The Admiral Hornblower in Rutland

Exploring oakham and decided to pop in for lunch, what a find. Best menus we have seen in some time, could have had anything of all 3 menus ( yes 3) . Excellent food, lovely ambience, service was very good, slightly slow, but was very busy for a Friday lunchtime . Can't wait to go back.

Really poor selections of beer…

My children organised a family lunch for my birthday , there were 9 of us and we were out in a side room all on our own which was ok but the table was so big the staff couldn’t get in to serve you properly . We waited 30 mins after being seated to be asked if we would like a drink after one of us had to go and ask , then another 20 mins for them to actually bring them , they eventually took our food order and we then seemed to wait ages for that to come , when the main course arrived after an hour and a half it was cold , but as we had waited so long we didn’t want to have to wait again for 9 dinners to be warmed up .The food was good just cold . They really need to give their staff some training as the young lady serving us was very sullen and unfriendly and we just felt like we were forgotten as the service was so slow , when some of our party went to the toilet the staff are just stood around chatting to each other . The table wasn’t cleared after eating and we had to go and ask for more drinks as no one came to ask us . We always leave a tip when we dine out but I’m afraid on this occasion we did not due to the poor service we received . The only tip I will leave is to give your staff more training .

First visit since reopening for Sunday lunch with friends. Initial service was good. Three of the main courses were roasts - all were only just warm enough to eat, with the sausage meat absolutely cremated. Fourth meal was the seabass and risotto - with the tiniest 2 dry pieces of fish and a great mountain of risotto- which was hot in places, cold in others and had crunchy peas. No one came back to ask if the meals were ok. Eventually someone appeared to clear plates and we mentioned about the food but the young man seemed quite disinterested. Then someone appeared to ask about desserts - and we mentioned it again, and just an apology given. There were no offers of drinks (further cold ones or a coffee) so we asked for coffee during the discussion about desserts. Desserts and a couple of coffees were ordered and duly delivered - probably the best bit! We then asked for the bill and paid - again no follow up on the issues. In short - food could be a lot lot warmer, don’t serve cremated cold items and generally give better service around drinks, checking all is ok. Will take a lot to get us back sadly as it was very disappointing in terms of the warmth of the food and customer service.

Visited twice while staying close by. On both occasions the pub & restaurant were busy but got seated quickly, with drinks arriving soon after. Both times the food was lovely & although the Chicken Kiev was slightly dry due to its size, it was really tasty. The spiced carrot however was amazing! Other half had cod followed by Frangipan tart, which although didn’t have the cornflake ice cream was still really good. Second visit was for a quick bite, so burger & fish & chips. The burger was really tasty & there was plenty of it. The fish & chips looked & tasted great. Glad I didn’t read the reviews prior to going, it was a recommendation that made us go, as I might have thought differently. It was however really good with very friendly & helpful staff. And busy on both occasions, a Tuesday & Thursday in early October.

First visit after reopening. Was busy but got table and quick service. Food arrived in good time and looked good Husbands burger was almost perfect, hot, tasty even chips were hot My roast cod was extremely small portion. Tasted good but was only lukewarm warm, fondant potato too. No staff passed to check all ok. Finally stopped a waitress ( one of the ones whose hair was hanging everywhere) and asked if anything could be done as food was not hot. Plate taken away and returned, marginally warmer, not even replaced the potato, in fact having cut it in half and halved one half, only 1 half came back all just on a different plate. Informed the young lady who took us to our table when she was clearing. No apology ‘ I’ll speak to the waitress ( not her fault) and the kitchen’. Paid and left shortly afterwards, still no apology, no offer of even a coffee, no reduction. So won’t be returning any time soon

Great pub, lovelly ale and lovelly Sunday roast

Excellent food and very friendly and attentive staff, so good I ate dinner there 2 nights running as the,atmosphere was also very relaxing

I booked a room through Expedia £115 for a one night stay with breakfast night of 16/02/24. Our room on entering was heated to make the temperature immediately uncomfortable. The lovely member of staff suggested we open all the windows and the door leading to the car park as it was impossible to turn the radiators either off or down. When advised that we couldn’t accept a room heated to that temperature or sleeping with the door open all night we were shown to the only other room available. This was a ground floor room in the annex off the car park. We should have simply driven back home late in the day to Northumberland. Our overnight stay in this dark, dilapidated room was nothing short of miserable. The lovely member of staff apologised for the fact that opening the room door was a problem requiring some effort as it required like the radiators in the first room maintenance work. We would have been in trouble had we needed to open the door quickly in event of a fire. In short on the accommodation front I did not receive the standard of accommodation I had booked and paid for. The rooms I saw were tired and in need of upgrading and remedial work to reflect the images displayed. My breakfast the gluten free option was again disappointing as the “gluten free option” simply involved removing the items containing gluten. The bacon was streaky and predominantly fat. On a very positive note we ate in the restaurant for dinner and the food was superb! The Admiral Hornblower appears to be a great option when dining out in the town but in my experience somewhere to avoid when looking for accommodation.

Really nice place. Didn't eat here so can't comment on the food. Was absolutely packed when we arrived which is a good sign. I would describe this place as more of a restaurant than a pub. Lovely decor and nice beer garden too.

Dishonest service. We visited the Hornblower today (Saturday) for lunch. Whilst we had not booked we were pleased to be offered a table in the bar. We were advised that it would be 15 minutes before they could take our order due to them being so busy. This was fine. However after 25 minutes we asked for our food order to be taken only to be told that due to lack of Chefs our order could not be taken for another 20 minutes ( this would have entailed a wait of 45 minutes before our food order could be taken let alone cooked ) If you are truly that short of staff you should have been transparent at the start instead of wasting clients time. If the kitchen cannot cope be honest and do not promise to take orders when it’s obvious you cannot deliver.

£80 later. Feel like I’ve been robbed. Terrible service. Utterly mediocre food. Terrible place. Zero atmosphere. Most of the small plates from the fryer. The trio of salmon smelt off. Won’t be back.

Really nice atmosphere and really attentive staff. The restaurant was pretty cold cos the back door kept opening for guests and it was so cold outside. Heating could have done with being turned up. My friend and I ordered medium rare steaks but they were more medium well but still tasted really nice! All in all a lovely evening but a couple of tweaks would have made it better 😀

Me and my partner went for Christmas dinner.....What a way to ruin Christmas. To be charging over £90 per person and to get a meal that was unseasoned, wrongly described, small portions....the chef should be embarrassed serving just 2 chantenay carrots, 2 small battons of parsnips an a single potatoe that was.more liked boiled than roasted. We have had better quality Sunday lunches from weatherspoons.....say no more

We had to get a last minute table and the team could not have been more accommodating. We were there to surprise a friend for her 60th and we were tucked away so we couldn't be seen. We all ordered different food and each one of us declared the meal one of the best pub meals we had had in a long time....whether the heart of rump steak, the fish n chips , the burger or the Vegetarian pie...they were all superb...well done team.

Was met with a warm welcome upon arrival - a very good start. Beer (hand-pumped) was excellent, so another ‘plus’ mark. On to dinner, and every dish on the Christmas menu was beautifully presented, and cooked to perfection - another plus mark here. The waiting staff were not intrusive, but carried out their duties in a professional manner - plus to them. Noise levels were not intrusive, like some other pubs I’ve been in, so holding a conversation was no problem at all,another plus. If I had one (very minor) criticism, those who had the beef would benefited from being given a steak knife, rather than the normal one, as the latter was so blunt as to be almost unable to cut paper, let alone beef. That all said, would I eat there again; absolutely yes.

We booked for a multigenerational family lunch. There were 7 of us. Four had the roast beef snd it was delicious, every plate was cleared. As I am in my second chikdhood, 87, I had fhe child's portion, which was more than enough.. One couple had the chicken for fwo, which caused some amusement when it arrived as it was a whole chicken which had to be carved at the table. On leaving a doggie bag was provided for the left overs - more thsn enough for another meal plus the carcase for stock. Service was excellent and we had a lovely relaxing meal in festive surroundings. Coulc eell become an family tradition. ThaGreat vevnnk you.

Another really nice stay in the Admiral Hornblower, really great place nice and central to Oakham center, a very nice place with excellent food and plenty to choose from, breakfast it freshly prepared and will take some beating, take away if required, great selection of drinks with two nice cosy log fires in the bar areas, nice beer garden when the weather allows, management and all the staff are really good, can't wait to get back again

Our family of 6 attended for lunch, arrived without a booking and fairly last minute but we were catered for with a table which we appreciated a lot given we had not pre booked. We had our drinks order, and they arrived fairly sharpish. It was then another ten or fifteen minutes before our food order was taken. Considering we only ordered sandwiches, we waited for our food for just over an hour. When it did arrive, the food was good but we received no sort of acknowledgement or apology for the delay. Overall, I would eat here again as the food was tasty - but unfortunately the pace of the service fell short when we attended.

Fantastic meal and service, we can’t recommend The Admral enough, warm welcome, super friendly staff and exquisite food. Brilliant, thank you!

Stayed at this lovely place for 2 nights…….what a wonderful find! Accommodation was spacious and so very clean. Staff very friendly and always had time for a chat. Food (breakfast and dinner) was great and very reasonably priced! Central location of the town, so very handy just to step out and have a wander if this lovely little town. Highly recommend if you are planning a visit.

Very nice restaurant, lovely staff but quite pricey. The focaccia starter was excellent, main course was good but the dessert (bakewell tart) was expensive but disappointing. Husband is coeliac, only dessert they could offer was fresh fruit salad (a sliced banana, satsuma and some cherries).

Popped in for a quick pint before heading off up the road to try the new indian! Couldn’t believe how dead it was for a Friday night; hardly anybody drinking or eating. People must be saving their money or they are avoiding the place 🤔 . Usually has a good vibe but will see what it’s like next time we visit. Strange amount of small flies buzzing around which was off putting but I think that could be a Rutland thing at the moment

I booked a night at the Admiral Hornblower for my husbands birthday. Oakham was an ideal place to stay as it was half way between the places i wanted to visit. The staff were very friendly and helpful and after looking at the different places...

We went for lunch on a Saturday while we was waiting for our table we purchased our drinks we was shown to our table and given our menus and sat waiting for 15 minutes with no one coming to take our order I called someone...

The menu was not extensive but a good choice and therefore very likely all would be freshly cooked. The steak and sauce were indeed freshly cooked and to perfection. A good choice of wines with helpful descriptions. The restaurant was busy but the staff were...

Our lunch was 50/50. my steak was cooked to perfection but my wife’s BEEF burger tasted like chorizo - we mentioned it to our lovely waitress and she checked with the kitchen - basically the burgers come from a meat wholesaler (which is normal) and...

We chose to eat here because of how busy it looked in the garden at breakfast time! We were not disappointed, service was quick and friendly despite there being only two members of staff in the bar and restaurant when we arrived - fortunately another...

Beautiful pub in a very handy location. Room was comfy and clean. Staff literally couldn't be more helpful. Had breakfast, lunch and dinner here over the two days we stayed and food was always great. Can't recommend enough.

Food came out nice and quick, food was cooked perfectly and was presented very nicely and would highly recommend for people in couples to come here.

The food and service here is amazing, the staff are very helpful and went out of their way to help us with taxis as we couldn’t use our Uber,

Modern comfortable accommodation, clean spacious room. Decent beer and freshly cooked meals. Breakfast v nice. Staff helpful. Three minor quibbles - the bedroom door closer was broken, making opening the door difficult. - Would have appreciated fruit of some sort at breakfast, to help with...

We stayed here for two nights to watch cricket at Oakham School. We were shown to a lovely big bedroom with a nice big comfortable bed. The first thing we noticed was that the extractor fan was attached to the wall right outside the room...

Absolutely fabulous Sunday lunch…beef and pork that melts in your mouth.. Very friendly staff….easy to park …

Apprehensively brought my wheelchair bound and impatient mum out for lunch here - I needed have worried because Dan absolutely made this work. Food was great, and both of us thoroughly enjoyed it. Huge thank you so much to the team, with special thanks to...

15 of us (kids and adults) went for Sunday lunch, they were brilliant in accommodating us with such a large table. The service was great and the food was amazing. Thank you!

If you are gluton free forget it they give you a gluton free sandwich with fries not gluton free had to ask they went away cane back saying they were cooked with non gluton free items

Awful. Waited half an hour for one shared starter then a further 40 mins for an overcooked steak, tepid chips and a half cooked tomato. Doughy undercooked pizza . Had to chase condiments , drinks - wasn't particularly busy , won't be back Please try...

This is a beautifully appointed restaurant. Decorated in subtle tasteful modern colours. The tables are well spaced and with comfortable chairs. This goes to produce a fine dining area and a lovely ambiance.We ate in the restaurant but noted that there were a number of different places to dine as well including a well presented garden area.The food service staff were smartly dressed in a modern front of house style. They all demonstrated their keen interest in the customers showing very good attentive customer care and food service skills.We arrived towards the end of the lunch service. Maybe that was not a good time to pitch up?We ordered fish pie. It was a large portion but very very hot. Indeed this was its downfall. A creamy mash potato will easily boil when over reheated and partly dissolve into the sauce. This combined with very small pieces of fish made it next to impossible to detect any fish. Whilst it was very tasty is wasn’t what it should have been. The kitchen need to review the size of the fish and carefully supervise the reheating to ensure it doesn’t go above 75c.The beer battered fish and chips didn't fair much better. The beer batter lacked any aeration and was therefore very heavy when dipped into the batter resulting in a cake like product devoid of any lift. Whisking in some beer before it was used might have saved the day. Unfortunately what were lovely chips were served coated with lots of burnt flecks of food particles. This demonstrates that either the cold zone in the deep fryer was ineffective or they don’t use fine spiders to remove floating bits.This is all about observing what’s happening and not turning a blind eye to the results in the hope the customer doesn’t notice…..and it should be about pride in their work!The kitchen are not paying enough attention to detail…unlike the designer, the architects and decorators of this delightfully fine eatery. ………..Such a shame.

Excellent for and ambience. Staff very helpful and polite and provided quality service. Highly recommended.

Stayed here for the weekend. The atmosphere was lovely and welcoming. The management and staff were excellent and the food was great. Lovely menu with wide range of dishes, cooked to perfection. The rooms were spotless and well appointed. Can’t fault anything. Well done to all and I would highly recommend a visit.

Great food, freshly cooked. Restaurant is spacious and bar area is cosy with open fireplaces and old beams

Popped in for a spur of the moment quick lunch. We hadn’t booked but was found a table by a very helpful member of the staff. Lucky for us as I think it was busy. I would recommend booking if you needed to guarantee a table. I chose the Fisherman’s Pie with seasonal vegetables. The dish was great with really good flavours. The staff were attentive and helpful. I really think this is one of the best pubs in Rutland for drinks and food. Well worth a visit.

Spent a two nice days here. Lovely engaging staff. Local beers on tap. Huge covered garden area to escape the rain. Only downside for us was Sunday dinner, it was booked for 1pm and it didn't come out till just gone 2pm and we had a taxi booked for 14:30 so had to wolf it down a bit quicker than we would have liked. The roast beef was lovely with a slight hint of pink. Cooked to perfection. The other factor concerning my score of 4 was a severe lack of gravy. What came out was a little pot to share with my wife. Normally we'd consume twice that amount each. Especially with a Yorkshire pudding on the plate. All in all a great staffed establishment that is worth a visit

Not being locals we’d been recommended the Hornblower by the brilliant guys at Sigma Sports. How grateful we were too, we received a warm welcome and the thoughtful young chap who showed us to our table is a credit to their team. Not forgetting our waitresses who were very helpful and cheerful too. We were served well presented and delicious food. Tribute was on Tap plus local ales and good selection of wines. Good sized restaurant area with well spaced seating and the span of glass doors (some open) are a lovely feature. We left feeling very repleat and content.

Visited for the first time for Sunday lunch Menu selection was very extensive and the food was very good with reasonable portions Nice selection of beers too

We really absolutely loved going to this pub. We have had three or four evening meals there recently and not only was the food excellent but most importantly the service was wonderful. Great bar staff and waiters. Friendly. Professional. Helpful. And courteous. Try this place. You won’t be disappointed. We will be back. Table in the front window please!!

The Hornblower has gone down hill quite a lot. The outside area is scruffy as are the toilets. The service was good. The food was average. We have had better for much less money.

I have visited three times this week! Firstly for lunch (fish finger ciabatta), then an impromptu family gathering for dinner (mussels) and then for dinner with friends (mussels again as they were soooo good) I also thoroughly enjoyed a couple of passion fruit martinis while my fellow diners found the espresso martinis too good not to have several! Great food snd great, friendly service!

Great service and place to sit outside and have a drink and a bite to eat whilst watching the world go by.

We visited the Hornblower yesterday evening as a group of ladies to celebrate our friends birthday. There were 11 of us in total. The overall experience was wonderful. The service was brilliant from smiling and efficient staff and nothing was too much trouble for any of them. All of our meals were delicious and very well presented. My sticky toffee pudding was perfect.Thank you to wonderful staff for making our evening special, we'll be back soon.

Really outstanding in all departments: a nice room with excellent bathroom, truly first class food in top notch surroundings. All rounded off by enthusiastic, helpful staff. Very surprised at how reasonably priced everything was. Will definitely visit again

We stayed here recently as two couples were visiting Rutland Water. We were looking to have a meal in Oakham and a few drinks etc in a place that has some atmosphere (there wasn't many places like this)Staff were really quick in getting us to our rooms and gave some helpful advise on OakhamWe saw the Staff Jasmine, Tabetha and Dan whilst out and they recognised us and stopped to have a good chat with us. We then ended up playing pub games with them and enjoyed a great night together.All the time they remained professional and was almost still providing us a service in there own time.You don't get Staff like this very often Admiral Hornblower and you are very lucky to have such dedicated staff.Breakfast was really nice and again the breakfast Staff were really helpful.Rooms were at the back separate to the pub so really quiet

I booked on only Wednesday for dinner here for four of us on the Thursday, the following day. Although they were virtually full, they were kind enough to accommodate us in a private room.Service from start to finish was spot on. The new menu was terrific. Two of us chose the hake in a mussel sauce (fabulous) with one fish pie and one steak. Sticky toffee pudding later, was covered in lots of lovely sauce and salted caramel ice cream. Delicious and not mean portions either.Do go, even if only to taste the amazing mussel sauce which was not short of mussels in it. Complimenti al cuoco!

Just been to the Hornblower with a couple of friends. Sat down at 7:30 - didn’t get a waiter until 8 finally got a drink at 8:15. Finally got our food at 9:05. Once the food came it was good but we were a bit passed it! Such a shame as it’s a lovely place to eat.

Attended with family for Sunday Lunch and decided to eat out side. The service was awful. There was 6 of us eating. No salt or pepper bought to the table staff acting as though not interested. We had to go in to the pub to ask for our condiments. Nobody asking us if we would like more drinks. Everybody looked disinterested.When deserts were delivered one cheese board included the plastic wrapper that the cheese had been wrapped in. The food was quite nice but because of the poor service the experience wasn’t. New staff came on later who seemed to have a bit more about them. When we complained nobody seemed to be bothered and there was a huge lack of responsibility with the staff and management. Not good,,I’m sure other pub restaurants would have appreciated my £168.00 more than this lot.

a well established and well planned pub serving drinks and meals. seating inside and outside. a ramp provides wheelchair access . good food and good service, in my case in the sun!

This wonderful place accommodated 10 of us at short notice after being let down at the last minute by a local Michelin starred restaurant. And to be honest, I’m glad we were let down. The staff were all wonderful and very friendly. The food was superb and very good value. The wine and beer were superb.Absolutely faultless and I hope we get the opportunity to visit this gem of a place again soon.

This isn't our first visit to the Hornblower but it is the first this year. We booked a table in the bar for dinner as we had our puppy with us. They gave us the window seat which is one of 2 lovely spacious bright tables in the window recess. Rustic furniture, cloth napkins, a simple fresh flower small display on teht able and spotlessly clean.Service was really friendly and efficient. We loved the nice touch of bringing our puppy a bowl of water with our drinks! We shared a camembert and both had the lamb rump dish and my husband pushed the boat out and had the coconut panna cotta (It was his birthday so let him off) . Absolutely of it was fabulous. I had a couple of glasses of malbec also which was really good quality. A really great experience - probably the best we have had there.

A friendly well set out pub, we were sat in the airy conservatory area. starters of koofta kebabs and a pork and chorizo terrine were fresh tasting and we both went for the chicken and ham hock pie, which was superb. £17 for a pie seems steep but this was worth every penny. Not a cheap meal but certainly a value for money one

First visit to a pub since the end of lockdown! Super excited and got greeted by a lovely waiter. Starter was excellent and so was the wine. Unfortunately we asked for water for the table 3 times and on the 4th time only received 1 glass - there were 5 of us. Our steaks were juicy and tasty however we asked for them rare and they were very much well done. We also asked for pepper sauce which arrived when we were almost finished. No one checked on us to see if the meal was ok which is why I didn’t have the opportunity to mention it on the night. When we were cleared of our main course, we waited 20 minutes and still no one asked us if we wanted to look at dessert menus so we just asked for the bill and left. Disappointed and won’t be returning in a hurry.

Had a pleasant enough visit but nothing amazing considering the prices are quite high. One thing I won’t be ordering again is a bottle of wine! Super expensive for a bottle that isn’t worth the money. My friend booked our table and I have to say it all felt a bit crowded for the current climate

Went for coffee & a light bite at 11.30 today , had to wait 5mins to be seated, nearly 10 for our order to be taken then 15 mins to receive our drinks, so decided not to eat there as we couldn't guarantee how much longer we would have to wait for the food & didn't want to miss our appointment. Not sure how many staff was on duty but we only saw 1 gentleman taking orders till 3 more staff turned up at 12 midday. Very dissapointing, not impressed, we were hoping to have a nice lunch & carry on with our journey. We sat outside under the canopy & understood the rules with the covid restrictions which were in place. Don't think we will bother next time.

Very attractive historic building, well-looked after with uncluttered and stylish interiors including several open log-burning fire places.Very friendly, helpful, efficient and unpretentious staff, who make everyone welcome.Good locally-sourced food at reasonable prices.Clearly a very popular venue with locals for regular drinks and meals.

We were recommended this restaurant but were disappointed with the quality of the food which is really just pub food trying to pretend to be something that it isn't. We started with salads which were OK but a little small. We had the fish platter which was again OK but nothing to write home about and Sea Bream. Everything was very ordinary and nothing was especially well done. The stand out disappointment was the wine which was shockingly bad. We tried to find an acceptable dry white. The Chilean was simply undrinkable, the New Zealand alternative not much better and eventually settled for the Pinot Grigio which was just about OK. The staff tried very hard to respond to our concerns and I would not criticise their efforts they are just working with a bad product. We were also aware there were groups of people clearly breaking the covid rules to be there but weren't seemingly challenged. For example a group of four men after a game of golf drinking loads and sharing a food platter for 2.

I ordered this on Thursday 19th November and received an acknowledgement the day after. A roast beef and a roast pork meal with 2 apple crumbles for afters. I arrived at the requested time, and was met by a cheerful member of staff and told the meals would be right out, the food arrived, boxed up and piping hot about a minute later and I was on my way. The food was excellent, perfectly cooked vegetables, crispy roasters, succulent, tender meat (good portions of all!) and very tasty. My wife assures me the gravy was good (I don't do gravy... :) ) The apple crumbles were superb, probably the best I've ever had, and I need to know how the crumble was made! a good helping of spicy apple and raisins under a crunchy crumble that hadn't gone soggy in transit - exquisite! I would happily recommend that anyone looking for a roast Sunday dinner in Oakham orders one from the Hormblower. Thank you to the staff for producing this quality of food during this difficult time, and with a smile on their faces under the masks!

Due to current conditions I had to cancel my pre-birthday meal with the ladies. So we decided to try a Sunday Roast Takeaway. A first time for everything. We ordered a nut roast, 2 Pork loin, Cauiflower Cheese, 2 Apple Crumble with Custard and Cheese & Biscuits which worked out at £15 per person. It was delicious and included roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, cabbage, parsnips, carrots, cauliflower cheese and gravy. We were so full we took our desserts home. But the crumble was also amazing!!

Really good Sunday lunch - perfectly cooked beef, nice range of vegetable accompaniments and lovely roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings . Jugs of gravy which we love.

Lucky find on a cold wet day!Looking for somewhere for lunch after a cold, wet walk at Rutland Water and we were very happy with what we had here. Lots of choice and the set lunch menu is great value especially on ‘eat out for less’ days. The dishes are interesting, inventive and well-prepared. Service is excellent and friendly.

Great Sunday lunch, good quality produce and good service, highly recommended. Excellent social distancing measures in place. Will come again,

Not been here for years, but the place we were going to has closed. Impressed with the food and the friendliness of the staff. Despite all the Covid restrictions, they worked hard to make us feel at home. The food was good- the fish and chips especially.

We stayed one night last week and found it a lovely hotel with welcoming and and friendly staff. We had a beautiful room - although the bathroom could have benefited from a loo roll holder and shelf! (Believe may have just been refurbished which could explain this).IWe had booked dinner in their restaurant and certainly the hotel is very Covid aware. All guests need to wear face masks around the hotel until seated at a table. We had the two course set menu which was excellent and very good value for money. Would definitely recommend and Giorgio go back and enjoy a walk around Rutland Water when it is hopefully less windy!

Covid prepared. Lunch menu served from 2pm. Garden had Marquee with well spaced tablesWe chose Sandwich with skinny fries.Atmosphere was happy with lots of other folk relaxing in the sun.Wine was good.Beer was good.Poor Sandwich, thin dry bread with tasteless ham. French fries cold and tasteless.£8 & poor value for money.

Great bar, restaurant and hotel, staff were attentive but not in your face, food really good and the Monday to Wednesday restaurant offer was amazing, and to enjoy the September sun the garden area was superb Room we stayed in was lovely with a super comfy four poster bed. Would definitely recommend a stay here.

Booked a table so that we could have an early Dinner, Service at the bar was very good. However although there was a BIG sign at the entrance warning of Covid and wait to be seated 50% of the guests just walked straight in, socail distancing did not exist, people stood at the bar drinking which made it difficult for people obeying the rules, did not see any table sanitising.

Popped in on the off chance and had a lovely lunch. Everywhere was spotless. The staff attentive and the food first rate.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch here today. The fish sharing platter was excellent - especially the lightly smoked salmon (well sliced with 'bite') and warm bread. A wholegrain or seeded bread would have been preferred but perhaps they'd run out - anyway the white bread was fresh and warm and we enjoyed it nonetheless. We also had the side salad which was delicious with plenty of dark green leaves well toasted sunflower seeds. My friend had the roast duck which she said was moist and both it and the accompaniments were very tasty. Service was friendly and helpful and we shall certainly return.

I met my brother for a birthday drink. We were told that the app is the way to order and my brother ordered a round of drinks, we got the drinks about 20 minutes after ordering even though there was only about half a dozen people in the pub The second drink took just as long but as I was waiting for my wife to finish work we had to stay where we agreed to meet When my wife arrived and my niece and sister in law arrived we were still waiting for a round of drinks even though we ordered them 10 mins before they arrived .When the drinks arrived the ice that had been put in the glass for my nieces coke had melted so she had to drink it out the bottle We complained to the manager and received a free round of drinks which arrived in 5 mins which was the fastest we received one The excuse the manager said was because of the app although when my brother went over the road to another establishment that was a lot busier he got his drinks and food in less than 5 mins A couple at another table who had eaten had finished their meal and left the pub but their table had still not been cleared an hour later and was still uncleared and not sanitised when we left I would not recommend this establishment at all

Lovely friendly staff was quickly shown to a table. Just a shame the food wasn’t so nice Very greasy fish and chips and for nearly £20 for that and a coke I expected better

My husband and I had our first dinner here after Lockdown and were slightly worried about the virus safety procedures in place. We needn’t have been at all concerned. Wayne, the manager, reserved us a table in the window in a room with only three tables. No condiments on the table. A good sign. (Not needed anyway as the food was seasoned to perfection) Drinks were brought on a tray amd we helped ourselves to them.My husband chose the duckling and asked for French fries instead of fondant and wasn’t charged extra. I had pan fried cod with clams which was the best main I’d had anywhere for a couple of years and had a generous helping of cod atop a delicious sauce with asparagus and spinach. Couldn’t fault any of it. We’ll be back soon with friends.One can eat outside, though not book an outside table, if there’s room but obviously can’t retreat indoors if it rains. Eat in. You’ll be fine.Felt ultra-safe in these unprecedented times.

Went on a Wednesday night with partner and 2 kids for a drink whilst we waited for our Chinese takeaway. No service at the bar even tho there are Perspex screens, duly registered through the app even though it’s longwinded (also doesn’t accept Apple Pay) and took 7-8 mins, sat in garden. Made the order. Another 10 minutes passes, partner goes to ask where are our drinks because it’s NOT BUSY there are max 10 people, the THREE bar staff all chatting together say they haven’t noticed our order and hadn’t even started pouring. Got a refund and left frustrated. If this is your new system keep an eye on your order screens if that’s how you expect people to order!! Or let people order through a screen?

Drove from Kent to Oakham, stopping at Cambridge on the way. Parked at Waterbeach and cycled along River Cam route 51 to central Cambridge. Lovely cycle, took about 30 mins. Walked round Cambridge, lunch and cycled back and continued on to Oakham.Hotel is in centre of town. We had Room 10 at back of small car park so was very quiet, although when staff went to next door room for supplies, a light would shine in our room at night which was a bit annoying, but I actually slept very well (took my own pillows). Room very clean and towels, tea, coffee, free bottles of water replenished each day. Staff all very friendly and helpful, good quality food. Not many restaurants seemed to be open so ate in the hotel for three nights and like the breakfast, good standard of freshly cooked food.Inside tables good distance apart, staff wore masks and has large outdoor terrace where tables were distanced. No standing allowed. Lively atmosphere, in a nice way, at the weekend, seems the place where young people back from Uni meet.Town - quiet, small town with some upmarket, independent shops. 3 miles to Rutland Water which is stunning. Visited bird sanctuary and cycled round Rutland Water (about 20 miles) a bit up and down, much of the path gravel.

Last week I was on holiday in a lodge around Rutland water, and I first visited The Admiral Hornblower after it was recommended to me by a local. The food was outstanding, tasty fresh and memorable. The staff were accommodating and professional. The food was so good we decided to return later in the week and again had an excellent meal. well done to all the staff at the Admiral Hornblower.

We came for lunch today, I had the smoked salmon and cream cheese baguette and my partner had the coronation chicken baguette, both were so tasty! The portion size was great and for the price we paid we thought it was well worth it. Also loved the music playlist. Overall a great experience!

Stayed at the Admiral Hornblower having read the reviews on TA. The restaurant is great. Innovative food in a modern and comfortable setting, with excellent and friendly service. Would definitely visit again.

We arrived here for a birthday get together. Myself travelling from the North and my friend from the South..We felt Oakham was about the middle and after searching found The Admiral Hornblower. On arrival I could easily have missed the place altogether as it has a tasteful but unassuming exterior. Inside is a delight !!! Again tastefully decorated and lots of small rooms each with a twist, to the rear is a large dining room.We ate lunch, dinner and breakfast here.Lunch was a delicious beetroot, pear and goats cheese salad for me and my friend had a selection of cheese and biscuits.. Both were tasty ample and served by friendly staff who put you at ease. They offered information and suggestions, both of which were accepted. Dinner was in the delightful dining room and we both opted for the set menu. I chose a starter and Main Smoked Mackerel and Apple Sakad for starters very tasty !! And Potato gnocchi with mushrooms, Spinach and peas.. this was cooked perfectly. I enjoyed every mouthful. My friend had Sausage and Mash, for Mains and a dessert. Apple crumble with Ice Cream. She asked if there was custard as an alternative??? And was served with both. Again the service was exceptional..I sought advice re wine and was served a delicious Pinot Noir which was the perfect accompaniment to my gnocchi. We both enjoyed our food and the style of customer service this establishment has. Breakfast was traditional and large... we had several cups of coffee and tea sat in easy chairs by the fire... This is not a place to miss if you're in Oakham. The only negative thing is the size of the car park and the difficulty finding it!!! But neither of these things would put me off returning...Well done and a big Thank You to your excellent staff....

We visited for my Mother-in-law’s birthday on Saturday lunch and we had our own private little room which was lovely. The food was outstanding as usual. The service was exceptional. Being out in our own little room you would have thought we’d be forgotten but we kept being asked if we were ok and would we like more drinks. Archie was looking after us really well ordering our drinks and bringing them to us. Would definitely recommend a visit to this establishment.

This is a lovely little place with a great atmousphere. Great customer service from a lovely chap when booking in. Did eat here in the evening but breakfast was lovely.

Booked table for 7.30pm four of us. We say in the conservatory and within an hour the place was full. Staff nice , starters all good, had to wait a long time for our mains and the pork crackling wasn’t crackling so we did mention this and they took this from the bill which was appreciated. Couldn’t fit dessert in and total bill with drinks was £140. Didn’t drink too much as we were meeting friends afterwards. Good atmosphere and would visit again when in the area.

Came here on a cold Saturday night and it was great to ha e some excellent beers and bins beside a real fire in a modern, stylish pub. Service was very good and all our party enjoyed all their alcoholic beverages.

Popped in for a drink last night, but bar staff really not bothered about serving me.....I’m assuming it’s because I’m not local as I had to wait whilst regulars/friends who rolled up at the bar after me, were conversed with at length and served before I was even grunted at. Such a shame, the building is lovely and welcoming and could be a really lovely pub. We were going to eat here, but the restaurant was empty with no atmosphere and as the bar service was so remiss we decided to look elsewhere. Found the Lord Nelson...very nice

Live this pub, have probably reviewed before but been several more times in last few months. Food is a fair price for the quality (medium price range), feels like a treat but not pretentious. Lovely cosy bar area, and elegant but relaxed restaurant area. Great for most occasions: friends, family, date night, solo lunch with a sleeping baby, or even business meetings.Highly recommend

Hornblower has been a favourite for a while but tonight even better. Lovely wine properly cold, great menu. All on very hot plates, sea bream perfectly cooked, small portion as requested for mum. Dessert, salted caramel brownie and Salted caramel smooth ice cream very very special. All served with a smile as usual and that’s really important to us. Please don’t change, you are our local first choice. Ladies x3!

What a huge regret we spent £160 for a couple on New Years Eve it was the first time since our Son was born that we went out and treated ourselves (15 years). We regularly drink and eat at the Hornblower so we thought we were on to a safe bet! How wrong we were we had to point out twice that there was a gaping hole in the marquee the heating system generator kept tripping out! We asked to be moved eventually and to top it all the Cuban night with ‘Entertainment’was a disco - was expecting a Cuban band at the very least -don’t bother if you want a great night out at New Year.

Stayed for 3 nights here and had meal one night. The room was in the main building and was spacious and comfortable. The meals were well presented although one (gnocchi) could have done with a bit more taste. The cooked breakfasts are very good and generous. On checkout we were being charged for an extra meal and drinks, this was quickly rectified but it is clearly worth checking.

we had a wonderful evening, immediately greeted by Archie on the bar who made us feel very welcome and seated by Toby who did an amazing job serving us and offering insight into the menu.

I am still shocked and disappointed about the terrible Christmas Dinner we were served at this pub/ hotel. It was my christmas present a treat and expensive, I really looked forward to it and not having to cook on Christmas Day.

Christmas dinner the end of year family celebration is supposed to be the one where pubs and resturaunts pull out all the stops to impress. Well im sorry but this place really let its self down. We arrived for our dinner at booked time and was seated by the front window. Straight away i noticed dirty table, ripped cusions. The starter arrived, yellow bread and a pate which tasted like raw liver. My mums was not good. Main arrived after 45 mins. Luke warm pigs in blankets, (pink) mush for veg no stuffing average turkey. We complained and were offered another option. We ordered filet of beef. That arrived, consisted of hunk of beef, hard cauliflower and broccoli with bisto. At this point i took the manager to one side and asked for a refund. This is not on, the hornblower has issues here, and for 85 quid ahead felt totaly ripped off. As someone else has said go to witherspoons across the road

We arrived at the Admiral Hornblower on Christmas Eve as a family of 10 for breakfast to start the celebrations. We called the day before to book and were told there was no need and to be there between 8 and 10.

On arrival, the room was like a sauna. I was unable to turn the heat down and had to get someone to turn it off totally. It still meant having to sleep with the window open as it was still over warm. Being road facing, the noise was more than I would have liked to experience. The kettle couldn't be plugged in on the drawer unit it sat on. It had to be filled in the bathroom sink and then plugged in on the floor. The slightest movement in bed at night meant the headboard was rattling around and bashing against the wall.I ended up having to stuff a pillow behind it to stop being woken up on a regular basis. At night, the green light from the emergency light was painfully bright, I realise these things are made that way, but perhaps a re- arrangement of the room would stop the bright light shining in your eyes. Shower was nice and roomy with good pressure. The bar was good, well stocked and reasonably priced. I'm not sure the £80 single room price is justifiable in its current form. Breakfast in the morning appeared to be good, with a good selection of juices, cereals although the toast could do with more than just being shown the grill. The cooked breakfast options were good too.