Stanwells Bistro in New Forest

We stumbled upon this hotel/restaurant and thought it looked lovely so we decided to book our final meal of our holiday here.Throughout the whole meal, the manager stood at the top of the stairs overlooking the conservatory, where we were seated. We were sitting at the bottom of the stairs so felt quite uneasy and the constant clicking of his pen was very irritating! Every time a waitress walked past him, he whispered in her ear - this seemed to creep them out and it was obvious that they didn’t like working under him, as we witnessed numerous eye rolls!!We finished our drinks after the starters and were trying to catch someone’s eye for 15 minutes but nothing. When our main courses arrived, the waitresses brought out the next table’s food at the same time, so rushed onto them. The manager is still standing watching over us at this point, so we thought we would see how long it would take for him to notice our empty glasses. Our mains were cleared but again no one noticed. We sat from starters to the bill without being offered another drink! Our empty glasses were still not cleared following payment of the bill - absolutely laughable! Of course, we did not add any service onto the bill as quite frankly, there was none!Far better places to go in Lymington with wonderful, hard-working and polite staff.

Well very disappointing just had a lovely walk along the sea front and thought I would pop in to Stanwells for breakfast as I walked in I could see 7 tables free and not setup in the lobby and another 3 tables free in the back area for functions I asked for a table the young lady she said she will have to check. Now to be honest I was dressed in my tracksuit as it wasn’t that much of good weather but they said they had no tables whilst looking at me like some weirdo! there was only 3 tables sat I don’t want an excuse in response to this review about social distancing because thats absolute nonsense as the tables were mor than 3 meters apart. Also they wasn’t for the guests of the hotel because the tables would have been setup. I have worked in the hospitality trade for 8 years and you never refuse a customer if there is space I’m more than sure it’s because I wasn’t dressed smart enough either way I’ve eaten here many times the food is good here and the service is spot on but on this occasion really disappointed any how went up the road to cafe aroma had an amazing breakfast they never fail me and the food is a little better and far cheaper. Looking at the reviews of stanwells I can see that this place is going down hill no wonder why they sold it recently.

We often visit here as it has a roomy conservatory, and in these difficult times, space and a non stuffy environment is quite important. This place fits the bill and is well set up for being COVID safe. We had a steak sandwich, and a prawn sandwich, both of which were very nice. Then there’s the service. This was slow, and when we asked for the bill , it didn’t appear.....until much later. We will come back again, as it gives us what we want, and the shortcomings can be overlooked.

We travelled all the way from London to surprise my disabled husband with an afternoon tea. Arrived at Stanwell House and ordered a cream tea there. The waiter and waitresses should have mentioned to us that we also had an option of afternoon tea and/or a Champagne afternoon tea. Nothing was offered to us as a better option and we had ended up having a cream tea only. After it, we realised that we could have a nice afternoon tea that also comes with sandwiches. After our enquiry, we were told that this belonged to another menu that was never mentioned to us. Then, we asked for the other menu, just in case, and then they’ve told us that there is no other menu but we can only have an afternoon tea if we book it in advance. Far too many misleading information and we felt that it was a big fiasco the whole experience.

We decided to pop in on a Saturday morning for a much needed coffee and cake. It wasn’t overly busy but the service felt a little slow. It wasn’t that it was overly busy but it felt like the locals there having a cuppa were the regulars so got the attention. The cakes were a little dry but the coffees and teas were great. And the beautiful setting makes up for a lot, it’s a true gem of a place on Lymington High Street.

It began well. We managed to get a small table just inside but open to the gardens. Our drinks were delivered promptly. But after that things went a little south. Our food took a long time to arrive (after others who arrived after us, always a bad sign). D ordered the 'fish finger' sandwich, I went for my fave, the Caesar Salad. My food was spot on (in fact, one of the best Caesar's I've had, lots of anchovies and parmesan and well cooked chicken); but D's food was sadly luke-warm, which was a pity as she said the haddock was really tasty. Now, in this Covid-environment, I know things aren't easy BUT there were a LOT of staff and less tables - so there was no excuse for the slow service.

We popped into the courtyard coffee area for morning coffee, were shown to a table and sat down. And waited. And waited. No menu, no service.For about 15-20 minutes we watched other couple be seated, brought menus and have their orders taken. All attempts to catch a servers eye were scrupulously avoided.Eventually we did manage to get the attention of a waitress as she left the table next to us , having taken their order ( they had sat down a good ten minutes before us). We asked if we could order coffee and cake. Clearly startled at our impertinence she said she’d be back shortly ( the implication being “ When I’ve looked after these much more important customers.....”). We didn’t see her again, except when we walked past her as we left some minutes later.......The place was less than half full, so that doesn’t explain it. There was however a group of waiting staff having a happy and animated chat by the door leading to the kitchen. We didn’t disturb them, in the same way that they hadn’t disturbed us......

Venue good.Mussels lovely - big and juicy.Cream tea tasty - scones had a nice crunch to them.Sandwiches looked mediocre at best but apparently were ok - very disappointing based on the price.Service could have been better. Good at front-end but once food had been served, waiting staff seemed to disappear. When I requested service from someone they said they would seat someone before coming back but then must have walked past me at least a further 6 times and starting doing other things before finally coming back to ask what I wanted - very unacceptable considering they automatically put on a 12.5% tip.

My friends and I were astonished at the poor service and rude staff. We were made to wait for 10 minutes to be seated, even though we had made a reservation beforehand. We were then sat on a dirty table outside in the cold and ignored by staff when we asked to be seated inside. The menu is highly disappointing, very plain and simple so extremely overpriced for what it is, not to mention the lack of vegetarian/gluten free options. We were sat at our table for half an hour without being served or even acknowledged. It was a very cold welcome and they made us feel like rubbish, very disappointing, wouldn’t recommend this to anyone! After waiting for almost 40 minutes we walked out and went to another restaurant along the high street as there is a huge variety to choose from.

I understand that businesses are struggling with the eat out to help out scheme but this was something else. We waited 5 minutes to even be acknowledged. We had reserved a table apparently but were checked on a unlaid table outside, without even being asked where we’d prefer to sit (there were seats indoors). The women plonked a reserve sign on the table. I highly doubt they had even booked us in. Something else to bare in mind Is that food stopped at 8 we sat there from 7.30-7.55 without so much as a vacant glance from a older woman. The menu was basic and nothing special. We left because it was clear we weren’t going to be served for a while and wanted to eat. We were followed by a women and she lazily asked of we were ok! Um no.... we went on to say we hadn’t been served for half an hour, her response? Oh ok and walked off. Not even and an apology or an offer to reconcile. So poor I don’t know if it was our age as other people who were older were being served. I will never go again.

We had a table at 12.30 and were there 3 hours later! The service was absolutely horrendous. The staff were terrible - it took ages for some one to take our order, all meals took ages!!! No one apologised or even checked if we were okay. Would definitely not return or recommend it at all. Never experienced such terrible service!

(Nice staff, nice venue) FOOD IN THE GARDEN ABSOLUTE RUBBISH, Waiter made mistake of asking us X 4 how was everything. All 4 meals left uneaten Also NO phone nos taken from anyone fo possible Virus trace !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The food delivered to our table was top notch and on a par with other luxury venues offering a champagne afternoon tea. However, the venue itself was tired - plants not looked after properly, metal table tops sticky between the rivets and chairs not particularly comfortable. The thing that was so different from venues such as Coombe Abbey in Coventry was the service - no offer of extra sandwiches, no top-up of the tea and no offer of a beautiful little box to take away leftover cakes and scones. In fact, after the food arrived, we saw no more of any staff members. A shame as I had been looking forward to the experience and not just the food.

On Boxing day , we went for the third year running to Stanwerll House with freids foir lunch. The room was bewautifully laid out and really had the sprit of Christmas. We had a 3 course lunch which was excellent and the atmosphere and the staf fwere just great.. The beef was excellent again and made a really good meal with good helpings all round. We use Stanwell House as a bottom ofthe town coffee shop to and it is aleays good.. I look forward tio the next time in that part of town. Terry Langford. Milford on Sea.

This is a lovely little place but service is really poor. We had the afternoon tea with dainty pastries and scones. Did not get the food until out tea pot was low in tea and no longer hot. The scones were warm and fabulous—the best part!

My group were 14 ladies that lunch often. It was a festive lunch, in a private dining area, the food was lovely, the table was decorated beautifully and nothing was too much trouble. Just to finish this is a stylish boutique hotel and our festive lunch was incredible value.:)

Just arrived back from the Isle of Wight, Sunday evening and feeling very hungry. Lovely building, packed with customers which has to be a message! Food very good indeed - had to wait but that is fine when it is so good

Booked a champagne afternoon tea at Stanwell House for a Saturday afternoon. We were shown to our seat in the conservatory part of the Hotel and were asked what tea we would like and this arrived relatively quickly followed shortly by the food. We waited for our champagne but this didn't arrive so had to ask for it. We then asked if we could have X2 more sandwiches and were told we could but we'd have to pay extra for them (I've never had an afternoon tea before where this has happened). No one approached our table at any time to check if everything was ok and we again had to flag someone down to ask if we could have some more tea. After quite a wait this hadn't arrived so we had to ask again. The afternoon tea itself was really tasty and couldn't be faulted, it was just the lack of service and having to constantly ask or remind the staff that really disappointed. Also, what we didn't realise at the time of being seated is that dogs are allowed in this area and not only were they quite noisy but my husband can have allergic reactions to them so we couldn't and didn't really relax.

We decided to try the Stanwells house for lunch since they have the 2 rosette kitchen we expected a nice lunch there but it wasn’t anything we expected the chicken burger with chorizo jam and smash avocado was dry and very poorly seasoned also the smashed avocado was 3 sickly slices of avocado( do check out the picture) not impressed at all the Cesar salad with salmon came without the parmesan cheese which was mentioned on the menu guess the chef doesn’t know he’s own menu, the burger was priced at 14,50 pounds for that money Stanwell house I expected a smashing burger nonetheless on the high street you can get an amazing burger for less than that, it’s safe to say we won’t be back and would not recommend this place.

Booked tea for 3pm as had been recommended by a shop owner as best afternoon tea in the high street. Arrived and were seated in a not busy conservatory area, but 12 covers already dining. We're ignored for 20 minutes and for 5 of those listened to other diners' dog barking. Decided 20 minutes was long enough being ignored while two separate waiters cleared around us. Got up and thanked the blonde woman inside for allowing us to sit in their consrvatory for our afternoon tea which we never got to order let alone taste and would not be coming again. No recommendations for anything from this establish,net. We then decided to go over to Koh Thai wherein we had the most amazing meal brought to us by enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. Not the afternoon tea we were looking for but 5/5 for taste and service

came here for a saturday evening treat and the food was delicious (veggie friendly), as were the drinks - friendly efficient service too

Two of us stopped by for a lunch snack mid-week. The service was fine, possibly a little slow but that suited us as it's a lovely place to relax and take your time. We had eggs Benedict with salmon and a Stanwell club sandwich, both of which were excellent. I had a pint of Shipyard IPA which was crisp and delicious. Best Shipyard IPA I've ever had. Would certainkly return.

The food was quite nice but the service was a bit slow, particularly at the end of the meal. Trying to catch a waitress for the bill seems impossible as they are very good at avoiding any eye contact. I must admit that I've frequently had this experience in the UK so it wasn't a surprise.

This is a very dog friendly establishment and I think there are probably more dogs than customers. I would not go again on a weekend because of this reason. During the week its a different story although still popular its nowhere near as busy and much more enjoyable. I can't fault the food the service or the surrounding that present a relaxed atmosphere however I have only been lunch times and tried their light menu. At some point in the not too distant future I will definately try an evening meal and will write another review

Met de menukaart van het ‘grote’ restaurant, goed gedineerd in de Conservatory van dit Boutique hotel. Erg vriendelijke en toegewijde service. Uitgebreide keuze hetzij voor de kleine menu kaart, hetzij voor de kaart van restaurant Elain met mooie gerechten. Wij genoten van gegrilde kabeljauw resp. een prachtige fillet, precies naar wens gegaard.

We came here for the first night we stayed in Lymington and I was a little way as my partner booked it, then I went back to our accommodation and saw the feedback from others. That said I kept an open mind and it seemed like it would be fine although the first thing that struck me when we went upstairs was the atmosphere was a bit odd...well basically no atmosphere. Not sure why but it felt like we were sitting in someone's house and generally everyone was quiet and the layout was such that if you spoke a little loudly everyone could hear you. Service was average as clearly the chappie was running up and down the stairs all evening. We had to wait for ages in between each course and ended up 'doubling up' by asking for the bill at the same time as coffee else we'd have been sitting there all night. Food was pretty average although on a table in front of us a woman was making a complaint about the quality of her meal and because of the lack of atmosphere, it wan't hard to not realise what was going on. Probably wouldn't go back for dinner again unless there was no other option.

We visited to partake in a pre-booked afternoon tea. We were welcomed, shown to a table in the conservatory and asked what we would like to drink while the food was freshly prepared. The food was very good but not exceptional and the staff and service were also very good. Overall, a very good visit.

Walked into Stanwells mid morning for a coffee and bite to eat with my wife, daughter in law, grandson and dog. We were told by the receptionist to take a seat in the conservatory and someone would be out to take our order. After 10 minutes waiting I went back to reception and said we were still waiting for service and she said she would get someone out to us ASAP. 10 minutes later we walked out.

Picked 6 different tapas and a bottle of Pinot which was very tasty. Very quiet with only one other person eating but the service was good. Nice table overlooking the High Street. It's 2 for 1 with Tastecard on food.

We visited for a cream tea. The scones were delicious and hot and the sandwiches were tasty but the cakes were disappointing. The surroundings were tired looking but the staff were friendly although not very helpful, i.e. they placed the sandwiches and cakes at the table and instantly walked away without telling us what they were, which is the usual practice at cream teas. Average.

The staff serving food seem rushed and it was disappointing to find tables not cleared however once we got served the food came fairly quickly and was tasty and nicely presented. Its a shame because they can do much better.

We called in for Breakfast when we were shopping in Lymington. The lady who was manager (I think) was very friendly and efficient but the other staff were very slow and did not have good customer service. The food, although all three of our orders had something missing, was actually very nice. If they can sort their staff out worth trying again

visited yesterday (a Monday ) as a follow up from an earlier ( Saturday ) visit this month

A group of six friends arrived on a Saturday lunchtime, 1.30pm. After being seated by a friendly waiter, we waited for about 15 minutes but being told there is a wait on food. After another 20 minutes the friendly waiter returned to say he couldn’t take food orders for 5 minutes as they were struggling with orders.

We visited today as a birthday treat for my Mum as we have eaten here many times before in the past. What a disappointment! The decor and furniture in the conservatory is tired and needs updating, the seat cushions need replacing and the place looked grubby.

Met friends for lunch at the Stanwell Hotel have been before but won’t go again. Took ages for service, the white wine was warm and the omelettes were over cooked and very poor (how difficult is it to cook an omelette !!!!). Finally check your bill as we had two glasses of wine and were charged for two bottles!!!. A real shame a nice venue but poor service and just not good enough.

We were given vouchers for Tapas at Stanwell House by a friend. It seemed as if the staff had never seen a voucher before, so they took 20 minutes to contact the owner to find out what to do, while we were left wondering where the waitress had disappeared to. Each voucher stated three tapas dishes and a glass of wine each and the waitress eventually said this is what you 'get' for the voucher. Having been given a choice of wine, it was brought by a waiter who said we couldn't have the one we chose because you only get this one with a voucher. When the 'so called, Tapas' arrived, I can only describe the food as awful, verging on disgusting. Then at the end we were presented with a large bill, that the manager tried to explain but she made no sense. e.g. why was the wine even mentioned on the voucher if it was not included in the price and we were told by the waitress that it was inclusive. Anyway, just a warning to all unsuspecting travellers, to expect terrible food, service and attitude. There are alternatives!

We've missed a trick! We have never been to the Stanwell House restaurant in all these years and had taken the plunge and booked for six for a special family party. This was the "Etain" restaurant. I couldn't fault it. The evening was lovely. The food was great. Service impeccable. No "how was it for you, guys" and similar ghastly patter. Just old fashioned attentive service. Plenty of space between tables in the restaurant and not too much noise. No hurrying us through, either. You haven't got the sea view that The Haven enjoys, but it is still a lovely spot at the bottom of the High Street. Give it a try if you have never been or it is a while ago. They certainly didn't let us down.

Based on 2 word of mouth recommendations we booked lunch on a Saturday for a special family occasion. The website said there were three dining options. The booking was made in person two weeks in advance but when we arrived we were told that neither the conservatory nor the dining room were available owing to a function in the evening and we had to eat in the sort of pub room at the front. We could choose from both menus.

We were bought a Virgin Voucher for dinner at the hotel which we booked for Saturday Lunchtime. What a fantastic venue - the building and restaurant are lovely, the staff were so helpful and the food was divine. It was fairly quiet in the restaurant but the door was open, the sun was out and we sat enjoying our drinks. Such a lovely gift - we will be back. Thank you!

We always have lunch here when we spend a day in Lymington, it has a nice ambience and is a great for a relaxing lunch.

For those intending to visit the restaurant make sure you’ve eaten before you go. The head Chef is obviously very competent- the issue is portion size and value for money for starter, main course and desert. This probably explains why the restaurant was half empty on a Saturday evening. Be warned.

We'd heard a lot about this boutique hotel in Lymington High Street. We'd been given a gift of afternoon tea at this boutique hotel. We have had a lot of Afternoon Teas around the world, but this was disappointing. We had to ask for the glasses of champagne which were included in the gift. It was good to have separate tea pots, but we had to ask for hot water to top up our tea pots. The china cup and saucers were mis-matching and we felt that the conservatory where the afternoon tea was served could do with renovation. My husband noticed a large hole in the roof covered up with plastic - glad it was not raining the day we went! The macaroons of which I love, were very dry and not at all like a macaroon should taste like! Finally the manager needs to address the jacket of his suit as the hem of the jacket had unravelled and this really didn't look good in such charming hotel.

Bit expensive, but excellent quality food with superb table service. A place to go for a special occasion. Would definitely go again. My steak was excellent along with wine. Many thanks!

Had lunch there a few times I chose the snack menu but it is far too small at £5 something Venue is lovely but these portions need to be a bit larger for the price

We were drawn in to eat today by a sign offering a particular tapas/wine combo. When we were given our menues there was no sign of this offer. On asking, the waiter didn’t know what we were talking about and sloped off to check. On his return he told us with a shrug that we had come on the wrong day (I don’t know why the easily removable sign was outside if so but...). We instead choose a selection of 4 small plates, none of which required a great deal of cooking. During my ordering of these, the waiter told me to slow down, which I did, and he shook his head at my husband as if to pass comment on my talking! Fairly insulting but we let it slide.

We went for lunch. The starters felt and tasted as if they had just been defrosted and then heated up. The batter on my fish and chips was soggy from undercooking. The chips tasted as if they had been warmed up. We gave up at that point so the desserts may be OK. When I mentioned the batter the waiter looked and agreed and started to try to sell us desserts. I do not expect to return. There are far better places in Lymington

I came here with my partner on 10th September to use a Red Letter Day voucher than my children bought me to celebrate my 50th Birthday.

How disappointing to visit one of our favoured haunts in Lymington, recently & be met with a very average standard of service. We love Lymington & have visited the Stanwell on many occasions, usually thoroughly enjoying our moment of relaxation.

We have been coming here for many years as local, however when we came here last month (I have emailed the hotel with our feedback - no response) the food and service was awful . The food arrived at different times and the Caesar salad I ordered (see photo of fake chargrilled chicken - barely any dressing )- I have had better in a motorway service station, terrible. Then we ordered some chips and they weren’t cooked !? Really ? We complained and the restaurant manager advised that they were having issues but surely they know to deliver food to their guests at the same time and when you are carrying the food to the table, surely you look down and check it ? If you are having issues - say and we wouldn’t have wasted our time . The next table to us walked out as all their lunches were undercooked ...whatever has happened to this hotel ?? Those in charge please sort these issues out otherwise customers will not return.

We visited this hotel for a lunchtime snack. We told the waiter that we would be sitting in the garden area at the top. We waited nearly half an hour for the waiter to take our order, we ordered two lots of crab cocktail sandwiches, one coffee and one water. When the drinks arrived two coffee's were brought to the table! The table was very grubby and obviously hadn't been cleaned that day! Considering this establishment is meant to have a four star rating we were very disappointed! PS the eating areas were actually very quiet!

We were shown to our reserved table in the conservatory which would have been fine but it was in fact a corridor that guests constantly walked through with their suitcases bumping into the people having tea.

we came here the other week was really nice great service good food and very friendly staff we had the Tagliatelle Puttanesca which was divine absolutely amazing highly recommend and my wife had the Sausage and Mash which is not her regular choice but she loved it.

We opted for sandwiches - I had cheese and ham which was well presented but considering the price ( they start at around £7) the cheese should have been tasty: like a Montgomery or some such. The ham could also have been of better quality.

Recently came here for champagne afternoon tea with a friend. We arrived early which they were ok about. The waiter who served our afternoon tea was quite rude and blunt. The toilets were shameful - dirty and unkept. The table was also quite dirty. When we asked if we could have our sandwiches replenished, the waiter was dismissive. Getting the bill took forever, service charge is automatically added. We would not return.

Visited this hotel which I have previously stayed in and had their afternoon tea. What terrible service! The waiter forgot our drinks order and also the fact that we asked for no clotted cream as we both can't eat it so asked for butter instead. Clotted cream arrived! The tea itself was delicious but what let this down was the service. Ordered a Diet Coke and it took 20 minutes to arrive. I think the waiter just kept forgetting. It wasn't really busy either. Not a great experience I'm afraid

We visited on Wednesday 18th July at 12:35 in the hope to get some lunch, I’ve visited many times before and was quite happy. We sat down and ordered drinks - they arrived and we diced on 6 x little plates to share as they were offering 3 for £13:50- seemed like a good deal. There was only one other table occupied as we arrived and ordered our food but it got busier and other tables were also then ordering their food - probably a good 10-15 mins after us. I then started to realise that these people were gett8ng their food and tucking in and we still hadn’t received anything. I gave it another few minutes then asked the waitress if our food was on its way. She looked startled- like I had just reminded her we were even in the building. She then arrived immediately with our food which seemed a little too convenient so guessing that it had been sat waiting in the kitchen for ages I dived straight into the Whitebait to test the warmth- sure enough it was stone cold. Before she even took the other dishes off the tray I stuck my fingers in the salt & pepper squid and they were cold too. I told her to take them back and get the manager over- I waited another 5 minutes for nothing to happen so we left- very disappointed!

Had a truly delicious meal. 2 of us had octopus & crayfish & the other mackerel, followed by 2 halibut with sea vegetables & buttered new potatoes & 1 had pork. Puds were panacotta & strawberry delight (can't remember actual name)

My friends and I booked a private summer house called 10 at stanwells as our friend is moving away at the end of the month and we wanted to have a special afternoon with her before she leaves , it was the worst experience I have ever had anywhere ,not enough food for 10 people when we asked for more we were told we would have to pay for it, the cream and jam for the scones was enough for 3 people , we had to keep asking for drinks as no staff came back to the table , so we complained to the manager who apologised and offered us a free round of drinks and snacks , again only half of the drinks came out and no snacks , really upsetting and disappointing , just awful

We were not staying in the hotel.

Not our visit but certainly our last. Stopped here for Saturday lunch. We were given the menus but there was no allergy information at all. I am gluten free so need to know. We asked the waiter and he he said that he would get somebody to come and see us and provided us with a jug of water while we waited and waited and waited. Then he came back to take our order so we had to point out that we still didn't actually know what was OK to eat so couldn't yet order. He went off to chase it up and we sat and listened to the table across the way querying an overcharge on their bill and the table next to us chasing up napkins and condiments so that they could eat. Finally menu choices arrive. We'd had to wait for chef to write on the menu what I could eat. Chose a crab sandwich which was OK but nothing special. Husband had two small plates which were definitely small. We had two glasses of wine and the bill came to a whopping £29.00 plus a £2.90 optional service charge. We declined to pay that and were asked why not - er its optional and service was poor.

We enjoyed an hour here in the conservatory and garden area which is very tranquil and pleasant. The staff were polite and professional.

Slow and rude service poorly managed but fantastic afternoon tea and sweets would I return for the price probably not they need to do something dramatic with staff you would a place like stanwells would be fab service but think again

Took overseas visitors to the conservatory for lunch. We were the first to order. Half an hour later the people who had arrived us walked out after complaining that they had had no food. We questioned where our food was and was told that they were using two agency chefs who did not know what they were doing. We were given complimentary coffee. Food eventually arrive after an hour, not worth the wait. Two sandwiches, one soup and one egg Benedict. All could have been delivered in 10 minutes and have had much better in cafes in the high street. Pity anyone who has a function booked there if they take an hour to feed four people badly. Discount? they didn't charge us for two teas, one cappuccino and a tonic water. Big deal.

Had a lovely meal, with great service. We walked in, did not have a table booked and they were friendly from the moment we walked in. Food was very tasty. Would recommend eating here.

My wife and I popped in for lunch on a Friday afternoon. We had the Tapas lunch which was good food and reasonable size tapas dishes. We would definitely go there again.

Out for the day in Lymington and this is my favourite coffee stop , normally have visited when we can sit and relax and enjoy there lovely garden area while enjoying our coffee and the lovely homemade shortbread cookie they serve with it is delicious . Due to the weather we sat inside but still very relaxing and great service as usual.

We went in attracted by the “British Tapas” which turned out to be 9 small plates and 1 bread. We switched to 3 sandwiches and 1 of the small plates, lamb hot pot.

Interesting menu - anything but bland. I had pig cheeks starter and guinea fowl main; wife had confit duck starter and halibut main. All pretty good - lots of thought has gone into their composition and some skill into their construction.

Went for lunch today at this hotel, awful, absolutely awful.

We were looking for somewhere to grab some lunch in Lymington and saw the board outside Stanwell advertising tapas - thought this would be something different, and having been here for an evening meal a few years back, thought it would be tasty.

The fillet steak was the best fillet steak I think I've ever tasted. It literally melted in your mouth. The duck we had was also beautifully cooked and presented. The cheese board offered a good selection and the biscuits that came with it were amazing....

Lovely decor and very polite, if a little uncomfortable staff. We ordered drinks from the bar, (£5 a pint, painful to a Welshman!). The Tapas menu was inviting, I would recommend the Mackerel, delicious.Mains, grilled cheese with aubergine and roasted veg was lovely as the vegetation option. Nice tables, if unusual. There was evidently a lot of thought that had gone in to the Restaurant and the Staff where trying very hard. But, oddly the place lacked atmosphere and I can't explain or understand why.

We were looking forward to trying out the new restaurant at the Stanwell - Etain - so we booked it for a family birthday dinner. Firstly the cadre disappointed - the decor styling was not what we thought it would be - "potting shed chic"...

We was in Lymington for the seafood festival, I've eaten in a couple of excellent restaurants there in the past,, but decided to eat here I thought it was a good place to eat, just sitting here thinking I just spent 100 pounds on lunch,, they didn't do there a la carte menu lunch time OK no problem so had starters which were OK average, they didn't have the fillet, which I would have had blue,, so ordered 2 rib eyes med rare, sweet potato fries and two side veg well to be honest how can med rare steaks come out well done my wife left half of it, the sweet potato fries were burned no way would I have allowed them off the pass,, I was told the head chef was at the festival! I feel sorry for him he should be able to trust his other cooks I can't call them chefs, to deliver,, ohh well I cheered myself up on the way back to the station and enjoyed a lovely moist tasty 6 95 pie from the bosman,, hahaha wished I'd have come here and had a couple for 13 quid!!!

So we visited Stanwell House today for afternoon Tea which was a Virgin Gift card from Christmas. On booking we were told it was busy so could not have the 3pm table we wanted but half four, the lady on the phone was really nice and we booked this. On arrival the place was pretty much deserted apart from a wasp chasing a lady around outside, or vice versa! . We were asked if we would like to sit outside to which we agreed which led to a faff whilst the waitress moved the table settings and we were asked to wait. We sat down and after a lengthy wait the waitress asked what we wanted. We asked for a couple of diet cokes and the afternoon tea. The waitress looked blank and I advised her that we had the experience voucher, her response was GIVE ME THAT THEN and that the cokes would be extra (obviously!). She then disappeared and came back with two pots of tea. We waited for the milk and cold drinks which didn't come..... We eventually asked for the milk and drinks again and after another long wait they arrived albeit the coke was regular not diet as requested. There was a further wait for the afternoon tea. The ladies with the wasp had it nicely presented on a layered stand, ours was on two trays. A different waitress brought this and went to great lengths telling us what each item was. The sandwiches were a great variety of flavors though had the taste and texture that they had spent some time in a warm room (cheese starting to melt). The cakes and scones were absolutely delicious, could haven been a spot more jam and cream but not the end of the world. Two items were served in shot glasses but no cutlery to actually eat these so had to use the spoons from our tea..... Lack of attention to detail. At the end we asked for the bill which didn't come, then asked the waitress who seemed to be in charge, she snapped back '' £4 for the cokes.... '' no bill brought, we needed to pay with a note and did not want to leave it on the table so went to the bar, the waitress watched us and looked unhappy before coming to take the payment. We didn't find this a pleasant experience despite the best scones I have ever tasted. The staff were poor, the chef should consider relocating, please, as the food was hugely let down by the insolent, slow, mediocre service compounded with a lack of other customers /atmosphere . We wouldn't return.

Guau. . . De los 80 llamados. quieren volver su restaurante. El personal era hilarante esforzabas pero en general una velada muy extraño! No vale la pena el dinero

Sorry not to my expectations. Roasted veg sandwiches NO. No service and never checked all ok. Great venue but good and service lets it down

Had lunch here this week with friends; we all live in the town but have not been here for years and will not rush back; had excellent tapas but the service was appalling; took an unacceptable time for the ordered drinks to appear from the bar and the waitress seemed very inexperienced and in need of training; sad.

Right in the middle of Lymington, this hotel offers an interesting calm atmosphere, ideal to stop for a coffee or lunch

We booked a table for afternoon tea for four of us, telling them one of our party is vegetarian. When we arrived, the first sign that not all was well was there were only 3 places laid. We ordered the full afternoon tea, telling the waiter that one of us wanted the vegetarian option. What we were served with was four standard cream teas, and advice not to eat the trifle, and the ham sandwich.(there was also a salmon sandwich - hint, vegetarians don't generally eat meat whether it's mammal or fish meat). We told the waiter (not blaming him). The waiter offered to rap the food we hadn't eaten in foil for us to take away. He did this then disappeared from sight, and we had to stop one of the other staff when we wanted to settle the bill. She was only just the right side of being polite/rude. A lovely afternoon, which was somewhat spoiled by the bizarre attitude to vegetarianism. I don't think we'll be going there again

In general the hotel was fine but being up for some laughs with lovely friends we were disappointed with the bar. Dave the barman last night was miserable, rude and humourless. We were hilarious and yes laughing ! Dave - it's called fun mate !We were met with a sour expression and told several times to behave. It was well before midnight, no one complained about us and we were making friends with everyone except grumpy Dave !Eventually he refused to serve me. A first let me tell you and all because I was laughing. Dave. You need to question if you are the right man to be running a bar where paying guests might actually want to have some fun ?#funeralhomejobs

Pot of quality tea and 2 scones with jam and cream. Plus home made biscuits. Excellent value for money and quality. Bill was under £12 for two, pleasant surroundings, attentive staff. Really pleased to have found this quiet spot. The evening menu looked good too.

My wife and I took note of a very nice looking hotel and went in for lunch.I ordered a minute steak sandwich with Chris's and mixed garnish lettuce.my wife ordred egg mayonnaise sandwich with Chris's and mixed garnish of lettuce.Let me say that the waitress was excellent in her welcome and manner.As it was a hot day she gave us a bottle of tap water and ice,a nice touch.We were seated in the garden area with others.When my sandwich was brought out I at once noticed decaying,rotton lettuce that if I had eaten it I'm sure I would have ended up in hospital.the steak was also of poor quality that I started to wonder if the chef who prepared the sandwiches was of poor sight.my wife notice an amount of decaying lettuce with her sandwich.I pointed this out to the girl who had brought it out to us and she apologised and said she would show her manager.i at once told her to inform the manager I would not be paying for the meal,she agreed and they took it off the bill.My wife did say that her sandwich was ok but the salad garnish was poor.they offered nothing off for that.After visiting this place for the first time I can assure everyone we will not be returning for fear of ending up in hospital.i think the person who prepared theses sandwiches should,on the way to the job centre call in at spec savers because there site must be in question.once again NO MORE VISITS TO THIS PLACE

Not very impressed by this hotel; the service was ok but not impressed by the food - it was bland at best. the first course was verging on the inedible. I am not sure that I would not visit here again!

We were celebrating birthdays and thought we'd go there as a meeting point for cocktails before going for dinner.We ordered our drinks to find they took a while and warning signs should have been when the barman got out the mixing book, when we did get our champagne cocktail we found it was actually a different one, he had made with soda not champagne so had to reorder. Our friends arrived and we ordered a few more, which also took a while to arrive and found that he had done the same to them ( given them a different one to what they had ordered), after a while we thought we'd go have dinner and asked for the bill and to pay by card, he presented us with the bill and gave us the card machine and walked off for us to organise ourselves! Very trusting! Luckily for him we are honest people!. It sure if I could go through that again, but second chances and all that.

Very good value considering the quality of the venue. Would recommend the lunch which I have had before. Will keep coming back.

My mother daughter and myself tried the tapas that was advertised on the board outside as being "the best British tapas" it was far from the best and we raised our concern over the scamp dish as well as the game pie. We were told by the waiter that he had had to send another scamp back for the same reason, but we're also told "well it's not me who cooks it" after a decision of the other dish we were kept waiting for a lengthy time until they decided to take just £3 off the bill. Needless to say we won't be returning but we are under no illusions it will matter jot to either the waiter or the manager as they are in a beautiful location and look the part. Shame there is not more substance behind the scenes.

Well done Stanwell House.Booked into Stanwell in advance for afternoon tea to celebrate mothers day.The staff were friendly and accommodating, they were able to flex their menu to accommodate us and we were served swiftly despite them being full.The afternoon tea was very good, visually impressive and very tasty - although as a but of feedback, there is no point serving food in small classes if the spoons won't reach the bottom! - was certainly up to the standard of much higher rated hotels.Will return next time I'm in Lymington.

The Bistro is part of the Stanwell House Hotel and is very good. The food and the staff are excellent and both worth a good 4.5 in the scoring system. The hotel is excellent for afternoon teas but book your table in advance or you could be disappointed.

It was so easy to walk straight past as it did not seem like a hotel, We walked through the sun lounge with its wicker furniture - all seating was taken ! a good sign ! we had our coffee in the garden basking in the warm september sunshine .check out the website STANWELL HOUSE HOTEL ,our friends raved over their stay at the hotelRest assured we will be back on2017 !

Having purchased a Groupon voucher for a chateabriand meal plus wine we were looking forward to trying Stanwell House at a more favourable price!! Table booked for 7pm on a Thursday night. We were shown to our table straight away and given a menu to order starters as an extra. We ordered our wine while browsing the menu and were left for about 20 minutes before our wine arrived or order taken. That was the only negative part of the evening but as we werethe first people there was a little niggled!! That said once we had ordered our starters, wine had arrived and we were into our meal it was all excellent. The restaurant filled up but service from then was great. Starters were lovely. Mushroom & chestnut crumble and the homemade breads were delicious. The steak was beautifully cooked. The wine was good too. Im glad ive tried Stanwell House. It is a little pricey but with the Groupon voucher made it well worth trying. Would recommend if budget open!! Another local place ticked off the list.

The food is a little hit and miss and there is simply no atmosphere. There is seating area outside were one can dine or simply have a drink but the tables are so snug that it is impossible to have a private conversation.I think it depends who is in the kitchen as to the standard of the food as it is so up and down. It is worth a visit, fingers crossed you visit on a good day.

Having eaten here many times over a number of years and have always been pleased with food and service. However, my last visit for lunch with a family friend was certainly not up to the usual standard. We chose Turkey and Cranberry Pie from menu. We really should have returned it as it didn't resemble any pie I've ever had! The filling was like very fine shredded pork, over salted and no cranberries in sight. The pastry lid was thin wafer thin cardboard like after thought placed on top. We order coffee and dessert .. The coffee arrived before dessert! Looking around, the tables, chair arm rests all look in need of a bit of TLC. Not sure what's going on but something is most definitely a-miss. Wouldn't rush to return.

Booked for lunch for two people in the conservatory - arrived to be told they were so busy they could not reserve table (shame they did not tell us that when we phoned to book). Despite some tables clearly marked reserved they offered us a table in the dingy dining room which we accepted.Ordered two crab sandwiches and a bowl of chips only to be served after a half an hour wait two chicken sandwiches and a bowl of chips. They did offer to exchange them but we didn't not want to wait any longer.Waitresses were quite inacttemtive and had to be called over if we wanted anything.On the plus side we had no complaints about the standard of food which was very good.

Had really good meal stake was amazing so was the service matias was really good at his job made a lovely cocktail at the bar Will defiantly come again had a really good night plus the tapas was good too free glass of wine with it .....

We were at the Hotel for a Birthday. The food was delicious, and the service was perfect. Anna saw to our every need and we could not have had a more pleasant evening

One of the only dog friendly coffee spots in Lymington. Beautiful place and made to feel very welcome with our large dog. Accommodation on ground floor is also dog friendly so may well look into this for future stay in New Forest.

We celebrated our Anniversary yesterday and thought about trying Stanwells. We didn't choose wrong - the amazing relaxing atmosphere - really good food (especially the beef - thank you to Sam and Aden). We also had the best waitress so a BIG thank you to Ana for being to so friendly and professional. We will definitely be back !

Nice bistroesque courtyard restaurant where we had a quick and enjoyable lunch. Wide mix of ages using it but mainly hotel guests and well to do!