Shendish Manor in Dacorum

Very slow service and over pretentious food in tiny portions. We had to wait over an hour for food to be delivered and when it was it was the smallest amount of food you can imagine. Also the food was not up to the standard the menu thinks it is.

We were pleasantly surprised when we visited the restaurant. Even though we live nearby we had never been to the Orangey restaurant We had a lovely meal, served by friendly staff. Prices were reasonable £21.95 3 course meal Monday to Thursday and £29.95 Friday to Sunday. Wine prices were typical for the area ranging from £21 to £48 . The restaurant was light and airy with views across the grounds. It was very quite for a Saturday night, which did not surprise me, I had been unable to contact via phone as there was no answer, no working on line portal and email took 2 days to answer. I appreciate staffing is difficult but when I finally went up to the hotel to book as I live nearby their was a large wedding in progress and the poor receptionist was trying her best to deal with everyone, she clearly needed help. I would recommend and we will go back again

After the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions it has been good to be able to revisit old haunts denied to us during the last 18 months. Shendish Manor is one such place. Set in the Hertfordshire countryside of Apsley, this grand manor house dates back to 1300, since when it has had many owners, chiefly the publishing company of Longman's. In 1936 it was sold to the local stationery firm of John Dickinson when it became a sports and social club. From 1994 it has been a hotel, golf club and conference centre. The Orangery restaurant looks out over acres of green countryside and provides an oasis of calm away from the hurly-burly of the nearby main London Road. The menu is brief but to the point. Starters of Beetroot & Feta salad and the Ham & Pea terrine made appetising starters. The Pan-fried chicken breast was packed with flavour and served on gratin potatoes with roasted carrots, carrot puree and a delicious red wine jus. My Seabass fillet was a good piece of fish well cooked and served with Parmentier potatoes, fine green beans, cherry tomatoes and a spiced tomato dressing. The Warm chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream and the Coconut panna cotta with pineapple salsa made a fine finish to a very good lunch. After so long of being away from such civilised surroundings it was a pleasure to be back at a place where you can relax and try to forget the tragedy of the current ongoing global disaster.

Visited for lunch. Service was slow. Food was okay, nothing special. Prices were woah - £4.40 for a large Pepsi! £8.00 for a melt ciabatta! Probably better options in the area.

Cooked here in the long distant past. When the food was of a high quality and standard. Unfortunately since then standards have dropped & dropped & dropped.

Eat here during our 2 day stay Breakfast was ample but under the lamp job so was cold by the time I'd finished but very few places cook to order nowadays Dinner was great with a 2 course meal no complaints Afternoon tea now we swapped menue a bit and I don't drink tea so I brought my own soft drink in case I got charged for one which I've had happen before and wasn't impressed Took a while for it to arrive but was worth wait and nice place to eat in all round good experience

We spent a good afternoon - having Afternoon tea- which was enjoyed by all and in such pleasant surroundings. Will defo visit again real soon.

We were a party of 10 for lunch, our main courses were served by one person, and being quite a way from the kitchen, this meant a long wait from the first to the last person being served. There seemed to be quite a few staff about, but the service was slow. Most people enjoyed their food, but I found mine mediocre, the menu is very limited.

The restaurant is in a lovely position. The food was fine, the set lunch menu offers a choice of 3 starters and 3 main courses. The service was varied, depending on who it was, there were plenty of staff, but it wasn't very co-ordinated.

Shendish Manor is a hotel, country and golf club in a monumental thirteenth-century building set in acres and acres of rolling countryside. The Orangery restaurant is open to non-members and affords splendid views of the greenery and you can even sit outside and enjoy the views while supping on a delicious afternoon tea or whatever takes your fancy. We were there for Sunday lunch and although it was fairly quiet at first, after 1pm it filled up with party bookings including a preponderance of ladies who lunch. The menu offers enough choice to suit all tastes including starters of Pan-seared scallops, Chicken & leek terrine, Chicken strips, Calamari etc. We ordered the Black pudding Scotch egg with a spinach piperade nicely presented with the black pudding wrapped around the runny egg - delicious! The Goats cheese bon-bons were little balls of the cheese coated in breadcrumbs and fried, with a papaya salsa and candied walnuts - another nice treat. Mains included Lamb rump, Sirloin steak, Halloumi cheese with a salad of courgette, aubergine & roast pepper salad, and Battered fish & chips. We tried the Stuffed chicken breast with spinach, sun-dried tomato & cream cheese, a fine and moist combination served with celeriac puree, asparagus and herb potato cake. The Pan-fried bream fillet was a chunky piece of fish enhanced by a fennel puree and a white wine cream sauce with baby leeks and parmentier potatoes. Our desserts of Poached pear with mango ice cream and the Passionfruit & mango cheesecake were much enjoyed. We saved the Sticky toffee pudding and the Warm chocolate brownie for next time, because we will certainly be returning for another excellent meal served in spectacularly scenic surroundings.

This restaurant was billed as a highlight. However, service was just about average (even in the middle of the week and without any big functions on). The menu was as expected for a middle class restaurant these days wit some local Aylesbury duck etc. Execution of it was ok but there wasn’t anything exceptional. Is the treck out to it worth it? - Perhaps not

Evening meal. Food was average to good. Service generally was good but had to wait a while for the food. Staff were very nice and friendly.

I booked afternoon tea for my husbands birthday. We made our selection and asked if we could have sandwiches without any meat. The waitress was very happy to oblige. Our tea was very nicely decorated on the plate and we had various tea's too. The pastries were divine and scones were lovely. Very happy with our choice of tea and would recommend.

Our saturday evening meal, the restaurant was busy but we were served promptly and our meals arrived hot and in good sized portions, excellent service from very friendly staff.

Lots of staff in the Orangery, the problem is they don't appear to want to do much as I had to wait 80 minutes on my food arriving after I ordered it.

We booked a family lunch here for my mother-in-laws birthday. When we arrived we were told there was no booking for our group and they had to rush around to get tables set up. The food was amazing unfortunately the service we received was disgusting! We waited ages for miserable waitresses who couldn't even crack a smile. The drinks were sent back due to wrong order being sent to our table. We had to ask for menus instead of them being sent over to us. One guests food didn't even get brought out with the rest and had to wait longer then eat alone! Glasses were dirty. Broken glass under our table. Made complaints to staff and they just made excuses for their bad service. Emailed management about our complaints and they couldn't even be bothered to write back....not even an apology! Thank you shendish manor for making our lunch one to remember when it should have been an enjoyable afternoon! We certainly won't be coming back here! Oh and the 2 marks is for the chef and because the food was great. But I guess it's not the chefs fault that the rest of you do such a bad job.

Dined for Sunday lunch with three friends, very nice venue. We were seated quickly and ordered drinks and food. Both arrived in good time but the staff were really confused. Waiter brought two plates of food and said pork belly to which my friend said that's me and as promptly given fish cakes that were mine. I said that's mine and I moved the plate in front of me. The waiter then stood there frozen with the pork belly wondering why I had taken the pork belly which was really fish cakes and what would he do with the fish cakes that was really pork belly. My friend had to tell the waiter to just put the plate down and we'll sort it out. We were eating our meal and I had finished when the waiter decided to clear the table and had to be stopped as three diners were still eating. The very large table in front of us were eating their main course when the waiter (the same one that served our main course) started putting desserts on their table and had to be told by a diner that they had not ordered their desserts as they were still eating their main course. Next the same waiter brought out main courses for some poor diners and stood in the middle of the restaurant looking totally confused, I said if she stands still long enough the rotation of the earth may bring the diners around but food will probably be cold. Staff were plonking (I chose that word with good reason) food down in front of diners who were then having to place it in front of the correct diner, they just didn't know the difference between any of the dishes, lamb, pork, fish, steak it was all the same to them. Finally one of our party ordered vodka and tonic with a splash of lime and ice, she was brought a bottle of tonic. No glass, No ice, No vodka, No lime No apology, The food was delicious and the restaurant manager was very efficient and friendly but was let down by two staff in particular, they were totally incompetent. Serious staff training is needed, I would love to return but not sure I will due to the poor service.

Cena de Navidad empresas, absoluta desastre de principio a fin no gaseosas bebidas (coca cola, refrescos, etc.) y servicio de comida atractiva incluso peor. Nos quejamos en la noche, al día siguiente y tres días más tarde. Aún no he recibido una respuesta final así esta crítica.

He estado en Shendish Manor para el té de la tarde 3 veces (con diferentes personas) y 2 de las 3 veces que me ha decepcionado!

Vinieron para una Navidad. Opciones del menú limitado (que, como teníamos que ofrecer nuestra selección de varias semanas de antelación) no eran realmente necesarios. Realmente no puedo ver por qué no podía haber expandido a 1 o 2 más opciones. Sólo 1 de carne y...

La calidad de la comida era de primera clase y no me puedo quejar, éramos 8 en nuestro grupo y todos estuvieron de acuerdo en que fue una de las mejores comidas que he tenido durante un tiempo. Los camareros eran muy atentos.

Me gustó mucho la comida pero estaba molesto por el menú. Tienes que tener un mínimo de 2 platos, que realmente no me quieres, yo habría sido feliz con sólo una comida juego. Buena comida y servicio, pero demasiado caro. Hay también una variedad muy...

Tuve la oportunidad de disfrutar de la cena, el lugar es simplemente hermoso. El personal es muy amable y servicial y la comida era deliciosa, ya que debe. No he visto el lugar en luz aunque

Came here as a surprise on my Hen Do and the afternoon tea was delicious! If anything they served us too much but let us take the rest of the cakes home in boxes! Delicious!!!

On a recent trip to visit family we booked a room for a week at the Shendish Manor. What a great experience. We have stayed at other local hotels with fewer amenities at the same relative price. The room is spacious, the inclusive breakfast is hearty and the location is lovely with easy access to footpaths, shopping, restaurants and more. Mattress is firm and towels are nicely sized. Only wish there was a toiletry 'shelf' in the bathroom, bit tight for two people with toiletry bags.I hope they add a spa to the premises sometime soon.

My friend invited me to join her for a relaxing afternoon with tea in the beautifully situated resturant at the rear of the most delightful manor. We were very well looked after. Nothing was too much trouble for the pleasent efficient waitress. The choice of sandwiches was finr. The scones were really moreish freshly made, we enjoyed the choice of cakes. We munched our way through everything on offer, with freshly made coffee, neither of us drinks tea which wasn't a problem. My friend and i chatted and ate for over two hours! Never feeling we should leave although we were the last to leave. We will repeat our experience.

Nous avons séjourné au Shendish Manor qui est un hôtel très joli dans son ensemble, plutôt typique, avec un personnel accueillant.Mais le restaurant n'est pas formidable, la cuisine est moyenne et les recettes y sont bizarres, j'ai eu en entrée un pate très liquide avec du gras et de la confiture de fraise, c'était vraiment très étrange!Le plat (steak/frites) et le dessert (brownie) étaient convenables mais sans plus.

Although we did not spend the night , we were very impressed by the grounds and the countryside feel to this hotel. The hotel is up a narrow winding track and there are several humps which are not signed. There is a large car park and the staff seem friendly and efficient. We attended a funeral party and thought that the tea, scones and cakes provided were of very good quality and were quite delicious. It was a sad afternoon but with the sun shining, the lovely food and beautiful grounds we could not help but be happy.

Lovely location and they looked after my sister and her new husband really well. I know they and other family members really enjoyed the stay. Thank you.

Visited recently for a wedding and it's very pretty and picturesque. The three course meal was very very good and the room looked beautiful. There were two weddings going on but the staffing was good and that wasn't at all an issue. Only problem was that when a member of the wedding party cut her foot on glass, a member of staff had no clue what to do and left us with a very poorly stocked first aid kit and no help. This was resolved once a more senior member of staff came.

We booked this hotel because it was close to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour but will probably go back just to enjoy the property and manor house itself. What a beautiful peaceful place. We stayed in two different rooms in the manor house ( one standard and a premium room ) both were lovely with views of the gardens and very comfortable. The premium room had a free standing claw bathtub situated in front of a large window where one can take a luxurious bath while looking out at the woodlands and gardens and listen to the birds. The young girl at the front desk that checked us in was very good but the ( eastern European ? ) young man that checked us out was bleary eyed, confused and completely incompetent. At breakfast there was an older women collecting dishes each morning and twice we had our plates taken away before we could finish. Initially we were a little worried about noise as two of the nights they hosted weddings but all was wrapped up and quiet by 10 pm. Great value for money here.

We stayed here whilst visiting family in Hemel Hempstead, we found the staff very helpful, room was excellent, and would highly recommend this hotel. The grounds are stunning and if you like golf then this is the place for you

12 of us met at she dish for afternoon tea, 2 of us were gluten free, there was cutlery missing from the table, they were a bit slow to refill the tea and coffee. The scones were really light, and were served warm which was nice,especially as gluten free is not always good.

This venue isn't too far from the M25 from London, it's a stunning venue with great scenery consisting of fields and trees making this place great for photographers, inside however was decent but not great. Very small reception area but banqueting suite were good sizes definitely recommend for wedding functions

Great setting, good rooms, good service . Comfortable. Needs a bit of TLC decor a bit tired nd grubby.

Nous n'avons pas été déçus par la cuisine qui nous a été servie : c’était bon et les plats étaient recherchés, mais le prix était aussi élevé (Plat + dessert pour 2 = Plus de 50 £). Le service était aléatoire (nous avons trouvé sur notre table un verre encore à moitié plein des consommateurs précédents)

See review if hotel also. Ate at hotel in second night of stay and meal disappointed. £24.45 for two courses and food was uninspiring. Starters were "OK", gnocchi was more like potato cakes and droopy salad. My wife's main was pork tenderloin with potato and cabbage. Her meal was "gritty" as though the cabbage had not been properly washed. Service ok but poor standard overall

Had our wedding here and it was a fabulous venue, felt very palatial without the price tag of a lot of other extravagant venues! Couldn't have wished for a better day, fantastically executed and well run to the last detail.

Voilà un établissement qui propose une nonne nuitée dans un bon cadreLe restaurant est sans plus , mais permet de dîner sans se déplacer si on n a pas de voiture

We attended a dinner here recently for about 270 people. Overall it was a very enjoyable evening and the food was very much better than expected (excepting a rather poor desert). A more imaginative and better quality wine offering does not have to be any more expensive or difficult than they currently have. What detracted from the experience was the service which was somewhat chaotic. From the non existent welcome glass of prosecco (they must have run out as there was no evidence of anyone serving) to the abysmal overrun of service such that coffee etc was not served until after carriages. In my view if you are going to cater for large dinners you have to have the infrastructure and management to cope with it. Here they clearly did not. A shame as we did enjoy ourselves but had to go before it was finished.

There were about 250 people to cater for at the event and the service and food were of a very high standard. There is normally a downside to catering an event of that size but there were no complaints at all.Recommended

Been here twice for afternoon tea. Once in the summer and also took a friend at Christmas. Great value for money.

I attended afternoon tea here for a friend's birthday last weekend. The surroundings & the reception area are both lovely... The dining area itself is nice enough & the staff member that greeted us was a very pleasant man. I didn't like the fact that the table was bare with a grubby looking vase on it. The jug that had the milk in was also dirty looking. The sandwich fillings were fine but the bread was terrible, so dry. I also thought the choice of cakes was awful. Stale to say the least. We had to wait a really long time to be offered a fresh pot of tea too. I know it is a very well priced afternoon tea compared to others in the area but I wouldn't return & would avoid for a special occasion. I was quite embarrassed that this was my friend's birthday treat!

Beautiful hotel and gardens. Had a family celebration tea. Excellent value for money but they weren't good when it came to special dietary needs. They had full instructions of what certain people couldn't eat well in advance of our visit but still they got it wrong. Shame especially as they advertise that they cater for all special needs. But don't be put off we enjoyed ourselves.

L'hôtel n'est pas simple à trouver car il est sur une route perpendiculaire à la rue indiquée dans l'adresse. L'accueil à été plutôt mauvais au départ (personne très désagréable), heureusement une deuxième personne beaucoup plus agréable est venue terminer notre booking.Les chambres sont propres, mais les oreillers très gros (mauvais pour ceux qui souffrent des cervicales).Le breakfast est copieux et bon et la serveuse très gentille.Il y a un golf attenant à l'hôtel pour les amateurs.Gros point négatif : cinq ou six plateaux du petit déjeuner et du déjeuner qui traînent dans les couloirs à 7h le soir.

Lovely manor house hotel with great surroundings for an afternoon tea withmy friend.We had a nice stroll around the hotel grounds before having the tea in the modern Orangery. The waitress was very pleasant and helpful...we were served very promptly and the tea was replenished after we had drank a couple of cups each! We didn't have any extra drinks but these were available. A jug of water was supplied.The sandwiches were well filled and fresh...smoked salmon, ham, egg and cream cheese. Three cakes each - good sized, and two very nice scones with plenty of clotted cream and jams. Highly recommended!

Visited for afternoon tea last Friday for our wedding anniversary. Had already booked but they weren't busy. Taken to our table, well laid out although we didn't get a flower like other tables (the table next to ours had their flower in a reused pickle jar).Had to wait about 20 mins before sandwiches & cakes arrived, no apology. Then had to ask for the tea/coffee. Sandwiches had obviously been laying around for a little while as starting to go hard, albeit not by too much. 4 finger sandwiches (each) were ok, not very filling. 3 cakes each, very nice, 2 warmish scones were a bit crumbly, plenty of cream and a couple jars of jam - okish.We opted for coffee having checked with the waiter first that was not instant coffee, he assured us it was out of a machine. Well, not sure what type of machine it was out of but it wasn't a coffee machine. Came in a lovely silver cafetiere pot although plunger was already pushed down and on checking, there were no coffee granules inside. Instant coffee it was.Refills of tea or coffee not included.Towards the end we were asked if we wanted anything else, we asked for some water to wash down the scones. This should have been provided when we sat down not after 45 mins.There was the option on the menu of a glass of wine or cocktail but the waiter didn't ask us if we wanted any of these so we didn't bother.Overall, at £16.95 per head it was not good value and I've had better for less money.With just a little more effort they could have made the experience worthwhile.Shalln't bother going back.A three rating may be generous but just about right as the location and gardens are lovely.

Recommend the deep fried halloumi in chilli batter and goats cheese tart - flavourful and well presented,

I went here for my birthday after deciding not to travel into London and I was not disappointed. There was plenty of food and my friend mentioned it was my bday and they bought a few extra cakes with a candle in which was really lovely. My friends singing happy birthday however was not. We upgraded to the champers and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Would definitely go back and do this again.

Shendish Manor and golf club is tucked up a lane in peaceful surroundings just off the main road that passes through Apsley. It's easy to drive past it as the roadside sign is not that prominent however the hotel is listed on TomTom sat navs.First impressions were of an imposing country house. We were in the new block in a very comfortable room of decent size with a huge queen-size bed. The furniture and decor were in good condition and there was air conditioning. This was slightly noisy but not enough to stop us having a very good night's sleep.All staff members were extremely, friendly, informative and professional.The main dining room overlooked a beautiful garden with gravelled paths, trees and a gazebo. We had our buffet breakfasts here and a dinner (included in the price of our stay). We thought all our meals were well cooked and presented though we would have liked warmer plates for our breakfasts!This would make a very good base to explore the surrounding area but a car is essential as it's a long walk down the lane to the main road to catch buses or use Apsley train station.We enjoyed our stay here and would happily return at a later date.

I stayed in the Manor and dined in the restaurant on my last night of my UK trip and it was superb. I had the set menu and chose the salmon and the Eton Mess-type dessert which were both delicious and expertly presented. The service was slick and professional. I will definitely come back here on my next trip to the UK.

Ho cenato diverse volte nel ristorante di questo hotel e devo dire che tutto sommato si mangia decentemente, soprattutto per gli standard inglesi. La colazione è abbondante e varia.

Great experience and really friendly and attentive staff. Extra pots of tea no problem. (China pots would be classier than stainless steel by the way). Ample food. 2 scones each, 3 cakes eack and 4 sandwiches etc plus boxes in case you want to take cakes away! Will visit again soon.

Fab sandwiches, melt in the mouth scones with clotted cream and plenty of jam, dainty little cakes and gallons of tea. Added a glass of Prosecco and hey presto, a wonderful way to celebrate a friend's birthday.

Six friends attended a buffet night at Shendish Manor Hotel on the 31st December 2015.The food was excellent and the portions were large.Very good service from all the staff.The dinning room was very clean and decorated very well.Drinks a little pricey.Disco was good but very load.Overall we enjoyed a very good evening.

3 tiers of afternoon tea delights with sandwiches, cakes and scones with clotted cream and jam supplemented by tea or coffee with an additional tier of mince pies at Christmas time, for an extra £1, is a good deal. However the room is a little soul-less and the staff are less than attentive. I had to walk the length of the restaurant a few times to catch their attention to ask for milk/fresh water/tea. Although it is lovely to be able to chat without being interrupted, it does deepen the complete lack of atmosphere and makes the event rather clinical than heart-warming.

Just wanted to say what an excellent venue Shendish manor was for my baby shower at the weekend, what a treat it was to have it here.They prepared the room and tables for afternoon tea to such a high standard and the staff really looked after us for the afternoon.Highly recommend!!! Very happy and we all had a fantastic time, thank you.

The three course meal I had here was delicious. Couldn't fault any of it - delicious smoked haddock scotch egg, tender and flavoursome lamb and yummy sticky toffee pudding. We stayed in the hotel and the breakfast the next day was great too. Only let down a bit by slightly frantic service. The waiting times were long and the staff looked stressed. When we arrived at our booking time we were told they weren't ready for us even though more than a third of the tables weren't in use. There were some rowdy groups of other guests who were a bit noisy throughout our meal. Despite that, the food was really delicious.

Varied menu for all tastes and exceptional value - surprising given this is a quality hotel. Evening meals are flexible and tasty, breakfasts are fresh and equally good.

I was impressed with the food and service when I went for an afternoon tea last year as part of a Baby Shower party, so was delighted when I was given a voucher for our 40th wedding anniversary. This time (Sunday 8th Nov 15) I thought the sandwiches were most uninspiring, Although it wasn't busy, the service was poor, difficult to get the attention of the limited staff for a missing cup and fresh tea and coffee. To top it all I spent yesterday (Monday) with gripey pain although I can't prove that it's from the sandwiches I ate. Most disappointed, unlikely to recommend especially on a Sunday.. .

This is a delightful hotel and golf course with excellent rooms and dining. However.....Despite our booking for 14 people and a warning that we'd probably want lunch as well as the booked dinner, bed and breakfast the service levels were very short of what you'd expect. I know there was a wedding being catered for at the same time, but that's no excuse for a 2 hour period for everyone to get something to eat. The dinner went well (although a waitress tried to serve 2 desserts with our starters) and all the food was delicious. Problems occurred again afterwards when we said we would want some drinks in the lounge area. 'No problem, be right there' - then started clearing glasses and disappeared! Really? 14 people wanting liqueurs, Baileys, etc and they get ignored until we chase again?

My partner booked dinner in the orangery for our 6th anniversary of us being together. He booked it as he thought it would be a special place to propose to me however the restaurant staff seemed disorganised which let it down.Once seated we were offered a bread roll but when attempting to serve it the waiter realised we had no side plate, which he went away and produced.We ordered the 3 course option and gave our waiter all our options. First course came, all good. 2nd course came straight away after our plates were taken for the first course but unfortunately no cutlery came with it and as we were short of a fork we had to call the waiter back to get one. Having eaten we sat with our empty plates for half an hour but this wasn't an issue to us as my partner did his amazing proposal in this time, noted by other guests! As the staff were frequently walking past us maybe the sight of the proposal is what kept them away! Eventually having taken our plates away a waitress approached after 10 minutes to ask if we wished to order dessert which we told her we'd already done. Another 10 minutes later the same waitress approached to ask if there was anything we needed which we replied that we were waiting for our dessert order of 2 cheese boards. She went away and quickly came back with 1 cheese board, no plate, no cutlery and swiftly vanished. We then had to call a passing waiting for a knife! We gave in and decided to share the 1 cheeseboard!After calling for the bill we discovered we'd been charged for the 2 cheeseboards so my partner went to the till to query this where 4 staff members gathered round. At the same time one of the other guests approached him to congratulate us on our engagement! The bill was corrected!Its a shame that on such a special occasion there was a lot of hiccups and not one mention of a congratulations from any of the staff. Was hoping to celebrate each anniversary in the same place but have definitely been put off!

The establishment grand and appealing.The menus unadventurous but fair.The food when availible good but not outstanding.The wine list B&B limited.Unfortunately the service, no evident management, watched multiple customers lost (overstaffed); no focus, lots of activity with no results. 2 1/2 hours for a simple three course deliverance; with lots of reminders by us, most just walked out.Then the sadly amusing part, trying to get coffee, restaurant staff now completely lost it, so asked at reception desk for coffee, and advised them of restaurant melt-down. Apologises and assured of action, another prolonged wait and half a cup of coffee delivered by nervous junior staff.

Had our work christmas party here and a nights stay.The venue is beautiful, food was good, friendly staff and nice comfortable rooms.They have golf course for golf players and the grounds are picturesque.

My wife, her friend and a daughter each, all went to Shendish for a Sunday afternoon tea. All of them spoke about how poor this was in comparison to other places.1. They had to wait around for 10 minutes before anybody showed the slightest bit of interest. 2. A single serving of tea, sandwiches and cakes were brought out .... and that was the last anybody saw of a member of staff. 3. Nice grounds and building do not make up for a shoddy afternoon tea. My suggestion would be for the manager and senior staff to go and visit somewhere that knows how to do this and then bring the experience back with you. Otherwise - why bother?

Lovely hotel in a great location, food was excellent, rooms nice and comfortable and clean. Staff very attentive.

Came for afternoon tea- the cakes and scones were very enjoyable and the scones being warm was a plus point! The grounds of the manor are beautiful and we would recommend a walk around! However, the wine glasses were dirty and we had to send them back, the tea selection wasn't as extensive as other places I have been. Also, the bread for sandwiches didn't seem fresh and you had to pay an extra £5 on top of the £15.95 for extra sandwiches which felt rather steep!! It was nice to try but we're not sure we would return.

Average hotel but great staff!! Situated in the city but easy to access fro locals who want a change of scenery without the long travel.

nothing to dislike about this hotel, the staff, the service throughout and the romantic restaurant were all wonderful. The food was exceptionally good too.

Booked for one night as going to Harry Potter studios the next morning. We had a family room for two adults and three kids 9,11 and 13. The upstairs corridor smelt quite peculiar but the room itself was fine. One double bed and two sofa beds and a large bathroom. Nice hot forceful shower but shower head fixed and no shower caps, so difficult to keep hair dry if not planning on washing it. Lovely grounds for kids to run around and patio where we enjoyed a drink and the surroundings. Huge expanse of lawn, mature trees and lovely flowers. Very relaxing after a long car journey. Dining room overlooks garden so again lovely ambiance. Food was average. My haloumi on mushroom was really a starter size. Good but expensive for what it was. Didn't complain as we were complaining about kids pizzas and dislike being too negative at a meal. Kids Pizzas though were truly awful. More a strange thick bread than pizza base. As my 9yr old said: " if they can't make pizza then don't put it on the menu". Very true. The staff were very apologetic and gave the kids complimentary desserts. They did charge 2/3 of the cost of the kids meals though... One of my kids finished the chips that came with the "pizza" but the others didn't so not sure whether that represented good value for money....Breakfast was lovely and check out very efficient. Would certainly recommend this hotel but they need to pay more attention to the kids menu. And a shower cap might be useful.

Had to stay in the hotel after a late night corporate event. Decent size room, clean and all needed facilities available, Good choices for breakfast.Nice views and surroundings

stayed in business lovely place a bit out of town but if you drive it shouldnt be a problem. Really good restaurant.

Lavish setting in lovely part of Hemel, Restaurant and Bar with hotel upstairs, What more can you ask for.

We stayed overnight, good location for harry potter studios. Average hotel, food ok but nothing special. Service poor in the restaurant

A lovely afternoon spent celebrating my 40th birthday with my Nan, Mum, Aunts, daughter and neice. The sandwiches were great and the cakes and Scones with clotted cream and jam were absolutely yummy. The service was excellent and the tea and coffee pots were promptly refilled / refreshed. A perfect girlie feast xx

Charged me twice and has not been paid back into my account and dont expect to get the main part of the hotel you will get the staff quaters, never again

The title says it all. The food had very little flavour and was very bland. The pork I ate was only lukewarm and I was ill that night. Cause and effect - I don't know.

I totally disagree with a previous post titled "afternoon tea". They stated that they had no choice of sandwiches and the scones were small ............... We found the opposite to be true.We just happened to pop by on a Bank Holiday Monday and were pleased to be able to sample their afternoon tea. A selection of sandwiches were on offer - and as we are non-meat eaters, they were only to happy to swap the ham for the smoked salmon. There were 3 different cakes/tarts on offer and as we didn't particularly fancy one of the selection, the staff were, once again, happy to swap these particular cakes for extra sandwiches instead. The scones were, large, warm and tasty and the clotted cream and jam were a perfect accompaniment.We were offered a selection of teas - herbal, fruit, aromatic etc, and any coffee of our choice - and refills were forthcoming throughout our tea.The restaurant setting is very pleasant, being in a conservatory - so lovely views of the gardens as you eat.The £15.95 per head was good value in my opinion. Would definitely recommend.

I haven't had dinner at Shendish Manor for several years because the last time I went, I wasn't impressed. This time, I went as part of a group and I wasn't expecting much, but I was surprised by the quality of the food. I had goat's cheese tartlet as a starter and it was the best I had ever tasted. The rest of the 3 course menu was also excellent. I have changed my opinion. They have a great chef.

The evening meal was 3 course and was excellent. Hot , tasty and looked beautiful on the plate. the breakfast again was hot and tasty and a lot of choice.

Booked afternoon tea at Shendish Manor for my daughters 16th birthday. Lovely setting and had nice table by the window as requested. Staff friendly and accomodating and service was good. Only one negative was that as the food was in the sun and it was particularly hot, the tart pastry was quite soft. This was our 2nd visit for tea. My personal preference would be more sandwiches and less cakes but that's just me. Very generous portions and a vast improvement on their offerings at the Christmas party night I attended. Would recommend for afternoon tea.

Nicki the sales manager was extremely helpful in arranging the booking. The hotel reception was very welcoming and the staff were lovely. The lady who was in charge on the day was excellent and she had arranged a lovely big table for us in the middle of the restaurant with a view of the beautiful grounds. The restaurant staff couldn't have been more helpful. The three course lunch had good choices and was enjoyed by all the guests. We all had a fabulous day and I would recommend this hotel restaurant to anyone.

Food was delightful well presented and ample portions it was a set menu for the evening but there were three choices on each course and they were very varied. The dining room was pleasantly decorated for the occasion.

For the cost our afternoon was pleasant, the staff were particularly lovely and a beautiful building.Sadly now the average stuff. My dear friend and I take Afternoon tea every month and try somewhere different each month so we have many experiences, lots within this price range too.Shop purchased bread rather than baked on the premises, no filling choices given and given I am egg intolerant that ruled out one of them selections for me, that said the ham was very tasty. Additionally neither of us are mad on white bread and we are used to being given the choice. No choice on teas either. Scones whilst tasty were the smallest we have encountered. Very generous helping of clotted cream though!Given how beautiful Shendish is and the many years of experience they have (I have eaten here at a wedding and it was SUPERB ..... We had much higher hopes for their Afternoon Tea.As a critical friend I would recommend they look at their menu through fresh eyes as the devil is in the detail, small details make so much difference including us recommending places to our friends and my blog. Can't say we will rush back and whilst we wouldn't be rude as the staff were very lovely, we have numerous other venues not so far away that just do it better.Sorry Shendish but honesty is the best policy, we can all grow from learning where our weakness lay.Thank you to the staff for their sunny and helpful disposition.

Went with family for Christmas Day dinner and had a great time. Very relaxed and restaurant had been very well decorated. Our 11 yr old daughter had a lovely stocking on her chair filled with lot's of little presents which she loved, very thoughtful selection. Food was lovely, very tasty and courses were well paced out, never felt like we were waiting but also didn't feel rushed and every request was dealt with quickly. Have not stayed at the hotel as we are very local but would recommend location to people, really is a great setting giving the feel that you are right in the country. Think I'll come back to check out the afternoon tea and I'm sure we'll visit the restaurant again.

Went here with 6 friends for Christmas afternoon tea. It was ok. Have been to many other afternoon teas in the past and I have a few suggestions for management. Where was the menu? a menu should be given to let you know what different teas/coffees are available. NO 'champagne' option was offered to us. No description of the sandwich fillings or the cakes were offered by the waitress - cake stand just plonked down. Price was £14.95. There were 2 tables in the whole restaurant taken, us being one of them - so the place lacked atmosphere. Probably won't return, was an average experience.

Went for afternoon tea with my family and we were very impressed with not only the amount of cakes and sandwiches we were given but the service we received. The lady who served as could not do enough and was very welcoming. We boxed up the cakes as we just could not eat it all. I would definitely book afternoon tea again. Compared to other more expensive places I have been I thought this was one of the best, particularly when the cost is less than what I have previously paid in other establishments. Well done Shendish. .

My son and his wife stayed here. He booked a table for 6 on Sunday. Quite the largest dining room I've seen. Service and meal were good. Went to look at bedroom, a big room nicely furnished..called in again onThurs. This time in the Orangery where breakfast is served. Ian's mixed grill was good £18 couldn't eat all of the monster hand cut chips. Will keep this place in mind for a birthday meal.

The set menu for lunch time is amazing value with lots of options. We were the only people in the restaurant to begin with which was lovely. The grounds looked stunning however the rain prevented us from exploring too far

We received a present of Afternoon Tea at Shendish Manor and went last month. Lovely Staff very attentive. My husband's coffee pot seemed to have a will of its own when pouring hence a rather mucky table cloth. Sandwiches and cakes very enjoyable. Felt a bit lonely as we were the only ones there. Can recommend but if having coffee check the pot first.Nice view from the Orangery looking out onto the gardens.

My friend had called up a week before to advise she has a celiac condition. We arrived the food stand came out with the selection of sandwiches & cakes, we reminded the staff & they said her separate selection wouldn't be long, it then took 20 minutes till it arrived so my lovely friend had to sit their watching everyone eat a variety of yummy cakes, then hers arrived, there we're only two choices of sandwich & two slices of what resembled a cereal bar & some fruit, NO CAKE! For some one who has this restriction on what they can eat this was very unfair!!! Especially at an afternoon tea & cake event!! Very disappointing!! Beautiful settings but the staffs lack of attention to detail & slowness let it down!! Shame on you!!!!!

Brilliant. Lovely food and surroundings . Staff attentive . Quiet and reserved . Would definitely recommend

We booked the restaurant to celebrate my mothers 85th birthday, we booked 2 round tables for a party off 18, and got 1 large table, however we could have been at an end off a runway could not communicate only with the person you was sitting next too, cannot comment on food quality or service as we where served all our dinners at separate times, cold cold and cold food, we where told that there 2 weddings that day hence why we where served at different times.If you book make sure no weddings taking place as you will receive a better service, hopefully, will not be booking a Xmas dinner, note we had to pay in advance for this appalling service a celebration that fell flat!!!!

We arrived at 7.35pm for a meal. We were seated at 7.40pm. At 8:15pm, or about that, we left. Apparently too many people had turned up for dinner and they only had two waiters on. All we got was a menu. We left because we didn't expect to be served soon, and we didn't have any confidence that our food would arrive before we were due to return home.The poor fellow in charge looked utterly harassed, was heard to say "this is why you need more people to run a restaurant" and then apparently cut his hand.

Good food, good service, great prices for the family day out to the zoo. Sunday lunch is my favourite, I love the spa and their gardens.

Nice hotel and grounds let down by broken air-con in bedroom on a very hot day and a 4ft 6inch bed in a large room for two. You'd struggle to find such a base model bed anywhere. Oh and a 4:3 tv. Sloppy.

We wanted to take 20 friends out for a celebration Sunday lunch and Shendish Manor couldn't have been more helpful in arranging just what we wanted.When we arrived our bar order was taken quickly and our friends were able to relax with a drink before eating. Both the service and food were excellent. Big Yorkshire puds and generous thick slices of succulent beef done just perfectly. We couldn't have chosen a better place with the sun shinning brightly across the gardens outside. Brilliant !

Christmas meal and drinks with a group of friends from the gym - excellent set up and good quality food - would go again - Thanks

I came here for valentines day with my boyfriend and two of our friends and our stay here was lovely! Would definitely recommend to others. Food was great and came out on time considering the amount of guests and the fact that there was a wedding reception going on. Staff were very friendly, chatty and helpful. Mo behind the bar was great! He definitely made our night! Would definitely come back :)

Visited here with friends for my birthday and had a wonderful afternoon tea. Lovely variety of sandwiches and cakes and the scones were delicious. Service was great and nothing was too much trouble. Will definitely return and really great value for money.