Solent Cafe at Macdonald Elmers Court Hotel and Resort in New Forest

Had a wonderful time at the hotel. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Full of history and in a beautiful setting. Everything was so clean and there is a beautiful spa and swimming pool. Had an Indian Head Massage by Amy which was the best one I have ever had. Worth going back just for that. Lovely lady and will be booking in with her next time we go back.

Expensive at £16 per head with most choices on the menu having an extra charge. The choice for £16 was continental or english. On two occasions the cafe had help yourself hot breakfast ie bacon sausage etc etc spoilt by the fact that the plates were cold so by the time you got half way through the meal the food was cold. Not a problem for the rest of the days when the breakfast was waiter service

My wife and I had a voucher for afternoon cream tea for two here for my wife's birthday in July. We decided to use it on my birthday last Friday. The cream tea was alright but to be honest we've had better and for less than £23 per person elsewhere. We finished off with a nice glass of Pimms which at £7.50 a glass we thought a bit overpriced but that seems to be the norm these days in hotels, pubs etc. especially in the New Forest area. We know hotels etc took a hammering during the Pandemic and are trying to recoupe lost income, but its at the expense of punters and surely if they kept the prices reasonable they would attract more people.

If you like pizza then great! If you want anything else, forget it. We booked after reading their online menu; something for everyone….not. Sadly the menu had been culled. On the upside, the cooked breakfast was good - such as you would expect at a good chain hotel but pricey. £72 for four full English breakfasts, one tea, one coffee and two apple juices - way over the odds. Felt ripped off with this one.

Breakfast is served in a sports style cafe next to the leisure centre. The breakfast menu was only available on our last day. The scrambled eggs to order were very good; the other hot food and continental food was average. The venue needs a good clean. Butter and sugar had to be asked for each day. The staff seemed very stressed and there were very few of them, which meant tables remained uncleared.

We are here for a family holiday and we have booked three separate apartments in the Manor House which are spacious and pretty well kitted out. We decided to have dinner in the Solent Cafe and were very pleased we did. Although the menu is a bit limited the lasagne was great. It was freshly cooked in the restaurant and is one the best I have tasted. The chef, Carlos, is a recent arrival at the restaurant and if this is an example of his ability then diners are in for a treat. In addition, Dan the bartender looked after us extremely well and between them made the dining experience a joy. Thanks to you both 😀

Rain was forecast and so we took the sensible precaution of booking an afternoon tea - a very good decision! Lovely service, delicious sandwiches, scones and petit fours.