Restaurant at Woodlands Manor Hotel in Bedford

A party of nine of us ate here for my husbands birthday celebration. Young waiter very attentive and we were treated very well all evening. Lovely atmosphere and attractive setting. Nice choice of dishes on menu and I thought prices reasonable for this sort of hotel. My choice was haddock fish cakes for a starter followed by lamb,both of which were delicious. The lamb was particularly tender. My dessert choice was chocolate brownie which went down very well. The wines we chose were really good a Sauvignon Blanc and a couple of bottles of Rioja. My only criticism is that two of our party including the birthday boy chose the sea bass and it was a bit light on accompaniments.Why is it that fish dishes are always so much smaller than meat. Just because you eat fish doesn’t mean that you want a little meal. Apart from that an excellent meal which we all enjoyed,good service and somewhere we will certainly go again.

The restaurant is based in a nice setting of a large country house. That's where the glamour ends. The restaurant is rather sterile and there is no ambient lighting so very bright in there. It charges premium pricing but the food is OK and not worth the extra cost. We were charged for drinks we didn't have, Asked for small glass of wine and was given a large one so the server didn't listen. Asked for medium well steak and got rare. However, other than that the service was pretty good. Wasn't offered tap water and charged £4.99 for a bottle of still water and then noticed other people had jugs of water without cost - again another way of bumping up the bill!

Small venue which promotes exclusive ambience. Nice menu choice and lovely flavours. Nibbles of warm bread with olives and balsamic dip was a nice start. Flash fried Calamari followed then Pork loin wrapped in ham with veg in a mustard sauce, all very tasty. There was a varied choice of vegetarian dishes. Exemplary service from the waiter/maitre d seemed to do everything with aplomb. However I feel plates need presentation to be refined if they are to advertise as 'fine dining'. Dessert was presented well (see photo).

I booked this one-night stay at Woodland Manor three months ago, back in February. I booked 3 standard double rooms and I disabled double room via phone with a receptionist. I was explicitly specific about the disabled room to be on a ground floor because my dad cannot walk very far or up the stairs. I had the confirmation of the request, price and dinner reservation for a total of 8 people, with all the guest’s name. I had not pay 💷 anything at this point, and I was going to pay for al 4 rooms at check in. Then, I thought 💭 nothing more of the booking until checking in day, in May. The booking experience:- It did not go as well as it should be. We turned up with my parents to check in around mid afternoon. I gave the receptionist the names which two of the rooms were booked under to check in first, as the rest of the party was en route. I was then told that the disabled room requested was unavailable and that the price stated on the reservation was incorrect and that another £150 was charged. I questioned the additions to the price and why it was different. The receptionist offered us drinks and to sit down while she investigated and see what can be done. I was distressed about my dad climbing the stairs, with no lift facilities. The waiter brought tea and coffee over right away, along with the bill, which I challenged. I got praise the friendly and courteous receptionist for rearranging the room so that an alternative ground floor room became available, and the price at booking was honoured. It was clearly an administration error on the inexperienced ex-receptionist at the time of my booking. It was no fault of ours that the mistake happened, but it was corrected and dealt with professionally. The room experience:- The disabled/family room was suitable. It was an alternative room because there was some stairs (5steps) to negotiate before getting to the room. Our standard bijou room was basic and quaint with bare walls. The space was tight and sitting by the dresser is difficult with the T.V. sitting in front. If you are a light sleeper and were given room 10, when sleeping on the headboard-less 🛏 bed, you will be disturbed by the pipes beneath your pillow as you lay down to sleep. 💤 😴 I didn’t know how it would disrupt my sleep all night long as water 💧 flow to fill up latrine. It gurgled all night long so I was rather tired 😓 in the morning. Our other rooms were better and larger with vastly improved decor. The restaurant experience:- We booked for 8people at 8pm for 🍽 dinner. The table service was highly impressive on the setting. Menu options changes weekly so you can't view menu choices online. During this night, there were only two table in the restaurant, so I was hopeful that service would be very good. Our bottles of wine and drinks came very promptly. It was a.good start. It was mediocre for a fanciful setting restaurant for the remainder of our experience. We did not get our entrees after an about into seating. But, eventually it was pointed out that we were still waiting for our bread 🥖 and olives. By this point, it had to cone with our main courses. The quality of the food was exceptional and appetising. However, for one guest, it was a struggle to cut into the beef, without a steak knife 🔪 or condiment offered. Our plates were taken away pretty quick. Our desserts ordered came out in a flash. But, the our bill waiters must have finished their shift and gone home. That’s unusual for hospitality shift to end abruptly because mostly you expect them to wait until the guests leave, which is what I think is a standard practice for waiting services. Breakfast experience:- The cooked breakfast 🍳 was of good quality. The food is not at fault at all the hotel. It was freshly cooked and well catered. The breakfast room was beautifully laud out with our booking name. Overall experiences:- It was have been painfully worst ⚠️. But, the helpful reception satisfactory resolved the administrative issue. However, the hotel 🏨 aimed to be exceptional which was sadly let down by several preventable attention to details. If they are ironed out, it can indeed be very welcoming and highly recommended. Our overall experience summed up an average rating, which is ashamed.

We have already submitted a review of this excellent and well-run hotel, and can very happily confirm that the food that was served was wonderful. Our group of people chose from a wide variety of offerings from the menu and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their choice. In addition, the attention to detail was excellent, as was the customer service.

Hosted my friends baby shower here and we could not have asked for a better venue! We had use of the conservatory room for afternoon tea. The staff were so helpful and allowed us to enter the room early and have it until late, and all our requests for tables etc were acknowledged! The afternoon tea was lovely! Plenty of food for all 30 of us! A great selection of cakes & sandwiches. Would definitely recommend for £20pp! Thank you!

Many years since we have been here so decided to visit for an early evening drink in the bar for a birthday celebration. As we approached the bar the young bar man behind was being chastised by his manager in front of us. Not acceptable. We ordered our drinks, the white wine was served in warm glasses so we requested to replace. As we sat drinking our drinks we heard the same member of staff who changed our glasses of wine swearing at another member of staff using the f.. word in the corridor adjacent to the bar. Very disappointing.

Attended the Christmas Party night on 7th December 2018. On arrival the car park was full and dark. We had to park in the street and use phone light to walk through the pot-holed pitch black car park. The bar was packed with revellers and we struggled to get a pre meal drink. Then the bombshell was dropped...we were to be seated outside in a cold Marquee. This was a cold evening and we expected to be sat in the indoor warmth. Their flyer said nothing about a Marquee, otherwise we would not have booked. The food was clearly prepared well in advance of the evening and very disappointing, dry/processed turkey, hard brussels, soggy potatoes. The worst was the celery with the cheese board. The celery was limp, soggy and brown, it should not have made its way out of the kitchen. After 3 hours we left with no sign of the coffee or mince pies. This is my 3rd (and last) Christmas meal visit to Woodlands Manor. They clearly got greedy and tried to expand without losing quality...epic fail!

This was the fifth time we had our Christmas function at Woodlands and the first time we have been disappointed We booked - and were promised and confirmed by email - that we would be in the library as in previous years . But we weren’t. We were IN A MARQEE !!! This on an evening when the outside temperature was only a few degrees above freezing. Not what we had booked. This meant 1. Several ladies had to keep their coats wrapped around them to keep warm 2. We were some distance from the dance floor which anyway was far too small for the number of attendees 3. We were an even greater distance from the toilets 4. We had a loudspeaker right next to us restricting conversation across the table. None of this reflects on the staff working that evening who were cheerful, charming and provided excellent service throughout. The blame lies with the management who decided to overexpand the numbers and abandon their regular customers. So don’t take an email as confirmation that you will get what you booked. We will help them to get back to a more comfortable number next year . We will go elsewhere

i joined my work colleagues at this splendid Manor, for a xmas party. Bar staff were prompt and looked smart. The waiting staff were taking food through to the dining rooms, and looked very efficient. The food and service here is first class. One of the best teams I have seen, dealing with hundreds of people, politely and efficiently. I have to thank Freya, who ran the team in the marquee with great attention, Marcia and Dan who served the tables along with the other staff. Les Chantry bars, and the "sonic " wave disco, were also top notch. This venue is set in lovely grounds, has a very pleasing ambience, and one of the best parties I have attended. I believe a chap called Raj, is the man behind this splendid business and should be congratulated for putting this fine team together . A very enjoyable evening, and I can thoroughly recommend this fine establishment for any type of function. Well done !

Went to Woodlands for a birthday party with 17 guests. The food and service were very good and the staff very able and friendly. The Christmas decorations are wonderful and they make the place warm and festive. A great venue.

Immerso nel verde e circondato da un recinto di alberi ad alto fusto, questo antico casale da caccia costituisce un suggestivo rifugio nel cuore della campagna del Bedfordshire a non più di tre chilometri dal centro della tranquilla Bedford. A circa un miglio, a livello logistico, è situata una nevralgica rotonda che porta verso svariate direzioni, affiancata da un distributore di benzina e un centro commerciale. A poche centinaia di metri c’è anche il prestigioso Bedford & County Golf Club, mentre le ordinate villette e le pecore che brucano tranquillamente sui prati della zona circostante assicurano ulteriore tranquillità alla permanenza. Gode di due ampi parcheggi gratuiti, tipica struttura per matrimoni e cerimonie con ampia facoltà di sfogo esterno nella bella stagione, ma paga un po’ alcune sfumature esterne di trascuratezza che tolgono un pizzico di attrattiva alla magione. Un vero peccato perché, con un paio di lavori e poche modifiche, si potrebbe regalare ulteriore fascino a una costruzione che, una volta entrati attraverso il piccolo ingresso, regala subito suggestioni di altri tempi tra caminetti, poltrone e divani d’epoca, legno ogni dove e forse solo un eccesso di moquette piuttosto superata. Il senso è quello del calore, il clima è quello dell’accoglienza con un personale mediamente molto giovane, ma sempre molto distinto, professionale, cordiale e soprattutto disponibile. Una leggera e non invadente musica costituisce sempre un gradevole sottofondo. La reception consiste in un piccolo tavolo proprio di fronte all’entrata da dove, una volta effettuato il check in, sarà possibile salire alle stanze collocate nelle due ali del piano superiore, sfalsato su vari livelli (niente ascensore, solo due rampe di scale). Anche qui prevale una percezione iniziale di dimesso, provocata forse da un’illuminazione non particolarmente incisiva e da un arredamento che nelle camere, pur curato, manca di quel tocco in più che perfeziona l’accoglienza. Il bagno, assai grande ma datato, piuttosto spoglio e con illuminazione da attivare tirando un singolare cavetto, non aveva ovviamente il bidet, ma una vasca con doccia perfettamente funzionante come flusso e come temperatura. Due dispenser di bagno schiuma e shampoo sopra la vasca e due a ridosso del lavandino, tutti con facoltà di scelta tra versione honey e mango. Niente campioncini di cortesia, eccetto una scatola di salviettine; pulizia molto attenta, biancheria e asciugamani nella norma. Il phon è riposto in un cassetto della camera dove, tuttavia, non troverete il frigo, la cassaforte e l’aria condizionata ma, piuttosto, un ventilatore e un bollitore con ampia scelta di te, caffè e cioccolata solubile, collocato in una nicchia bar dell’armadio. Oltre a curiose lattine omaggio di acqua che vengono aggiunte in caso di consumo da parte dell’ospite. Ottima la copertura wi-fi anche nelle stanze, dove abbiamo trovato un letto a una piazza e mezza in più: la nostra era davvero grande e dotata di angolo salottino con tavolino e due poltroncine. Luci leggermente fioche, finestre non perfettamente oscurabili fanno eco a letti, invece, molto comodi con doppio cuscino confortevole per un’ottima qualità del sonno. Buona insonorizzazione verso l’interno e anche verso il giardino, a sua volta piacevolmente curato e in grado di ospitare dietro agli alberi anche una piccola e suggestiva dependance. Sul retro, un’ampia distesa verde da sfruttare meglio con tanto di terza area parcheggio e pista di atterraggio per gli elicotteri. Al piano terra la gradevole sala del Vim’s bar (eccellente il Pimm’s cocktail di Dan!) e anche la verandina bianca della piccola zona ristorante. In entrambi i casi, è possibile ordinare svariate tipologie di piatti a diverse condizioni (nella zona pub, ovviamente, le proposte sono più easy), ma sempre a prezzi concorrenziali e ottima realizzazione: hamburger fatti a mano alti tre dita, per esempio, ai tavolini e ai divanetti del bar; zuppe, ottima carne e piatti tradizionali britannici al ristorante. La doppia zona colazione è invece ospitata nelle due sale più eleganti e suggestive dell’hotel (che si trasformano anche in location per i ricevimenti con passaggio diretto verso la zona relax in giardino dove gli scoiattoli si rincorrono tutto il giorno) e offre un servizio superiore con una limitatissima zona self service (solo frutta, i soliti inutili croissant e cereali) con meticoloso servizio al tavolo con menù per tutto il resto. Nessuna dannata macchinetta da villaggio turistico, niente succhi/bibita fatti con le bustine: arriva tutto espresso dalla cucina con esecuzione davvero esemplare delle offerte tipiche come i toasted english muffin, il porridge e varie opzioni combo (anche per vegetariani), ma soprattutto la sezione specialità breakfast con le eggs benedict o le eggs royale (a base di uova in camicia perfettamente cotte ma con un cuore morbidissimo e quasi liquido, abbinate a una deliziosa salsa olandese, anche in versione salmone). Solo la domenica mattina, inoltre, il servizio amplia la zona buffett con un addetto a disposizione per comporre i piatti caldi e servizio al tavolo confermato per le bevande. Romantico, per famiglie e anche per gruppi di lavoro.

The breakfast menu and cooks are very good. that was the highlight of the day. however all other meals lacked quality, the meat seemed like cheap cuts and priced quite high, the chicken especially was dry and the chef really seemed to struggle cooking any other steak apart from well done. However the carbonara was good.

We were invited to lunch as part of a birthday celebration - the whole thing was superb from start to finish. The staff were totally professional, watchful, courteous, hard working and did everything possible to make it a great day.The food was simply amazing, the pile, and quality, of beef was astounding and whatever the choice of meal it was given a massive thumbs up from all 30 of us. Our meal setting was delightful, plenty of room, and we were able to walk through the side door into the outdoor area which was just perfect. The setting was supreme, it was a day to remember and I would recommend it without hesitation. Great for a function for sure

This place could have been fantastic. The staff were great, friendly and attentive. The bar meal was genuine home made curry, nan breads, pakoras and tasted wonderful. The breakfast was a real winner too, great quality and satisfying portions. Beautiful old manor building, bags of character and set in lovely gardens. I booked an ‘executive room’ via Bookings.com as the room was 35% cheaper than on its own website. The only other tier of room available was a suite or ‘standard’ and ‘single’. The room was rubbish! Firstly a long walk up to the first floor, along many corridors, then back downstairs, to a damp corner at the back of the building. The room was small, smelt and felt damp and airless. The bathroom was dated, several floor tiles broken, grotty and the toilet seat was broken so when you sat on it, it slipped to make it impossible to sit on. The bed was tiny and damp. The skirting board was thick with dust. The fan and phone were both broken. What a shame! What a waste of everyone’s hard work... I really wanted someone to ask how my stay had been during check out, alas no one did.

We went here for a dinner on the 22 December which had been arranged for present and past staff on the Blue Shift of GTR (Railways) Bedford.

A really nice place to have breakfast before your business meeting; The staff manage to always make you feel important and it's just the best way to start the day.

Mi novio y yo nos alojamos una noche en el bosque y decidimos comer nuestra cena en el restaurante del hotel. Había una boda en su apogeo en el pasillo y como la mayoría de los clientes eran parte de este nos encontramos compartiendo el restaurante con otra persona. El servicio nos pareció excelente. Nuestro camarero entabló el justo equilibrio de la velocidad y la atención dejando para la cantidad de tiempo entre platos. La comida era genial y muy sabrosa. Es una pena que el lugar estaba tan vacío como duda merece más atención de la que se hace. Nos encantaría volver de nuevo.

Me dio un picotazo en el lunes por la noche y el bar estaba bastante vacío, bar a las comidas. Todavía estaba cuchicheando en el gent de detrás de la barra cuando pregunté si el curry era fresca o hierva en la bolsa, el aspecto que me dio era increíble. Explicó que el chef preparado todo fresco y él era perfecto. Mi amigo eligió la sopa y yo no estaba decepcionado con la gambas frescas, crujientes y mega caliente recién hecho en masa. Mi carne amigos me hizo pensar que no había elegido bien, al principio pensaba que era un filete y era cocinado a un nivel de texto. Mi curry llegó y fue precioso, fresco, aromático y con un toque de una patada que no era demasiado. En mi habitación me pareció budín para dos digestivos bolas de helado. En general, fue una excelente visita y recomendaría un regreso.

Me alojé aquí por negocios y llegamos tarde tener quedamos atrapados en el tráfico. Normalmente no comer en el hotel me hospedo en por lo sin embargo mirando el menú tanto el bar como el restaurante menús 'buena relación calidad precio y yo comimos en el bar, me sirve con rapidez y eficiencia, recomendaría la comida en este hotel.

Wonderful sunday roast, service fantastic food great. 2 course £17, 3 course €20. Served in a beautiful setting in a conservatory . Very spacious very professional service . A must to visit again soon.

Woodlands Manor de nuevo resultamos ganamos para el día de San Valentín. La comida era muy buena, salmón entrante y plato de cordero cocinado a la perfección y por supuesto sabroso. Verduras de Temporada bonito complementa la comida. Personal agradable y eficiente. Mi única queja fue tener que pagar y comprobar las comidas antes de la fecha y la rosa en la mesa era caidas. Las mujeres dieron una rosa en la salida.

I enjoyed a lovely meal - had the lamb with seasonal vegetables. Service was excellent and setting smart but comfortable.

Meal for two. Hotel has a two for one promotional offer until March. Excellent food and polite efficient formal service. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Will go again. SM

Lovely steak cooked to perfection. Quite restaurant with beautiful ambience. Good service with good range of wines.

We bid on a romantic weekend at woodlands manor at a charity auction and won.

We have had some lovely meals here so tonight's was more than a bit disappointing. On previous occasions, the food has been tasty, well presented and tasty.Tonight, when I asked to share our dishes, the waiter actually laughed. We don't eat that much at the best of times but tonight this was compounded by the fact that we were so, so tired. I had to have a word with the waiter later i was so annoyed.As to the food, the bread roll was too dry as was the pork loin. The starter of ham hock was really tasty and I liked the piccalilli. The cheeses, which attracted a £2 supplement, consisted of crackers from a Jacobs selection box, a raft of standard cheeses from Sainsbury's or was it Tesco's or wherever, and some over ripe grapes.Must try harder is what comes to mind as the Horse & Groom down the road looked good.

Myself and my partner had previously been to look at the wedding facilities, and decided that we should book a table to see what the food is like. The food and drink was very reasonably prised. We had three course and all tasted and looked wonderful!!! Only one minor negative was that I would have liked my cheese board to have been served at room temperature. Our server Dan was ever so helpful and attentive. We have now arranged to see the wedding organiser to arrange a date!! I would highly recommend this restaurant for business or social occasions.

Attended an evening party here, lovely clean hotel bar and restaurant, room was very nicely presented, It opened to a bigger room where food was laid out, On the another side of the room was room for dancing, this was nice because you didn't need to shout over the music, Food was amazing hot and cold buffet, staff were pleasant and on hand to help. The grounds are lovely and well kept. I would definitely recommend this place for parties

The afternoon tea was nice but not very special.I have had better, but it was as advertised and so I could not really fault it, but it was not that good either.

The Restaurant itself is absolutely superb the staff were excellent the 3 course evening meal and the full english breakfast the following morning was so lovely.

To start with the hotel itself looks lovely with lots of old woodwork. The reception area is quant and the table set up is great. Everyone has a different opinion of what they like so I will tell you what you get and you can decide if it is to your liking. You are offered coffee instead of tea if you wish. The China is nice but the tea is fair trade tea bag and not leaf. We were offered another pot during the tea. Some restaurants do offer a choice of bread but like most places there is not a choice here and you get what is on offer. It is standard as the adjacent table had the same. It consisted of about 2 rounds which is ok for two people. There where 3 fingers of each, smoked salmon in seeded brown, grated cheese and tomato in seeded brown, cucumber in white and ham and mustard in white. All ok for me but my wife cannot eat cucumber, salmon nor cheese so was left with the ham, which in white was not her choice as she always eats wholemeal brown. The bread was also very thick so did not appear the freshest as it was quite stiff but I expect it was. The scones were homemade but just slightly undercooked in the centre. The 2 little macaroons were tasty. The other cakes were all pretty much the same sponge cut in different shapes, although one was chocolate and one with nuts on outside. Filled with cream, one had a raspberry fruity jam on top and a chocolate log thingy on that. The taste of all of them was similar so no surprises. We would not go there again for afternoon tea but that is not to say you should not as these may all be to your liking.

Unless it's changed, the service was excellent, friendly staff and the food to die for. This was about 10 yrs ago. Sorry

Great meal in lovely surroundings, the staff were very attentive without being intrusive. Love fresh clean decoration and drapes.

Gehobene Ausstattung--entsprechende Kleidung sollte getragen werden--nichts für durchreisende für eine Nacht z.B Montoure

The restaurant provided a good basic menu and the food was very good - the ambiance of both the inside, and outside, of the Manor all added to a recommended and memorable experience.

Fabulous Sunday lunch accompanied by excellent service. This would have been 5* if the breakfast had come close to the Sunday lunch. Sadly the breakfast was 3-4*.

Just had our 3rd Valentines Day dinner at Woodlands Manor and as always the food was excellent. I'm not vegetarian but had a roasted vegetable and smoked cheese Wellington which was really delicious as my main course. My confit of duck starter was also most enjoyable.The staff had made the dining room look most attractive with snowy white table cloths and decoration of single red roses.The evening overall would have been excellent if it had not been for a long wait for the bill and when it did come we had been overcharged.No doubt we will go again next year!

Food was extremely good, service could have been better. We were ignored at reception by the senior waiter and a junior waiter whilst they spent 5 minutes looking for something... not a great start. This was compounded by us being placed in between two other tables which were far too close and as there were no other diners other than these three tables this seemed ridiculous. However the teenage waiter whom served us through the meal was excellent as was the food. The wine was reasonably priced too.Well worth a visit... if they improve on the service.

My friend and I were looking for somewhere local to have afternoon tea and thought we would give this hidden gem a go. Although the hotel is a little dated, they are in the process of updating but the setting is beautiful. They seated us in the conservatory where we had a beautiful view of the grounds. They offered us tea or coffee and then brought us a selection of fresh sandwiches which were delicious. They then brought out a selection of cakes; chocolate, carrot, Victoria sponge and lemon drizzle, which were all fresh and delicious and although you would traditionally be given a selection of little cakes at afternoon tea, it really is value for money as my friend and I shared a few slices. Next came the scones, which I was really looking forward to but they were stale and the cream was off. That said, they redeemed themselves by bringing us some fresh and delicious ones. The staff were incredibly friendly and encouraged us to roam the grounds and have a little rest between 'courses'. It really was a lovely afternoon and although it needs some tweaking, I would recommend it as it's value for money in wonderful surroundings.

We used the restaurant while saying at the hotel. I was there with my disabled son, having a break after a recent tragedy. It was lovely. The staff were friendly and attentive. They treated my son as a grown up despite his special needs (he's 37 going on 7). We ate a superb meal. I chose fish and my son had lamb. It was all beautifully cooked, and nicely presented, good value for money (I had baulked slightly when I saw the prices, but it was a one off occasion and worth what I spent). We had a free bottle of rose which defrayed the costs too! I treated us to desserts which rounded off the meal perfectly. If I was in the area again, whether staying at the hotel or not, I would certainly be eager to visit the restaurant again.

I'm abaolutely disgusted with this hotel and the manager there. I booked a room throughLateRooms.com and phoned to check what time the restaurant was open until and if there were any dress codes as I wouldn't arrive until 8pm and I was in my work attire.The room cost was £64 and when i arrived the lady on reception asked to take a pre-authorisation. I said i wouod like to pay cash as i always do for my accommodation however she said she would still need to take authorisation. She then tried to do an authorisation for £100.... I informed them that the agreed rate was £64 but she said we need to take it for £100. I queried this with the manager ans he said the same. I am an type one diabetic and was way past my normal meal time and I informed them of this and the manager simply looked at me as if iI was a peace of crap on the end of his shoe!! I was 200 miles away from home and needed food and accommodation ajd fortunately found some although the hotel was dearer at £120.... I wouod never recimment this hotel to anybody EVER!

We went on Easter Sunday....what a missed opportunity to show off a chefs skills...the menu was just the normal basic roasts. The 4 of us all chose different food...we had to ask for either toast of a bread roll to go with the pâté......surely that's a must when you are served a basic slab of pâté !!!!The starters a deserts were probably bought at Sainsburys or Tescos !!!! Definitely not M&S !!!!We went into the lounge for pre dinner drinks and were given the menus, The 'maitre d' kept asking if we wanted to go to our table even though we had obviously not finished our drinks.... They were hardly busy we were one of only four tables all lunch time. We asked for our coffees back in the lounge and although this was ok there were loud whispers with regard to making certain we got our bill....perhaps they thought we were going to do a runner ..... Two sixty year olds and two eighty year olds one of which was on sticks !!!!!!!!!The decor is tired and uninteresting for the magnificent building it is housed in and the staff need a solid training in service and how to create an ambience....such a shame it is a splendid old house which deserves to have quality food and service becoming of its grandeur..... I had my 21 st birthday here and in those days it was grand ! So this was a disappointing experience.

Lovely meal to mark Easter. The four of us had a variety of dishes from the 3 course set menu for Sunday lunch. No complaints at all about the quality and presentation of the food. Felt the waiting staff needed a little more confidence/training but oh dear! the surrounds hint at an air of neglect.Needs a facelift - both inside and out.

I took my mother here & her friend for Mothers Day lunch. The waiters were very polite & attentive. We had duck parfait to start which was very nice. My Mum had beef for her main & I had roast chicken breast. The chicken was dry at the ends but edible. The accompanying vegetables were nice. They were busy & there was quite a gap between our starts, mains & desserts, but to be honest, we welcomed this as it gave us a nice rest between courses. The waiters were very apologetic, stating they were sorry about the delays but we told them it was no issue. I had apple & mixed berry crumble for dessert, my Mum had cheese and biscuits, both of which were delicious. For the 3 of us, with 2 bottles of house red and 3 half pints of Pepsi, the total bill was £119 which was reasonable for the food. I would eat here again - the location is great.

We had dinner included in our stay with a free bottle of house wine. We ate the chicken liver parfait and beef bresola for starter and both dishes tasted amazing and were good proportions. Our mains were chicken with pancetta, onion and cream sauce and pork belly with leek and pancetta compote. Again both were delicious and presentation was high class. Desert of chocolate and praline tart and winter berry bakewell tart were also perfect. Service was extremely friendly and helpful. I cannot fault it.

This is the third year we have celebrated Valentines Day at Woodlands Manor and yet again we were not disappointed. The food ,atmosphere and staff were all very good. I particularly enjoyed the gravadlax starter and the lamb main was very tender. It maybe a little more money than some other venues in the Bedford area but you get what you pay for!

Starters were slightly bland however this was more than made up by the amazing pork belly which I highly recommend. Vanilla creme brulee was beautiful as was the winter bakewell tart.

Having tried to get in over the past few weekends to be told they were not serving due to one thing or another (wedding fayres etc) we finally got to eat here. Sunday Roast dinner the pork was delicious, crackling soggy, yorkshire puddings home made and yummy and the gravy's taste was to die for but was absolutely swamped in parsley ?!?!??! The vegetables that came were OK with BOILED suede, beans, carrots and leaks (I think) I didn't touch them and neither could my 4 year old child. Completely coated in cracked black pepper, even when i wiped that off for my child, the peppery taste remained. I am allergic to pepper and have never in all my years had pepper smothered vegetables and the pots were the same. Very odd! There is also no child roast lunch, so I dont think they are catering for families. I don't think the know what they are catering for. A reasonable price for Sunday roast at £8.95 but not when you are just eating pork and yorkshire pudding and £8.95 for a child is extortionate. It's a shame really since the pork, gravy and yorkie pud have all the making of a scrumptious Sunday roast.

The food is not as listed on the web page.If you are looking to eat at best poor food eg uncooked frozen chips with a chicken burger then it may be the place for you!Make sure you eat and go as the kitchen staff all leave by ten.Want a let down..As for the new food manager want are there thinking about?

Having booked a two night stay in the hotel we decided to try the restaurant on one of the nights, I'd looked at the menu in advance on the net as I have a wheat allergy and although the menu wasn't quite what I expected for a manor house we decided to give it a go. However the menu we were given didn't match the Internet with half the dishes having been removed, no T-bone meant a disappointed partner. Now the hotels information guide in the room says smart clothes are to be worn to dinner so I wore an elegant evening dress that I thought suited eating in a manor house hotel, imagine my disappointment when presented with a menu of minimal choice including fish and chips and chicken burgers! I choose sirloin steak which was cooked as I asked but served with undercooked frozen chips. At a few minutes to ten we requested cheese and port and were told the chef had gone home so the kitchen was closed, I laughed but was told this was the case after some complaining the waitress kindly made it herself. The port was brought in the same water glasses from our rooms bathroom, again I passed comment about having run out of port glasses but was met with a blank stare. Cheese was nice but discovered the grapes were mouldy.... Not happy but was losing the will to live by this point so we asked for coffee and brandy to end our evening. Coffee was nice but the brandy came in the same glasses as our port! I'm in a country manor house hotel asked to dress for dinner but I can't eat dessert after 9 and my port and brandy comes in water glasses. On the bright side our waitress was polite and friendly..... Needless to say we ate out the second evening.

My husband are semi regular visitors to this hotel and know it well, we visited Woodlands Manor Hotel for a Valentines meal and it was genuinly fantastic.The food was amazing, the ambience wonderful and the waiting staff polite and efficient.I am a bit biased as we married there nearly 5 years ago but I would recommend the hotel and it's restraunt to anyone.The only hitch was when the computer/til went down but we were offered complimetary drinks while we waited for our bill which in the end was only 10 mins, but let's be honest, it's hardly the hotels fault the system went down?The only thing I was disappointed by was the new tables and chairs in the bar which are beech and leather, they are far too modern for the room and clash with the hotels decor, a hotel such as this should (IMO) keep with it's traditional decor, I understand they have to update the hotel from time to time but it's a shame to see non the less.As far as service and quality.... couldn't ask for more.

Entering the restaurant, it had about as much atmosphere as a badly run rest home, we did ask for the very soft xmas music to be turned up to try and cheer it up abit, but that was not done. As we had reviewed this restaurant as excellent, we had recommneded it to quite a few of the people that were there, that was an embarrassment we could have done without!! Starter - ok, but cannot believe the same chef turned out such an appalling turkey lunch which consisted off, two tiny roast potatoes, TURKEY ROLL, soggy brussells, ok other veg, the stuffing was undescribable and watery, other veg ok. I am only speaking for my own dessert of chocolate torte, which the last time I had was lovely, well this time I didnt recognise it as the same dessert and thats putting it kindly. I wont even go into the Mince Pies, which were pre bought from an independant frozen food shop! I will however put one positive note regarding the service, which was helpful and attentive. We were asked how the meal was, but the little waitress didnt deserve the venom that could have come out, because once xmas day is spoilt, it spoilt. We feal very let down and disappointed by what was an excellent restaurant, we should have cancelled when we went in to pay the balance as the receptionist then was off hand to say the least, probably due to the fact the hotel is up for sale!!

Four of us had Sunday lunch at woodlands manor. The food was wonderful, one of the best Sunday lunches I've ever had at a restaurant. Would highly recommended it & will certainly go again

As we were 60, with grown up children, we decided to have a quiet wedding, just ourselves and two witnesses, then a night in a hotel, then tell the family afterwards. This was one of the best decisions we ever made. We had a wonderful day, and Woodlands Manor made us most welcome. At dinner, we asked the waiter to take our photo, and mentioned that we had just got married. The Maitre De came to us and arranged for us to have our breakfast delivered to our room, and presented us with a bottle of Champagne when we checked out!The hotel was wonderful, the food was excellent, as was the service, highly recommended.

We arrived at the hotel on a Friday at 14,00 & we were surprised to be told that as there was a wedding on there would be no food available at the hotel but there was a pub in the village that served food. This particular pub is very nice but does not open until 17.45 so make sure that you do not arrive at the hotel feeling hungry. We had pre-arranged for my son & his family to join us at the hotel on the Saturday for the lunch that is highly rated on Trip Advisor & after the dsappointment of the Friday we double checked that lunch was available.We were informed on the Friday evening that it was & did we want to book a table.We said we would sort something in the morning when we could confirm arrival times. When I checked on the serving times in the morning I was told that unfortunately there was no Chef or food available & there would be no ood until 19.00 that night. As there was no hotel or pub food we had to go searching for a suitable place to dine with a baby & a toddler who was starting to get fractious as he was ready for his lunch & it also meant two cars trekking around an area we did not know. Thankfully we had a cheap voucher deal for the weekend or the experience would have been much worse. We went shopping in Bedford early on the Saturday morning and when we returned to the room it was unmade. The cleaner did not turn up until 13.30 & as we were in the room I told her to leave it. My wife straightened the room & discovered that the carpets around the bedside cabinets were disgusting & had not been hoovered for an age. There was a large hole in the bed base & the toilet would not flush consistently. Not a good experience apart from the Saturday breakfast which was very good. Sundays was not.

We have lived close by to Woodlands Manor for over 10 years but never visited. Decided to try out the Sunday dinner and was very pleased with the quality of the food. Waitresses were very attentive and the food was excellent. On the downside the whole place is in need of a big cash injection to update and freshen up. Don't let the outdated decor put you off. Finally, front of house needs improvement as we were completely ignored for several minutes when we arrived. We won't let this put us off going again cause the tasty home cooked food (apple tart was lovely) made up for the poor welcome.

Sunday lunch was really great, sevice second to none from reception to resurant very good food and lots of choice i would call it posh dinning but not a posh price,so good have booked for the whole fammily next week,you can dress up or dress down, well done!lovely setting cant wait to try the evening menu.

I stayed in the hotel on a business trip which included a two course meal. There was a good selection to choose from I was torn between starter or dessert or the option to pay extra for three courses. I decided to go for the dessert. I wa dining with several others and everyone enjoyed their meal. I opted for chicken and creme brulee. My chicken was nice and tasty with mash and seasonal vegetables. My colleagues salmon and steaks looked particularly tempting. I had a dilema - Eton Mess or Creme Brulee. The latter was lovely and no-one else tried the 'mess' so I'll have to go back one day and try it! It was a Monday evening and apart from my colleagues and I there were only two other diners, shame because it was great value. The bar prices were also very good - nearer pub prices!

The management & the staff are all execellent, they couldn't do enough to help and we were not an easy group with babies and people coming and not coming, The gardens and dining rooms are really nice, welcoming with a comfortable feel that is relaxing and pleasing to the eye. The food was really very good, from the starters right through to the cheese course. We even brought our own birthday cake which the hotel had no problem with at all. I can highly recommend this restaurant for a function, there was no pressure or rush and the prices are very reasonable. The Sunday lunch menu looks fairly standard, but the quality of the food and attention to detail makes this a restaurant that really is worth going to.

Excellent food Would return every night if I could!!

The food at this restaurant is amazing. The staff are very eager to please, happy to change the accompaniments etc, and a very pleasant dining experience.Highly recommend the perfectly cooked steak and peppercorn sauce, or the chicken with mushroom and pancetta sauce!Only thing missing would be some music playing in the background.

I was here on business and wanted to try out the lunch - had the rump of lamb cassoulet, followed by Bakewell tart. Both were delicious, although I think the lamb had the edge for taste and originality. The bill came to £21 (only drank water), which matched the quality of the food. Will be back. PS: look out for the Valentine's weekend deal (DBB) at £120 for a couple, which is super value.