The Botanical Rooms in South Somerset

I wanted to book a special night out for a birthday celebration and decided to try The Botanical Rooms at The Newt. Having read the recent reviews, I was a little concerned about the variability, but need not have worried. Lovely location, stunning building and a lot of effort had been made with the lighting, both inside and outside as we walked from the car park. We were guided very efficiently through all the menu choices, the girl let herself down when explaining the local nature of the menu firstly tried to tell me that Colchester is 'local' and then that it is on the south coast! She followed this by telling me that the 'locally caught fish' was from Brixham in Dorset! I corrected her and unsurprisingly she stayed clear of us for the rest of the evening! Fortunately, after this the evening improved. LeLe was our waiter and he was fantastic. He was very knowledgable and gave us plenty of good advice. We had the 3 course menu at £95 each and were very pleased with all three courses. We ordered a couple of extra sides with the main course. The Rosé wine by the glass at £12 for 175ml was moderate. I had the on-site produced cider at £6 for 375ml bottle, this was very good. The starter / main course food was excellent, the deserts were not on the same level, but nothing that we would complain about. We thought that the service was excellent. The final bill (inc service) was £254 which we thought was reasonable given the number of chefs visible in the open plan kitchen and the lovely ambience of the dining area. For our next 'special occasion' dinner locally, it will be a toss up between here and the Clockspire!

Brought my father here for his 80th birthday lunch. Positives: Beautiful surroundings (though no signs at all so difficult to find!) Service was very friendly and polite. Lovely decor, very nice gluten free bread and a nice house wine- viognier. Negatives- incredibly slow service. Took nearly an hour for our meals to arrive despite other diners receiving theirs (and finishing them) before we had ours. Same with dessert. Had to ask for sauces twice, the bill twice, water twice. My daughter who was with us asked 'how can they forget straight after you've asked them?!' My chocolate cremeux dessert was good but the mains were nothing to write home about. Large chunks of Monkfish with not much else. The meal for 2 adults and 2 children (who didnt have desserts as went to the gelateria afterwards) no starters cost £175! The meal went on for 2.5 hours, we missed our slot at the Beezantium, didn't have much time left to explore the gardens and the children were fed up. A lovely place to visit but if they want to charge those sorts of prices they need to improve the speed service and quality of food. My father said he preferred the pub lunch we had the previous day which was disappointing!!

We ate here in Augst 2024, having had two meals here in summer 2023. For a fine dining restaurant it was pretty poor last year, and I'm afraid it has not got any better. The menu is narrow and does not change from night to night, so this narrows down one's options (no option for a vegetarian!). A huge let-down for a fantastic hotel in lovely surroundings. Can't believe the owners have not sorted this out yet.

A lovely setting for a very nice lunch - the beef was delicious. The staff were lovely particularly Darren who was charming and especially helpful with a query on the bill. And then of course the wonderful gardens are a bonus.

I was tied between 3 and 4 out of 5 but I’m feeling generous. The location is wonderful and it truly is an amazing experience on a beautiful spring weekend. The food is okay. It’s trying too hard and I think it missed the mark for me. The portion sizes were stereotypically poor. It’s such a shame to leave a three course lunch and still feel hungry. The beef was embarrassingly small. Oh, and a set menu for £45 a head really should not charge £8 for a side of potatoes. The cocktails were okay. I’d say they were fairly priced at £16 but again lose the ice and you’d barely have a thimble of drink. I’m feeling generous because the location is fabulous. But for lunch with a couple of beers it was £165 and to leave unfulfilled seems like a shame. I probably wouldn’t rush back but I’ll keep an eye on the reviews and if they pick up then it may be work another visit next year.

I thought I would leave a review for two reasons. 1. Because we had an amazing experience. 2. Because I struggle to believe the other reviews are related to the same restaurant. We arrive early and went to the bar, laid back relaxed atmosphere with drink service taking a while but why not as its a relaxed atmosphere! We were shown to our table and the staff arranged for drinks to be moved, the table position was great. We were given menus and the staff chatted about various things and made us extremely welcome. The food and service was amazing, we spent over 3hrs there. We've eaten in some amazing restaurants around the world and this wasn't the best but its up in that area. The service is very good. We are eating there today so Saturday May 4th so I will leave another review afterwards.

Shockingly awful experience for lunch. We arrived 30 minutes early and were shown to the bar. 20 minutes passed and we had still not been offered drinks. It was hard to get attention too as the staff were running drinks elsewhere. Finally we ordered drinks and then had to go through to the dining room so the drinks were carried through by a waitress who then gave two of us the wrong drinks. We were given menus but 2 of them were for dinner not lunch. That caused confusion. The Mozzarella starter lacked imagination and presentation. It came as a chunk with some garlic sauce and 3 fine strips of apple and that was it. Nothing to write home about for the price. It really needs more flavour like tomato or basil which is probably common for a reason. Some bread with it would have helped. Most of the group had the Lamb roast, big mistake we were to find. The food was cold, plates were cold,. The Lamb was rare and chewy so I left mine as did my mother and the men chewed through. But they were not impressed. The greens ( kale) were not cooked so were hard. We grow kale ourselves, it doesn't have to be like that. Two very tiny baby carrots ( garnish?) were burnt. The Yorkshire pudding looked impressive but was overcooked and contained a teaspoon of gravy. Roast potatoes were good! ( but cold) . A jug of gravy would have helped warm things up. The others were equally unimpressed with their meals but we didn't want a scene so didn't complain. The only saving grace quite frankly was dessert and the wine. The chocolate tart was tasty with a lovely pastry base. Just when we thought things could not get any worse we eventually managed to get the bill after several requests. The bill that arrived was not ours and was double the cost that we were expecting as it was for a larger group! Eventually we got the right bill. We just won't be back... to this restaurant. Writing all this out I realise how awful it all was and wish we had complained, but it would have thoroughly spoilt our day. We are members so we do aim to return for the gardens.

After visiting the surrounding gardens a few months beforehand and the cafe inside the Newt, I was anticipating a great time at the Botanical Rooms. The eating space is fantastic especially if you are seated in the courtyard area with lovely sunlight coming through. The staff are probably the best thing about the restaurant, names sadly not remembered, and were very attentive and kind. The food was very hit and miss, the starters were delicious and just the right size. I had the celeriac and I tasted the mushroom and chestnut soup, both were so tasty and I could have had them again. The main was a let down given the price and the ambience of the rooms. The pork roast was fine but the roast potatoes felt hard and reheated and the Yorkshire pudding oozed oil. The pudding of apple pie and/or poached pear was tasty but since the main I didn't enjoy it as much as I did looking at the menu at the start of the meal. I would love to go back to the Botanical Rooms again as the ambience is lovely and also to try the other mains to prove that it was a one off.

We visited the Botanical Rooms for an evening meal. First the good points - the interior of the restaurant was excellent, and the staff were very attentive and professional, couldn't have asked for more there. The locally produced Fine Cyder was very nice. The food on the other hand was just ok. There was a choice of 4 starters, all of which were vegetarian. I had barbecued broccoli, which was basically tenderstem broccoli that had been charred with a couple of anchovies laid on top. I would have expected a choice of at least a meat or fish starter. The mains were ok - I had the lamb, which was cooked ok but wasn't the best cut of meat considering what we were paying. Now the bad part - it was all way too salty! In particular the kalettes and the fried rosemary potatoes tasted like they had been salted twice! I always cook with salt and sometimes MSG so it's not like I'm not used to it like some people might be. Quite the opposite in fact. On the whole, it was a nice meal but not worth the £85 pp that we were being charged. For that price I would expect the food to not be over-seasoned, and to have something other than vegetables as a starter. Usually I would have said something and asked for the sides to be redone but it was a special occasion and I didn't want to detract from that.

Just fabulous. Cosy, intimate lunch after a bracing walk outdoors. The thing that made it special was the wonderful attention and care we received from Lele who looked after us during lunch. Food was delicious and hearty - just what we needed after being outdoors.

Visited last night for dinner. It was a big treat for us to take good friends out and feel the experience was a mixed bag really. We were mucked about a bit upon arrival - parking is about 150m from the entrance and we were pushed from the bar to the garden room, left with drinks menus and then forgotten until Peter the maitre d came to dig us out and hurried us along as we ‘had to vacate the table by a certain time’ (which is a pet hate of mine though I understand why it is done…). The decor is extraordinarily beautiful - grown up and calm - if a little too dimly lit for 40 year old eyes to read a menu! The room is VERY warm and most tables were occupied. We had a bizarre incident where we were insistently offered a complementary bottle of sparking wine as we sat down - from someone that then transpired not to be for us (honesty prevailed!) and the bottle awkwardly removed. It was a little strange and had it been my restaurant, I’d have probably been inclined to make up for the double blunder of losing guests and then retracting free sparking wines with a small gesture. But no… The food was very good overall - but a £10 supplement for scallops to start on an £85 three course menu felt a little steep - especially considering the veggies were extra too (we shared two vegetable sides between four of us) I had the beef and hubby had the guinea fowl. We left nearly £500 lighter for 4 people’s meals. 2 of the party didn’t have puddings. If you included drinks (for three of us, as one was driving) the bill was just shy of £900. I am definitely a perfectionist when you pay for a meal in this price range. So based on the clumsiness of staff I don’t think we’d race back again which is a real shame. I think there are other great restaurants in the vicinity that offer a better calibre of service. Sorry :(

Third visit to the botanical rooms. This time with friends, daughter & grandchildren who were staying at the hotel. Sadly not quite as accomplished cooking, and expensive at £85 per head not including potatoes & vegetables for which there was a supplement. Slightly aggrieved to be served thin slices of not completely tender lamb loin only to spot the same dish on the next door table with superior looking lamb cutlets. Great service, atmosphere & location though, but will patronise the farmhouse restaurant & garden cafe next time.

What a lovely place for lunch. Beautiful rooms (one indoors the other under glass), excellent service, well judged menu, memorable wines. What’s not to like?

The food is of the finest quality ~ the best of meat and the freshest of vegetables. We chose a parsnip vélouté and then a pavé of venison. These dishes were prepared “according to the book”, but in rather pedestrian fashion. Fashion, for instance, demands that the soup be a moat to more solid matter; in this case a nest of stringy crisp scrapes of the parsnip, which inhibited the action of the spoon. We did not stay for dessert in large part because the room is depressing decorated and malproportioned. I re-emphasise, however, that the quality of the ingredients is a joy and the price is reasonable.

We visited The Botanical Rooms with our daughter and son in law for my husbands birthday. The building is a delight to be explored, the restaurant staff warm and welcoming. There is a nice informal atmosphere in the restaurant which results in a real enjoyment of the food and surroundings. Food highlights were the venison, the meringue pear and we loved the Jerusalem artichoke nibbles. Peter was a delight throughout and had to be mentioned, and also the understanding they showed regarding my daughter's gluten intolerance, we felt very happy that they were on board with this in every way, as she becomes seriously ill if exposed - thankyou! There was only one point to feed back, and that was the serving of our champagne, the member of staff needed a little more training on this, wrong glasses, sloppy serving and much spilt on the table, a shame when everything else about the experience was perfect. Do visit for the ambience, grounds, food and all in all a wonderful day out.

Wow this was exceptional. We visited for Sunday lunch and all thought the food was amazing, everything from the pork pie starter and the venison main course shone through. Though leave room for dessert! The gardens and surrounding buildings are worth a visit. We will return.

This is a superb restaurant with outstanding staff. We ate here for both nights of our stay, the house menu on the first night and the tasting menu on the second. I cannot describe how delicious everything was, particularly the meat: divine! Staff were excellent, particularly James, Jordan and Xavi (who recommended what turned out to be incredible lavender vodka cocktails!) and they made us feel very relaxed and welcome. They are a credit to the establishment. We were really struck by how much all of the staff in the restaurant and the hotel beyond seem to genuinely enjoy working there. Highly recommend.

We tried the vegetarian version of the taster member, without wine / cider pairing. The dishes made extensive use of ingredients produced in the Newt's gardens including less common items such as edible flowers, and were beautifully presented.

Wonderful lunch- following a great visit to the gardens. We were looked after beautifully, especially by Le Le. The food was spectacular, the setting even more special. We will return!

We had a lovely lunch in the botanical rooms. Our waitress Lauren was very sweet however it would really benefit the experience if all of your team members knew about the products on offer especially when offering a cider flight with the menu. It would be really easy to arrange a tasting of these for your team (although we found tasting these very difficult all around the newt site even though we wanted to buy bottles. In the end we came away with none as we weren’t sure… it would also be really helpful if the team was trained in how to redeem gift vouchers. We were passed from pillar to post and nobody in the restaurant, host station, or bar knew what to do. In the end we were saved by Sebastian but not without a 20 minute wait. I have got to the point of just leaving the gift voucher with him and hoping he would trust us that the amount was on there! I’m not sure how quickly we would be back as the journey was two hours away and although the food was delicious, it wouldn’t be worth making a special journey for. Thank you Lauren and we wish the botanical rooms all the best…

Unbelievably stunning food. Saw this place on the Fred and Michel programme and simply had to try it. Food is amazing as is the attention to detail and friendliness of the staff. Very highly recommended.

Could not fault the Botanical Rooms. It’s at the higher end of what I’d pay for a meal but there was no point at which I thought it was over priced. The location, building, interior, staff and chefs could not be faulted. Perfection. There are a number of restaurants and hotels in the Wiltshire/Somerset borders which want to be up there, think they are up there, but are way overpriced, under skilled and just set up badly; this is DEFINITELY NOT one of them. No stodgy food, no “generic filler dishes” on the menu, no disorganisation, no waiting for service, no rushing either. The Botanical Rooms puts a lot of other places to shame. Everything here has been done with very exacting and deliberate standards, leaving you coming away feeling like it was an afternoon well spent, you were looked after with absolute dedication and sincerity. There’s not many places where I’d come away feeling like I’d happily stick a pin in the menu and try whatever it lands on, but the dishes we had for lunch were both fantastic. With the freshness and flavours of what we had, I’d happily go back and work my way through the menu!

Special occasion noted on booking snd with high expectations we visited the Newt Good bar service although slightly too loud live singer. Went through to restaurant, excellent staff interaction and chose from a la carte Fabulous Poole Harbour oysters. Good starters Initially good wine service. Main courses good but not great. At this point service started to fail After 6+ E mails telling us we had to vacate table at 9.00pm we did not have time for desert which on a special evening was disappointing as had booed driver for 9.00 as required Trip advisor is not the place for details missing along the way. Very good wait staff compromised by process. So wanted to love it but end of month we leave the U.K. so no chance to try again Some elements exceptional but overall disappointing We are not keyboard warriors! Just telling it like it was

We ate here on two different nights during our stay. One night we had the A La Carte menu and the other the tasting menu. Both were absolutely delicious and the service was friendly and professionally delivered. We have to admit to slightly preferring the...

Part of the Newt complex but with exclusive access. The old house, where George V ate, has been tastefully updated as a top quality hotel. The Botanical Rooms include the interconnecting Oak and Glass rooms. Just right for Valentines Day. We were seated in the...

Best meal I've had in a VERY long time. The hispi cabbage, crab and crackling starter was divine, so too was the apple pie.

The Botanical Rooms is the main restaurant at the Newt in Somerset. It is located on the ground floor of the original manor house & is open to both guests of the hotel & non residents. Next to the entrance to the restaurant is a...