The Lounge at Balmer Lawn in New Forest

Spent an enjoyable 3 nights at Balmer Lawn but not sure we'd stay again. Hotel is quite local to us and a place we are familiar with and in lovely location in heart of New Forest. Staff were very friendly and attentive, breakfast was good with plenty of choice, dinner in the restaurant was very good, use of local produce always a bonus. However, we thought our room on the top floor was very drab and certainly not what we would expect from a 4* hotel. It was also noisy as above the outside terrace area and facing the very busy through road. Housekeeping was very good but there was no mini fridge to keep drinks cold or safe for valuables. The bathroom was small and having to climb into a bath to shower is not acceptable or safe. I did raise the issue of poor quality pillows and having a nice fluffy pillow would add to sleep quality.

Stayed for first time here for a family wedding, staff could not have been more helpful or friendly, made a lovely weekend more memorable. Food exceptional.

Lovely experience. Had the Sunday Roast lunch. Perfectly cooked, tender meat and crispy potatoes. Very good value for the quality and size of meal. Relaxing background live piano music added to the ambience and was a lovely way to spend a sunday afternoon.

Some time ago I had dinner with my wife in the restaurant and recently had lunch outside in the garden and both meals were excellent. On the strength of that a table was booked for eight on fathers day and it was an appalling disaster

We stopped here during a walk through Brockenhurst and was amazed at the lovely outdoor space. Staff were welcoming and we enjoyed a couple of drinks.

Great bar, drinks are reasonably priced, the outdoor décor is brilliant, loved every minute we were there.

Booked afternoon tea as a treat for mum. Loved the Halloween decorations. Mum and I have now re-named our afternoon as Halloween Tea 🎃 Our waitress Alice was super, we were only disappointed as she seemed to disappear toward the end of our day without a word. I'm sure not her fault, rather management expectations, as come 5pm a lot of management appeared, seemingly bossing the waitresses about for dinner service, which I fully understand but please allow them to finish their service and ask their guests if they require anything else or if they wish to move to the bar for a drink. Food, service and surroundings lovely just that one gripe.

We had a sharing platter as a starter,which was huge and would have done as a main.We then had a pizza and pasta dish respectively followed by ice creams to share. We didn't sleep too well that night. Nice food though..

We pre booked afternoon tea. On arrival 20 minutes before our allotted time we were taken to out seat. Waitress arrived promptly and took our drink order. We then got asked 3 times by differing staff what food we would like and 3 times we said afternoon tea and that it wasn’t available until 1430. We said we shall wait that’s fine. We explained the food allergies that my wife had and this was on the booking. Our food didn’t arrive until we chased it up 45 minutes late. Another table that were there before us even had to wait this time as well. The food that arrived was very below standard. My wife asked for fish free and gluten free. The selection of sandwiches she had was a joke. 2 ham and 2 cucumber sandwiches. I say sandwich’s I mean fingers which we expect but with some filling. They all had more bread than filling. 2 micro slices of cucumber. The salmon was non existent. The ham was wafer thin and bland. The only one that was of any substance was the egg mayonnaise. But again very bland. The scones were borderline stale. The jam was the best part here. The cake selection was ok but below expectations. Although my wife’s chocolate gluten free one was lovely. Then the bill. We waited another 20 minutes after asking for it. When that arrived it was totally wrong. It had 4 afternoon teas for a cover of 2. This was very quickly rectified but then had to wait more to pay. You were not even busy. We left with a very disappointed experience and will it recommend or return. Huge improvements all round need to be achieved.

We were incredibly impressed with the Balmer lawn. The new outside covered dining area is fantastic, meaning you can dine all year round. We tried something from both the lounge and lodge menu, neither disappointed. The Lounge serves really superb fine dining cuisine and the lodge has an outdoor pizza oven and a more relaxed menu. The staff were all very welcoming and the general manager did a great job of mixing with the customers and checking everything was right with the meal. Would definitely recommend this restaurant for every occasion, whether a celebration with friends or a pizza lunch with the kids.

Enjoyed an excellent pizza here straight from the pizza oven - fresh ingredients and excellent service. Lovely stop sitting out on the terrace. Felt clean and safe.

We visited the Balmer Lawn restaurant for a fine dining experience. When we entered the lobby had a family feel about it (nothing wrong with that), however, we were pleased to be shown to a separate dining room The food and service were fantastic! Every dish was well planned and the front of house staff were exceptional. A special 'thank you' to the chef and their team, Dominique who was front of house, Alexis who was the maitre d and Vasilis our waiter. A very enjoyable evening. I would strongly recommend.

My wife, myself and Son were treated to an Afternoon Tea at Balmer Lawn, I'm sorry to say that at every point in the process from obtaining the Vouchers to Booking and the Tea itself were met with very poor communication. We were put in a small dark room, the waiter was very polite throughout but clearly trying to cope with to many tasks. The final straw was having to wait nearly 20 minutes for him to return as they had not left and Jam and Cream for the scones. This was not the lovely experience I had expected - sorry, not good value for money.

As reviewed in June 2019, we said we would back on our next trip the New Forest a bit later than expected due to lockdown. My wife and I were not disappointed, same excellent service, food quality and attention with an updated menu. All necessary procedures and controls in place for Covid-19, plenty of space around all tables , would recommend you book a table in advance. Another enjoyable evening we will be back as we travel to New Forest every year and enjoy our early evening walk to and back from the Balmer Lawn.

drunk quite a lot in this bar, both at night and during the day, very relaxed area, quick happy service , with nothing too much trouble, good place to start your evening out.

enjoyed relaxing by the log fire. staff very helpful and service very good. enjoyed a cream tea on new years eve

Visited on a Mid-week afternoon. The bar area of the Hotel is very welcoming the decor was smart and the staff very knowledgeable. We tried both the Red and White House Wines, they were both very good and reasonable in price. The weather was awful but it had a lovely terrace with plenty of seating and I should imagine it would be both comfortable and very pleasant place to spend an afternoon or evening.

Good value staff helpful and freindly, very confortable seating area. Log fire very warming when cold outside

We visited mid afternoon, very knowledgeable staff knew all about his wines we settled on the house wine it was great . The decor is very smart and even though we visited on a wet and rainy day it was still a nice space to be in , I expect in the summer the outside seating area would be very popular.

We were staying at Hollands Wood campground next door, and this was on our way home from a day in Brockenhurst. We came for evening drinks, and had an enjoyable time. Dog friendly, and good music playing. Attentive staff.

The service here is very good. The look of the hotel is lovely. It’s too modern inside for the exterior. They need to go back to the date of hotel and keep it in keeping with the exterior. The staff are the best thing about this place. The food and drink is not overly great for the price it costs. For 4 of us it was over £200. It’s not worth that. The starter which I had pigeon was so small that two bites it was gone. The steak was great but a little on the expensive side for what we got. I have been spoken to my husband about going here for years. So he finally took me and it was nothing to write home about. My husband had the ice cream which cost a staggering £7.50. He got at the most £0.75 of food on his plate. Looked pretty but no substance. I was just a tad disappointed to be honest. Sorry to say very overpriced for what we got.

When we arrived we spoke to ‘Andrew’ who was the Front of House Manager. I found him to be very supercilious in his manner. He made me feel uncomfortable and that I wasn’t welcome! My partner and I had a look around and then walked straight out. We then found a really lovely hotel in Brockenhurst who made us very welcome, relaxed and comfortable so had a lovely lunch there.

First time, had been told about the new Lounge and Terrace with drinks and food as we visit the New Forest on a regular basis. A warm welcome on arrival,very enjoyable early evening drinks with bar snacks, very good selection of cocktails and drinks, with a bar area , lounge area and outside area with outstanding service, food and attention, we will be back on our next visit.

If all dogs behaved themselves this would not be an issue.. But, the Smokin Derr real ale is wonderful!

Very comfortable area with good choice of snacks and drinks. Smaller snug area which was great for a group to gather.

Nice area, food was good and of course the service was excellent as always, it was a shame it wasn’t a bit warmer as the outside area looked lovely to.

Popped in for a cuppa after walking through the New Forest. Staff are very friendly and they llow dogs in too.

We stopped for afternoon tea at the hotel we stayed at years ago.

We stopped on our way through hoping there was space as it was Sunday Lunch time. The staff were very friendly and went out of their way to help us get a table. They needed it back by a certain time but we were asked if that was okay which it was. The menu had a good choice though we both went for the Sunday Roast. The portion sizes were good, too large for us but the food was well cooked and tasty. It was served promptly and hot. The toilets were clean too. Prices were good for the quality of the food. Would be more than happy to return for food and perhaps to stay as a hotel guest.

Enjoyable dining experience at the Balmer Lawn Hotel restaurant to celebrate a birthday lunch. The starter Bites were yummy and loved both the guinea fowl and pork belly main dishes, but the pork just needed a little more sauce as it was slightly on the dry side.

I’ve visited the hotel for the afternoon tea. To my surprise I was asked by the waiter to give him my credit card so he could keep it as guarantee for the duration of the evening. This was shocking and I refused to do so, as such I was asked to prepay (!) my meal. Like in a pub or self service canteen. The afternoon tea was not bad though.

Lovely ambience and friendly atmosphere and good range of beers and cocktails and wine . Lovely coffee too

Was looking forward to staying in a hotel with a micro-brewery. Sadly the one real ale Smokin' Deer was terrible, it was completely flat, sweet and syrupy. Maybe it had been sitting in the cellar too long, no brewer would want it to be like this. When I told our waiter about this he said it was brewed onsite and was always like this, clearly I wasn't the first to complain.

Really good food and friendly service, good value for money too. Lots of areas to eat from the bar stools to the lounge and outside areas.

Driving in the hotel looks a bit mediocre but inside it is very nicely decorated and spotless. We had a light lunch with doorstop sandwiches, generously filled, and accompanied by small French fries. Very nice. Light filled rooms with pleasant outlook.

We had a lovely afternoon just relaxing in the lounge of the Balmerlawn Lawn on the afternoon of our arrival.

Had dinner for two consecutive nights in the hot month of June. Wonderful terrace facing a cricket field. I did not take the bar food but the real restaurant menu. Took each time a first and main course. Food was excellent, but the portions were really small.

The Balmer Lawn is an ugly building in a wonderful location on the outskirts of Brockenhurst. Without a doubt the best place to be a sunny afternoon in this location is on the hotel terrace as you get to look out at the New Forest and not at the hotel.

Relax in nice surroundings, comfortable chairs, grab a board game from reception and while away the evening with the kids. Polite friendly staff, nice surroundings and dog friendly.

Met friends for lunch - they have a small dog and the Hotel Bar allows well-behaved dogs so it was handy. Had a very reasonably priced lunch (inc. fish finger sandwich!) and noticed others enjoying a spectacular afternoon tea (tiered plates of goodies).

Our experience of the afternoon tea here was mediocre, which was a shame as we had high expectations based on the hotel’s overall TA ranking. The service was good, but the food really let it down. Dry crumbly macarons, dry sandwiches which appeared to have been prepared the day before, dense solid cake and a pre-bought pudding slice (not sure what it was)! For the premium cost we paid, I’d have expected much more. Maybe they were having an off-day!

we booked but that was not necessary as the place was lightly frequented. We sat near the fire and beside a window - the table setting was just right. We shared a three course meal and all had something different....which was served timely and together, hot or cold as appropriate. The waiting staff were attentive and helpful - accomodating of our various requests. The place itself is attractive, well furnished and appointed. The cost didn't break the bank - it was a fair taste of almost "posh". I'd commend you go for the experience of having a treat. If it sounds to up-market for you, ask yourself why you don't deserve a treat!

I thought I'd gone to a four star hotel, not a dog kennel! Don't get me wrong I love dogs but not in a setting where I've gone for afternoon tea.

Dog friendly, people friendly & the food in the restaurant is to die for, the service is second to none!

Expensive, I love food and don't normally bother about the cost but I felt this was trying to be something it wasn't. I want food I can eat I don't want a picture of many colours and textures put in front of me.

Visited with friends and family for Sunday lunch. Good service and food until the main course was served. Sauces for meat arrived 5 minutes after main courses served. No green vegetables, just over roasted carrots, hard parsnips and nice cauliflower cheese. 3 small dried roast potatoes. Despite the waiter advising that the kitchen had no green vegetables from their suppliers, the vegetarian main course was served with green beans on the plate!

Visited the Balmer Lawn on 7/7/17 for an afternoon tea spa day with my mum, we skipped the spa as I'm heavily pregnant and decided to go for just the afternoon tea. Arrived and were shown to the 'bar' area which leads out on to a lovely big patio area with a big grand fountain. We sat and had a cold drink first of all as we were a little bit early. Then went back up to the bar area to order the afternoon tea. The young man was very accommodating as we are a bit fussy and asked for plain scones, We also didn't want any egg mayo or salmon in my sandwiches and I wanted decaf tea, nothing was too much trouble for them (although, the request for no salmon or egg sandwiches was for me AND my mum, she did end up with one of each but not a big deal she just left those two). It came out and looked beautiful on the tiered stand, a pot of tea each and the nice young man who served us kept us topped up with milk and more tea when needed and even brought more cream for the scones. We were so full up we couldn't manage all the cakes so they gave us a box to take them away with us which I thought was a lovely touch. My only criticisms are the teapots, milk jugs and tea cups are quite worn with scratches so might be worth getting some nice new ones, also when we arrived the men that were doing the window repairs had parked their van in the middle of two disabled bays which was a bit off and were there at least three hours if not all day......but other than that it was a fantastic afternoon out for me and my mum and we will definitely be returning as the food was of a high standard, the outdoor area was beautiful and the service was wonderful. Thank you for a lovely time!

Me encanta observar a la gente. El bar era tranquilo, no había una fiesta nupcial, gente de negocios y familias. Fue encantador

Variedad riquísima de comida con personal atento y amable, nuestro grupo de 7 menores de entre 1 y 74 trataron como personas apreciadas asesoramiento fue dado en aspectos del menú y una receta especial para el hampshire de budín de pan!

Ser muy cauteloso de este! Aunque el hotel estaba bastante bien, nos hicieron sentir incómodos por el personal del restaurante. El gerente del restaurante era muy condescendiente y uno de los camareros era muy grosero. Cuando llevamos este asunto con la dirección nos sentimos nuestra voz no fue escuchada. Si estás en una posición en la que no puedo decidir entre este u otro hotel y luego elegir la otra. Nos hubiera gustado que no

Tiene un ambiente encantador, el personal es muy servicial y amable. La comida es excepcional. Nos íbamos a cenar fuera para nuestra última estancia de noche, pero decidimos cenar allí. Excelente comida en un entorno precioso.

Very comfortable bar with a good and relaxing atmosphere in this very civilised hotel. Not the cheapest but service is excellent.

Lovely bar area and bar menu and fantastic friendly staff. There is a nice open fire and a few cozy nooks with loungers so you can relax. The afternoon tea's looked very nice

Nice environment, comfy seating and real roaring log fire. Service was good but not as attentive as expected. Drink prices were on the high side but I guess that goes with the venue. Look forward to going again in the summer, I think the outside terrace on a warn summer evening would be nice

Bar meals menu includes good selection at a more reasonable price than the main restaurant.Cosy lounge.

We did not want to eat in the restaurant and found a table in the Lounge. Food and drink was very good with staff especially Sam going the extra mile to help.Everyone was friendly and proud of their hotel - what a lovely change to the major chains.Looking forward to Beresfords for the next two nights.

Fab Sunday lunch with family, pre valentine's, pet friendly, service faultless, Fernando, fantastic.

Great food, comfortable chairs and tables and a warm and friendly atmosphere. Welcoming to children, dogs and forest walkers, as well as hotel guests. Nice bar and delicious snacks

Great place to stop for lunch if you're out walking in the forest. Really friendly service, and nice range of lunch options, including sharing plates. Loved the sweet chilli prawns, and our server through in bread for free so we could mop up the sauce. It was nice and quiet in January, would consider staying at the hotel based on the service in the bar.

The best lactose free afternoon tea I've ever had. Freshly baked scones, quince jelly, coconut foam, fresh fruit, soya panacotta and lovely sandwiches. The usual afternoon teas looked lovely too. Excellent service. Thank you so much.

Visited today with friends & their dog, had a lovely lunch, fantastic staff & food , will be back, can't praise enough, Ruby the dog was treated so well we could not of been made more welcome.

After reading the reviews about the New Forest food festival we decided to attend the game and wine evening at the Balmer Lawn.Both the food and wine were truly excellent.. The speakers were very informative and the service was first class, to top it all we had the pleasure of listening to a lone saxophonist who was brilliant..We met the owners who were delightful and made us feel very welcome indeed.What an amazing evening!!!!

Very friendly service all the time. Good food. Reasonably priced. Very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

We were staying at the hotel and had lunch here two days in a row and some after dinner drinks. The atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. The staff are friendly and efficient. The lunch menu is quite good and offers sandwiches and full meals if you are a bit hungrier. The food was very good, and reasonably priced. Other people were having afternoon teas that looked delicious. We were tempted to ask about them, but as we were booked into Beresfords for dinner in the evening it would have been one cream tea too far!

Superb atmosphere, delicious food, friendly staff. The whole place is both comfortable and relaxing in beautiful surroundings.

Last year we called in this hotel for a coffee. We commented that entrance and small lounge area were looking a bit tired.We called again yesterday for a coffee to find all the tired area had been completely refurbished and it looks fantastic. The coffee was good as well.

Went for a cream tea. Very nice. Good scones. Lovely sandwiches. Cakes were great. Very nice setting in the heart of the forest. Good service. The only thing that let it down was the jam, id seen on another review that someone had described it as insipid and I agree- why don't you get individual jars? Otherwise top notch

I passed this place 1,000s of times, however a family event meant I actually went in. The staff are very welcoming , it is interesting and most of all, comfortable, we keep,going back...

I can think of no better hotel in which to stay. Lovely staff who fell over themselves to be helpful. When I liked a particular local beer, the barman Paul phoned the local brewery rep, gave me her details and hopefully I will arrange a delivery in London. How special is that. Maria at the front desk amazingly efficient and lovely with it. This was typical of all staff we met. Lovely relaxing setting, great facilities, two pools, tennis and squash, spa treatments. Restaurant served great food very reasonably priced. You will do well to find a more pleasant place to stay.

Booked the Savernake room for 24 guests for a 40th wedding anniversary and it was perfect. The room is just right for the size of the party with a private terrace. The service was outstanding and all staff should be praised for their efforts. I would not hesitate recommending this country hotel for anyone who wishes to dine or hold a dinner party here

My partner and I had an afternoon tea at Balmer Lawn Hotel. We chose a lovely summer day and it was a joy spending a couple of hours in a lovely and peaceful setting - outdoors under the shade - to have our afternoon tea. The staff were welcoming and the food was plentiful, set out on a 3-tier tray. As I am not a tea drinker I was so pleased to be offered cappuccino instead! After the sandwiches and the sweets we could not manage the scones and were offered a box to have them taken away. I think the price is good value for money for a top hotel in the New Forest. A voucher for an afternoon tea for two here makes a great present for someone!

During our stay at The Balmer Lawn Hotel we ate in the Lounge at Balmer Lawn on three occasions. Service was very slow on the first two occasions, but the lunch time meal on the Saturday (when they were also dealing with pre-wedding guests) was far more promptly served.The food, on each occasion, was delicious. Most dishes were competitively priced and it was possible to order from the a la carte Beresford's Restaurant menu and eat in the lounge. There is an added bonus that our dog was able to be with us.

Når man cykler rundt i New Forest og er tidligt ude, er det dejligt med en pause til morgenmad. Hvorfor ikke på et dejligt Hotel.

I booked an afternoon tea for five on 7.7.16. The hotel is very clean and welcoming. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The sandwiches were good, ham, salmon, egg, and cream cheese with cucumber. The selection of cakes were pretty and appetising. There were two scones each, (l have tasted better). The thing which really disappointed with, was the strawberry jam. It was dull in colour and tasted insipid. I was given a box to bring the leftovers home, which was good.

My daughter treated us to afternoon tea as a birthday treat. Katie showed us to our table, which was all ready for us. She asked if we wanted tea or coffee, this came very quickly, piping hot. The afternoon tea arrived, the waiter told us what was in the sandwiches, in the scones and what the cakes were. The sandwiches were lovely, very fresh, lots of tasty fillings in them. The scones were homemade and very tasty with the cream and preserve. There were four different cakes each, all very fresh and tasty, the various fruits in the tarts were beautiful. A lovely touch was a carafe of water with a few fresh strawberries in it, just lovely on such a warm afternoon. Katie came and asked if we needed anything else and Polly came and refilled our tea and coffee cups. We will certainly return to this lovely friendly hotel.

Lovely spot in the new forest. Sat on the front terrace in the evening in full sun watching the ponies. Lovely cold jug of Pimms. Had dinner in the bar area. Beautiful rib eye steak with the trimmings. Good kids menu. Good service. Chocolate fondant was a little dry

We had a wonderful lunch at the hotel. The food was excellent and the service wonderful. We are holding our daughter's wedding here in July and are looking forward to the best service and food.

We tried this restaurant on Monday eve, and re-booked for Tuesday on the spot.The staff were attentive without being a pain, they also all showed good humour, a good thing in such an establishment which can otherwise seem 'stuffy'!! The first evening we were given a complimentary fizz as we didn't order starters, the second eve, apparently because we had re-booked so quickly, we were given glasses of bubbly before our coffee. Both meals very good, thanks to all the staff, especially Michael? and the barman.

As always Balmer Lawn did not fail to deliver - called in for lunch with my granddaughter after exploring the forest and counting ponies. It offered high quality food in relaxing surroundings with professional friendly staff.

An impressive if confusing looking building, fronting onto.....a cricket pitch (I think - it was February!) - set in the heart of the Forest. However difficult to establish its age from the outside, inside is very well laid out and looks like refurbished Victoriana - practical but welcoming and very comfortable. You can have the same menu in the Lounge or in the Restaurant, and it is fine dining in a lovely setting. I can't be too effusive because it doesn't elicit that kind of praise - it just didn't disappoint and lived up to reasonably high expectations that come with the image it presents.

I had heard good things about this venue and it was in a beautiful setting but we went for Valentines Day lunch and the restaurant was very busy. We had problems parking, then we had to wait quite a while to be seated. There only seemed to be one waitress and one waiter for a busy restaurant and service was slow. The meal was a carvery and the portions were small, also we were only offered a choice of one type of meat whereas at other places I have been offered a mixture of the meats. The food was tasty though and the puddings delightful but again small portions.

The balmer Lawn Hotel sits just outside Brockenhurst and looks out onto the New Forest in all directions with the local cricket pitch right in front. It is surrounded by beautiful countryside and New Forest ponies and donkeys.The lounge is warm and friendly; a good place to meet friends or hold an informal business meeting. It's not the cheapest bar in the area but it is one of the nicest.

Having arrived early for our stay at the Balmer Lawn the lovely girl on receptoion said we could wait in the bar area and shge would call us as soon as our room was ready , the bar area is a pleasure we got excelant service from the bar staff and whilst we waited asked to see the bar menue , we opted for the sea food plater and were very plesantly suprised, its was deliverd very quickly to our table and was excelant and a very good price. also we dident have to wait long to be told our room was ready and it was still before our check in time , thank you all the excelent staff at the Balmer Lawn.

The bar and lounge are cosy and comfortable with a good supply of magazines, papers and was well used whilst we were there. A nice place to relax.

Balmer Lawn is always a pleasure to stay at and we really make the most of both pools and the tennis court. On a sunny day it is also great to take a beer out on to the cricket pitch just outside.

We had two evening meals in this very comfortable and snug lounge/bar restaurant. The prices were quite reasonable for the surroundings. Staff could not be more helpful and friendly. A tip - we are not great burger fans, but we both agreed that the burger we had here, with some misgivings, proved to be probably the best burger we had ever had. It was moist, full, lots of flavour and in a brioche bun - thus light. Would highly recommend. Not a huge menu, but no problems in choosing a dish.

We stayed here and seeing others having the tea opted for it in place of dinner on our 2nd evening. Great scones, indeed sandwiches and interesting 'pastries'. Lovely.

Have just returned from champagne afternoon tea with my partner and parents which had been booked in advance for my birthday. We were all really disappointed. Firstly we were seated in the bar, which was full of residents and visitors drinking as it should be on a Saturday pm. I asked for a quieter area and a very nice gentleman took us to a room behind the bar which was good but had no atmosphere. The table had no chairs so we ended up with a mixture purloined from elsewhere it was also sticky in need of a good clean. The tea, coffee and champagne arrived along with 4 plates, knives and napkins. For an afternoon tea I would expect the tables to be laid with table cloths and linen napkins. I would also expect the plates to be laid ready for service, rather than piled in the middle of the table. We then had rather a long wait for the food to arrive. There was no explanation of what was in the sandwiches or cakes. Not sure if it was butter with the scones but it was very runny and we had no spoons to eat the posset with. I had to ask for extra tea bags as the tea was so weak. No one came to ask if we were happy, needed anything, 3 times I had to leave the table, go to the bar to make requests. I have visited many hotels for afternoon tea and this has to rate as the worst.I really feel that although the staff were very nice they were sadly undertrained in the etiquette of afternoon tea.

Although the restaurant food was excellent, the bar food was poor ( grated tasteless cheese on a £6.95 sandwich)Also problems at checkout ( maybe secret escapes fault) but the extras Bill was reduced by £100 !!

I feel bad giving this a 3 star review and its probably a bit misleading but I shall explain why. My husband booked a table in the lounge for my birthday as a treat for us and our daughter. We arrived at the hotel reception at 3:25pm and announced that we had a table booked in lounge for an afternoon tea at 3:30pm. We were told to 'sit over there' (in the reception area sofas) and someone would get us. We sat for 20 minutes without any acknowledgement. We got the attention of a waiter who got us a bar menu but I don't think he understood our booking. We were confused as we were left seated where we were, which in hind site I'm guessing was certainly not the lounge! The waiter did not look at me while taking our order and seemed distracted by something happening at the other end of the room. Our order consequently arrived with the pot of tea missing from the cream tea. Another member of staff attended to this for us. Thankfully, the afternoon teas and cream teas we ordered were delicious. The sandwiches were freshly cut, the scones were lovely and there was a good selection of sweets. The surroundings are lovely and the parts of the hotel we saw were beautifully decorated but comfortable and 'homely'. Judging from the photos on line I think this has all been done recently so it's all really smart. I just feel really let down that we didn't get the experience we expected. Had we been in a lounge with good service this would easily have been a 4 or 5* review

Food is pretty good although portion sizes could be bigger. The Pork Belly and also The Pigeon starters went down well. The Cod was excellent, the Venison very good, but the steaks seemed a poor relation. especially the chunky chips - some of which could have done with a bit longer in the fryer! The service seemed to depend on who was serving you. Stephen and the wine waiter were excellent, but the two girls hardly smiled all evening and the manager (?) seemed pre-occupied with a large noisy group at the end of the dinning room. The environment is great but the acoustics are a bit of an issue and whilst it's nice for a restaurant to have a buzz about it, there were times when our party of four struggled to make ourselves heard at normal conversation levels.Disappointed not to be asked how (any of) our food was until our dessert plates were cleared. Also that the bill was wrong at the end of the evening. That said I'd go again as the restaurant offers great VFM, good food and (generally) friendly service!

Twenty two of us went there in our vintage Austin cars, parked at the front of the hotel, and enjoyed a delicious and generous high tea, scones, jam, cream, finger sandwiches and a variety of cakes. Fabulous!

Used the lounge whilst staying at the hotel, food was good and the staff were friendly. The smoked salmon doorstep sandwich was great.

Absolutely fantastic restaurant ! My friends and I visited tonight as one of our good friends is returning home to Singapore,such a great atmosphere and great great food, nothing was too much trouble and the staff were absolutely fantastic. We were greeted originally by the Restaurant manager Randy who we got chatting to and he asked us if there was any special occasion on which it wasn't but one of our good friends was going back home to Singapore. At the end of our meal we were presented with a tray of chocolate truffles with 'Bon Voyage' written in chocolate.How thoughtful definitely made the evening and what a lovely surprise. A small one at that but what a lovely touch, would highly recommend and can't wait to go back! I wish staff were this kind and friendly in other restaurants,staff like this are very hard to find! Excellent !

My friend and I ended up here unexpectedly and found a lovely outside bar area. It was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to stop for an impromptu coffee and cake. Excellent home made cakes. We will be back.

Visited three times in five days due to the delicious food and outstanding service - we are regular visitors to the new forest and will always pop in here at some point in our trip - every time the food and service has been second to none - can't recommend the balmer lawn enough

Good food, most of it sourced locally, together with excellent service. Nothing is too much trouble. We ate in the lounge on three occasions (mainly because we had the dog with us) and each time was a pleasure.

Great staff, great location, lovely afternoon tea with cakes scones sandwiches. Outside terrace is beautiful

Lobster ravioli, pork taster with mouth watering deserts. Fine dining & service in this hidden gem of something that feels like being at home in a mansion. If you don't stay here, at least spoil yourself for an affordable fine dining dinner. Thanks to all of the staff and chefs that make this an amazing experience.Being from Melbourne Australia I'm very judgmental about service and quality of fresh foods and how they are presented. A friend joined who is now living in the UK and they also found this to be an amazing experience. Thank you yet again for the experience..

Nice surroundings, a pre wedding party were a bit noisy but we didn't wait long to be seated in Beresfords.