The Brasserie at Sopwell House in St Albans

We have had good food here in the past but this visit was a disappointment. It started badly with quite a ride member of staff, just all wrong and not in keeping with the general friendly attitude here. Both our mains were poor and we left feeling it had spoilt the visit although we love the Spa!

Amazing dinner! Chef Bhuban made my husband and I an incredible dinner of Beef cheeks and a wonderful macaroni cheese both cooked to perfection. My husband is still raving about the gorgeous gravy and I adored the beautiful garlic broccoli. The vegetables are always incredible and the desserts delicious. We find the ambience in the Brasserie very relaxing, all the staff are brilliant. We have also enjoyed some fantastic generous buffet lunches : exceptional salads including felafel, aubergine, peppers - and then a main course plus desserts! Special thanks to Vicky, Yannick, Satij, Amelia, Gabor, Alexandra, Suzanna, Chef Marilena and Chef Bhuban: you're all incredible ☺️

Wonderful care and attentive given by Head Chef who went above and beyond to cater a special meal for me. I have extensive dietary needs and Marilena met with me beforehand to discuss what would be suitable and prepared a delicious meal. I've returned since and will do again in the new future.

We went out for my mum's birthday for a three course dinner at Sopwell House Brasserie. Ww had the most magical evening. Not only we were treated like royalty with all the staff being very attentive, but also had an incredible meal. The beef cheeks were incredible! It was a taste of comfort and home but in the most elegant setting. We will definitely be coming back!

We struggle going out for Sunday lunch as we are so often disappointed. The Sunday lunch in the Brassiere was amazing with the best crispy roast potatoes. The quality of ingredients was excellent and my husband and I loved the mackerel starters. The staff as always are very friendly and accommodating and we always feel Gabor and the team go that extra mile to make you feel nothing is too much trouble. Look forward to returning soon.

Afternoon tea to celebrate my wife’s 75th birthday was totally overpriced and of disappointing quality. The cakes had come straight out of the fridge, were minutely small and disgustingly sweet and together with four miserable finger sandwiches and two scones, cost £44 per head!! The hotel then had the nerve to add a 12.5% service charge which was not mentioned when making the booking. The only recognition of my wife’s 75th birthday was a miserable one inch square cake which was as inedible as the other cholesterol laden bought-in cakes.

In my opinion the food in the Brassiere is second to none. I have never had a problem with the food and service is usually excellent. I am always happy to recommend the Brassiere to people who will appreciate the quality of the food.

We celebrated my Mothers 90th Birthday with a family lunch at The Brasserie and had such a wonderful time. The service provided by the entire team from our initial enquiry (Haylea), scouting mission to visit the restaurant (Fabrizio), food (Marilena & team) and the serving team (esp Gabor) was fabulous. Despite being quite a large group (16) the food was excellent and everyone loved their dishes (steak, hamburger, salmon, chicken and duck to name a few). Special mention to chef Marianne who made my Mum extremely happy by creating a breaded mushroom starter which is something she loved to eat years ago but finds very rarely on menus these days - a lovely touch. Given many of the family hadn't seen each other for more years than we could remember it was great that we were able not only enjoy a very leisurely lunch but then retire retire to a lovely lounge to continue recalling happy memories. We are extremely grateful to the team at Sopwell House for making our celebration lunch truly memorable - thank you and we look forward to celebrating there again soon.

Had Mother’s Day lunch here yesterday which was very underwhelming. We have dined here years ago when they had the buffet and the food quality was much better. First, the drinks took a long time to serve. Even when our second drinks during the meal arrived, our first glasses were never cleared. My husband and I both ordered the beef roast. The beef had an odd taste to it and seemed dry and not fresh. At best, it tasted like it had been under a heated lamp for hours. The potatoes were also very disappointing and were as dry as a grissini breadstick. We tried to help it along by pouring gravy over it to disguise the taste. I will say the veg and Yorkshire pudding were lovely and the best part of the meal. For dessert- we both ordered the apple tart which , after we ordered and waited for awhile, were told they were out of. This was 4pm so quite shocking since their dinner seating had not even begun, and it was off the Mother’s Day special menu! We both settled for something else. For the price we paid though, it was overall a very disappointing meal and don’t think I will want to return.

Took friends for afternoon tea to celebrate a birthday. The food, service and ambience was excellent. The price was also good for Taittinger champagne afternoon tea and enjoyed by all. Will most definitely return.

Strange Valentines dinner experience, where people roaming around in robes at 18:30pm on Valentines evening and seated for dinner with the strongest chlorine smell. Perhaps the restaurant is too close to the Cottonmill spa ? Food was good, velvet cake dessert below average. Think we will book elsewhere next Valentine’s.

Beautiful decorated hotel . Staff attentive. Good choice on menu . Food was great quality. We had the lamb pie which was on the specials with a very tasty salad and chips . The lamb was delicious and not full of gristle . A really nice place for a special treat

We had a lovely dinner and our waitress Holly was so friendly and helpful. We have been a few times and she recognised us from previous stays and made us feel very welcome.

My wife and I had another wonderful getaway at Sopwell house. The brasserie hospitality staff went above and beyond accommodating my allergies. Chef Mary came out and spoke with me and ran me through menu options which was very friendly and reassuring. All the waiting staff were also very friendly; special shoutout to Gabor who was very friendly and helpful coordinating with the kitchen. Thanks guys, will definitely come back and hopefully see you again :)

We had several wonderful meals here during our recent stay. My husband has several food allergies (over 15!), and the staff and chefs were so attentive and even prepared his own menu. We rarely ever eat out because of his allergies, let alone have 3 course meals! We’ve never felt more welcome and looked after. A heartfelt thanks to Marilena, Gabor and the whole team. This is a second time we’ve been back since we got married here in August 2021 and it just keeps exceeding our expectations. See you next year! X

We had several wonderful meals here during our recent stay. My husband has several food allergies (over 15!), and the staff and chefs were so attentive and even prepared his own menu. We rarely ever eat out because of his allergies, let alone have 3 course meals! We’ve never felt more welcome and looked after. A heartfelt thanks to Marilena, Gabor and the whole team. This is a second time we’ve been back since we got married here in August 2021 and it just keeps exceeding our expectations. See you next year! X

Went for a meal for my husbands birthday. Superb food. Lovely environment and the service was at another level. Gabor went above and beyond to make our evening special.

Excellent birthday lunch with 2 friends - excellent food prepared by the lovely chef Marilena, who has a deep passion for food and good products. Thanks Marilena!

Amazing food and Marilena the head chef was fantastic!

Had lunch here on our over night stay. From start to finish the service from the various members of staff was great. Food options wasn't the best but I did enjoy the 2 courses that I had. The old fashioned I had wasn't great but other than that wasn't too bad of a lunch.

Really lovely evening couldn’t fault anything the venue is stunning the staff are excellent and really friendly and the food is fantastic very enjoyable evening

Both my husband and I are complete foodies, who are lucky enough to enjoy food all over the world and therefore have enough experience to know a good dish when faced with one! We had another lovely relaxed lunch at The Brasserie at Sopwell House this month and were so impressed by the new Winter Menu, researched, designed, and implemented by Chef Mari.. she is fab 👌. The whole kitchen team works so hard to ensure every dish is perfect. We continue to be impressed with possibly the best steak tartare we have ever tasted anywhere.. and that's saying something! The levels of spice, quality of the meat, and seasoning have been perfect every time we have had it since it was put on the menu. The new menu is varied and delicious with seasonal produce and excellent execution. Can't stay away! Well done team !

Dinner on a quiet Wednesday evening. Some friends had treated me to a voucher for a 2 course dinner for my 70th birthday several months ago. The voucher covered the cost for 2 people of 2 mains and 2 desserts, except for a £5 charge for a special main. The service was excellent and we really enjoyed the food. The surroundings and atmosphere were good. The wine, beer and coffee were extra, reasonably priced.

Went to sopwell house for an event and after we went into the conservatory lounge for a drink and bit to eat. We was served by Harri who was so lovely. He was well mannered friendly and remembered things we had said. He is a great asset to sopwell house.

Took a friend for lunch as a birthday treat in the Brasserie at Sopwell House. In fact the weather was so pleasant we sat on the outside patio as did others. The hotel has had an extensive makeover and we had an excellent time and service was good. The kitchen even made a small chocolate birthday pastry with Happy Birthday. The mature d’ was called Aga and she was most helpful. Thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon and will return.

Don’t understand the poor reviews of the food as I stay here every week for over a year and the food is always excellent as is the service. The specials are always worth enquiring about. Quality is always top class and will be continuing to eat in the brasserie Chef Mary and her team are always striving for excellence.

We had a lunch for a special occasion within the family, having last done the same about 18 months ago. Unfortunately neither the food or the service were up to the same level as past time, despite few patrons/covers. Service was shoddy - hot drinks were served to the end of the table so we had to pass them to each other in a chain (just plain weird/incompetent). Want a saucer for your cup of coffee or milk for your tea, you should have gone elsewhere. My wife's salad never arrived. I had to ask for the G&T that I ordered to actually be served after 15 mins. The food was OK but nothing special and certainly unrepresentative of the high prices. The reception area and decor are lovely but the Brasserie can't deliver upon its pretentions and instead offers poor value, unremarkable food and Fawlty Towers esque service. We'll go elsewhere next time.

We recently visited The Brasserie for a special lunch. I have stayed at the hotel several times, been on a few spa days and had afternoon tea, but this was first visit to The Brasserie, so I had high expectations as every other visit to the hotel has been amazing. The staff were lovely, maybe a bit of a slow service given there wasn't that many other tables of diners, but that was fine as I'd rather that than be rushed. Our starters and puds were wonderful but we orfered the chateaubriand to share, choosing medium/well as the description of cooking on the menu seemed most appropriate. However, it was definitely well done and unfortunately didn't really taste like a tender steak. We ate most of it as it takes 40 minutes to cook, apparently as stated on the menu, and we didn't want to wait that long for another one. I wasn't going to say anything as we ate most of it but when the Manager took the plates away, she asked if evething was good, so I just explained the steak seemed to be well done, as was clear from what we had left, but instead of apologising, she just cleared the plates away. She returned a few minutes later to inform us this was the end cut of meat. Still no acknowledgement that it was over cooked and no apology that we hadn't fully enjoyed the meal. Now this was the most expensive item on the menu so just an acknowledgement that it wasn't what we had expected, rather than just trying to justify the meal, would have been nice. Suffice to say, we won't be returning to the restaurant. Such a shame as every other area of the hotel has been amazing.

After having some cocktails at the outdoor garden terrace we proceeded to have dinner at the restaurant Despite being a group of 2 intoxicated people and 1 sober person and a child the staff were extremely excellent and really went above and beyond to provide excellent service to an undoubtedly challenging table The food was excellent, can highly recommend items from their grill menu We had the Angus fillet steak and grilled lamb and some other items as well The steak was extremely tender and perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked The lamb was also cooked exactly as ordered and also perfectly seasoned Our table also proceeded to continue to order drinks from the cocktail bar which they also serve at the brasserie, drinks will obviously depend on the bartender you get on the day but the one making the drinks on the evening we were there (Sunday the 10th of September) was extremely good. It made me sad I was the designated driver for the evening with cocktails so delicious! All-round an amazing dinner service

We were in extremely good hands with Gabor our waiter last night. He was friendly, funny and very helpful with deciding what we would like to eat and drink that evening. He took the time to speak to us about something else too, and it was perfect personal service. He also noticed we were celebrating an engagement and birthday and expressed his congratulations, as well as arranging a special something from the kitchen. The food was great as well - scallops to start, chicken and salmon mains and cheese and Eton mess to finish - all delicious. Can’t wait to dine again!

Fantastic food and great service. Really surprisingly good food. We both ordered the scallops which were very well cooked with a really salty, Smokey chorizo crumb…delicious. We then shared the chateaubriand which was heavenly. The blue cheese and peppercorn sauce were sensational. The whole experience was enjoyed so much due to our amazing waiter Harry. He was attentive, friendly and incredibly competent! We will definitely return.

Very pleased with the service by the tall gentleman, he was very attentive give and polite. The food was just above average as the palette was not quite to our liking on the scallops starter. The apple sauce was an odd pairing to the shellfish. The beef cheeks was delicious, tender and saucy. Pudding not too keen. The setting and atmosphere was perfect for a catch-up. Would recommend and would return but only for deals and not full price.

Hayley, Brasserie manager and Charles, Waiter made us feel very welcome and relaxed. The choice of food was very much to our liking and was superbly presented by the Brasserie Chef. I had to thank him in person as the Calves Liver and Beef Cheek were cooked to perfection. A very enjoyable evening. We can’t wait to go back.!!

Married here 14 years ago and Sopwell House is still absolutely timeless in hearts. We have been treated like celebrities from the get go. A superb walkthrough of the menu from the charismatic Gabor who was supported by genial Nabeel in serving our food and wine. Our absolute delight was being able to meet Chef Mary who came over to our table a few times and made our night truly special by adding a level of narrative to the evening which was superb. The staff here have always made the evenings special and I suspect we'll be back again next year to celebrate 15 years together, where Sopwell House and the staff will continue to deliver a truly magical, consistent experience. If you are going for steak, the café de Paris sauce is absolutely second to none and a real triumph for Chef Mary and her team. Thanks so much for helping us celebrate our anniversary in such style!

Birthday lunch with our infant daughter. Hotel is lovely, Brasserie is pleasant but a bit tired. Chairs were worn out and a bit uncomfortable. We were the last lunch sitting but staff were attentive and pleasant. Some seemed a bit inexperienced but tried hard! Food arrived quickly and was hot and tasty but perhaps slightly overpriced for what it was. No acknowledgement of my husband’s birthday, which was a shame.

As a regular visitor to The Brasserie at Sopwell, it would be easy to become bored with the menu, but somehow, the fantastic Head Chef - Marilena Ungureanu is continuously changing and updating the menus with so many delicious, well cooked choices, I keep on going back !! From fresh oysters, seasonal asparagus with truffle hollandaise to anything cooked on the Mibrasa Charcoal Grill - it is varied and delicious with a high value placed on flavour and presentation. If something isn't perfect, it is rectified with minimal fuss and very quickly (but this doesn't often happen)!! Bearing in mind how busy it can be, Marilena runs her kitchen efficiently and calmly to produce great results for the customers. Well deserved 5* review for a great menu and restaurant led by a fantastic chef 👩‍🍳

Last night in the Brasserie - never again… Arrived at 7pm. Got shown to my table outside and ordered a bottle of sparkling water to start with while saying to the waiter I’d look at the cocktail menu. 20 minutes later had to flag him down as nobody brought my water or came to ask what drink I’d like to order. In the meanwhile my friend had already arrived. Ordered two mojitos and asked for an extra water glass for her. The glass never arrived so we just grabbed one form another table. The mojitos took another 20 minutes. So at 7.40pm we finally have our drinks and get to order our food. The starters arrived fairly early but the mains did not arrive till 9.30pm! We left at 11.15 pm and got offered a generous discount off our bill for the wait. While this was appreciated I would never ever go back to this place. Shocking experience, even the waiter said he would had left if it was him waiting that long.. we only stayed as it was our joint birthday dinner, we enjoyed each others company and the lovely warm night outside. I must add that the place was rather empty so being busy is not even an excuse. I have never ever experienced anything like this to be honest.

If your lucky enough to secure a booking the food is great. The service was also top-notch. The drinks were ok. On the menu there was no pints, only bottles, however they can serve pints from the hotel bar. Also some wines in the menu had prices by the glass, however they tried to upsell bottles. However… trying to book a table for 8 people proved to be a challenge. We were all staying at the hotel, and trying to book a table a couple of months in advance proved to be challenging. This isn’t the first time either of trying to book a table with difficulty. Having said this, we all left full, and happy with the food, drinks and service. Lost one ‘star’ for the difficulties to book. This needs to be addressed.

My charred and tasteless beef burger made me wish I were a vegetarian.

Food is terrible.Had 3 course dinner with bf.every dish was just bad.very dissapointed,never again.

Went as a family of five for Sunday lunch. After sitting down we told there was no roast beef left, which four of us would have had. Then there was no apple sauce for the pork. Nice setting but very disappointed with the lack of basics.

My girlfriend and I went to the Brasserie on a Wednesday night. Attentive and friendly service, food was very good. I had a Terrine and a Fishcake, my girlfriend the Prawn cocktail and a Seabass. For dessert a passion fruit brulee. Well done to both the FOH and BOH team, if you are in St. Albans I suggest to book for dinner at the Brasserie, nice experience, we will come back!

Popped in for a coffee and had a portion of chips and passion fruit brulee on a Sunday afternoon very attentive staff and friendly attention x

Food was decent, but overpriced. Wine disappointing. Had an issue with the bill that had the manager tracking us down in the hotel after; embarassing and stressful.

Wonderful place with great atmosphere loved the spa and food.

When it takes an hour for the bread to arrive........

Had an amazing weekend away before going not Harry Potter tour. Went into the spa which was a little busy. Room serve was quick and the evening meal was expensive but well worth the quality and amazing tastes. Cocktails was good too.. I recommend this hotel for a weekend away of you can afford a little extra... It's worth it to treat yourself 👌

Nice, relaxing atmosphere. Enjoyable "out of the way" drinks.

Enjoyed a fabulous meal celebrating my husbands 50th. The staff were excellent. Very attentive. A special thank you to Sarah Watts who went out of her way to ensure our experience here was special. Food was very good and enjoyed by all. A lovely surprise cake was also given to my husband 😋. Would recommend this restaurant. Brilliant.

The food was lovely but we had three diners and two lunches so the menu became a bit repetitive. We both enjoyed the chicken and spring onion mash .The waiter who served us for two of the evenings was Gabor who was brilliant , can not praise him enough. Warm , welcoming and very Funny , Would happily go back for an evening .

We booked for my husbands birthday at the brasserie we sat outside as the weather was gorgeous the food was 10 out of 10 we ordered the chateaubriand it melted in your mouth, ambiance, service was 5* was served by Ergin only downfall was the coffee & desserts, if they were homemade would be nicer will be returning September

A great few days relaxing at a perfect venue with a friend, a much needed break Super facilities, good food and perfect service by Toby, going that extra mile to make our stay special, thank you Toby

We had such a wonderful time here! The food was incredible and the staff were all so attentive. I particularly want to mention how amazing our waiter Ervin was! He was so attentive and accomodating throughout our time in the Brasserie. Our glasses were never empty and we had everything we needed at all times. Thank you so much for looking after us and making this a great weekend for my sister's bridal shower.

I had an overnight stay at Sopwell House which meant that I was going to have lunch, dinner and breakfast all in the brasserie. When I first checked in - our room wasn't ready and so we rushed to lunch. It was a glorious sunny day and we parked ourselves outside. The menu was ok - it was sorta this set menu - it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. A starter of mixed vegetables, halloumi and humus (was ok), the main of chicken and mash was again ok and the dessert was fruit and some compote - which again was less than ok. I really didn't want to have dinner here. I begged my wife if we could go to a local restaurant - but our deal was all meals included - and so were forced to stay here. Now dinner was totally different - it was this fantastic menu of burgers, chips, steaks and everything in between - it was pure comfort food. I couldn't help myself and went for the chicken burger. Now as a burger expert, I actually have to say that this very chilled brasserie, really in the middle of nowhere served the BEST chicken burger I've ever tried. It was heaven! OMG - WOW!!!!And of course given my utter lack of will power, I had to try pudding and cheese - and OMG - the cakes, the pudding was from heaven. With a full pastry team in-house - and led by a leading pastry chef, Chef Mhatre - I could have swam in my chocolate cheesecake. Don't even get me started on the macaroons!!!! (yes I know, no will power). You can truly only judge a place for its breakfast by ordering a Full English breakfast (well that's my rule anyway) - and my word - what a breakfast. Perfect. The sausages were great, the eggs were cooked to perfection - even the apple juice was insanely delicious. And despite not loving the first lunch (very poor set menu) - the service was amazing. Run by an Italian Manager - it was seamless. You never ever had to wait. Once you ordered your drinks, they were there within minutes (including cocktails) - and once you ordered your food, you weren't waiting long. If you're in the area for dinner, it's worth popping in, and if you're staying at the hotel or doing a spa day - it's a must!!!

Very tasty burger; food good. Service very pleasant. Nice experience. Room not too hot despite hot weather.

he was kind, attentive and very polite. he made our breakfast and lunch events so pleasant! he is excellent!

Albino Orru the supervisor made sure we had a fantastic time! Food was great. Service excellent. I went for Sunday lunch as part of a spa day.

Great stay at the hotel with afternoon tea, dinner, and breakfast at the Brasserie. Loved the food but especially great service from the Italian manager - thank you for taking care of us!

Always lovely at Sopwell House. Beautiful Sunday Lunch on 1/11/20 my lamb was perfectly cooked and presented, one of the best I have ever had. It was a family meal for my wife’s birthday and everyone was very attentive. Our waiter looked after us well and even attended to our fussy kids eating habits. Not an easy task! Highly recommended. Thank you for another perfect meal

Was staying at the hotel so we boked a table in the evening at the Brasserie - the service was excellent and the food was also very good, some dishes were better than others but the overall experience was very good. Tried the prawn cocktail, artisan bread basket, liver pate, rib eye, BBQ chicken wings and Cajun burger, we also had breakfast there the next morning.The sauce in the prawn cocktail was spot on, the liver nice and smooth and the bread was very good too. The rib eye was cooked very well and the Cajun burger had the right level of spice which went well with the avocado. The BBQ wings in my opinion needed another 3 minutes cooking, they were cooked but would have preferred them to have been cooked a bit longer so they had a bit of bite.Breakfast was nice there as well, we were well loked after.

Yet another special evening at the Brasserie, cosy ambience, most delicious food, exquisite menu, mouthwatering flavours, exceptional service and warmest greeting that always keeps us coming back. Followed by an after dinner expresso martini in the beautifully decorated cocktail lounge. 5 star all the way and can't wait to return. A huge feel good factor and high quality dining experience.

A delicious dining experience that will tantalise your taste buds!We got many things while we were staying at Sopwell, and enjoyed every last thing we chose from the brasserie. FromThe pan fried chicken breast, gazpacho verde soup, flat iron steak and praw cocktails! Don't forget the breakfasts too... pancakes & fry up are obviously to DIE FOR!! Although my poached eggs on our third day weren't running but not everything can be perfect! Thank you for great service and impeccable food - can't wait to join you again soon.

Three of us met for lunch. We arrived before the Brasserie was open and were able to have a drink in the nearby bar before lunch. We all chose different things and were all very happy with our choices. The food and the service were excellent. We felt very safe at our table which was separate from anyone else. We didn’t feel rushed as we chatted our way through three courses followed by coffee.

My daughter took me to Sopwell House for Sunday lunch for my 60th birthday. We were welcomed by a lovely friendly lady, and shown to our table. We both had the chicken roast, oh my word, it was fantastic, deliciously cooked and so much of it. For desert, I had the Tiramisu, which was amazing, but what made it so much more enjoyable was Albino, our lovely waiter. He made the whole occasion so special. He was chatty and funny and nothing was too much trouble. Thank you so much. A lovely time was had.

4 of us had a fantastic celebration Lunch in the terrace of the Brasserie the day after it opened from Covid. Fab food, drink and company. The management and staff were excellent. Thanks for making the day very special

Excellent!I suppose reviews now need an added category of 'how safe did you feel?'. Well the answer is 'totally'. Temperature taken of everyone entering reception. Social distancing organised well. Staff wearing PPE. Tables spaced apart. But still friendly and helpful staff. Spot on!The food - very good. Menu not so extensive but prepared well and great lamb chops!Wine - very nice Puglian red (recomended!)Service - could not have been better.

I went for afternoon with with my friend to Sopwell House, the service was exceptional even though it appeared that they were short staffed. A member of staff (Thaneya) really looked after us and made us feel comfortable.

We were the only two people in the entire brasserie restaurant. The waitress forgot about us and our orders, we waited around thirty/ 40 minutes alone for two drinks. The food was terrible! A salmon cake bento box with supposedly hot veg but the whole box was stone cold. After complaining about the bento box, the waitress said nothing and took away the boxes. After having to order our dessert three time, we were finally bought our cheesecakes, one of which had a hair in. A very disappointing visit to a supposedly very beautiful and highly thought of spa and restaurant. I would never recommend to anyone!

I sometimes meet people for breakfast at the Brasserie. It's a good breakfast but not a £44 for two. I now go to the Noke.

We booked this venue as our first choice had a maximum party limit of just 10 and we were celebrating our daughters' partners birthday meal with a group of 14 adults and a baby. I can truly say that I am glad The Grove let us down because we had a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon. We booked the table for 12:30 for the Buffet Lunch and we were waited on by Frederico, our waiter, who cartered for every request with speed and efficiency. A special thank you to the Manager, Manuela, who took care to help collect our birthday cake from the car with me and present it, with candle light, at the table at the right time. Also I would like to thank the Chef, Kenny, who went beyond what I expected by offering one of our guest to return to the carvery as he chose a small portion of the meat at the time. He also agreed to make another guest some Italian gravy for her meal in 5 mins, as there was only beef gravy on the server, and bring it to her table.We never felt rushed to finish our meal, the food was plentiful and the service was 10 out of 10. We finally left at 2:30pm full and content, can't wait to return again.

lunchtime buffet. nice setting, request for smart casual, so surprised to see guests just in white robes from the spa. drinks menu = pricey !!. medium glass of pinot grigio at £11.50 ?? started with the soup.....very nice, but on the cold side. great selection of breads to go with it. the salad/starter course...this was excellent. lots of choice, fresh, appealing and plentiful. the main course...oh dear ! this lets down the whole experience. very little choice at all. there was a roast pork that the chef guarded with his life. he clearly thought the one small piece he carved was your lot! other than that, the only 'main' dish was a chicken pie. The pie was ok...just ok. couple of veg options and that was it. However, the desserts were great. a good selection of individual puddings that were all fantastic. to finish, a selection of cheese....although, as we were towards the end of lunchtime, this was very depleted and should have been added to. Overall, i enjoyed, but they really need to look at the main course offering.

My husband and I took my mother, who is registered blind, here for her birthday last weekend. The staff at reception and in the Brassrrie could not have been more friendly and helpful! They were constantly checking we were ok and if my mum needed help with anything and were smiling non stop. The only issue we had was the lack of disabled toilets for my mum as there was not a female in our party to take her to the normal bathroom. The whole hotel only has 2 disabled toilets, one at the front of the hotel in the conference suites and one in the Spa. The staff were amazing and allowed us to use the one in the Spa, but to get to it you have to go up a disabled lift then along a corridor and down in a normal lift to get to the bathrooms. With all the recent refurbs I would have thought they would have made it much easier to access facilities for disabled people. Overall we had an amazing time, the all you can eat buffet food was constantly refreshed and was always warm, and as I said earlier you can not fault the staff at all. We will definitely be back again!

Fantastic service from Toby who was very attentive and extremely cheerful. Made our visit at Sopwell House even better.

My wife and I attended the brasserie for dinner after our wonderful stay. Toby was great! So polite and helpful

We were a team of four. We were told the restaurant was closed ( it appeared on arrival not to be ) but we had on the basis that it was closed, booked a table in this other area, It was noisy despite few tables being taken. The food was poor and barely warm, the service was non existent, we had to obtain water and a pepper mill by going over the the kitchen staff with our request ... we asked for a blind to be adjusted to avoid really bright sun to be told "No", The ? Manager disappeared very quickly, the mirror near the entrance was covered with finger marks, the pillar near our table was splattered with food drips. Frankly the " festive buffet " was ghastly. We left and are unlikely to return.

Dined here recently as hotel guests. The service can't be faulted and the waiter we had was very attentive and friendly, unfortunately did not catch his name but certainly provided top service.The meal overall unfortunately was a bit disappointing, we went for the Chateaubriand expecting great things, even more so due to the price of it. However the meat that arrived was not up to standard, cooked slightly over what we asked for (would have asked for it to be redone however there is a 20-30min wait time for this dish) the meat also tasted old! (had a mutton kind of taste to it). It also had some fatty bits throughout which you wouldn't expect due the type of cut it is.For dessert my partner had the chocolate brownie (normally a favourite of hers) we was told at time of ordering that the brownies are vegan however decided to give it a go.....it wasn't good at all!! Did not taste like a brownie, i understand trying to offer vegan friendly dishes these days but have it as an alternative, not the main dessert!!We are very much fans of the hotel so will return however will look to eat out or in the restaurant next time round.

We had a spa weekend with some friends and we were served dinner by Toby!!!!What a cheerful guy who served us throughout with a smile that we actually did not want the night to end.Excellent service and very helpful.I would go back to sopwell house just to be served by none other than Toby!Sopwell House....you have yourself a diamond in Toby.Thank you for your excellent service.

Food tasted amazing. The waiter Toby is incredible and very attentive. He has great positive energy. He was awesome!

Celebrated a friend’s 40th Birthday Sat 7th Dec & Toby was amazing!!! He looked after us & made sure we had a splendid time. The restaurant ambience was very inviting. Would definitely be dining here again..

The waiter Toby at the restaurant is amazing. Perfect host, he made the whole experience amazing. His very polite

We Took advantage of the Brasserie Special offer to visit once again.

A lovely restaurant with a large menu of options. The interior was classy but still casual, however it was slightly cold as there was a draft on our table by the window. Toby our host was impeccable from the start and was very knowledgeable with the wine menu and also offered great Insight into our food order, especially considering our dietary requirements. His manner and abilities should be commended, it felt at time as though he was there just for us. The food recommended was wonderful and my mother claimed the wine to be one of the best she'd had. We had the vegan burger which was interesting, the patty seemed very similar to a meat patty, the desert of sticky toffee pudding with banana ice cream went brilliantly together. Would highly recommend the brasserie, and make sure to ask for Toby if any future visits.

My family and I went here today for a birthday dinner for my husband. I had been many times but it was the first time for my kids and husband; we were not disappointed. My linguine and my husband's rib eye steak was very well cooked and tasted divine. The kids enjoyed the Sopwell house burgers. Pleasant staff and good quiet atmosphere. They provided a small cake for my husband and we sang for him...nice gesture.

Wer etwas überragendes erwartet sollt hier nicht essen gehen. Das Essen ist eben typisch englisch und mir hat es nicht geschmeckt. Unseren englischen Kollegen schon. Der Service ist sehr gut und die Bedienung sehr hilfsbereit.

Wanted to treat our best friends so booked the Brasserie. The place was packed so obviously very popular. We were seated in the corner near the hot tub/pool. I started with the tomatoes followed by the chicken which was excellent. Service was very good all night not too rushed & not too long a wait. Then just had to have the tiramisu. Altogether a very enjoyable night & not too expensive.

Wait staff aren’t very quick to serve tea or coffee or to clear used plates. Cutlery missing on tables, staff should be more aware of this instead of standing around wondering what to do.

Really large choice of good quality hot food and delicious pastries with any coffee you desire. Highly recommended

The food was pretty good - loved the fish and chips. Service is great, very friendly and attentive.

We have eaten here before and really enjoyed the lunch buffet. Good selection of fresh food and all tasty and well presented. The setting is lovely especially the garden. We found the service to be functional but not very friendly

Excellent hot and cold buffet.Wide selection, beautifully presented.Good knowledgeable,attentive food service staff.Food temperature was good.Nice comfortable surroundings/decor

Everything about this place is amazing. Staff, food, comfort. The food is exceptionally good - five star rating. A great variety of food. The dining area is very comfortable. The table staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

food is average but service is great. Third time I eat there and at least quality is coherent. i think is time to put some tables outside now. Thank you.

We had a surprise birthday celebration for my husband last weekend at the Brasserie. The staff were attentive and nothing was too much trouble. The food was fabulous and the kitchen ensured my gluten and dairy free guest could enjoy the meal of his choice with adjustments. We want to thank all the staff for a memorable evening. Please go and try for yourself.

Accepting that Monday night is not the best for eating out. There is no excuse for Chardonnay at room temperature and fresh mint tea luke-warm.

Always good great food and well presented and great staff and very reasonable priced my guests really enjoyed the choice. Well worth a visit.

Both eaten and stayed at Sopwell House a few times I thought it would be a perfect place to celebrate my daughters 18th Birthday there. On arrival we were told it was the first day of the new menu so we thought we would be in for a treat - how wrong were we? What a disappointment, the dinner was in the Brasserie! One daughter ordered curry and we were given complimentary bread and oils because this dish was taking a long time to be cooked. When it arrived it was quite dry, very little rice or flavour. My other daughter’s burger was inedible and we got a refund on it. On top of that we ordered dessert for the girls and coffee for us - the coffee never arrived apart from appearing on our bill! My daughter was given a square of pud with a candle in but as she hates peanuts she had to leave it - I had given them a few weeks notice that it was a special birthday - all in all an expensive and upsetting way to celebrate a landmark birthday.

My wife and I are regulars at the Sopwell House as we are members of the spa. We eat in the brassiere occasionally and we have never been disappointed. The staff are very professional and chiefs are very accommodating. I am wheat intolerant so I am limited to what I can eat. I mentioned this because I wanted the fish on the buffet lunch offering. The chef told me that that the sauce was not suitable for me. He went and cooked me a fresh piece.

We enjoyed the food that they presented, but after a flurry of activity around our arrival we seemed largely to be forgotten about and it took efforts to get attention when we needed it. Wine was a problem. We started with glasses of white - some was properly chilled but some wasn't. They kindly supplied ice but I had expected them to be concerned that I was asking for that - they weren't. We ordered a bottle of Italian red with the main course but it took two additional requests before it was eventually delivered ... as we were finishing. It took the edge off a nice family celebration. However, the birthday cake and candle at the end was a nice touch.

The services is excellent, the food was nice. I would however much prefer to eat at their other restaurant which is a lunch buffet.

Since my last review, I have been back to The Brasserie and I am very happy to report that the overall quality of the food has improved and is back to its "old" standards, i.e. the smoked salmon of the buffet is once again of excellent quality and the variety of dishes on offer is very pleasing, although I miss the aubergine dip that used to be available. I still regret the fact that the roast lamb is very overcooked but probably to the taste of the majority of the local clientele...The roast beef, however, did offer both fairly rare and à point cuts of meat and the coq-au-vin was very tasty as were the vegetables on offer and the Yorkshire Pudding was spot on. I understand from my husband that the ravioli were delicious but the parsnip and celeriac soup was, unfortunately, so bland as to be tasteless (Sorry!). As usual, there was a very delicious selection of desserts and cheeses. At £27 per person, the Brasserie offers a good choice for a Sunday lunch.