Meridian in Lewisham

What a wonderful lunch we had at Clarendon's Hotel Meridien Restaurant. The Hotel is led by legendary Ken Milton who has been there for more than 30 years welcoming guests and tailoring his approach whenever needed. We enjoyed a tasty Chicken and Apricot Terrine followed by a delicious Lamb Shoulder Pie which was the star of the meal as you could really taste the quality of the lamb meat. It was all accompained with a refreshing glass of Passerina white wine and Isabelle looked after our table with impeccable service.

My son stayed there and was happy enough with his room, but dinner was a bit of a let-down. The dining room is large, but the service, though pleasant enough, was rather slow, bearing in mind the relatively small number of diners, at the time. We were seated close to the door from the kitchen, and so were well-placed to see what came out. Everyone, it seemed, received the same selection of vegetables, ready plated, irrespective of what dish they had ordered, and I can only describe the jus as "generic school gravy". I will not be inclined to return.

Location wise, this is excellent. The restaurant itself looks nice and well maintained. We wanted to eat outside but considering how big the garden area is, there are barely any tables and the umbrellas provided no covering. Not ideal in this heat. Also didn't look to be any disabled access out there either. But I could be wrong about that. We were seated inside pretty quickly but we had to wait a long time for our food which was weird considering a) we booked well in advance and b) it's afternoon tea. There's nothing hot being served or cooked. That being said, some of the sandwiches were stale which gave the impression it had been sitting out for a while. For five us it was an okay selection. Didn't really seem to be one of each for everyone though. The scones were tiny, like they'd been bought in the supermarket. It was nothing special. I wouldn't rush to come here again, nor would I recommend it as a wonderful place to get a classic afternoon cream tea. Considering we opted for a sparking tea (which included a small glass of Prosecco) I feel like £25 was a bit expensive. Also, we weren't aware that there was going to be a lady playing piano (badly) during the afternoon and since we were placed so close to her, it wasn't pleasant None of us could hear each other talk. If we had known, we definitely wouldn't have booked. FYI, parking spots are limited, especially if you're in need of a disabled bay. So plan accordingly.

We had our Lunch at Meridian restaurant last Friday,The 6th of May. Waiter Alex was so helpfull and kind with a great sense of tact. Cumberland sausages with creamy mash and their Burger with chips were just fine! We come here to enjoy our lunch not for the first time already because of their inner garden and beautiful ,some would say, old fashioned English design if you want.Also you are allowed to bring your pets here. Will definitely return! Victor and Ann, and our dogs.

We held a 50th Birthday lunch for my Wife and I and 14 members of our family. We were there for the Sunday Carvery and we all had a fantastic time. The Meridian Restaurant was a lovely setting and the food was fantastic and great value. The staff were very attentive,particularly a lady by the name of Frida ( I believe) who looked after us. Would recommend this place and will be returning in the future

I have mixed feelings about the restaurant. In terms of value, for Sunday lunch you cannot beat it. Turkey, beef, lamb and pork are the options, you can have one or all. Selection of veg you can serve yourself and appropriate condiments. But although the meats are cooked well, they are served badly - the beef was a slab, cut so thickly it was pretty much inedible. Service was fantastic - prompt even though they were busy. Piano player was novel, albeit a little loud. The atmosphere however just reminded me of a retirement home - no disrespect intended, but it didn’t feel like a restaurant in a fairly decent (and old) hotel. Recommend if you want decent food at a good price. Avoid the beef.

The food was excellent as usual. Isabel and her staff were very efficient and attentive as always.We had the afternoon tea a couple of days before which was excellent as well. Faye did us proud and smilling as always.

We stayed one night at the Meridian hotel and found the staff very friendly. We asked advise from one of the staff we saw in the lobby and she gave us great suggestions. Turned out she was the hotel manager. We loved our stay there and found the hotel to be very central to shops, theatres and restaurants.

Sadly I have had to eat here a few times this year on business - not my choice, nor was I paying. The room is set up nicely; staff friendly enough; view over pretty garden. So far so good. But the food is awful. I have been served a slab of meat of the texture of shoe leather and tuna steak the same. Desserts have included meringue like chalk dust, crumble minus the fruit and still frozen cheesecake. Obviously the kitchen is only there to defrost and reheat things brought in from afar. Now every place has its off days and it is how these are dealt with that makes the difference. When these repulsive items were brought to the attention of the waiting team all I ever got was a shrug, a smile and an airy "This is how it comes. We can do nothing." NEVER was there any attempt to put things right. No drink on the house, no offer to replace the inedible dish with something else at no extra charge and no adjustment of the bill to take account of some truly dire offerings that I would hesitate to feed to the cat. To repeat I was not paying the bill, but the organization that was has been truly ripped off and I have suggested that in future we would be better off eating a Gregg's sausage roll on a park bench than pay for what this place has to offer..

Brought my mother in law for a Sunday roast as part of her birthday weekend. This was our second time going there. Situated in the Claredon Hotel in Blackrock. It has an old world charm with white table linen and attentive staff. Crystal and brass Chandeliers. The Carvery lunch is solid and traditional. You can have turkey, pork, beef or lamb. Or a sample of every meat. There is also free flow of veggies, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and cauliflower and cheese. The food is good and really filling. The ambiance is nice. Not often you have a pianist playing old tunes in the background. The staff was really attentive..helped my mother in law with her plate of food at the Carvery with her choice selection. It is really good value for £10.50 for just the Carvery. It is also nice to see the Silver Surfers out for lunch as a couple or with their extended family. This is what Sunday is for....a roast with family. Worth a try...be sure to book.

80th Birthday celebrated with Sunday lunch for thirty at the Carvery two weeks ago. Venue ideal location for rail,road & bus transport as the party of thirty had travelled from a wide area. . Had tables by the windows in pleasant dining room.& small children were able to run around in the garden . Dining room staff made everyone welcome,Service excellent & food was enjoyed by all. Very appreciative of the efforts made by the staff, particularly Isabel(?), to ensure the day was a success including serving drinks & dealing with the birthday cake in the garden. The bill was very reasonable too

We arrived ordered food was cold table slopping so bad bottle of wine fell off all over floor and bed ordered early call never got it and cap it all breakfast room so busy could not get in and also no where to park

good food delivered by very friendly and attentive staff, not a huge selection of choices, and not ideal for vegetarians unless they like cheese but good quality and well cooked.

Cucina generica, niente di speciale, ma di qualità accettabile con un perso contenuto. Nei paraggi si trova di meglio (ma anche di peggio) specialmente considerando la presenza di micro-produttori di birra locale,che possono aggiungere un accento di interesse alla cena inglese.

Sunday afternoon tea at the Clarendon was quite nice. When we arrived we had to find the way to the restaurant by ourselves, easy enough, but not terribly obvious. Whilst the main dining room looked a little old fashioned, the area we we sat in, opposite a big fireplace (not a working one) and a big christmas tree was lovely. The table was ready and very Christmassy. The waiting staff was also very nice and accommodating. Plenty of choices of fine teas (in bags) and a really nice selction of finger sandwiches was provided (roughly 6 or so per person of 3/4 types). Alongside those we were given a couple of small pastries (one for each diner) and two of the most beautiful and fragrant scones I have ever had each. With those, clotted cream and jam. It was all very nice. The price was also great at £12.95 each (the same of a cocktail in central London). So why not 5 stars you may ask? Given what we had, the quality of the food and the quality/ price ratio, although it was not Claridges it would deserve top marks. Although this may not seem so important, but the relentless and excessive loud piano playing kind of spoiled the experience for us. It was virtually impossible even to hear my friend sitting next to me, let alone anyone across the table. And the playing just would not stop if not for a few minutes. In the end we left and moved to mine as most of us had a headache by then.