Stanwells Bistro in New Forest

We have several breakfasts during our stay. Overall very good, great produce. Sadly our last breakfast this morning was a little disappointing. My husband found his (and my) bacon super over cooked. I asked, apologising profusely, if I could have an extra sausage instead (as couldn’t eat the bacon). Unfortunately the sausage came 20-30 mins after we received our breakfast (I’d assumed they weren’t going to do an extra sausage). We were packing up to go, plates already cleared away when a sausage arrived. Shame. Don’t know if it’s coz it was Monday… different chef or what. Left a little disappointed.

Part of the Stanwelll hotel,on the High Street. Good food, for both veggie snaps heat eater diners, we ate in green rear garden, pleasant but a bit windy. ( inside was too hit). Good range was a little limited, but sufficient for al to find something we wanted, service was good and friendly. Will,visit again.

We went for dinner recently in the Orangerie but weren’t staying at the hotel. The restaurant was nicely decorated and seating was comfortable. Menu was quite limited; we settled for chicken satay starter which was a bit tough, served with dry toast and no butter. Main course of Thai vegetable curry with added prawns consisted of mostly courgettes which we didn’t like. Actually no-one asked if it was OK having seen a dish left full of courgettes. We had to ask three times for a glass of tap water, so would say the service was not up to scratch especially as the restaurant was empty. There are nicer restaurants in Lymington, so sorry to say we will not be visiting again.

We had high hopes for this restaurant after reading the reviews. We walked in and no one in the restaurant approached us. We found a table and waited, still no one came over. My husband went to get a menu, the waitress asked where we were sitting so we hoped she’d be over to take our drinks order but no! We sat there and were ignored and after a while we decided that if we were going to buy a bottle of wine for £40 and 2 meals the least we would expect is someone to take our order. It wasn’t even full and just so no excuse for the quite frankly poor service. To be honest I would not recommend this place and we will never go back which is a shame as we visit Lymington ever year and often tell our friends and family about the visit. We will be sure to tell them to avoid this place though

"My recent visit to this restaurant was extremely disappointing. The service was very poor, with limited communication from the staff. Despite my efforts to reach out to the restaurant twice, on 5th May and 18th, I received no reply. The lack of effort and responsiveness from the restaurant is truly disappointing. Additionally, the food was extremely disappointing, leaving a lot to be desired. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant based on my experience."

Pleasant surroundings .We were shown to our table and upon sitting down the seating really isn’t designed for the height of the table !! and I’m not a short person .Hubby had to sit on a cushion and he is 6’3”.( I persevered being low down ) Service was very dis jointed sadly .Teas came out really early whilst the cakes scones and sandwiches took a further 15 minutes .A couple next to us were saying the same . Sandwiches were not very interesting Cheese and pickle ( mixed together filling ) egg and I think chives , cucumber and cream cheese ! no taste and ham and thick butter 😫,no mustard .Disappointing .scones were only ok although lemon curd was nice .Variety of cakes looked great but not a lot of flavour .Would not rush back

Slow service - lack lustre staff-we live round the corner and have been coming here hundreds of times but lately the service in the front bar is atrocious-so slow - the bar is 12’ away yet it takes 23 minutes for a G&T- used to be slick with friendly staff- whatever has changed needs urgently sorting out! 3 staff hovering around the bar yet 2 or 3 tables waiting for service - just not good enough!

On Sunday I drove from Salisbury to Lymington to enjoy Lunch, that stopped as soon as I stepped foot in the premises! Several staff congregating around the desk, I ordered a Orange Juice/Lemonade, and decided to sit inside the front of the Restaurant, unfortunately I was immediately approached by a charming young lady, who informed me that the whole Restaurant was fully booked, and that I could sit out in the Sun! or in the Orangery, which was like a greenhouse with it's glass roof panels. On leaving I was approached by a Young man carrying my drink, and a Lady manager, who should have been the person to convey the bad news, who then informed me that perhaps I should have booked, where on earth are these people trained how to talk to people like me, aged 72. Good result for me as I went across the road to my favourite cafe, beautiful crab 🥪 with weekend young people who could hold a conversation with me!

This was our first visit back to Stanwell House since a major revamp of the premises in 2023. We are local to the area and, curious to see the changes, we had booked a table for dinner in the Samphire restaurant - albeit with some trepidation given the succession of fairly poor reviews in recent months. I'm happy to report that we had a very enjoyable evening with good food and attentive service throughout. The young front-of-house team were friendly, efficient and knowledgeable about the menu and wine list and the dining room was comfortable and well laid out - although the interior designer may have overdone the Chintz wallpaper a tad. It will be interesting to see what menu changes the recent appointment of Matthew Tomkinson as Head Chef will bring - but on the basis of this visit, we would be happy to return.

We booked here for a birthday dinner celebration with friends which turned out to be a frustrating and disappointing experience. We arrived early to have a drink at the bar and the experience of poor service started here. It took 10-15 minutes before anyone even approached us for drinks orders and then took a further 10 minutes for the drinks to arrive. The bar wasn’t overly busy so this was a bit of a surprise. We informed the waiting staff that we had arrived and then received a phone call 5 minutes later by someone else enquiring as to where we were. It all seemed very disorganised. When we sat down at the table, we were given menus but no wine lists. We weren’t asked if we wanted water or drinks and had to prompt for these ourselves. We had to ask numerous times before we finally got any water to the table and this theme continued throughout the evening. When we tried to order the red wine the first two bottles we ordered weren’t available as they had sold out. We eventually found a bottle that was available. Then the white wine we ordered was sold out after our first bottle so we had to move onto a more expensive option. After being at the table for around 10 minutes we were told that we had 5 minutes left to order food as the kitchen would be closing. This was surprising for a Saturday evening but we got our orders in. Starters arrived and the food was nice. Then main courses started to arrive but two of us were left without our dishes. We were told that there had been a mix up in the kitchen and that the food would be with us shortly. The first of the two dishes that were originally missing arrived as everyone else was finishing their main course. The final missing dish still hadn’t arrived sometime later and we eventually cancelled it as it was taking so long. Those who did receive their main course did say that the food was good quality. It was just a shame that the poor service overshadowed this. The hotel did acknowledge that they had fallen short of standards and removed the cost of the two bottles of wine and two late main courses (although we did cancel the final one anyway). The whole experience was disappointing and frustrating and it felt a little like we were a big inconvenience from the moment we arrived. As local people to the hotel it is a shame to say that we will not be returning and would not recommend this venue for anyone.

We have been to stanwell’s quite a few times as we like the ambience and the position in Lymington High Street. They’ve spent an amazing amount of money on making it absolutely superb. yesterday Saturday, 25th November a Freezing cold day we went into stanwells in the afternoon and went in the salt bar. we sat down And was immediately asked for our order - lovely gin and tonics arrived and then our food took an age to arrive so I queried this as I think the order hadn’t gone through, but they tried to blag it saying that they was busy but I could see the kitchen and I could see orders coming out to other diners that had come in after us.!!! The food arrived. It was lovely, no faults there, but the service of this place is absolutely appalling. I asked for the bill as I was absolutely freezing cold, I asked if the wood burner could be lit and the guy said he would get some kindling …. never done it in the time that we were sitting there. So very disappointing, when the bill came to add insult to injury You had the audacity to add 12 1/2% service charge ?!?!? When I asked for this to be taken off … I got a big humph!!! so come on stanwells you charge the prices it’s a lovely location you need to up the game with your staff it’s no good giving excuses it’s Saturday it’s busy !!! the service should be there if you are charging for it

£28 for four small bites of venison and two small potatoes. Mussels were watery and didn’t taste of anything much. I would not recommend. Cocktails were good though!

It’s a baking hot day when my partner and I were in Lymington. We were attracted by the sign outside the hotel for its secret garden restaurant. We found a table under a parasol in the lovely garden and looked forward to our lunch at 12.00. Half an hour later there was no sign of our order, not even the drinks, while people coming in after us were served both their drinks and food. It’s not as if the place was packed. So we left. I don’t think we’ll be back there again.

The worst service i have ever experienced! I have been here before and had a lovely experience, however yesterday our waitress was totally disinterested and came across to a point abrasive. We were not checked on during the meal, i had to raise my hand for more drinks and again i had to ask for our finished plates to be taken away, the waitresses all seemed to be milling around chatting to each other. When a waitress came with the card reader she asked if we wanted to "split the bill" which I felt was a very passive aggressive comment and in keeping with our treatment throughout the meal. The manageress "Francheska" came over at the end to ask if everything was okay, I replied that the food was lovely but the service was not very good! To which she replied "yes i wouldn't come back here" To say i was shocked at this statement and the whole experience is an understatement. I only manage to get over to see my elderly mother whom lives in lymington, once a month. And the whole experience left us feeling a little bullied. I have eaten at many a beautiful restaurant including, the Langham Hotel in London and Chewton Glen here in Dorset, and i have never had such snooty, unprofessional treatment from service staff.

We visited the Stanwell for the first. We wanted a Sunday roast and on line roast was priced at £18. I thought good value for this type of restaurant. The restaurant and the areas we passed throw were very nice decor The Samphire and its ajoining restaurant were very nice and the outside area/garden looked great. We sat in at a table with a banquette and two chairs opposite which was very difficult to get into especially for my 92 year old mother. There was no space to move the seats to make any easier. We didn't have a starter. So the roasts arrived, other than some Kale the beef was covering the roasts potatoes, Parsnips and Carrots and there was a tiny amount of jus on the plate (we ordered more). The beef was very nice but the rest of the roast was awful, none of the roasts vegetables were crispy they were very soggy and the side of cauliflower cheese was enough for one but it was to be shared by the three and it was one of the worst cauliflower cheeses I have ever had. The cheese sauce was gulpy. One of the restaurant staff asked how our meal was and we said the roast vegetables weren't very good. Two of us had desserts and although small they tasted very nice. When we came to pay the restaurant manager said that she had heard our comments and had taken the cost of the dessert off the bill. One viewing the bill there was a charge for 'other' which turned out to be tap water, we had two small jugs which were £3.50 each. The staff were very good but the roast awful - I wondered if the roast was bought in as a package and just warmed up. No decent chef could be happy to send this meal out of the kitchen

Terrible customer service. Had to wait at least 15 minutes to be served. Then when order eventually arrived with No serviettes. No cutlery... and No drinks. Charged too much on bill whuch was then questioned !by the staff member. Very disappointing.!

My partner and myself drove to Lymington to have lunch at the Stanwell House Hotel . We found a table outside in the garden and waited , not one member of staff offered us a menu or asked if we would like a drink . After quite a while my partner went back inside to pick up a menu . Most of the staff walked straight past us , eventually we got a waiters attention. Thank goodness the coffee was with us in around 15mins along with a warm glass of tap water , we actually ordered a bottle . We sat for about an hour waiting for our food order again we had to ask what was happening. They apologised for the delay . Eventually a quite disappointing meal arrived . We did mention how disappointed we were when paying inside as this was quicker than waiting outside. We were quite upset with the treatment that we received. We definitely will not be returning to this establishment 😡

This comment is solo to do with the restaurant staff. My partner and I drove to Lymington as this was a place we both enjoyed going to . We decided to have lunch at the Stanwell hotel. This was a mistake the service was shocking having to wait over a hour to be served. We felt very awkward as well as serving staff just kept walking past unbelievable and not checking if we had been served. There was customers being served who came in after us and being served and eating as well . In my mind totally unprofessional as I run a company myself. When I paid the bill i informed the staff as to our experience they apologised and said that we was not the first . They had problems in the kitchen then tell the customers dont let them wait for ove a hour .This is called communication with the customer it does help keeping people informed. Having stay at the hotel will definitely wont be returning.

On walking in given a menu and asked where we were going to sit and told they would be with us shortly, we sat down in the garden and shortly another waiter said I will be with you shortly. 15 minutes later we left as there was no sign of staff wanting to take our lunch order. On the way out there was no one at the desk to complain to or any sign of staff to serve us.

Hmmmm…….hard to give a fair review to stanwell house hotel!!! It’s seems typical of many places at the moment where waiting staff aren’t trained in basic manors, which was evident during our experience at stanwell house hotel. We were asked to “just make up your mind” when ordering drinks, I asked for a mojito which most would assume is fairly standard in a cocktail lounge, to be thrown the menu and told “it’s not on the menu” Unfortunately having met the head waiter I’d imagine this lovely bar can only go one way and if he’s in charge of the place and installing that level of customer service……….DOOMED! Give the townhouse a try instead - far more accommodating.

Disappointing food.. Not well seasoned and uninteresting. Lovely location and setting but food has to be more exciting fir price

Stanwell House has undergone a magnificent rebuild. Wonderful orangerie. Fab Salt Bar for light meals Samphire Fine Dining restaurant ALL ARE E CELKENG

We had dinner at Stanwells to celebrate my parents golden wedding anniversary. We were seated in the conservatory as we had our dog, it was warm and comfortable. The menus were great, lots of choice. The food was excellent from start to finish, I had the tuna followed by the espresso martini panacotta, all was beautifully presented and delicious. The service was fantastic, very friendly and efficient. We would definitely return!

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.

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.:)

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!

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

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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