burgers which we could cook in the Lodge ourselves, no specials available as the menu suggested, we decided to order the Slow cooked blade of beef (£14.95) and Seabass (£12.95) in the hope of a nice meal … how wrong we were … During the meal the Chef came out to chat to a couple behind us, he never even acknowledged us regarding the calamari or we would have had chance to talk about the food prior to the mains arriving. The sea bass arrives again it was bland, no taste and soggy skin (usually edible if cooked well) and placed on a pile of unseasoned tagliatelle with clumps of tomato purée!! Clearly the Chef does not have any passion for cooking his food ? Really really disappointed, wasted so much food but the two fish dishes were not pleasant even to persevere with eating sadly. My husband’s food on a good point was very nice thankfully. To top off our experience, we then waited with our ‘not so empty plates’ sat at the table for 15 minutes with empty glasses? My husband fed up at this stage decided we would leave the table and go to the bar ourselves where he made the Activities Manager aware of our terrible meal, who agreed to not charge us for the cold food and apologised. Our final bill was still £55.15 which I have chosen to pay although if someone had of come and spoken to us properly and corrected the final bill taking off the fish dishes, maybe I wouldn’t have felt so strongly as to take to Trip Advisor to forewarn others visiting to save their pennies and cook in their lodges! Whilst I’ve sat here typing this in front of all staff, not one person has approached or asked if we are ok!! And they even put a Thank You on end of bill !!!!

The chef is amazing! Beautifully cooked food. Service was absolutely great- waitresses were friendly and knowledgeable. Really good meal

We have stayed at Darwin twice and thought we should visit the restaurant at least once. So, we did. The menu is very limited for a place that advertises itself as "luxury lodges". Pizza, burgers, the usual with pie of the day and curry of the day (like a pub) and neither was a vegetarian option. One of us ordered the curry and it was very small in portions, including only a slice of a naan bread, no extras offered. "Very underwhelming" he said. The other ordered linguine with crab. The plate had enough linguine for three people and was smeared with nasty brown crab. Not very nice. The only side salad on offer was Greek, so I ordered the waldorf which was advertised as a "main" and cost £10. Too big, too costly, but delicious. Quite disappointing and could be, should be better. At all times, staff we helpful and friendly.

Well where do I start.. poor service, rude staff and poor quality food, My family and I visited the Forster whilst staying at Darwin forest. The food we wanted was unavailable, the burgers were inedible, the ‘shoe string, skin onfries’ which were served with the...

Good food, good service, good selection of drinks and nice place to eat Lily B - too enthusiastic Will come again

Wanted to give this place a 3/5 as the staff were friendly and the venue pleasent and comfortable (and what I would class as very COVID responsible, with staff wearing facemasks / the place feels clean and safe) I would gp back to this place...

I debated giving a 3 star and then thought that we left disappointed from the restaurant so it couldn’t be higher than a 2! We ordered 4 meals where 3 were average but the burger was inedible - completely over cooked in a stale bun!...

We were staying near here and popped in for dinner. The team were very friendly and offered a great service. We were also able to take our dog and eat just by the bar. The menu had lots of choices and I was able to...

Very disappointed with the vegetable Thai curry. A very tasteless sauce, very little spice, no taste of coconut or coriander...... very bland, with a large handful of sugar snapped peas, a few pieces of pepper and one small piece of sweet corn. It has actually...

We visited here twice on our recent break at Darwin Forest. Lovely food and friendly service. It was very handy having this place on the site and the food was as good as any we had in the area whilst on our trip

Just like to say if you are in the Peak District looking for a place to eat in 5 star surroundings and service to match I would highly recommend this restaurant. The food is excellent with a comfort food simple style menu perfect!. A good...

Had a lovely meal in excellent surroundings and with great staff , special mention for the lovely cake for the wife's 40th birthday, really appreciate it. The Cadd family

My wife and I had dinner here several times during a week's stay at Darwin Forest. The service was excellent and the food well cooked with generously sized portions.

As a family of three (and our dog). We have just spent the week at Landal Darwin Forest Lodges. We ate in the Foresters bar two evenings of the week, and also had a takeaway, plus this afternoon for a family Sunday roast chicken platter....

Really disappointed tonight with the food in Foresters. 2 fish and chips, looked good, but thick with soggy batter, ribs which were only OK, and a pizza that thick in ingredient it made a stodgy mess. Pizza barely touched, fish dissected out of the batter......

What lovely staff! We ate here 3 times over the weekend and it was very enjoyable. Shame that they are working on a reduced menu but understandable in these times. Sunday dinner was cracking, lovely Yorkshires and roasties!

Staff were very friendly and kept checking that's we were OK as we were tucked round the corner. Food was tasty and service was quick so didn't have to wait long for our food. Had a lovely friendly atmosphere and they are all set up...

Lovely food, great service. The meal here was very good. The service was fast and professional and they are set up for social distancing so this is great too.

We stayed at Darwin Forest and we were lucky to have this restaurant onsite.We were lucky to eat here most nights as we enjoyed it so much.The food was amazing and the portions were really good too.The staff were really friendly and helpful too.

absolutely fantastic and cannot fault the restaurant or the whole place itself i had a wonderful time with my friend who invited me

We were staying on site and decided to have a meal on our last night. We booked in advance and even easily changed the booking to cater for the child in our group. Friendly service taking all the orders including a few dishes with extra details. All food came out correctly. Nice sized portions and really nice. Would recommend the sea bass.

We were at Darwin Forest on our honeymoon. We go every year and the restaurant can be hit and miss. The food was really fantastic, great service too.

Visited on 3 occasions whilst staying on site. Each time the food was freshly cooked and big portions, what more can you ask for - fantastic ! Friendly staff aswell who were lovely to our 4 year old. Hope to be back soon.

Expensive for what we had in resturant on par with a pub meal. People in party had allergies and these were not made clear on menu, just small print on back with usual may contain information. Waitress did go and ask for further information for us.

Visited on our honeymoon as we were staying on site. Visited 3 times, for convenience. Average food, average service. Overpriced for what it was. Very quiet each time we visited.

Ate here with family whilst staying nearby. We arrived earlyish, about 6, and the restaurant was quiet with only 3 tables occupied. Service was attentive and friendly. We ordered mains, no starters, and the food came quickly. Portions were generous, cooked well and salad was lovely and fresh.

I would like like to start with what a lovely place this is and apart from the fowl language from the kitchen staff I would have recommended this place to others. However while we (a family with children) was in the restaurant on Monday we heard vile abuse been shouted at the waitress from what we later learnt was the chef, this is unacceptable and I hope the management take action before this takes an effect on their business. The waiting staff are fantastic and couldn’t do enough for you, the young lady who was serving us later walked out after being abused by the chef and later we witnessed another waitress crying at the receiving end of this chef! This is not what you want in front of young children and will not be returning or recommending to friends and family until the management take this matter in hand. This is a shame as it really is a lovely place and we all enjoyed our visit minus the chef!!!

The Foresters has dramatically improved since our previous visit and I had the superb fish and chips several times during our recent stay. We had previously given up on the Foresters after several poor experiences and had taken to eating in local pubs instead, this time however we gave it a try and were impressed enough to cancel reservations elsewhere. It is so good to be able to stay on site to eat for a change. The range of real ales has also much improved so everyone can enjoy with their newly improved food!

Expected a really good meal after reading reviews but were bitterly disappointed last night. Arrived on site yesterday and had booked a table but only one other table in use. Daughter had a burger which was of dubious quality. Twin grandchildren had pizzas but these were poor quality, probably frozen. My husband and I ordered two starters each and these were a better choice, except for my salad nicoise which contained no tuna! Never heard of a nicoise salad without it! I asked the waitress and she agreed that they had forgotten the tuna, but when she took it back to the kitchen the response was that it doesn't have tuna.Beer was very expensive, wine ok. For a bill just under £100 we expect much better food. A pity because it's the only "restaurant " on site.Will not be returning, although Darwin Forest itself is a lovely holiday park.

We ate here regularly whilst on the holiday. We found the food to be excellent. Yes the menu might not have enough choice for you but we found it perfect for our needs. We ate here most days as we enjoyed it so much. We never came across anything we disliked so it was hard to choose every time we came up here.

We ate here yesterday after visiting the adjacent play centre. Hubby had chill, chips and garlic bread and I had sea bass with noodles vegetables honey and soy. Both were exceptionally good!!our children both had pasta and sauce - it was expensive at £6 but the both ate the lot. All meals were good portions too.

Booked this restaurant in the Landal Darwin Forest complex just outside Matlock. Was visiting family and Grandkids who were on a midweek break. Dined at 5 30 as the restaurant opened. Surprised and pleased that there was a choice of 3 cask beers on tap. Tried the blond ale and it was in excellent cask condition. Just had the main course of beer battered cod and it was superb. The batter was light and crispy and the fish was flaky and tasty. Finished off with a perfect Irish coffee. This restaurant complimented perfectly the quality and layout of the resort.

Ate here on a Friday night, booked as per their recommendation as "it gets busy" 4 other dining tables occupied and four staff waiting on the tables. Initially we were ignored at the bar when we arrived and wanted to get a drink, not sure who was managing the bar as the waiting staff were in and out of there but not taking orders from waiting customers. Shown to a table where our drink order was eventually taken and then the food order by someone else? Weren't notified of the specials as some but not all of the other tables were. Food was very good, well prepared and good sized portions, only had mains as no offer of deserts. Tables were not cleared after we had finished although 3 of the staff were around. Asked for the bill which came quickly but then left waiting to pay, had to get the waitresses attention to pay - cleaning (not clearing) a table was clearly higher priority than a paying customer - there were plenty of other cleaned tables. Staff are polite but the service seriously needs reviewing at the place.

Booked Forresters for our mums 80th birthday and also mother’s day as a special occasion. We were asked to pre book due to being busy so did as asked.

Most restaurants leave me somewhat underwhelmed so I usually cook we go on holiday, but we’re staying on the same park as the restaurant so we gave it a try and we weren’t disappointed.

What a great and relaxing afternoon the family and I had. The staff could not have been more accommodating and the cocktails were just devine. The nice wee touch was being able to bring the dog and play board games with the family. The food was akin to a good old English gastropub, proper home cooked food done correctly. The only problem was that it all looked so could I had trouble choosing! Well done to the chef and the rest of the team, keep up the good work and we can't wait to return.

My friends and I ate at the Foresters bar and restaurant this weekend and the food and service was second to none. The menu is really diverse so there is something to offer for everyone. I myself have a severe nut allergy and the staff were so helpful in recommending me a chicken tikka masala which was delicious!! They have a great gluten free menu also which was perfect for one of my friends. The operations manager Craig couldn’t do enough for us and was so lovely and friendly. Would definitely recommend this restaurant to family and friends wheather they’re staying on or off site as the service and evening as a whole was amazing!

Stayed over at Darwin Forest on the last weekend of November. Tried the restaurant on a couple of the nights and found the food and service to be top notch, considering how busy it was. Would definitely recommend. Well done guys. See you again soon

My husband and I decided to get a takeaway on Saturday night and we called up the restaurant to order. We were told that we couldn’t make an order over the phone so had to come in which was annoying but fair enough if that is their policy.

Visited the onsite restaurant during our stay for a special birthday and was very disappointed.

I live not far from the park and probably eat at the Foresters a couple of times a month. They offer a good selection of gluten free meals including pizza’s which are absolutely amazing and would definitely state that they are better than the GF pizza at Pizza Express. Their Sunday lunch is nice too. They cater for all tastes and food is reasonably priced.

Relaxing clean and modern country club atmosphere, polite staff and best of all freshly prepared food. Definitely recommend

Decided to sample foresters bar. It is very clean ans trendy and has a nice outside seating area. A menu with good choice of standard food which caters to most people. Would fair add up if the ate here every night as wasnt the cheapest of places. The food was nice but wasnt wow factor. Also took quite a while for it to arrive. Pretty ordinary hence why ive said very good. Its a very convenient place if staying at park as obviously means people can get a few drinks in. They also are family friendly and the staff were friendly.

Got some takeaway food to have in our lodge, scampi, fish and chips and pizza. Apart from pizza all was over £10. The fish and chips was clearly both from freezer, fish was tough and dry, couldn't finish it and I'm not fussy with fish and chips, worse than you would get at wetherspoons, far worse than a good chippy. Pizza was blatantly just toppings put on a pre-bought pizza base. Chips were ok, clearly just fried straight from the freezer. It would have been ok-ish if the price was right but considering the cost and the fact that the website boasts "freshly cooked to order using locally sourced fresh ingredients" it's misleading at best considering the term 'fresh' is used twice in the description. If the fish wasn't pre battered and frozen it was at the very least way overcooked.

There were 16 of us including baby, so booked in advance and as requested submitted menu choices in advance. Worked brilliantly as quickly seated and food and drinks appeared promptly and service was very efficient and friendly. Great food enjoyed by all and good, friendly atmosphere with lots of families, would definitely recommend.

We have visited Foresters most years when staying at Darwin Forest where lodges cost £1500 a week at peak time. The restaurant has never been great but hoping for improvement we had our worst experience ever.

After staying at their sister site in Ashbourne we decided to dine here on our way home, due to a recommendation from Angela at the Coach House.

We are a local family and decided to go for lunch today. We have previously visited before the menu change.

For a pub/restaurant situated on a holiday park, and the only eatery for considerable walking distance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Foresters Bar and Restaurant served warmed up pub grub like a lot of the big chains out there. But this was certainly not our experience. We ate twice there during our long weekend on the park (only planned to visit once) and had nachos to share (including home made tortilla chips), chicken curry, beef fajitas and lamb shanks. All was great quality, more than ample size, piping hot and well presented. The staff were fab, the decor was lovely and fresh, and the prices were what you would expect for an on-site restaurant...but you don't mind paying it when the quality is so good. There was a separate Sunday lunch menu (normal menu still available) and vast drinks options, including seasonal cocktails and about a million different gins. My only criticism was the panic when the snow set in; some of the staff were allowed to go home early which was, of course, fine...but the remaining were left running about a bit stressed - one minute the restaurant was closed, the next it was open, then the kitchen was closed but open if we ate in the bar. It didn't affect us negatively but the staff would have benefited from a bit more guidance. Anyway, Foresters is just what's needed on a lovely park environment - all good!

Stayed the weekend, first night dining was fine. Next night appalling. Wouldn’t allow us to go in conservatory because all tables apparently reserved. We arrived at 6, left at 8 after eating in the bar (with a disabled child) - not one other table turned up to dine in there!! As we tried to order at the bar was told it’s a 40min wait because they were busy? Never, ever will we go to the site again, after 16 yrs of weekends away there this has to be the most disappointing.

the kids chose from a basic kids menu, had good variety and the portion size was just right for my 7yo, but not quite enough for my 11yo.

Stopped at Darwin Forest for bonfire weekend.my wife and I used the restaurant on the Friday night and Saturday night as per usual food good and beers are fine. As you would expect it's the only pub on site so it is expensive were very disappointed when we tried to book a table for Sunday lunch and told we couldn't because they had a booking for 48 people so in other words tough to everyone else on site.Luckily we found a local pub called the sycamore inn for Sunday lunch and it was cheaper and better

very easy we walked from our lodge to the foresters the food it good value for money pub food we even had a cocktail :) service is very good wide range of food to choose from

We visited twice during our start. The first time was the bank holiday Monday and they were running with a...

Spent 7 night on site & ended up eating there every night Menu was extensive with number of options for...

This was a disappointing meal. The drinks were not right, they took them away happily but they were still wrong,...

We have stayed at the forest park every year for the last 5 years and usually eat at Foresters a few times during each of our stays but this time we were very disappointed. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary so decided to book a table at the restaurant. The diet Pepsi mix was very watery so we sent it back only for another to arrive which was the same so the waited said he would get another. Before it arrived our starter arrived, the tortilla sharing dish which had a lot of spices on it but as my wife was still without a drink, it was difficult to eat much of it. When the starter plates were taken away we again asked for her diet Pepsi which at the third attempt was okay. The main meals were okay but nothing special and certainly not to the standard of last year. The hunters chicken was overdone and the sauce had solidified around the dish and could be peeled off in one large piece. Even the waitress said she thought it had been left under the grill for too long. The medium rare steak was more medium than rare but just wasn't very exciting with just a plain basket of chips (like a portion of McDonalds chips), not what we were expecting for £20 and not what we remember from last year. Our desserts, the Eton mess, were nice. The location is good, the service was good but the food was just not up the quality we remembered or expected from previous visits.

We had Sunday lunch and it was perfect. The portions were too large - as they are everywhere these days - but the waitress offered to put my pasta in a box for me to take away. All our meals were delicious and the staff were lovely.

Currently relaxing back in our holiday lodge after the most amazing Sunday Lunch. Plenty of choice on the three course set menu, with each course being a generous amount. The roast pork loin was very tender and was accompanied by a large dish of vegetables and a large dish of cauliflower cheese for my husband and I to share but was plenty for all four of us. My children both had the pie of the day which was a steak pudding, which they both really enjoyed. We also ordered a takeaway from Foresters Bar the previous evening, again very generous portions. The burgers were delicious as was the chicken curry and the beef chilli.The staff were all friendly and welcoming.

I'd happily recommend the bar for meals on the basis of a good Thursday night dinner there tonight. After a week staying at the Darwin Forest with the family we finally got around to eating at the Foresters Bar. The burgers were significant in both size and more importantly quality. The fajitas were tasty and a good portion for three good sized fajitas. They were tasty and reasonably spicy. A couple of cheesecakes and an Eton mess followed which were equally tasty. Finally, the service was excellent from friendly staff who cared. I'd highlight the young lady who had a good chat with our four year old and even produced a glass of lemonade for our granddaughter's doll. Like other aspects of Darwin Forest well worth a visit

Was in the vicinity so called in here on the way past. When my children were young we holidayed here in the Darwin Country Park. Looked up the lodge we stayed in and then called in for a snack. The place looked refreshingly new. I was served in good time with a hot bar snack and drink. Both very palatable and reasonably priced. Worth a visit.

Went with an old mate that was staying on the park, for a light lunch. I elected for the burger with bacon and blue cheese. Light lunch, indeed! The burger was not just extremely nice but huge, inside a bun about the size of an old LP, with two massive rashers of bacon, a lathering of blue cheese, lettuce, tomato and a portion of chips enough to feed two. Service was fine, the coffee was excellent (we old geezers try not to drink at lunchtime, or we kip the afternoon away). Prices seemed pretty reasonable, although as I didn't pay I can't quote chapter and verse. Couldn't have asked for more!

Visited here with my son twice on our visit to Darwin Forest. Staff happy, smiley and had lots of information about the local attractions which we found very helpful. Food really nice, good value for money, kids meals really good size. Food came quickly hardly any wait and was cooked well. Thank you.

This has to be the worst meal that I have been served with. It was a Sunday roast - how could it go wrong?The starters were fine but then came the main course. The food was just warm - even on a very hot plate. Cool roast lamb with almost cold gravy. The warm "roast" potatoes had been parboiled but not finished in the oven or deep-fat fryer. Other vegetables were soggy.The staff were very good and offered complementary deserts. Unfortunately, the apple pies were burnt.It's a nice place and the serving staff were helpful and clearly embarrassed and didn't charge for the main courses. However, there's something very wrong in the kitchen.

Truly disappointing! The fact that this is the only place within walking distance of the lodges has obviously contributed to the complacency of the kitchen staff. The Sunday roasts were cold, soggy and chewy and the other meals were served with undercooked chips and naan bread instead of garlic bread. It was a shame we hadn't arrived at the restaurant slightly later as then we'd have been saved the misory of the food, due to them selling out of almost every dish! To be fair to the staff, they did their best to make amends, but it was a disappointing evening all around.

I finished work late and the kitchen should have already closed, but I arrived with a colleague and the kitchen stayed open special for us. We ordered and our meals were delivered quickly and hot. There was an all you could eat salad bar, which was good along with bread as a side. The prices were good and the restaurant was clean and comfortable. The staff were exceptionally friend and kind. I think they are my newest bbf.

We had seen a few recent reviews and had some concerns. Perhaps others were unlucky or just very fussy. Our service was first class and the value for money on our meals for 14 of us was very good. Everyone enjoyed their individual meals and what's more they all came out together and they were hot ... a good feat for a pub style restaurant. The prices for good quality wines were not excessive and we had a lovely time. We had a birthday to celebrate and their was no problem in bringing our own cake and using this as our dessert. Whilst we also like fine dining ..this is not what the foresters is about ..they serve good quality food and have a good range on their menu. So don't be put off by previous reviews!!

We were staying on site at the Darwin Forest Park and were allowed to make a last minute 9 person booking. They got us in and allowed us to slightly dress up our area with 30th birthday stuff. Lovely staff. All friendly and smiley. Bar staff especially. One of them was a bit off with us when we suggested pre paying for meal and drinks. Which was actually suggested to save them faffing about at the end. But hey ho.I believe it's only let down is the furnishings. Looks oldey pub like which is nice. But I think it could do with updating slightly. The food was extremely good value. Which normally means you won't get much. But it's the opposite. The burgers are amazing. Plenty there to choose and snack on. The fajitas were presented well. No problems with any of the food served. I was seriously impressed with this place.

Good little bar where I go and have a couple of pints with my young kids after swimming over the road. Nice guest ales, honest opinion of the ale by Matt when asked - there's usually a couple of good ones on. Only problem is I don't get to drink much because of the kids (lol)!! Great in the summer outside on the terrace and the kids play area.

What a warm and friendly welcome, called into foresters bar, whilst the wife did her shopping, and I can't honestly say, I had a pleasant couple of pints. The bar staff Matt and Jayke were very professional, clean and polite, and once my wife returned we decided to stay for a meal, including the kids, not a problem for these guys, superb service.

We visited this restaurant as a family on the final evening that we were staying at Darwin forest park, 6 adults and one toddler. We booked in person the day before. Good selection of draught beers and wine that were all reasonably priced (a bottle of merlot for £16). We all opted for starters, the blue cheese mushrooms and baked Brie were very tasty and the portions were great! I chose the homemade curry which again was really tasty and a good size. Others in my party ordered the mixed fajitas, (chicken, beef and king prawn)- we were very impressed that there were 6 king prawns in a mixed dish along with nicely cooked beef and chicken as in many places you wouldn't get nearly as much. The staff working there were all very friendly and the decor is lovely; warm and welcoming yet modern.The prices are standard for what you'd expect in a pub. The quality and quantity of the food made it excellent value for money. I would definitely recommend and return if we ever come back!

We have stayed at Darwin Forest for over 5 years. We have used The Foresters over this time odd and off, however this current visit has left a rather bitter taste... literally.From our first visit in the main restaurant where we ordered a beautiful pork dish with black pudding to quick bar meals of fish and chips these were all good. However my food that was served on our visit on the 16th December was terrible. In hindsight I wish I had photographed the steak which arrived with a disgusting old beef tomato which was placed on the top and a flavourless jacket potato.I have never eaten anything less appetising that the steak which was cut unevenly and grisly!!Foresters...if you are reading this please taste the produce you are sourcing and reflect on how you present your food.I was bitterly disappointed!

We are here as a family group of 7 whilst staying at the park.We got a table without booking. There was a decent variety of food on the menu. They appeared to specialise in doing fajitas. Two of the group tried them and they were very happy.Worth eating here if you're on the park.

We reserved a table over the phone only to find out when we arrived that it was booked under the wrong name. We were seated in an area out of the way on our own which was nice. I had wild mushroom and pesto pasta and my other half had a bacon and cheese burger. My pasta was bland and the mushrooms had a very unpleasant texture which made me feel sick. The burger was just cooked as it was very thick. We had lemonade and coke for our drinks which were not nice and had a funny taste. We were sat waiting for long time after finishing the meal and waiting for the bill and to pay, ending up going to the bar to pay. Would not recommend.

Visited as we were staying onsite. Nice modern building, good real ale which is a great start. Booked for evening meal for 13 of us. Table was clean and tidy but the floor under the table had chips and other dropped food on it which isn't nice. Food was ok, generous portions. We were a large group but a couple of us were served steaks that had gone a little cold, scampi was poor. Fajitas were very nice. Fish and chips were good too. Staff were very nice, although too defensive when we tried to give some negative feedback.

We recently stayed at Darwin Country Park and tried out the bar food on our first night at the park.We were so impressed by the service from the bar staff and the food-we actually ate there three times in the week. The staff were very attentive and when they saw us coming,they made sure we had a high chair at the table.

As our group had quite a few young children with us, we didn't want to subject other diners in the restaurant area with any unplanned outbursts; so we dined in the more informal bar side of the establishment.Staff were friendly and quick to help us merge a few tables together and provide us with child seats, menus and colouring materials to keep them busy (and quiet).The food was delicious, substantial and good value - I personally had a steak and it was cooked to perfection.

We visited during our holiday. We went as soon as it opened at five as it does get busy by about 6. The food is not cheap for a family but not over expensive either. The fajitas are spicy so be warned but the portions are huge and good value for money and very tasty too. Good selection of accompaniments with them. One of our party had the burger which was a little pink in the middle with a bun that was a little soggy. The child's meal was OK. A quarter of an adult pizza portion with some mash and the option of beans or peas. The children on a table near us had pizza which looked a little overdone. We had a delicious Eton mess for dessert which we shared due to the huge main courses. The child's brownie seemed a little dry and crumbly and our son didn't enjoy it but that's personal choice. There were several families in and it was quite crowded. They only allow adults in the conservatory which I understand but some families were noisy and letting children behave in a way that wasn't suitable for a restaurant. I would have preferred to eat in the bar I think for a more relaxed and enjoyable meal. The staff were friendly and polite. The restaurant was clean, the menu was varied with a good choice. Worth a visit.

We we're staying on Darwin Forest park and saw the amazing reviews regarding the Foresters. I booked a table which was very quick and simple. We were seated in the conservatory which I must say was amazing with a great view. I had a steak and my partner had fish a chips. My steak was beautiful however maybe not worth £15. My partners fish and chips on the other hand was disgusting. He found bits of hard fish making it in uneatable. We didn't complain as we didn't want to make a fuss however he ate what he could. We then came to pay and the bills had been mixed up meaning we were over charged. This took around 5 minutes to correct which was no problem. The staff were very efficient and helpful. I would go there again in the future however I just believe we had a bad meal.