Samlesbury Hall Restauant in Preston

My husband and I have been organising regular outings for our local U3A whereby we run monthly coach trips and we have done so since 2018. On Tuesday 12th March 2024 we arranged a coach trip for 57 people to Samlesbury Hall and Clitheroe. This included having a guided tour and lunch at Samlesbury Hall. I had booked this outing in the latter months of 2023. We paid £8 each for the tour and £16 each for the lunch. For the lunch I had ordered soup and a roll, a selection of pastries and tea/coffee. In addition three weeks before our visit I submitted dietary needs for four of our members. This included a person who was requiring gluten free food. On the day of our visit the lunch was appalling in terms of the quality and quantity of food and it was certainly not worth the £16 each we had paid. The soup was not hot, it was over spiced and small in content. This came with one very small roll. Whilst some members did make some complimentary remarks over the soup it was classed as ‘dreadful’ by the vast majority of our members. Some people asked for a second roll and were informed that you can only have one! You would have thought the chef would have the experience of knowing that not everyone likes over spiced soup. When I ordered the pastries I was informed we would receive a selection of Danish pastries. On the day we received one croissant each. This cost us £6.00 each. This was followed by tea and coffee which we had to serve ourselves from thermos flasks at a central point. This was chaotic with people carrying hot drinks along with the croissant which we also had serve ourselves. When I complained the following day I was informed the soup was the standard they always serve in their restaurants and it was tested for taste etc before it was served. In relation to the selection of pastries I was informed they had received an incorrect delivery on the day and there was nothing they could do about it so they served us with a croissant each. In addition the member who required gluten free was not served with any appropriate food relating to her dietary needs. After complaining they agreed to reduce the overall cost to £12 each and informed me that they could not reduce this any further as they would be making a loss! They did however reduce the cost to £10 for the one person was required gluten free. In summary, an appalling lunch and still being ‘ripped off’ at £12 per person.

Before I write this I want to say I am a 29 year old woman who has eaten out at many places and this is the first review I have ever written. I am not one to complain, it would take A LOT but unfortunately the service I received here by one woman in particular has brought me to do this after I received an email asking me how my experience was. Well my experience was memorable that’s for sure but for all the wrong reasons. I had booked the Mother’s Day afternoon tea with a glass of fizz for 5 of us. Our booking was for 4.00pm and we were seated around 5 past. The great hall looked lovely and we were seated by the fire which we were happy about. All good so far… however after approximately 20 minutes we still had no drinks or food. Nobody had even come over to us, it was as if we weren’t in the room as we watched most of the other tables being served theirs. Eventually my Mother managed to catch the attention of a woman with dark hair in a pony tail who I can only describe as extremely rude and angry looking. I have honestly never experienced anything like it. My Mother asked “can we get some drinks please” and her reply was “yes what do you want” (no apology for the long wait). I replied with “I’ve booked the afternoon tea with fizz” and she looked at me as if I was stupid saying “well what do you want then?” I explained that whenever I’ve been for afternoon tea before they bring out tea and coffee along with the fizz (which we obviously wanted as we’d paid extra for). The lady replied with “so is that what you want then? How many?” I couldn’t believe the way we were being spoken to, she appeared very angry and looked like she didn’t want to be there… not the service you would expect anytime but especially not in such a lovely venue on such a special occasion. I’ve been to many afternoon teas before with a glass of fizz and they ask which you would like, tea or coffee and then just come out with the fizz if that’s what you’ve pre ordered/booked so I was extremely baffled by this. After this things went even more down hill as we waited just as long to receive the drinks and then the food. We sat and watched as everybody got served but us and not once did anybody apologise apart from one young girl who came with the drinks. We were also never asked how the food was or if we would like any more drinks. When the food came some of the sandwiches weren’t even the same as what what had been stated on the menu and at no point were we informed about this change. Also the desserts, such as the brownies, were hard and dry. Overall we were extremely disappointed and won’t be returning. It’s such a shame because like I said it is a stunning venue and my family, particularly my Grandma, were really looking forward to it but it wasn’t what I had expected. A complete waste of money in fact.

I visited salmesbury hall with my partner and It was an absolute shambles! The tea and coffee was served in cheap and nasty plain cups and there was no drinks menu. The coffee was rubbish. The scones were dry and stale, they were simply not edible. I have never not finished a scone before. The sandwiches were a joke ... soggy and poor variety. Hommous and pepper soggy sandwich yet a side was also hommous and pepper in a pot whilst my partner had a pork pie.. how much hommous and pepper does one person want? We had a dry packaged brownie and even that was disappointing. We did enjoy the thimble of soup but that was the only enjoyable thing about it. The whole experience was atrocious for £17.50 per person. I would rather have a pasty from Greggs for £1. We had big expectations for such a grand place. The environment was cold, no music or atmosphere. As soon as we walked in I had a bad feeling but having already booked online it was too late to cancel. The way the complaint was handled is simply unacceptable and I will make it my business to ensure none of my friends or family visit.

We are staying in the area and booked an afternoon tea here.. Its in the Heritage cafe, so straight away we made a mistake as not in a specific venue for afternoon tea, just a normal csfe/restaurant. (if you know what I mean). What a disappointment. 3 tiny boring sandwiches, 1 cold tasteless watery quiche, a very salty sausage roll, ginger cake that didn't taste of much, a small scone with shockingly, fake, squirty chantilly cream instead of clotted. It was disgusting. The only good thing was the small cup of soup, and the macaroon. The tea wasn't even refillable and we had one cup each. That's £36 we basically threw away. I will never book afternoon tea again, unless it's in a proper venue and designed for afternoon tea. This was a total letdown.

Very very disappointing experience. We booked afternoon tea for three which was well presented and served by friendly staff, unfortunately the quality of the food was sub-standard, sandwiches unimaginative quiche served cold and tasteless and the scones were dry, rubbery and served with sweet Chantilly cream which did not go with the scone. We won’t be rushing back I’m afraid.

Disappointing afternoon tea experience,despite good service and quite pleasant surroundings. The sandwiches were good and savouries average, but the cakes were a huge let down - a long way from matching the image and standard of cakes/pudding shown on the website where the afternoon tea is advertised.I've never had an afternoon tea anywhere that didn't include cakes with, for example cream or creme patissiere filling. I've never before had a scone served with so little jam and cream.I emailed management to query whether they might have offered a less expensive cake selection because I was using the Eat Out To Help Out half price scheme. I was told that's not the case.Management tells me it is normal practice to vary the cakes on the menu, which may, at times, be three portions of tray bake items.The cream in the scone is minimal, at about a teaspoonful. Management explained that they they want to avoid wastage, although more is given if you request it.I'm afraid I won't be returning here. There are plenty more generous afternoon tea offerings available elsewhere locally.

My friends and I had afternoon tea this afternoon. Would not return. Offered a table facing a wall when place empty. Thick bread, cold quiche. Dry scone, teaspoon of cream. Nice cup of tea but not offered a refill. Not worth £8.75 which was half price.

Excellent food and good drinks choice had breakfast and lunch here although drinks were a little pricey the food was good value

We booked online and were shown straight to our table on arrival. The food was absolutely delicious, a lovely array of tastes and variety of different savouries and cakes. The service was very good and friendly. Apparently the menu changes so we will definitely have to return.

Nice place for a walk with the kids, relaxing environment to eat with children. The food was nice enough, they forgot my starter though, and didn’t knock anything off the bill or offer a wine for free. The service is just OK, which is the bit that spoilt it for me. Seemed like they were understaffed, so much rushing around. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back (we drove 40 mins) but you might get lucky if your passing and have a nice experience!

Booked a table here on a Sunday. After a walk around we went to the restaurant looking forward to sitting in the cosy hall with the open fire. However we were taken upstairs to a small cramped brightly lit room to a table facing a wall. Hence we just left without eating. I was certainly not paying £16 each to eat here. A shame as wanted to try the food. If you book therefore ensure you ask to sit downstairs

Absolutely dreadful. Very basic and none of what you’d expect for afternoon tea (scones etc). Made our waitress aware we weren’t happy and were fobbed off with a voucher which we didn’t accept. No attempt to to sort it out. We made an offer to pay half of the bill, which we did, but the manager later took the rest from the card I had booked on without my knowledge or consent! My friend emailed a complaint and received a response which was incoherent and riddled with bare faced lies. Such a shame as it’s a beautiful venue and we had been looking forward to our visit.

Don't waste your money or your time. Festive afternoon tea at £17.50 per person consisted of three triangles of dry brown bread with grated cheese, a tiny cup of luke warm soup, a cold tiny cheese quiche, 2 chipolata sausages in bacon, a shortbread biscuit, a mass produced mine pie and a piece of meringue! Jo the manager thought she could get away with this rubbish. Not this time. Avoid at all costs. The place was freezing.

Visited the restaurant for a light lunch. I ended up having the Seafood Platter which was very beautifully presented. The Tempura Prawns and Deep Fried Squid were excellent. I don’t like Smoked Salmon so that was kindly replaced with extra of the other Seafoods. The salad was fresh and I wish I had asked for a balsamic dressing to complement it but I was too busy chatting near the lovely fire. The Tartare sauce was plentiful to dip my seafood into. My friend had the Breaded Brie starter and a portion of home made chips. Service was polite and friendly and the lunch was enjoyed. The only reason for four stars was that it was a bit on the expensive side £3.50 for the chips and the cold drinks were pricey but the hot drinks not.I guess you are paying for the ambience of the lovely old hall. Definitely worth a visit.

Margarine in my sandwiches !! Very disappointing ...come on chef. The reason given was allergies..sorry but more people likely to be allergic to margarine (if only psychologically !) than butter. Spoilt the whole plate. Did get free cake as compensation but I think it’s time to offer butter or margerine

Great breakfast, excellent service. Great choice. Open from 08:30. Set in lovely Samlesbury Hall grounds

Lovely afternoon tea, fresh local produce, a creme brulee fit for a king (Henry viii or Elizabeth i)

I had heard the food was very good here but was very disappointed. The kids got sausages and mash (two big sausages, loads of mash, gravy and peas), a cheese burger (home made burger, loads of fries) and I got a tuna mayo sandwich for the same price but sadly a lot less effort. There was a tiny pot of red cabbage, a crescent of crisps and an utterly underwhelming sandwich. Now, I know, a sandwich is a sandwich but no lettuce? No tomato? Just a measly amount of tuna mayo. When I asked for lettuce I was told there wasn’t any. If you go do t get a sandwich get a more expensive hot meal.

Had lovely afternoon tea in beautiful surroundings. Would recommend. And a fabulous opportunity to take a tour around a wonderful period property.

I've traveled all over the UK from manor houses to castles. I've eaten at most and I've been on maybe a hundred tours. This is the worst experience of all. The service is actually embarrassing. These immature, temperamental people dont even deserve a job. The afternoon tea was nice, but the plates where dirty, service was vacant and rude. I've been here in the past for the tour and found it mismanaged and staged. I really wouldn't bother.

After visiting the hall and grounds we visited the restaurant for lunch. The old building was stunning and the staff were friendly and welcoming. The menu was interesting and varied. We were not disappointed in our choices. The food was very good and the creme brulee to follow was fab. Definitely worth a visit.

Took new friends out to this place to impress them but NONE of the party of six were impressed with a derogatory fish pie thrown down in a small navvies tin the size of a starter, and dry as a bone to boot. On top of this we ordered coffees twice only to be asked to move tables without the request satisfied. What did feel satisfactory was the queue of similar-minded people waiting to complain about service and food. Yes, they were under pressure (though a wedding venue should be geared to cope), but there is no excuse for short-changing clients on food size and quality. £22 failure.

Very disappointed with Mother’s Day afternoon tea. After being seated a waitress came over and said tea as she put down a teapot, it would have been nice to be offered tea or coffee. We were then brought our food which was just average, no one came back to check we were happy with everything, if they had then we would have asked for a spoon each to eat our dessert instead of having to use our teaspoons from our drinks and would have ordered another drink. Definitely not worth nearly £15 each compared to other establishments and really poor service. Expected better

Just been for afternoon tea for Mothers Day. Very disapointed. Sandwichs very sparce on filling and stale bread. Strawberry mouse tasted sour not worth the £14,95 complained was told "can't do anything about it not being to your taste"

Went to the restaurant for a pre booked family afternoon tea for Mothers Day. The pictures online when I booked looked nothing like the reality. Taken upstairs to a small room over crowded with tables....ours was shoved against a wall no tablecloth, no music ...no effort to create a welcoming environment. The tea arrived first a tiny teapot with just enough to fill 2 small cups of tea.....bit useless considering there was 3 of us...had to keep requesting extra tea and waiting and waiting and waiting. The food....if you could call it that....was an embarrassment....Cheap and nasty white bread with a tiny smearing of filling...the veggie option was just cream cheese, squirty cheese, egg. Who stuffs Val ah wants with Branson pickle and cream cheese it was rank. Half a miniature scone that I gave my dad cause he was still starving, a slither not even a slice of Victoria sponge cake and a hideous raspberry mousse. All in all a terrible experience if I had my way it wpuld get 0 stars not even 1 it was utter crap. £15 x3 and a totally disapppinting Mothers Day all in all ruined everybodies afternoon. Give it a massive swerve.

Booked for 10 for Mother’s Day afternoon tea. Arrived to find a queue of people complaining. After 10 minutes of being asked if we were ok by several people we were shown to our table. To our disgust the tablecloth was filthy and the table had been set on it. We asked for a new tablecloth which never arrived. We took the old one off and placed it on the floor where it stayed. Drinks eventually started arriving one at a time. However we had to ask for milk, sugar, bad drinks ....... after 40 minutes nobody had mentioned our pre-booked afternoon teas. Several people around us were complaining and staff were just running around with no idea what to do. We asked to speak to a manager and one of our party saw the manager refuse to do so. Eventually we asked how long the afternoon teas would take. We were told ‘about 10-15 minutes’. At that point we decided to leave. Even then nobody tried to sort us out. In summary to pre-book a table and be asked to sit at a dirty table with appalling service. I felt for the staff who lacked any sort of direction. Shambles! ...... and I am sure like us many people experienced a rubbish Mother’s Day because of the chaos and disorganisation.

Visited with my father who is registered blind and they couldn’t do enough. Lovely Christmas meal and attentive waiting on from Emily. Highly recommend and even had time when busy to help me purchase an item from an upstairs cabinet. Lovely setting.

We have eaten Sunday lunch here and it was busy so book ahead, but our latest visit was mid week and there were tables available without us having booked.The food is well presented and served by friendly staff. There is an actual dining room plus an outer area with tables and comfy

Visited last Friday for lunch and was disappointed by the poor service. It was busy because of the half-term Halloween events. We hadn't booked a table and when we arrived at the desk were told by a young waitress that the restaurant was full. Fair enough. However, that was all she said, rather than offering us a solution/alternative. We spotted free tables and sofas in the lounge area and asked if we could sit there. "If you can find space" she helpfully replied. We sat down and after 15 minutes I went back to the desk and asked if that was where we ordered our food and drinks. I was told by the same girl that no, she would come to us to take our order. After a twenty minute wait during which the waitress walked past us at least five times and avoided eye contact, we managed to collar a young male waiter who kindly took our order. I couldn't see a children's menu so ordered the cheesy garlic bread as something small for my three year old. When the food eventually arrived, it was average quality and definitely not worth the wait. I doubt we will be back.

My partner and I attended Samlesbury Hall for a day out which was amazing, the hall is gorgeous and the outside space is lovely too. We decided before we left to have some dinner and we were so glad we did because the food was divine! The staff cleared a table for us to sit down and took our order straight away. We will be visiting again soon.

We ordered our lunch and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. Service for our lunch was good but the food was disappointing. My fish pie was small, not much fish in it and the sauce was unpleasantly creamy as was the mashed potato. My husband had roast beef, he had one slice of beef, 2 potatoes and some veg and an unappetizing looking Yorkshire pudding. Very expensive for what we got.

Checked on the website this morning open at 11am . Did the trip and after a busy motorway journey the place was closed as they were doing a wedding (also doing a wedding tomorrow). Nothing on the website in fact it says it was still open at 4pm. There were other disappointed people in the car park, so we wasted our time and travel cost on this venue. Very poor.

The food here is excellent and I can highly recommend the afternoon tea. However, it is nice just to relax with a cup of coffee and one of the fantastic homemade (I assume they are homemade) scones...with butter, jam and cream...such a delight. And all in such beautiful surroundings.

We thoroughly enjoyed a light lunch in the delightful place. The service was first class as well - thank you for making our day very enjoyable.

We enjoyed a thoroughly entertaining visit to Samlesbury Hall seeing Janey’s witch tour, we decided to have a bit of lunch. There is a separate dining room and a more relaxed lounge area plus the waffle cafe at the back. We waited and were seated in the dining room. Decent choice on the menu with daily specials. We opted for a ham sandwich and a ploughman’s salad. Very pleasant although I was surprised that the ploughman’s came ‘ready mixed’ pleasant attentive service and a delightful venue.

After a nice visit to Samlesbury Hall the restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy lunch. The food is excellent and prepared to order (but it's worth waiting a bit), and where else do you find 'silver service' these days. Prices are reasonable and the ambiance of the restaurant fits in beautifully with that of the old Hall. Definitely recommended.

My husband had heard the marketing on the radio which made this place sound irresistible. So much so, my husband booked our anniversary lunch. Well it took 45 mins for our order to be taken after my husband prompted the Manager. But the waitress’s took other order from people who came in after us.

My sister and I have been meaning to come here for lunch and we were so glad we did. We were shown to our table in a lovey warm dining room with a roaring fire no less,as well as being seated next to a radiator it was really warm and cosy.We both chose the cray fish sub roll ( the guacamole helping was rather sparse) but together with the side order of sweet potato chips it was a very tasty.The service was perhaps a little on the slow side but having said that it was quite busy and the waitress and the restaurant manager were exceptionally pleasant.We had a coffee but alas no room for dessert or one of the delicious looking cakes.Perhaps next time!

Table of 7 with starters and mains ordered. Eventually after over an hour the starters arrive, unfortunately 5/5 starters were of poor quality, with the only reason being hunger the food was eaten.

My partner and I had lunch at Samlesbury Hall following a look around. We opted for a toasted sandwich each and have to say they were very nice. Tuna and Lancashire cheese. Lancashire cheese, onion and tomato. The coffee was served piping hot.we were not disappointed and would definitely go back

Booked Sunday Lunch for 1.15pm. Arrived at 1.05pm and were told someone was still at our table. We offered to look round the hall and come back a little later. We were told a table would be ready in the restaurant then. We returned at 1.30 and were seated upstairs in the Den. This wasn’t a particularly inviting room with high windows and no atmosphere.

What a shame. This could be so good. Got the impression that everyone was under pressure. I would take a look at the management. Food very average and I think that the staff tried but failed. Won't be returning

Visited for lunch after a brilliant Tour of the Hall itself, the service was slow but this was due to new staff members but the food was really lovely when it arrived. They weren't big portions but it left more room for dessert. I would definately visit again, staff all very friendly and a nice atmosphere.

Went here for the first time today for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The food was absolutely delicious and served very well. The waiting staff are very polite and helpful. Couldn’t fault anything there at all. Highly recommended.

Loved this place. We all had a lovely meal here during a very busy period. The staff were great, helpful and polite. The portions are a good size and taste delicious.

We visited with our little Grandson who is 6 years old . After being pleasantly surprised that entry to the hall was free we left the guided tour at just gone 11.30am as the little one was hungry! Although the restaurant didn't open until Midday we were made very welcome and given tea, coffee and fruit juice and offered a snack. We sat down, having made our main course choice and did not wait long. The food was excellent, too, as were the desserts. I would recommend eating here as a family or otherwise - the staff were lovely!

I visited today with members of my family. I usually write reviews for great gluten free places to eat. Unfortunately the young wait staff had no idea about the menu and had to keep leaving to check the menu. I asked if they used separate fryers for G.F customers. I was informed that they didn't have separate fryers as they didn't need to as the chef said all gluten was 'killed' when cooked at high temperatures. They had no idea how serious this was. The place was dirty and needed 8 tables clearing and cleaning which made the restaurant very messy. It is safe to say I will not be eating here or I may get sick.

This is my third visit to this restaurant - and I think my last. The grounds and Hall are excellent to visit but I had no need to revisit as I saw them last Christmas time. We were placed in a dark corner of the large open area and seemingly out of sight of the waiting staff. This was Sunday lunch with my Mum - there were no fish mains on the menu so I went for the cheese tart. It was edible but devoid of all flavour and the chips where completely overdone as if reheated once too often. My mum had the roast beef which was fatty but not cooked enough so as to melt the fat ie very chewy. When asked I did complain that my meal was not up to scratch but was not offered anything of the bill or a sweet etc. So we left disappointed.

I visit Samlesbury Hall once a year from Aberdeen in Scotland with family as I'm a big fan of the Tudors and just love the style and history of the place.

Visited the Hall for the first time today. Beautiful hall and grounds. Nice play area for the children Decided to stay for lunch but were disappointed. The children had fish and chips from the kids menu which looked nice and fresh and the children really enjoyed the meal.. It was the adult toasties that were a disappointment and also I felt very expensive and not at all good value for money. I would like to mention that the staff were lovely. We would visit the hall again, just not eat there.

Almorzamos durante una visita a Samlesbury Hall y no nos decepcionó. Grandes porciones, un amplio menú y la comida hermosa. Conseguimos volver!

Había allí una semana antes, pero decidimos parar para comer en forma de lago, ya que está a sólo unos kilómetros de la autopista en Preston. Bien vale la pena.

Visitamos para el almuerzo el martes por la tarde. El edificio es increíble, sentí que habíamos ido atrás en el tiempo. Buena selección, un poco caro y podrían firmar mejor publicación de cómo salir del aparcamiento, pero en general es un lugar agradable y lo recomendaría.

Un servicio muy atento y profesional de todo el personal. Comida deliciosa y las porciones son muy generosas. Me encantó el hecho de que los teléfonos móviles son "prohibidas". !

We unfortunately had a bit of a mix up with our afternoon tea~ which you must pre book. So there was only one afternoon tea available. The manager did everything she could to make things better despite the mix up and we enjoyed our outing. Very busy place, nice setting and lovely staff.

The restaurant was nice very spacious friendly helpful staff the food was good the portions were a good size we had a lovely family lunch not been there before so we all enjoyed the experience the whole building is full of history and the restaurant is certainly worth a visit we would certainly go again for lunch.

Gorgeous food.Gorgeous surroundings.Had a great afternoon with a friend.There was plenty to eat and all the food was delicious.

The restaurant is beautiful, full of history and nicely decorated. Ordered two adult meals and a child's meal they arrived quickly all hot and very tasty. The lamb in my hot pot was very lean and full of flavour the beetroot marmalade that came with it was so good. The ladies that served us where all very nice. They made a huge effort with my young son who was very restless when we arrived and put a smile on his face! Looking forward to a return visit!

we went for lunch three adults ,great setting very nice ambiance, nice staff. the food was terrible, very poor quality , very poor servings and very expensive in relation to what we got. first course for two soup started very well nice soup but the third a serving of goats cheese mousse was miniscule not even two forkfuls £7.00.Mains two of us had pheasant breast with fondant potatoes parsnips two ways wilted. The portions again were minuscule the pheasant was tough, overcooked and clearly just warmed up . The chef confirmed later that they buy it in . The spinach was wet the parsnips consisted of two thin strips of wet soggy parsnips .The meal was so small we expected more vegetables to arrive they did not so we supplemented the meal with a portion of chips. Price £13.00. I asked for the manageress to ask the chef to come to the table to explain to me how he had cooked the breast I could not eat but he declined . The third main serving was roast beef of the day a plateful of hard thin roast beef in thick gravy and inedible Yorkshire pudding dark brown with a consistency of rubber. £12.50The manageress apologised and offered free tea or coffee or a desert ,we declined . We discussed the bill and agreed that she would delete the cost of one pheasant and give us the chips .in total with a bottle of wine the cost was £62.90 a complete and utter waste of money.On paying I asked again if the chef would speak to me about the meals and he declined again.All in all a dreadful experience in great a location and surrounding hall etc and a sad reflection on English cooking .

Lovely food and friendly and helpful staff. Excellent cup of tea with real milk,. Would highly recommend. Didn't book but they fitted us in.

Went with family on Mother's day. I appreciate that it is a busy time of the year but you know how the saying goes "if you cannot stand the heat etc." The food was okay (although one of our party could not eat their beef because it was tough. The staff in the little parlour we were in were great but, outside in the reception area if was ridiculous with tea arriving with no milk. The three lots arrive! These staff did not seem to know what day it was! Am in two minds whether or not to go back.

I visited the hall last week with my friend for lunch. The food was adequate but ridiculously overpriced. The biggest problem is the staff are unhelpful, unfriendly and disorganised. I would not recommend to others. You would think a place like this so well established would have excellent customer service, this is not the case. I can only assume the problem is poor management or inexperienced management. I also attended a 40th birthday party here last year and encountered the same problem when food was served inexperienced staff who are rude. I think reading other bad reviews for this place on TripAdvisor and seeing the responses that have been given back to customers proves exactly what you can except! AVOID!

Very impressed from start to finish.The staff are lovely and the food was delicious. Will definitely be calling again to try more from the menu

We hadn't been before and looking at the reviews it looks like they have made a lot of improvements to service! Could't fault the friendly but professional way the staff dealt with our meal and drinks from start to finish. We were booked in for 12:30 on a Sunday and it was very busy but there were lots of staff and efficiently took our drinks orders and left us to look at the menu, explaining the 3 sections... A La Carte, Local Dishes or Light meals such as sandwiches/ soup etc. The soup was homemade (yes really was!) Leek and Potato, and there was also a Special of the Day board which was the Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pud etc. There was also a decent choice of soft drinks - with some quality brands on there to enjoy with a meal... good when driving. There is not a massive menu, but it did take us a while to choose. We went for the Soup as a starter and it was very wholesome and tasty. Our mains we chose were the Local Beef in Ale Pie with Mashed Carrot, Mangetout and we opted for chips (could have had new potatoes but it was a treat!). The meat in the pie was beautifully slow cooked and with a dark and umptious sauce. It was well matched to the lovely crunchy thick seemed like thrice cooked chips (served in a mini chip basket!) and smooth buttery carrots. It was a lovely meal and we took our time finishing just before the Tour of the day started. With free tours of the Hall on offer and ample free parking, direct drive access to the M6 at Junction 31 (Head for Blackburn and its on the left). It's well worth a visit ... Note: You need to pre-book the afternoon teas (which is also served at lunchtime) at least 24 hours beforehand. The restaurant and on site Waffle / Icecream parlours both shut at 4pm so be aware of that after the tour... we made a mistake and missed them so we had to move on elsewhere for our cake and cuppa! As a charity relying on food income, they are missing a trick by not opening until at least 5 or 6pm !?!

Good food, great location. Surroundings unbelievable! Plenty of parking good for kids and an entertaining visit.

We visited for Christmas lunch, with my inlaws who had eaten here previously and wanted us to see how lovely it was. We chose from the Christmas menu and were really disappointed in the food and the service. Only one of the party had a starter, which was fine and arrived in good time, but we were still waiting for our main course an hour later. When the food arrived, the turkey was tasty, but the roast potatoes were luke warm and like bullets, the stuffing looked and tasted as though it was from a packet with water added but then not cooked. The vegetables were three very small chunks of swede and parsnips and some sprouts. My mum-in-law had the winter veg stew with sage topping, took one mouthful and left the rest. She said it was extremely sweet and was just swede. The Christmas pudding was ok, but our custard panna cotta was like rubber. Not a pleasant experience, made more disappointing as my in-laws had had such a good meal previously.

Made a trip to Samlesbury Hall for christmas lunch whilst the in laws were visiting. Sat down to a three course set lunch menu at 2pm and asked for our drink orders immediately. After about 20 minutes we had not even seen another member of staff, asked our orders and had received no drinks. I actually ordered the families starter and main stood up in the middle of the hall whilst 'catching' a member of staff. The starter was served relatively quickly (about 15 minutes later) - but still with no drinks in sight! Had to ask again for the drinks to come to the table. After the starters it took approximately another 15 minutes for the mains to arrive. Food was absolutely superb and lovely! However, we were left with empty plates on the table and waiting to order our dessert for a good 30 minutes afterwards. Again, I had to venture out of the hall to find a member of staff. On ordering the Mille-Feuille I was repeatedly and rudely 'corrected' to the incorrect pronunciation (it's meel-foy!!). Again the dessert was fantastic. Although when we asked for cutlery for the dessert it was swiftly shoved into my hand to put down on the table.All in all - a fabulous meal which was massively let down by the lack of care/attention and customer service by the waiting on staff. Noone was responsible for the table and noone seemed to care. Given that we were the only people having a full meal in there it would have been nice to at least have been given timely drinks or even asked if we wanted a second drink in the 2 hours we were sat there. Could be fantastic!

I came with family for an afternoon that was purchased as a gift. Although the afternoon tea itself was ok we were fairly disappointed by the overall service. We wished to modify the booking from 2 to 3 people and tried without any success to phone from Thursday onwards (we visited on sunday). Finally got an answer on sunday morning when we were told that it was too late as chef had already prepared the afternoon tea. Cannot really believe that sandwiches are prepped so far in advance and that a few spare cakes wouldn't be prepared - what would happen if they dropped one! When we arrived (for afternoon tea for two and a sandwich for one!), teapots were already on the table and going cold, with no choice of teas or coffee offered despite the large selection of teas on display that we noticed on the way out. Still had to wait for the apparently already prepared afternoon tea. Top ups of tea (which we had already finished by the time the food arrived) were not very forthcoming. The table that we had was underneath the blackboard, so not ideal as everyone had to look at our table to see the specials menu. The waitress then asked one of our party if she could stand on her chair so she could write on the blackboard. I have had several afternoon teas in the local area and overall would say that much better standards of afternoon tea and service can be found at a similar price. The restaurant is nice but I would not return for afternoon tea.

We came here with 7 people as a nice place close to the motorway to meet. Beautiful surroundings and friendly staff when we arrived. It's a small menu but all good. The portions are not huge so don't come here if you are very hungry. Desserts in particular were very well presented. So everyone was happy with this place and the meal. They serve afternoon tea which appeared very popular, although it's an unusual version of it, with soup as well. In fact many people had it as their lunch. Overall I think they are keeping portions a bit small in order to keep the costs reasonable. The staff were friendly and efficient. I think the white gloves worn by the waiter were unnecessary. Either put your prices up and go for real quality, or keep them as they are and not pretend to be something you are not. A quick visit of the hall afterwards was very interesting.

I'm sad to say we were very disappointed in our visit to this restaurant. We visited at lunch time for a sandwich and coffee and was directed to seating just outside the restaurant. None of the tables had been cleared and not one had a menu on. It took 10 minutes to get somebodies attention to ask for a menu and a further 15 minutes to be served. We should have left but we decided to give it a chance as it may just be busy. When our sandwiches turned up we reminded the lady we ordered coffees which she said she would chase up. The sandwiches were nice but I like a drink with my food and the coffees never turned up. When we paid we wasn't asked if everything was OK. We explained we never received the drinks so wouldn't be paying for them. The lady serving removed the drinks and apologised. The house itself is beautiful but I think in future we will go elsewhere for food.

Visited Samlesbury Hall with friends on 22/09/2016.Toured the hall and grounds for an hour or so before settling down at a reserved table in the hall restaurant.Lovely setting and a pleasant day out overall.Between us we had Sunday roast(with all the trimmings) trout and hot pot x 2 followed by puddings made up of brownies with chocolate sauce and ice cream and plumb crumble with custard x 3 all washed down with red/white wine.Service was spot on and the food was well presented,tasty and reasonably priced.Excellent value for the money.Would recommend a visit. We will be returning.

I went with a group of almost 60 for a tour of the hall including lunch. Providing food to a large group often results in a disappointing meal but this was really very good. A good home made soup, salmon cooked perfectly, a very creditable fruit crumble with a nut topping and all served hot. I loved the tour, the hall is beautiful and I will be going back very soon for more lively food!

We just had a light lunch which included home made soup. Really tasty. Great selection. We will be returning soon for a full meal. The menu would suit all tastes. Lovely staff

On the whole we had excellent food, super swift and pleasant service and it was good value for money. The only complaint was from the four year old with us who said that the chips had no flavour. In fact he was quite right. They were very flavourless indeed. Possibly using the wrong variety of potato ?

The staff were very pleasant and helpful but all seemed inexperienced and lacked the attention to detail one would have expected at such a location. We had been informed that pre-booking was essential and the time given on the phone was confusing as upon arrival the restaurant was empty. We were told to wait while our table and food was prepared for the afternoon tea, yet when we were seated at our table - a slight confusion there also with the waitresses, the tea pot was already on the table and was nearly cold by the time the milk arrived, followed by the food. The food was tasty but disappointing. The sandwiches were made up on white sliced loaf! The quiche was very good and the selection of cakes were fine. We had a token (as a gift) for the visit but will not be returning for a second experience. Pity!

We each ordered something different (there were 5 of us in our party) We all enjoyed our meals and impressed by the quality of the food and the staff's friendly manner!

I booked afternoon tea with over 24 hours notice for 8 for family visiting from abroad. I was not asked any preferences or diet requirements. Lovely tour by Henry viii actor then went to the restaurant. We were seated promptly. No one seemed to be in charge. One waitress didn't know we had ordered afternoon tea. I had to leave the main room to find someone to sort our order. I was told we couldn't alter the sandwiches as they are made up in advance. So a simple request like no butter or no tuna was a major problem. The tea and coffee was brought in those big silver jugs I'm used to seeing at cheap work conference venues. I had to go and find milk. Sugar cubes were sparse and only fingers to retrieve from a deep pot. When afternoon tea arrived it was. Below Average, boring presentation. Sandwich bread dried up at edges (waitress said they are made early morning in advance) and just about edible. Scone and jam very nice but that was all I could complement. No one checked we were ok at any point. We had to leave to find extra milk and tea top up. This is probably the worst afternoon tea I've had ( and I've tried a lot locally). In summary very mediocre food, pretty surroundings, rubbish service where we felt a total inconvenience to the staff. I would love to support a beautiful local building but after this experience I strongly suggest you avoid eating here.

Great place for everything from a snack upwards and in a traditional atmosphere. Part of our heritage that needs to be supported

Great breakfast potentially but spoiled by inexperienced service and unsympathetic management, would no eat there again.

During my last visit we ate here (and bought a few bits in the Antiques section) so good we came back! Staying locally 3 out of 5 of us had eaten breakfast - 2 had not so came to restaurant really for 2 proper lunch and 3 snacks. Menu is just too tempting and the three that had eaten breakfast instantly regretted it! My husband had the Hot pot...had to as we are from down South! He loved it!! My able to eat everything daughter ordered the Ploughmans which was meant to be for 1 (with an option on the menu for 2 to share with pate) Well we shared the Ploughmans for one - it was large! and yummy! A soup of the day was mushroom and leek, the soup expert in our party thoroughly approved! Other daughter had the steak pie, which I had to taste. It was delicious!! We'll be back for sure....must try the puddings!!!

I had pre ordered afternoon tea (as is required) and, whilst chatting to the lovely Sasha, mentioned it was my daughter's birthday. Not only did she ensure our dietary requirements were spot on but she placed candles in her scone and wished her happy birthday! It was by far the most delicious afternoon tea we have had (and we are quite addicted to them!) in a glorious setting of leaded windows and original olde worlde charm. The atmosphere was so relaxed and we were left to enjoy our array of delights washed down with copious amounts of tea... the waitresses were all lovely and friendly but a special mention has to go to the chef who created the tastiest variety of savouries and cakes. All the other food being served looked top notch too and it seemed to be clear plates all round from what we could see.Afterwards we spent time looking round the hall, gardens and shop and everyone we encountered was so friendly. A lady even opened one of the camping cabins so we could have a look inside instead of peering through the window. A truly delightful afternoon... thank you x

Our first visit to here we had booked our table for 4, well we did, it was very busy and the staff were flat out.Blackboard and menu card selection, 2 of us ordered from the blackboard Roast beef and from the menu as a starter Mussels.Salmon and pot meal from the menu on the card, thought a more variable selection should have been on it.We finished of with a Cheese board and a good selection of cheeses .One point to raise and I did mention it on paying the bill, all the wine was under their own label and it was Chilean, we had the Cabernet and it was fine, but not earth shattering by any means.I suggest that they have a more varied selection of wine, most places theses days has Australian Shiraz etc.They said i t would be looked atI had left my jacket on the Chair and one of the staff came out into the grounds to return to me.The staff could not be faulted superb.A very pleasant place to visit just by its self and great for the family with childrenWould we return yes, hopefully the wine selection will be sorted out, a great meal deserves a nice wine.:))

Something for all on this menu, freshly cooked to order, great quality, reasonably priced. The coffee is mellow and with a rounded flavour. Waiting staff very efficient and charming.

Called in to sample their newly advertised Waffles. Ordered one for my son and asked for one to take out. The lovely lady behind the counter said she didn't normally offer take out but would try her best.... and I was not disappointed. My son had the most enormous and delicious waffle with two giant scoops of fresh ice cream. I took back to work an equally lovely waffle with fresh berries and a scoop of ice cream. It was a little expensive but lovely. They also served tea in beautiful china cups; the perfect way to enjoy a brew!Lovely place, great waffles and brilliant staff.

After years of driving past Samlesbury Hall, I decided to pop in. I have since returned many times bringing family for afternoon tea, foreign business guests for lunch and just popping in for quick business meetings with coffee and cake, Its a real interesting place if you have time to look around. Highly recommended.

Ok, so, Nice place, fantastic venue, free tours, Great Historical site..............with Coffee lounge.We went along off the cuff to this Historical Place.We arrived, loved it, its a place History you cannot fault.Loved it!Free Historical tours by person in Period costume.......perfect!The place is a must see for people into Olde world...........etcWe had a Cream tea and a sandwich which was average.The waitresses were keen enough, but I noticed that they wore far too short a skirt, so much so that you could see the tops of the waitresses tights, which looked like stocking tops, totally inappropriate for the venue I thought!The owners must get their waitresses to dress with decorum!But!............apart from the staff, who were more intent on talking about the night before, and what they got up to (they were very young) the place is well worth a visit indeed...................Would have liked to have seen more mature waitresses, in period costume maybe, that would have been Fab!

The restaurant is in a beautiful half-timbered barn-like building. During my visit the staff seemed a bit flustered although it wasn't overly busy. They didn't seem to have time for a friendly word although everybody was polite enough. I had a griddled piegata with chicken, bacon and mozzarella which cost £9.50. It was okay although quite small and not particularly tasty. The piegata is an Italian flatbread. Coffees are a rather hefty £2.70. I hope that some of the profits go towards the upkeep of the impressive Elizabethan Hall.

With good gluten friendly knowledge and a range of tasty home-cooked lunch items, this was a definite hit with us. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. The setting is very pleasant.If you're in the area and looking for lunch we can recommend it - why not combine lunch with a stroll around the hall itself too? It's free and interesting.

We decided to stay for lunch as it smelt so good. Blackboard specials and a printed menu woth Gf and GF options clera on it. They stock good GF bread and the ckae trolley has some pre packed GF options. I had the perfect roast beef sarnie and good GF chips. Absolutely wirth going, free parking. Staff are fabpntastic and know their stuff. I cannot wait to re visit!

Very helpful in finding a table for me husband and I. I ordered the salmon with pasta and my husband had the roast lamb dinner . My salmon was delicious as was the flavour added to the dressing. My husband also enjoyed his lamb dinner and commented on the flavours. My husband and I enjoyed our meals and will be back to sample other delights of their culinary menus. Staff by the way we're very attentive.

There is a more formal dinning area, or a casual comfy area to choose from. The menu will suit almost all, and there is a kids menu too. The staff are very friendly and attentive, nothing is too much trouble. Our lunch was extremely good .. well worth the money.Dog friendly.We were told that Sundays are extremely busy and it is advisable to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

We have been to this restaurant many times before as we live locally, and usually enjoy a festive lunch just before Christmas.This time it was very busy, the tables were crammed very close together and the staff and customers had difficulty getting between them. We felt squashed like sardines.There seemed to be a lot of staff, but the service was poor, and we had a long wait for our main course - it transpired because the order had not been put through.We felt that although the food was quite good, it was not up to the usual high Samlesbury Hall standard. We will probably look for somewhere else the next time we eat out.

Called in when we drove past and had a great lunch. The service is great and the place has loads of history. We really enjoyed lunch!

Great food and service and for the standard of food , reasonable prices. Ambience is good and staff very friendly. Would return again.

I will start by saying a Fantastic night!! We came to samlesbury hall mid week for my nanas 90th birthday. They opened just for us.At first I wasn't sure about going here my mum booked it 20+ people set menu with a pre-order, they opened just for our party in the grand hall, I haven't been since I was a child it was the perfect room and a memory our family will have forever. The manager and staff couldn't have done anymore for us, we are a fussy family Love to criticise food. They changed a few sauces to the pre-order added different deserts, half our party where late to arrive they said it was fine and was no problem after reading another review on here I can't help but feel they where a bad customer looking for a freebie if there was any problem with the night it was us. The venue the food where perfect. I know I will be back to try one of their ghost tours with my mother. I doubt I will see a ghost but I know I will have a good meal.

This may be an old Hall - and there are corners of it where it's showing it's age, but the food is good home cooked fare - honest stuff. The service is lovely - friendly, efficient and obligingly happy to create variations on the printed menu. Well worth a visit.

the food was good but it took quite a while to come out and it was worth the wait. The portions were generous and we didn't need dessert but they sounded great on the menu and seeing them go past with the waitress was quite mouth watering. But we resisted. It was quite pricey but it was quality. the coffees were great as well.

We were here for lunch on Sunday last week.Sadly the service was not up to the usual Samlesbury Hall standard.We have visited many times over the last few years, and this year it does not seem to have been as good as on previous trips.There appeared to be a lack of leadership, and the food was served in a very haphazard way - the coffee before the puddings, for instance. A bit disappointing.

both the bar & grill, and restaurant were excellent, staff friendly, and attentive, very relaxing time.

To be able to visit this lovely old hall is a priviledge. To be able to lunch here is a real pleasure. The restaurant is quite large and the leaded windows and wooden floors create an atmoshere.The staff are very pleasant and helpful.The food was fairly average but the ambience of the place more than compensated.