The Hop Pole Hotel in Newark and Sherwood

Popped in for a Sunday lunch with my partner as we driving past on the way to Clumber park. Staff was very polite and friendly. We both had Sunday lunch with the choice of beef or turkey or both, we had both and it didn't disappoint. Plenty of meat and good choice vegetables, lovely home made Yorkshire puddings and plenty of gravy. For desert we had chocolate and raspberry fondant which was also vey tasty and filling. Would definitely recommend. 9/10 trip out, my only criticism would be the lack of card services. As currently they have no card facility's just cash only. However the lovely woman that was serving said that they was looking into getting this. Will be returning again once in the area.

Came to visit and it was perfect! Newly re-opened this week! The staff are friendly and the food was lovely and fresh. Can’t wait to visit again, already booked in for Sunday Lunch.

Nicely refurbished restaurant with average food. We were the only people in the restaurant at 5.15 pm but service was poor in that we had to wait what I considered, too long for our meal. Don’t know how they would have coped if it had been busy.

This is one of the most beautiful buildings in the area, full of character and original charm. Recently upgraded at huge cost and very reasonably priced food and drinks. I cannot comment about the accommodation but have been informed it also is very good. What isn’t good is being met outside the main door by groups of smokers, puffing away, dropping their cigarette ends on the ground and steps. Having to walk through a fugue of smoke isn’t pleasant in any way!! Also to be met with a huge notice stuck on the door telling you ‘No Phones Allowed ‘ is a bit much. This is a wifi free hotel no laptops, pcs or phones, Oh and no music either!!

Have visited this place several times now. It's always been a good experience. You can often get a table in there when everything is booked up, but that's not because it isn't a good place. It's just that it's a Samuel Smith pub and they have this eccentric rule about not promoting their venues through advertising, etc. Why? No idea. Neither do the staff. It's just the way they do things. Speaking of eccentricity, they have a number of other rules - you're not supposed to use mobile phone in there, you're supposed to only pay by cash now, and a whole other range of quirky rules that make it a very different experience. That's said, the decor is lovely, bit like a well kept National Trust venue, the food is good and surprisingly cheap and the staff are very friendly. We've enjoyed it every single time we've been there. Definitely worth a visit. Not sure whether my recommendation here constitutes advertising, in which case I may find myself barred next time I visit.

Five of us ate here and it was superb, we were the only diners which I was very surpriesed at as the food was very reasonable and super quality. Nice outdoor area that could do with a little tidy but a great space.

Had fantastic time had my daughters pre wedding stay ,the staff Gary and Laura were so laid back and accommodating at a very stressful time . We took over all 15 rooms which were decorated to a good standard with quirky hotel . Breakfast was all cooked to order very good and family ate in evening and they said was great food . It is a no phone and tv hotel which made you talk it was quite surprising how that worked .by not having a license it made the drink very cheap which was the plus .would not hesitate to stay again as so relaxing.

Very pleasant dining environment, tastefully laid out and presented. Would have expected a crowd but only our group and 2 others all night. What to say? Menu limited and unadventurous... Prices tending towards low.. Bar prices good.. Pleasant beer garden to rear.... Nothing to complain about in the bedroom.... Had to wait well over an hour despite poor numbers.. Vegetables were cold, pie overcooked (but tasty content) Why no peas, mushy or otherwise with steak pie? Waitress jolly and helpful enough... Mobile phones not allowed to be used in bar.... Swearing banned in bar..... (!) Min £20 spend on a card.... No TV in bedroom.... Italian restaurant and alternative pub close by.... We really couldn't figure out why this place wasn't able to demand higher prices and greater popularity. Although it's clear the current menu and delivery don't come up to participate. Interestingly, there are threads of similarity in the reviews to be found on the Hotels facebook pages...... somebody is not listening..... Huge potential....... Bring in Gordon...

We called for a late lunch when no-one else was in the dining area. We were treated to superb salads with beautifully cooked chicken. There were heaps of pictures and prints on the wall with the history of the area and portraits of the various owners of Rufford Abbey, amongst others. Additionally there was a cosy snug dating back to tudor times - I'm sure there be fights in winter to secure seats there! Plenty of free car parking opposite and outside. Opposite the hotel there's a water race and river for a meandering walk if you're so inclined.

We have stopped at the hotel a number of times and return because of its convenience, it has to be say you never feel quite welcome, more of a chore to reception! The rooms are clean and the beds comfortable, we stayed in the four poster room which is ok but there is a very strange smell , maybe be from the timber treatment chemicals but not pleasant , the first time I’ve been kept awake by a smell ! Breakfast wasn’t great we had to wait longer than I’ve ever had to wait in my life for a fried breakfast , poor girl run off her feet on her own . Would we return , probably but not for the warm welcome or food !!

Popped in on a rainy Saturday afternoon looking for a spot of lunch, we had left it too late & the chef had already gone home...luckily the lovely Gary came to our rescue & cooked our lunch for us himself (I assume he is the manager or owner?!). We sat in the old kitchen room which was really quirky, all of the rooms are quite different- really interested place to eat! Food was excellent, would definitely recommend the chilli con carne & the beef & ale pie- delicious. Great menu with lots of choice & excellent value for money too! We were made to feel very welcome & enjoyed the couple of hours we spent there. We noticed some signs pointing out that they had a no swearing policy which I thought was excellent, I wish more places would adopt this!

Beautiful old world charm a stunning old coaching house full if original features . The manager was attentive and informative about the hotel and it's history

A family of 4 of us and our dog ate in the 'Old Kitchen' which is a lovely & interesting room. It is, however, very quiet with no background music. The food was good as was the service. There is a new manager here so I hope that it's appeal improves as it has been ignored as a place where the public can go and eat.

Like the Curate's egg it is good in parts. Beautifully placed opposite a mill and stream in a lovely village. Open fires, friendly staff, clean but over priced and understaffed. Good breakfast but an hour's wait because the one person on duty had to take orders do the cooking and man reception.

Our room was good but the staff were terrible, when asking for towels for 3 in our room which slept 3, the manager made us feel like we were telling fibs when we said there wasn't enough!The breakfast service was dire, don't know how hotels like this survive, £95 for one night in a midlands town with no obvious attractions, thank goodness we won't have to return!

Nos reuniones de amigos en Thorsby Hall y elegimos este hotel como base. Teníamos la habitación número 1, que era absolutamente impresionante. Sin duda nos volveríamos a alojar aquí de nuevo. Personal encantador selección de desayuno es buena. El único inconveniente de señoras loos 3 cubículos uno no cerraba bien, el segundo no tienen cierre en tercera y no tiene puerta. No puedo comentar nada sobre la cena de la noche ya que comimos en el restaurante italiano en la calle

Excellent food, friendly staff and place to visit. Attended this venue with my partner for Sunday lunch.

Just an average pub nothing special Call if in area as with all local pubs for a quick drink and then move on to next venue

Located not far from the ancient watermill on the river. Used to be a coaching inn en route to the Dukeries and very well restored and decorated. Attentive service, cheap beer and very nice food. Deserves to be more popular.

Fuimos para el almuerzo para nuestro aniversario de bodas entramos en un bar de regresaba hombres y maloliente perros, nos sentimos muy incómodos en cuanto a la comida, era asqueroso personal no tenía formación estoy seguro que el hotel es agradable, pero el frente de la casa fue una verdadera decepción en un edificio.

Entramos en el edificio que fue hermosa tengo que decir. Nos alojamos en el almuerzo y todo lo que puedo decir es que este es de lejos la peor comida que he pagado. Para comenzar mi ancho ordenados el queso feta, aceitunas y pan. Las aceitunas eran tan viejo las pieles fueron cayendo y el queso feta había empezado a fermentar en el aceite. Escogí la sopa que estaba frío y no tenía condimentos. El pan con ambos entrantes era incomible. Para los platos principales fuimos para el queso Macaroni y el hígado y el queso Macaroni obviamente fue comprado en congelada como un producto y no tenía sabor. No hace falta decir que lo peor era el hígado que era tan cocinados y seco, pegados a los dientes. En general, muy decepcionante que nos fuimos 95% de ambas comidas.

Pagamos £115 por una habitación en el hotel de caña de hop vale la pena el dinero en un bloque donde sólo había nuestra habitación tuvimos una cama con dosel, baño excelente, y mucha privacidad. El personal era muy amable y nos mostraron nuestra habitación y cómo usar los teclados para entrar a nuestra cuadra donde estaba nuestra habitación. El hotel estaba limpio y no podíamos pedir un mejor hotel por una noche. No lo hacen para el desayuno, así que no puedo comentar sobre la comida. Ambiente muy relajado, volveremos

We came across this by chance looking for lunch.From the outside the Hotel looks ok but what a surprise on going in.It was a lovely comfortable medley of restored old inn rooms.The service was a bit slow but very pleasant and the food fairly basic but well priced and tasty. Beer and wines reasonable as well. Well worth a detour and we would return

We paid £100 to stay one night at the hop pole in the family room. First impressions were not great as the reception area was an absolute pig sty which was a bit off putting. The hotel itself however is pretty good. The room was clean and pleasant. The staff were friendly and helpful and the breakfast was very nice.

Although a hotel, non residents are welcome for dinner.Service does take time, so leave ebough time to enjoy the experience.

This hotel has the wow factor. The room we stayed in was lovely and from our window you could see the stream. The only thing that let this hotel down was the staff.

A lovely clean very friendly Hotel. Breakfast was gorgeous and nothing was too much trouble. Rooms was lovely, the beds were very comfortable.

Just passing and needed food. So Called in for lunch. Simple lunch menu but done very well done. Starter, main and dessert great, can't fault. Good service in pleasant surroundings. Can recommend and will be visiting again.

I have known of the Hop Pole for many years as it is in a village close by where I used to stay with relatives. It is an attractive building in Nottinghamshire red brick with lovely architectural features and it has been renovated well by the independent brewery Samuel Smiths.The interior has been restored very sensitively and walking into the hotel takes one back some nostalgic years. The decor is traditional, the colours attractive but not bright and the furniture of high quality. The tables in the dining room have white linen and they look very good. We had drinks in the lounge, not many customers, but the wood fire was very warm and cheering. It is clear that the building cost a lot to do. Our order was taken promptly from a fairly extensive menu all reasonably priced.My preference was for gammon steak with vegetable and my wife's for lamb’s liver with onions. What arrived was served with lovely fresh vegetables (not frozen) and my gammon was good. The liver was something of a disappointment in that it seemed to have been pre prepared and was more of a stew in a dish rather than pieces of liver on a plate. I suppose that in quiet times it would be difficult to keep a lot of perishable ingredients so some pre prep has to be used. With drinks our bill did not break the bank so overall value for money. The service was good; the manager very helpful, some care with the selection of dishes should ensure the future of the venture.

On arrival at the Hop Pole looks very clean and tidy on the outside not disappointed when we entered lovely old lampshades in the reception going through to the bar area decor in very good condition tables set out nicely we were greeted at the bar shown through to the lounge decor continues to be in very good order nice arrangement of sofa' and chairs, Drinks orders were taken prompt service but to be fair they were not busy the group ordered from the menu reasonable choice of food prices very reasonable shown to our table when food was ready and served piping hot the meals overall were of a good standard and would recommend you try if you are in the area it is also a hotel not sure what the rates are but a good place to use as a base for exploring the surrounding countryside.

We ended up here because no where else was doing food, so glad we did, had a lovely lunch, well worth the money and sat in a beautiful court yard and the food arrived hot and plenty off it, very impressed, the bar was nice with locals in it and the young man behind the bar was pleasent and served us pretty quickly especially as we just tipped up. worth a visit.

We live locally, but have not eaten in the Hop Pole for a while. We went for a cooling drink, someone had a burger etc. delivered to their table, we thought, 'let's have a bite here!'.We did not want a 'full' meal - we came for a cooling drink in the heatwave, so I opted for the burger, my wife had the chicken burger. Excellent service from Ian, the Manager, a short wait only for the food. I had the extra cheese ( proper cheese, not a processed square of tat ), and the extra of bacon. Came with a good, hot burger, not lukewarm which annoys me, good garnish and a proper portion of skin-on chips. Excellent, and excellent eating. The wife was also happy with her Chicken Burger. We were both podged ( full up ), cudna fault it. Will definitely be returning to try more of the menu. As other posts have said, the décor is spot on, over £3 million spent when it was renovated, I kid you not. No hesitation in recommending it for a beer ( especially!! ) and the food.As a matter of interest, explore the gardens etc. to the rear of the property, absolutely fantastic and hardly anyone sees it! A true 'unknown' gem.

This hotel is a bit of a mismatch! The building is lovely, obviously had a lot of money spent on it. The lounges are tastefully decorated, both the main lounge, with comfortable sofa and chairs, restful colours and the “antiques”; and the old kitchen. In here you have a lovely old range, dressers and “antique” furniture. The two bedrooms we booked were beautifully furnished. One called the “Bridal Room” has a beautiful credenza and wardrobe, a very elegant bateau style bed and well appointed bathroom. The other room is the Four Poster Bed room which is set away from the main hotel, accessed via a separate door. Again the furnishing and bathroom in here is fantastic. Everywhere so clean and polished. Rooms have tea and coffee making facilities, even a jar of ground coffee and a cafetiere (good biscuits too) as well as instant coffee. Breakfast was good, though I did feel sorry for the waitress, it seems all the guests arrived at 9am and so there was a delay. However, the breakfast was good, full English or egg on toast, your choice. We had dinner in the Dining Room, the food it standard, nothing spectacular, liver and onions, gammon steak and chips, I had Ceasar Salad and it was very good. But the service was not that good. I have to say this was not the fault of the staff, they were very pleasant and did their best. It seems there is just not enough staff, one girl had to do the bar, take orders at the tables, go for the food and bring it to the table as well as take away the plates. This she did with very well. Sadly there is no cheese available on the menu. Limited choice of wine but what they had was ok. We stayed for lunch on Sunday, 8 of us, and we were put into a private dining room, at our request. Again well decorated and appointed. Lunch was ordinary, there should have been a choice of 3 meats, chicken, pork and beef, but for some reason, no chicken. It came with veg, roast and mashed potato and yorkshire pud. I have to say one of the pudding was very well cooked (burned) but we did not complain so the hotel cant be responsible for that. But for £7.50 each, its good value, lovely surrounding, nice room, served at your table. One great failing is the coffee in the dining room/bar areas it is AWFUL. The machine makes 1 cup at a time so if you want 8 you have a long wait, and frankly the wait is not worth it. The decor, furniture and building dont match the food and service. The staff were really nice and helpful, they did very well. To my mind the fault rests with the owners, a large brewery chain. Its basically a beautiful hotel with pub food and service, reflected in the price. With a few tweeks this hotel could be excellent.

Met some friends at this hotel for Sunday lunch after they had stayed there overnight. The place has been refurbished to a high standard and looks lovely with lots of character. Our friends said the rooms were excellent. The Sunday lunch was very average and the beef was cold when it arrived. One of us had fish and he said it had been stood too long and had lost its flavour. We went for coffee in the courtyard and the coffee was terrible,it tasted burnt and harsh. It's a pity about the food as the place looks lovely. We won't be rushing back I'm afraid.

one of my favourite old haunts, out of the way, old fashioned, classy hotel, good food, great staff, an old coaching Inn from a byegone age, lovely village setting

We moved to Ollerton last year, due to having to relocate and having moved from Devon,we did not think we would find anywhere as good to eat as we did when living in Okehampton and Plympton, we decided to try the Hop Pole, having driven past it several times when driving through the old village of Ollerton. We were suitably impressed to walk into a lovely old building, with a lovely,very cosy restaurant, with proper tables cloths and cutlery laid out as if celebrating a special occasion. The staff were very helpful and welcoming and the food was first class! Definitely up to the class we experienced in Devon and will be eating here a lot in the future.We have already introduced our family members to it who were equally as impressed as we were.

We recently stumbled upon this hotel whilst staying in the area, we were that impressed we visited 3 times. Food was delicious and served on crisp white table linen. Super choice of drinks etc served in snug lounge with welcoming roaring fire! Recently refurbished to a high standard, prices very reasonable for such quality!Will definitely return, however will not be taking my umbrella as we had hidden it behind a wedged open door but sadly someone decided to steal it, resulting in a long wet walk back!

good food and great beers car round back so no driving,hotel has a varied history but lovely all the same,hidden from road ,must have driven past it hundreds of times,worth a visit for lunch or an evening meal

had a great meal in the restaurant ...good service and loved the building.great homemade pub food and a voice of vegetarian dishes

Although I live very close I had not visited the Hop Pole for quite some time. I recently took my work colleagues for a post Christmas lunch and was astounded at the transformation! The building has undergone extensive refurbishments to provide luxury surroundings. The dining room was perfectly laid out with very clean crisp white linen tablecloths and gleaming clean cutlery and glasses - always a good sign!And so - on to the food! The menu catered for all tastes and was not expensive. Between us we chose steak & kidney pudding, a fruity chicken curry (sorry the name escapes me!), lambs liver and steak & ale pie. All were delicious and good sized portions. I'm also pleased to report that the food was piping hot! I detest lukewarm food!For dessert we chose rhubarb crumble or a chocolate almondy pie. All scrumptious!Service was very good and the atmosphere inviting.After the meal The proprietor, Ian, gave us a tour of the newly refurbished bedrooms, including the fantastic bridal suite! I wish I lived further away so that I could justify an overnight stay there!All in all this was a lovely experience and I would not hesitate in recommending it to anyone looking for a meal out for any occasion or a stay in excellent surroundings in the heart of Sherwood Forest!