Howard's House Country Hotel & Restaurant in Wiltshire

Excellent restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. This was the second time we had visited and is was as good as the first visit. Really excellent original menu and great service.

Can I make it clear that our supper at Howard's House was perfectly pleasant. The quality of the food was good and the cooking more than acceptable. Yet the experience as a whole was underwhelming largely because it is so difficult to generate any atmosphere in a hotel dining room. To be honest, it all felt a little too bland and the appearance of two amuse bouches did nothing to persuade me that this was anything other than a decent hotel restaurant with, perhaps, pretensions to better things. The best element was the location - such a wonderful village with to beautiful churches.

Visited on a lovely sunny afternoon. little information offered by staff of the variety of tea availble and no list provided. informed of a few common types of everyday teas most people would have in their household store cupboards. Decided to have a cup of coffee, and my partner agreed to have the mint tea. Food was nice and the setting excellent, but it all felt flat and not a great experience.

Three of us visited for lunch on a wet and breezy day Saturday in November. We were given a warm and friendly welcome and taken to a lounge to have pre-lunch drinks by the open fireplace and to view the menu. We each had three courses and all chose different dishes and we were all very happy with our selections. The food was delicious and very well presented. I personally had the game terrine, the venison and the crumble. You can tell that the kitchen team have had excellent training because the flavours worked so well and each individual dish was so thoughtfully presented. It seemed to us that much of the produce was regional. The service continued to be warm and friendly for the duration of the lunch.

This was the second time we experienced service issues during our dinner at the Hotel's restaurant. Overall, the setting of the hotel is beautiful but the restaurant can do with some updating, especially in the area of coziness and decoration. Yes, we had a single yellow rose in a vase on the table but the decor of the room lacks warmth and creates a more formal/cold ambiance. Service is the main issue here. After a quick start (menus offered even before an aperitif has been served), the lack of attention of the waiting staff is quite noticeable and becomes an irritant. Water, bread nor wine was replenished by staff and our table had to clear the empty dinner plates ourselves after sitting behind these for over 15 minutes with no waiter/waitress in sight. Food portions were 'style over substance' but tasted nice. If the restaurant staff focused more on delivering attentive service, the place could / should do very well indeed.

Service was lovely. There was only one dish for vegetarians, which I had. A plate with a few steamed veg . Little taste and something you'd expect as a side dish. Again only one starter for non meat eaters and if vegan ,nothing. For the cost....well I paid the same as my meat eating companions. I should have complained but will just not go again. Can't think of any restaurants that don't cater well for vegetarians . Certainly not one with this reputation. Shame.

Service was appalling. Don't appreciate being lied too by the staff!! Food was average. I'm sure Basil Faulty could have provided better service. Certainly will not be going there again. A shame, lovely location, let down by poor service.

We spent the night here at the recommendation of friends. It is a lovely location - though in early January, arriving at dusk, I am not sure we saw the best of it. As it was a special occasion, my husband had booked the four poster room. And a very nice room it was too. (I would echo the other comments about stairs, if you are not good on stairs, you need to talk to the hotel.) Here are the best bits: thoughtful staff, nice roaring log fire with a glass of wine, lovely comfy mattress and duvet, very nice food, with amuse bouche and tasters. I would have changed some of the furniture and textiles but then that is my interest - and I would have offered fresh milk to take up to your room. (On the furniture and textile stuff, please feel free to ignore. But I would say if you want to do the mix of furniture - and they do and that is great- then find things that are interesting - the coffee tables in the sitting room need to be replaced. The curtains in the four poster room don't work with the bed. Chairs in the dinning room are comfy but not interesting - and this is a building which needs interesting furniture. But, as I say, none of this is detracting from the hotel - just my stuff.)

Our first proper afternoon tea and what a beautiful setting for it. On a sunny summers day we were able to sit in the pretty garden and enjoy our feast. Sandwiches, scones and cakes were all yum. The house itself was beautiful inside and out. The staff were friendly and looked after us well. Not cheap but worth it for a treat with special friends.

We have a reputation in Flanders of having many high standard restaurants and as a result many lovers of good food. In other words: we tend to be difficult with regard to food and the way it is prepared and presented. The restaurant of this wonderful, romantic small hotel exceeded our expectations. We have enjoyed every bite and every minute to the fullest. Our compliments to the chef!

Well this place is a gem and on a sunny summer afternoon an amazing place to sit and enjoy the wonderful English country house gardens here. Lovely terrace with comfortable [tables &] chairs and a water fountain tinkling in the background. Staff are very unobtrusive and even at times even elusive, but hey what's the hurry! Scones with more jam and cream than needed - excellent. Earl Grey tea made with leaf tea that has more taste than ever you get from a teabag, even in this hard water area of Wiltshire. Indulgent - absolutely; worth it - definitely. But do book in advance as off the beaten track and you wouldn't want to make a wasted journey.

A wonderful place. My wife and I had a delightfully unhurried dinner here looked after by a charming team. My starter of king Prawn Tails was so sumptuous and rich and my wife was fulsome in her praise for the smoked halibut ( or was that Turbot). Mains of lamb and pork 2 ways- belly and fillet carried on the good work. I thought the puds were outstanding with my wife's passion fruit soufflé topping the bill. Coffee in the sitting room with petit fours was just the icing on the cake! We will be back I assure you

We went to Howard's House hotel for Sunday Lunch. There was nothing particularly bad but the experience was very average. It was very expensive for a very average roast. The Yorkshire puddings were burnt, the roast potatoes were also over cooked and rock hard, there was no French mustard, the meat was ok, we had beef, fish and the vegetarian option. The starters were nice and tea in the garden afterwards was nice. We didn't have dessert. When we asked for a variation on the menu they agreed but very grudgingly and clearly were hoping to discourage and requests.

We came here for afternoon tea as a birthday treat. Sumptuous sandwiches, scones, jam and clotted cream, and delicious cakes and, for want of a better description, 'amuses bouches'... The sandwiches on white and brown bread filled with thick ham with salad, or thick slices of salmon, and something else I can't remember (but equally delicious). Scones with, and how rarely does this happen, more jam and cream than needed. Three sorts of cake and a mango and pannacotta dessert. Earl Grey tea made with leaf tea that had more taste than ever you get from a teabag. Needless to say... not cheap, but really nice for a special occasion. Booking recommended because the lounge is small. The lovely open fire is very comforting on a cold day.

It is usually quite busy, but the day we were there it was quiet. The service was excellent and the food was very well presented and cooked very well. It is quite expensive, but ok for the occasional special event

Small but beautifully cared for country hotel where dinner was a delight. Good service and food in lovely surroundings. Good job we had booked a taxi - over what turned out to be a long meal we drank rather more than anticpated!

Esta es nuestra cuarta visita a Howard's House para el almuerzo y, de nuevo, no nos decepcionó. De hecho, la excepcional calidad de la comida en el restaurante del hotel que consideramos tan bien como nuestro destino favorito, el Park Hotel Sonnenhof en Vaduz, de Liechtenstein michelin michelin suntuoso hotel "boutique". No podemos dar Howard's House un elogio mayor que esto - es realmente excepcional, tanto en términos de sus menús imaginativos y la presentación y la calidad de los platos que se ofrecen. Este lugar merece los más altos elogios….. y sin duda merece una estrella Michelín! La ubicación del hotel en la pequeña aldea de Teffont Evias, escondido en un valle tranquilo, aislado rodeado por el más agradable, promete un auténtico paraíso para quienes deseen alojarse en una zona rural de Wiltshire idilio. Para nosotros, por desgracia, está demasiado cerca de casa, pero nos gusta muchísimo y son el restaurante recordó que realmente debería comer más a menudo!

I first stayed here just after the hotel first opened, and have been coming back for lunch when I can, ever since. It's always a delightful and memorable occasion, with delicious food and friendly staff.I have ticked the 'fine dining' box, because they serve excellent food in civilised surroundings, but it doesn't have a formal feel, just a very friendly, comfortable homely feel (though I wish my home was as beautiful and civilised as this!) Whilst it's not the cheapest place to eat by any means, it's just so lovely and therefore feels good value overall.The garden, on our recent visit on a very hot day, was looking gorgeous and very flowery. It was very cooling and tranquil to relax in the shade of a tree on the terrace with a simple but tasty sandwich and a much-needed cold drink.

This is one of my favourite restaurants (and hotels). Certainly why I love this one is the tranquillity and "English Country House" setting. It is small and cosy and the staff make you feel very welcome. They know how to keep you happy but with unobtrusive service.Teffont Evias is beautiful. We have been to this hotel both for lunch, dinner and to stay several times. It's great for a peaceful and relaxing break. You have to "get away from it all" because the internet signal isn't that good!Back to the restaurant - the food is always fresh, freshly cooked, beautifully presented and tantalisingly delicious. They put so many flavours and interesting things together. Value for money is also good. Wine choice is excellent. If you get the chance to stay and enjoy a breakfast - it is one of the nicest. I tried my first souffle (passion fruit) and it was exquisite.Probably ought to keep it a secret, otherwise I may not be able to get a booking next time!

It is many years since I last ate at this beautifully situated country house hotel and it was a wonderful surprise to discover such refined cooking. The four of us deliberately chose different starters and main courses so that we could compare the dishes - every one was absolutely delicious. The crispy, feather-light, truffle flavoured arancini with wild mushrooms was voted the best starter and there was quite an argument as to whether the halibut with crispy squid, sea bass with brown shrimps, guinea fowl with wild mushrooms or the loin of lamb with crispy sweetbreads was best. It was all exceptional. Our only criticism was that the standard of furnishing in the dining room and pleasant sitting room were not of a standard to match the cooking, lovely garden and charming, historic building. However, the service was very pleasant and attentive.

It is not often that one cannot find adequate superlatives to describe a dining experience, but our lunch yesterday at Howard’s House Hotel was one of those rare occasions! This is haute cuisine at its very best – every bit as good as the Savoy in London or the George V in Paris, but without the pretention. Our 3 course meal was superbly cooked, well presented, and served by a very pleasant team who assumed no ‘airs’ when waiting on their guests. Altogether an exceptionally pleasurable experience, which we look forward to repeating very soon! The location of the Hotel is charming, with not the slightest hint of traffic noise in the garden of this rural idyll. We cannot recommend this establishment highly enough – it is a true gem!

Lovely, comfortable hotel with amazing food. Really fresh and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Only our second time in five years but did not feel that it had improved. Visited for dinner. Menu expensive - food ok but the cost was high for the amount provided.Chef's "speciality chicken" - a dish that could have been provided by many home cooksa single chicken leg onto spinach with mashed potato and jus for main course approx. £29 Having spent many nights (1500+) on business in European hotels and eaten in as many restaurants during the past twenty years I felt that this presentation was certainly priced o.t.t. for a simple dish, neither did a pretty presentation substitute for quantity.

A fabulous meal for a very special family occasion. The hotel is situated in the lovely village of Teffont Evias beside a small stream overlooking open fields. The garden at the back has areas for sitting out which we did before the meal and afterwards for coffee. The food was superb.....the sea trout excellent with a lovely mixture of tastes. The pudding as first class. The service spot on and the waiting staff a delight. An excellent occasion and one we will not forget.

We'd been for dinner on a Saturday evening before when the food had been excellent, so we had high expectations. The hotel is everything its marketing says, so the experience overall was very positive, but the food this time was disappointing. We chose from the £45 3 course a la carte menu and chose the calves liver which was good, the turbot and the souffle. The turbot was slightly overcooked, a small portion and the dish itself was rather uninteresting. The souffle was a complete disappointment. The base must have come out of the freezer; mine had an icy core, with a piped blow torched topping which looked completely wrong. We both found it left a slightly sickly sweet taste afterwards. To the chef's credit he did offer to cook a gluten free dish for another diner. The wine list was fine - lots of choice and sufficient options from a single glass, half bottle, 500ml carafe to full bottles. Service was professional and friendly. It could be that the chef happened to be on holiday or maybe we were unlucky in our choice, but we couldn't help feeling that the standard of dish fell some way below the fine dining we expected. Not sure we'll go again.

From the drinks by the fireplace to the cheeseboard, excellent. The carrot soup with basil oil served to begin, was delicious and could have been an expensive starter all on it's own. Liver and pancetta, scallops with Apple and black pudding, shoulder of lamb and mallard breast and confit leg.......simply superb.It was a special occasion grant you, but we'll be going back again and not waiting till a special date! Well done to the chef and crew. Wonderful surroundings, wonderful night.

This restaurant has impeccable service, a varied menu with some surprisingly affordable prix fixe options (including a 2-course for $23 pounds and 3 course for $29 pounds), a fabulous wine list and ingredients fresh from the hotel garden. It's small but a lovely gracious setting.

Just brilliant! Do try this lovely hotel. Peaceful, glorious garden, lovely rooms and fabulous hospitality

We enjoyed celebrating our 52nd wedding anniversary here - so you can tell we are in our 70ties. There is enough parking and the welcome was just right. We selected from the menu while sitting before the fire in the siting room. The fixed price menu option had a good choice and one of us followed that and the other went for the very full a la carte option.The result was splendid and the bill was a little less than one might have expected in that the hotel had given us the cheaper price where the a la carte diner had selected an item which appeared in the fixed price option!

I treated my husband to a birthday dinner last week and it was fabulous!The location was beautiful but it wouldn't have mattered as the food was outstanding!Lovely and intimate, great, unobtrusive service and amazing food.Will definitely go again.