The Macdonald Bear Restaurant in West Oxfordshire

We were hoping for a happy Valentine's Dinner, sadly this was not the case. Our starters were fine. However, I ordered the butternut squash and pumpkin seed salad with seasonal vegetables for my main meal and, when it arrived, it was just a pile of green leaves and one pumpkin seed. I informed the waiter who said he would get the butternut squash. Instead, another man, who didn't introduce himself, came to our table and informed me that the chef had changed the menu without informing him, my butternut squash was on my plate in puree form (no trace of it though) and the seasonal vegetables were, in fact, the salad. We were really taken aback by his rude behaviour and very poor excuses. He seemed to have no intention of putting the matter right. By this time, my husband had finished his main course. The same man brought our bill, which was almost £100, and said I could delete the service charge if liked! He asked if I had enjoyed the salad as that was all that mattered. We were staying at the hotel and, in order to avoid an upsetting confrontation in the busy restaurant, we paid the bill and mentioned it when we checked out the next day. It turned out that "someone" had deducted the cost of our food from our hotel bill. We felt that we had been treated very badly the previous evening and that someone should have at least come to see us and apologised. I received no reply to the letter I sent to the hotel, nor to the one I sent to their head office. We won't risk eating there again.

Hotel was great...staff lovely. Restaurant however, was pretty poor, outdated and lacking atmosphere. Food mediocre and expensive £90 for two mains (past and fish and chips) and a bottle of the cheapest wine. Best to avoid and such a shame for somewhere with such a good reputation. Breakfast was OK but to charge a £6.60 (including service charge) supplement for every cooked option other than full English was a joke. Poached egg and avocado costing more than an English breakfast....unbelievable. Easy to put that right so please do so

Really disappointing. Ordered a butternut squash salad and it arrived with no butternut squash and no seasonal veg literally just a small amount of leaves on the plate..They told me they had run out of butternut squash after me having to bring my plate to the bar confused about the lack of everything on the dish. I couldn’t change my dish at this point as the other orders had arrived so they said to change it for smoked salmon. But they have no smoked salmon either! Then give me 4 (cold) prawns instead. Waitors were very nice and apologetic and eventually gave the dish for free after speaking with them after the bill came. Overall crap food and was entirely ignored so not great service either.

Our room was excellent. ( Room 4 )The staff are very friendly. The restaurant food is good but not excellent. Top end prices for the quality. Bar prices top end also. Nice. Bar area with open fire. Hotel itself very well placed for a simple walk into Blenheim Palace. For a 2 night stay we really enjoyed it and we would be more than happy to return.

Booked in for the night Leak and potato soup £9.00 from a packet sent it back Prawn linguine greasy and over cooked Gateau- like a mr Kipling Overall service good food 4/10 Wont be back The menu states all locally sourced and top chefs - mmm don’t think so very disappointing and a shame Karl Barker Karl@coler.co.uk

My biggest bugbear is the limited choice on the menu and this is the reason for my 3 blobs rating rather than 4. Macdonald's have still not gone back to pre covid levels and no specials to reflect the local cuisine. The setting in the restaurant is very pleasant, roomy with plenly of space. The food is good and of quality too. Portions fine especially breakfast which is one of the best for at table service. Staff are friendly and helpful but I'm sure they're a bit overstretched at times if short of staff to cover for others. Car parking is acessed from a lane at the back but I think it would be more helpful if clearly described how to get to it on the booking acknowlegement etc. There is an overspill car park available. It does cost £10 to park but understandable to deter non clients with the very limited and charged parking available in Woodstock.

Struggled to find a place to eat as most places were booked. This restaurant looked hopeful as very few diners. The experience was disappointing. Service was extremely slow. We had four mains and four desserts. Two of the main courses (chicken), came with one very small new potato each, a slice of undercooked carrot and a small amount of kale. There was not enough food on the plate at all. The burger meal and pie meal were good, and adequate portions. I can only think that the new potatoes had run out. Desserts also very limited choice as certain ones had finished. Such a shame as the hotel is unusual and attractive.

We were staying in the main hotel and on our second night we opted to eat in at the Macdonald Bear Restaurant. We only had a main each and both opted for the Lamb Shank. It was absolutely divine and came on a bed of creamy mash with tender stem Broccoli and green beans with carrots. The gravy (jus) was just amazing and the whole meal together was just mouth-watering and we felt it was worth the £28 per meal. Drinks however are very steep and a pint on Peroni will set you back £7:40 and a large glass 250ml of La Maglia Pinot will cost you £10:50. The staff working in this area were so polite, efficient and friendly and we really enjoyed our meal and service. Thank You.

A poor menu selection, incorrect drinks order, undercooked starter, the food wasn't great, no atmosphere and a mistake on the bill. Waitress was good and very apologetic.

Came here for lunch yesterday while visiting Woodstock. Went for the steak and frites and it was fine. It came with a garlic butter and cooked medium as requested. Chips were nice and service was good. We had tables with umbrellas out it the courtyard as it was a sunny day. This was our first visit and I’d be happy to come here again.

We had an excellent dinner for 4 persons at 1 August. Great food, great atmosphere and excellent service. The starters and the mains were all really good.

It is many years since I visited this hotel when it had a great reputation and was independently owned. Incredibly disappointing. The service was virtually non existent - I had to go hunting for waiting staff, had a creme brûlée which resembled an egg custard and the final indignity was being presented the bill from a neighbouring table. MacDonald hotels need to get a grip.

We were lucky enough to be invited for a meal to celebrate a 25th anniversary. How disappointed we all were. I had prawn cocktail followed by steak. The prawn cocktail was just a mush with two prawns. The steak was ordered medium rare and it came up distinctly medium to well done. We ordered separate seasonal veg, which arrived some 10 to 15 minutes after the main course was served. As bad as my meal was, after seeing what others had mine was the best of the lot. My wife had the lemon sole which was very tough and hardly edible. Those that had the fish and chips faired worst. The batter was dark brown, dry and thick, if there was any fish inside it was hiding well. It literally was millimetres thick. All in all the meal was appalling. We felt it would be rude to complain as one couple were paying for everyone had organised the evening and had invited their close friends. When we went to leave at around 11:00pm my wife was literally asked to move as they were organising the breakfast. The whole evening was a sad reflection of what the Bear used to be. Having eaten there several times and quite enjoyed it. If I could have given it no stars I would have done. It will be a long time before we return here.

Visited last evening for dinner , informed the waiter I was allergic to Capsicum . We both ordered Prawn Cocktail to start . When it arrived it had a few prawns on top of what can only be described as green slop . After the first mouthful it was very spicy and obviously contained a lot of Paprika. Asked for it to be taken off the bill . Chicken Supreme arrived , literally chicken , a teaspoon of tasteless “ ju” with undercooked green vegetables . My partner had Ribeye steak which was over cooked and chewy with equally rock hard vegetables. Staff member informed us we would not be charged for anything , not that we would have paid anyway Restaurant smelt like wet dog too . To finish , he has been Ill all day today with stomach upset .

The first thing you notice is the very limited evening menu , I think it was only four starters and four mains , there where 7 of us and six had the trout and I had a chicken Terrine , tiny portion and most said it was ok but my terrine was slimy and tasteless , mains , 3 people ordered Pork Belly but had to be sent back as was lukewarm , two had a tiny ribeye and both where overcooked , I asked for a side of seasonal vegetables and they arrived as we were finishing our dinner and was left. We tried 3 red wines from the list and all where very ordinary average wines at £30 or over , there was a Malbec for £59 but that would probably have been good but not for that price , during our dinner not one of us seven diners had said anything nice about any of the food (this is great, wow that tastes fab, you got to try this) as you would normally be doing in a fine dining restaurant, they need to improve the choices on the menu , the chef needs to up his game and then they bead to get a Sommelier to choose some decent wine , unfortunately for The Bear we are all seasoned fine diners and two of us are wine connoisseur and none of us would eat there again . The bill was well over £600 . Staff where attentive and polite .

I loved my meal at the Bear, i went for a special occasion with a group of friends and the staff are simply fabulous, we mixed and matched from the chef's special menu, i had the souffle and the rib eye steak was heaven! -...

Expensive for what it is, should be a 3 star and that would have managed our expectations. We booked a standard double, it was compact (polar opposite of the photograph on the Mac Donald website). It did have everything we needed. However, the curtains had...

My first visit to the Bear Restaurant and sadly I won't be returning. It all started with us waiting for our drinks for over 20 minutes, even though we only could see other 2 tables at the restaurant. Our food began arriving so we ended...

The service was extremely poor. We had to constantly chase the waiting staff including ordering food, waiting for the food, we asked for some bread with the first course and it took about 20 minutes by which time we had finished. Our drinks just didn’t...

Our family met up recently for a celebratory pre-Christmas Sunday lunch. The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. Attentive, friendly and very professional. Could not recommend more highly

Amazing food and service in this restaurant last night. 'Trio of Salmon' starter with Wasabi foam totally delicious. This is Le Manoir standard food and we were told the chef is ex Le Manoir which says it all I guess. c.£50 a head for food...

Had a lovely meal In the hotels restaurant. Service was excellent, and the staff were very pleasant.

Lovely well equiped rooms, great atmosmospheric bar, plenty of parki ng and a superb location right in the centre of the town.

What an experience - made to feel so so welcome from the word go! Lovely surroundings, fabulous staff, and oh my goodness what an amazing meal! Mentioned that it was my sister's birthday and they surprised us with a little treat at the end of...

We have just got back from Woodstock for two nights stay in the area mainly to see the Blenheim Palace. Though we stayed at another inn not far from this restaurant, we decided to give this restaurant a try. We went without any booking, but...

Had this booked for ages as we were doing the Blenheim Palace Triathlon Overall felt a bit ripped off at having to pay £10 per night for parking on top of an overpriced room rate. Our room was ok we booked a room with King...

This is a fantastic hotel. The rooms are fantastic, larger than expected and full of cotswolds charm. The amazing staff really make the hotel, from the reception staff, bar staff, housekeeping and everyone in the hotel are excellent and nothing is too much trouble. There...

Food, and dining experience was fantastic. Great choice on the menu, well presented, and obvious that only top quality ingredients used.

I’m writing as a disappointed diner as the food could be so much better. My burrata starter arrived with very cold crunchy tomatoes that would have tasted so much better had they been served at room temperature. The quantity of cheese served was minimal so...

The food was of excellent quality. I had the salmon starter and macaroni with truffles main and my partner had the chicken. We were also given a complimentary pumpkin soup which was delicious. The service was friendly and professional - we will be back.

Having visited the Bear once mbefore, we have to say we were pleasantly surprised by how much they have revamped the hotel and their dining room and bar areas. We had their festive menu in the restaurant which was delicious. Can't wait to go back.

The three course meal we had was so lovely, beautiful food, fab presentation and very nice service in the restaurant. The wine was expensive.

We stopped here after a walk in bleinheim palace.£15 for an afternoon tea (Mon-Wed) in October. Normally it is £25.Finger Sandwiches looked very beige and fillings were unoriginal. Smoked salmon, cheese and pickle and egg mayo.The scones were crusty, dry and the worst I’ve ever had. They were not crumbly and tasted like dry cake! There was no choice of jam (given Bon Marie strawberry, I would of like raspberry). I was only given a small pot of tea. It wasn’t busy, but the one waitress wasn’t attentive. I normally leave a tip, but didn’t check everything ok or ask if I wanted more tea/refills. The patisserie selection looked lovely. The raspberry macaron was superb. But the rest were forgettable. It was bitesize, so good for a tea.The setting was nice. I would not visit again. I was glad to have a Mon-Wed discount in October (which I didn’t expect!). But would have been happier to pay £25 for a decent afternoon tea. Wish I’d chosen elsewhere.

It's really 4.5 as there were a few things that could have been better, but I wish to be generous because the kitchen obviously put love into their cooking. An amuse bouche kicked us off, a delightful and well balanced morsel. It was a shame that the bread that had been put on our side plates was nothing special and the butter was a whipped mousse when we'd have preferred a choice of home-made rolls with perhaps some unsalted butter.We had the salmon and crab as starters; the salmon was divine, the crab a little bland and watery. We had pork and lamb for mains, both of which were faultless, for example the pork loin cooked pale pink; brocolli spears perfectly cooked at both stem and head ends; well crafted gels and sauces; overall beautifully balanced flavours. For dessert I think we had chocolate and panna cotta... both a little disappointing in flavour but still very good.Service was attentive without being intrusive. The 5* rating is for the chef who cooked the brocolli. Sides are so often 'bunged in the microwave' at the last minute and shoved in a bowl. Thank you to the chef who treated this ingredient with such respect, it made a nice change.

We visited the hotel for an afternoon tea. The scones were hot and looked fresh but as we ate them, we found them stale. The tea had so few tea leaves that it took ages to be the right colour for an Earl Grey Tea. So long that the waiter left it and told us to pour it ourselves later when it has some colour! We had to battle with a few flies and found ant and spider on our table. Tea was stuck in the teapot and was not flowing out and when we reported it to the waiter, he said they will wash it clean for the future! There was no choice of jam given nor was there any butter. We could not ask for service as the bartender and the waiter disappeared shortly after we had our tea. Highly priced for such a poor service and food offering which you can get at a fraction of the price but much better from McDonalds. Service charge was also added to the bill. I would not return.

The Bear recently lost its excellent chef and the new one is producing very poor meals. The waiters leave plenty top be desired as well as they weren't able to find a bottle of champagneThree of the 4 of us chose haddock with a langoustine and fish stew. All three portions were the tail end of the fish and were about 1 1/2 ozs in weight. For 20pds this seemed absurd. The fish stew amounted to about 2 teaspoons of what looked like residual meat from from the cleaning of lanoustine for another dishVery disapointing

We went here for my partners birthday and were not disappointed. Best steaks we have had in a long time.

We had a fantastic weekend in Woodstock staying at The Feathers. As they had no tables available on Saturday evening we booked in at The Bear.Sadly, despite the food being delicious and the negronis they served, some of the best we’ve had, the service was really terrible. We arrived five minutes early, had a curt response from the initial staff and then waited over twenty minutes before anyone came to even offer us a drinks’ menu. We then waited a full hour before we had our starters, and rather randomly, were brought some mushroom amuse-bouche type things that we didn’t order, with the waiter saying they were on the house, but without further explanation. If someone had come over and said there was a delay, it would have made things a whole lot better.£125 down and we felt we weren’t offered value for money. The atmosphere was also sadly lacking. We didn’t stay for dessert! Not sure I’d recommend. We ate at Brothertons Brasserie the night before and this was outstanding on all fronts. A much better offer!

My partner and I decided to visit the Bear Hotel for a drink whilst in Woodstock and came away feeling totally ripped off!!! I ordered a pint of bitter with a lemonade top my parnter ordered a bottle of mineral water and a pot of tea for one. We received a 35cl bottle of speckled hen a small bottle of lemonade a 75 cl bottle of mineral water and a small pot of tea. The bill was £23.02 which included a service charge of £2.56 my bitter with lemonade came to £9.56 the mineral water was £6.05 & the pot of tea was £4.85. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!! My advice try one of the other service providers in Woodstock

Lured in by their 2 for 1 cocktail evening, only for the staff to take forever to bring the drinks, finally went into pay after asking for the bill and no one arriving and to see that the cocktails all came in prepackaged bottles and the 2 for 1 deal came to £30 for four drinks which is hardly a deal. However this is not a staff problem but clearly a management one.The mojito had no mint in it.Besides from that we were sitting outside which was fine, but the real spectacle is the interiors inside. It is like some absurd satire of Thatcher's England. By the people dining there and the look of the place it was as if nothing had changed in thirty five years. Tragic glimmers of 'aristocratic sophistication' melt in front of the eyes and burn into your wallet. Be prepared to inhale the dust of Brexit voters and the ashes of the daily mail readers visions of 'fun'

Lovely coaching inn with wonderful customer service and excellent afternoon tea. Scones were warm and fresh with delicious cakes and sandwiches. Service attentive and very friendly.

Have stayed here many times over the last few years. All the staff are lovely. The reception are always very helpful and nice. The rooms are always clean and comfortable. On our recent last visit, we sat outside for a sandwich and drinks, as due to covid it was table service only. All was fine, but I was very surprised to see that they have added a 15% service charge, which given the current VAT reduction is quite disappointing, as not only are they benefitting from charging the same (no vat reduction passed into customer via lower pricing), they have decided to add aservice charge in addition to this. There is no indication or mention that this charge is discretionary (which apparently is the case). I actually have no issue with paying 15% on the food, as I would always tip them anyway, BUT to also add 15% to drinks is not really acceptable, when they are discouraging customers from going to the bar. This made the cost of a pint of cider go up from (an already expensive) £6.66 per pint to a whopping £7.49 per pint. Possibly the dearest pint in Woodstock? It is wholly off putting, and no incentive whatsoever to encourage their own guests to eat and drink on site during their stay, when the surrounding pubs are so much cheaper. Such a shame, as the rest of our stay was perfect. We will return, but will certainly not be purchasing drinks on site until this stops.

Good lord, only stopped for a birthday drink. Most extortionate prices this side of London. And the beer was off too. Don't do it.

First time out after lockdown and had the afternoon tea in the courtyard. Good distance between tables. Courteous service and good traditional tea and scones. Will gladly come back.

They have a talent for mixing flavours and textures which makes their food delightful when they pull it off perfectly. My “eggy soldiers” with fried pancetta, duck soldier and potato foam over the fried egg was lovely and imaginative. For our main course the cod was very slightly underdone and the chicken breast a bit overdone for our liking. Not enough to complain about, but kept it from 5 stars for us. The environment is nice (old oak beams, comfy chairs) and I’d be happy to eat here again.

We have been lucky to stay here twice in two weeks and enjoyed the quality of the food and service both times. The service was friendly and responsive in spite of added Covid pressures . The menu was more limited compared to previous visits again due to Covid 19 restrictions however we were warned pre-booking about this and the food was still delicious .

Quite how staff acheive the high level of service alongside COVID 19 procedures I have no idea. Despite my chortling at the bonne bouche of 'Cauliflower spume' it was delicious as were the two courses we had. Very generous portions so sadly could not proceed to dessert. Breakfast the following day was equally excellent. Great food, great service and very good team doing an excellent job under trying circumstances.

Said they don't do table service. They do. £15 for two pints of cider. No lager available. Bit nippy in the beer garden. Crown or kings make more of the sunshine. Some nice 1980s music in the bar area though. Beware the compulsory 12.5% service charge.

We had Sunday roast here and were not disappointed. The staff were attentive and friendly with good service. The roast was delicious and cooked just right. The presentation was excellent also. The portions were very generous. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Went for afternoon tea in this amazing location. Very quiet in the hotel so it lacked a bit of atmosphere. The tea was served in the traditional manner, but the hot drinks arrived quiet a while before any of the food. We were not asked if we required any top ups or any other drinks. The cakes were on the small side but the scones were delicious and warm. Didn't feel over full at all. Would have been good to have had a little more service,but the staff we did see were all very friendly.

Over a an 8-day period, there was a lot of good choice either a la carte or set dinner and b/fast , especially for the sweet tooth diner. The Staff are to be complimented on their courtesy and prompt response, though with the very busy Xmas/New Year period things slipped here and there. After waiting nearly 20mins to get my order taken, the chef refused to accept my order for porridge as it was "after 1030am", Yes, chef, by about a minute, and because I'd been waiting since 1000am ! I did not appreciate this start to my Xmas Day !!!!

We are first-time visitors to Woodstock and have been blown away by its wonderful pubs and restaurants, staffed with kind and professional people. This is probably why we were so shocked at our experience at the Bear. We made a 1845 reservation for an early New Year’s Eve dinner with our two year old, several weeks ago. We arrived shortly after 6pm, hoping to eat and run to get our little boy to bed after a lovely afternoon at Blenheim. After presenting to staff at the restaurant, a manager told me she had tried to reach me by phone ‘several times earlier today but couldn’t get through to me’ to tell me that they were now only serving a Gala menu priced at 75 pounds per head. We received no such phone call. Obviously, with nothing but the gala menu available and even that served only from 1930, we had to turn on our heels and take our leave. Had we actually received the phone call that manager said she made to us, we could have made alternative arrangements. We attempted to eat elsewhere but as you would expect, no one could fit us in at such short notice. We wish we had booked somewhere else, where staff and management genuinely cared about the customer experience and were not just after a fast buck on New Year’s Eve. Woodstock is full of lovely places to eat and enjoy yourself. The Bear is not one of them.

Visited for dinner mid-week, the restaurant itself was very quiet with only another couple having dinner, this did unfortunately mean there was a lack of atmosphere. The food however was really lovely, I was very impressed and enjoyed my meal very much. Quite expensive however so perhaps a little overpriced.

I had been given a groupon gift voucher for festive afternoon tea, on arrival I was really pleased as the venue is lovely with linen tablecloths, napkinsand pretty china. Sadly our intial thoughts were not to last, we had to wait 20 minutes as the scones were being cooked, this was a suprise as we had booked so they were aware of our 3pm arrival. (Only us and 1 other couple eating)The sandwiches were good, but the scones were hard and solid, my husband thought they were rock cakes!! the little pattisere cakes were also a visual and eating disappointment a small square of Christmas cake, a tiny chocolate roll with mousse filling a small biscuit and a tiny trifle, the pot for this was so small the teaspoon could not reach the bottom and we had to use the top of the spoon! I was asked if we had enjoyed the tea and told them my thoughts, the waiter relayed this to the kitchen and then came back and said we should have used fork for trifle as this fitted the pot, this says a lot about the trifle, eating trifle with a fork should not be possible!Lastly I wanted to use the cloakroom and have some mobility issues so could not manage the staircase, I asked if they had a disabled toilet and pointed across the courtyard to reception I still had to go down 3 stairs so I would not recommend for anyone in a wheelchair.

My son booked lunch for all of us and our grand daughter .on a Saturday lunchtime,the lunch menu was for three courses and very pricey, so we asked for the bar menu so we could have one course.This menu had a good range of dishes,took a while to come but worth the wait and our 5 year old grandchild was entertained drawing pictures for about 30 mins until the food arrived.It was of a good standard and well cooked.The restaurantwas very quiet as only one other table was occupied and I noticed they only had a quick drink and a snack.

We have had Sunday lunch many times over the years here. Recently we had a disaster of an experience.

We just stayed one night. A really great (quirky) room with beams (meaning you need to duck to get in the bathroom). Good view from the room to the lighted Christmas tree added to the Christmas feel. There was no offer of help with a case although this room was up several flights of (awkward) stairs. Great food for breakfast and dinner. The service was very slow (breakfast and dinner) – but that wasn’t a problem for us. Drink prices were on the high side. I can see this might not be for everybody – but maybe I was in the Christmas spirit and I enjoyed my visit.

Oh dear.Firstly let me say we were initially very grateful to the maitre d for accomodating our party of six without a reservation on a Sunday lunch time.Sadly that's were the positive bit ends.We waited well over an hour after the order taken for food to arrive.Now this wasn't complicated Michelin starry faf....just meat and veg.And not very good...a couple of slices of rolled turkey breast with stuffing, a cocktail sausage with a small roll of bacon, 2-3 roast potatoes, a quarter of a parsnip, 3 Brussel sprouts and a spoon of red cabbage.Utterly forgettable school canteen Christmas lunch. With the ok slice of Christmas pud I would have been unimpressed at 10 quid...for 30 plus service (which I didn't pay) it was atrocious.No idea what's going on in this place but it has failure written large over the door .Avoid

We met up with old colleagues of my husband and his wife whom he hadn't seen for a very long time but who were staying in the area.We we're met at the entrance by a very nice young lady who took us into the bar whilst we waited for our friends The lounge bar was lovely and very comfortable. We enjoyed a drink before and when our friends arrived and had an enjoyable time catching up on our lives The bar service was very good. We had booked a table for our evening meal and it was good, with excellent service but as other reviews had also said was overpriced., £30 for two courses and as the two men had three courses each, the total bil for food, and extra for service charge and drinks, came to quite a lot of money. The ladies toilet was up stairs.All in all we did have a good evening in very pleasant surroundings

A great hotel, cosy room, every comfort and more but don’t expect service in the hotel restaurant!

The hotel is lovely, beautifully decorated for Christmas and a perfect place to meet friends. However although the lunch was delicious and very well presented, it was grossly overpriced for two courses and then 15% on top for service. Although none of us eats a large portion, we all went away less than satisfied with the quantity.

Having read some of the reviews on tripadvisor, we were not expecting much from a meal in this restaurant, but we were very pleasantly surprised by both the standard of the food and the service we received. Admittedly the restaurant was very quiet, but we could not have been better looked after.

Good quality of ambiance and although menu has a small level of choices... E.G. if you don’t like Cod not choice of other fish options available... Great service though for evening dinner... Breakfast needs a bit more polish though.

Purely went for a drink on return from Heathrow airport. The Bear was a favoured haunt of mine some 45 years ago and it was a wonderful place. Last night barman asked what we would like to drink - a glass of Sauvignon blanc please - offered us South African which was declined and there being no French chose average "tankered" New Zealand. I then asked for a glass of Claret which completely phased the barmen " what is claret" he asked " wine" I replied - what colour he asked. I really thought he was having me on! But no he was serious! Had to settle for an average Argentine malbec . Now comes the Killer - two 175 ml glasses of average wine £27.00 !! I said that's rather steep - barman replied that I had chosen expensive fine wines! I explained that actually they were far from fine and in fact rather poor! Place was a rundown sad reflection of it's past glory

Wow! I was fortunate enough to dine last night at the Bear whilst staying away for work. Now I’m normally one of those sad people who order a burger from room service whilst still glued to the laptop, but for some reason last night I decided I’d down tools and take a break. Best decision ever! The food was such an unexpected delight I had to take pictures just to show my Wife! I was so taken a back at the quality I just had to ask the staff. Turns out not only have they had a new GM who’s working tirelessly improving every inch of the place but he’s also worked with Gordon Ramsey in the past so it’s all about food for him. His new chef not only had a star at a previous establishment but was also the chef for Mercedes F1!! I’ll be back with my Wife for a proper leisure break (no choice now I’ve shown her the pictures!) and if this place hasn’t got a star of it’s own by this time next year I’ll retreat back to the burgers in my room!

We have recently had a number of short breaks including Sunday lunch which made me realise just how bad our experience of sunda6 lunch at the Bear actually was. Over the years we have stayed at the Bear many time because of its character and location but always found the standard of food and service patchy - sometimes good sometimes not so good.

Fantastic 15th century inn sitting in the middle of Woodstock, steps away from Blenheim Palace. Rowaswas

One of the best meals I ever had, the cauliflower steak is outstanding, also the starter very very good!

Called in for a drink with family. Service slow. I think the staff either a) did not know what cucumber looks like or b) did not have any cucumber because out G & Ts were served with large chunks of COURGETTE in them! Certainly a very different take on a Gin and Tonic !!

The glass of wine I ordered was overpriced at £10.00 a glass. The fish and chips was below average. The dessert we ordered was hard and stale. We left dissatisfied and disappointed.

We stayed at the Bear for total of 5 nights and ate here every night. The food and service were lovely although we felt it would have been better if they had a daily special so we weren’t restricted to same meals every time. We can only assume they don’t expect guests to eat in throughout their stay

Have visited this hotel for 3 or 4 years. There have been many changes in staff and the running of the hotel. The cleanliness had always been 100%.all the people who work here from the cleaners to the management are all ways thinking of the costumers. Great place great people.

We had booked an 'all in ' which included dinner, bed and breakfast. Found the dinner menu was not the a la carte but special fairly restricted menu. At 8.30 we were the only ones in the restaurant but still could not get service or pre drinks. Items of cutlery were missing off the table. The wine menu was so overpriced it was laughable, ordinary Spanish Rioja wine at 42 pounds. The food was OK but nothing outstanding. We did get reasonable service once the waiters appeared. Generally under par for the price and ambience of the place.

Lovely room, so we booked breakfast thinking the food would follow in the same vein. Wrong! It was buffet-style, average cooked food, with an average selection. Not a great selection of cereals or fruit (the fruit salad bowl was half-empty with an average selection. We had to attract the waitress's attention after 10 minutes to get her to bring us some coffee. And how much did they charge us? £18 ..... yes, £18. Rooms are nice but don't eat there .... there are plenty other places in the town to eat.

Staff and service were impecable, sadly the food not quite so. Nothing wrong but just ok. Startes were good but the fish and chips ordinary. Not to the standard I hoped for the price. Drinks and wine particularly overpriced.

£340 for a ‘feature room’ excluding breakfast. Really? It’s a bit rubbish. Bar with twenty or so people waiting to be served, just one barman getting abuse. Really?

Room was very nice everything we needed the breakfast was also very nice. Staff on reception were a little bit frosty. Not the warm welcome I expected. Also on departure I wasn’t asked if everything had been ok with my visit. £10 per night for parking. There is on street parking if you’re lucky enough to find a space but don’t hold your breath

Stayed here multiple times for business. Breakfast is simple but nice and tasty. The rooms are all named for historical figures and different furnishings. Interesting layout and lots of stairs. Make sure you say yes for them to deliver or carry your luggage. LOL Go in, go up, go around, go down the hall, go up, go around, etc... Fun and interesting. We enjoy the bar to meet the team before adventuring and the fireplace is nice.

Lovely place to eat and wonderful food but - first this chain dares to add their damned name to an historic coaching in - what a cheek and how it cheapens the image. Secondly - ALL the beers were from major brewers NO ONE LOCAL ALE. This is disgraceful and the corporate culture moving in, changing the name of this historic old inn and then having the sensitivity of a TRUMP in refusing to stock any of the fine local brewers in the county. This should have been a 5 star - but this total arrogant ignorance of the local culture is brutish. How dare they? And it is such a shame - the place is well run with superb staff but for some barmy corporate edict they choose to cheapen the image of this fine place. I want "them" to know that "they" cannot simply barge into England - shove their name - redolent of the hamburger joints - in front of fine hotels like the Randolf and the Bear. Until they learn some respect for the places they have bought and run I promise I will never stay in the hamburger bar outfit ever EVER again. It would not matter in a Premier Inn but really - big business thugs. I don't like your arrogance or attitude.

Visited on a Sunday evening a set menu which was ok. Staff friendly and attentive however starter of smoked haddock bland and tasteless whilst the chicken Kiev was tasty when presented the dish lacked colour. On arrival the person behind the bar was not welcoming. If honest the meal was not worth the price paid despite the lovely surroundings

A group of 6 retired friends met up at this hotel on Friday, for mid-morning coffee, followed by lunch in the restaurant, and it was a great disappointment. We waited and waited in the cold, unwelcoming bar for someone to ask if we'd like coffee, and no-one came near us, despite a waiter bringing drinks to the only other occupied table. We were busy chatting, so were not too concerned, but after 45 mins., one of our party decided to go in search of someone to attend to us. Not a good start. Lunch in the main restaurant was overpriced and very poor value, with limited and unexciting choices - perhaps that was why we were the only ones in there on a Friday lunchtime! The menu, at £30 for 2 courses, and £35 for 3 courses offered soup, prawn cocktail, blackpudding bonbons and one other for starters, and main courses were risotto, whole poussin, calves liver and mash, or fish and chips - no additional veg at all, and the pea shoot garnish was past its best, and limp. Most of us felt our meals could have been hotter. Incidentally, no menus were available on the website beforehand - I wonder why. If I had been able to view the menu, then I would have suggested going somewhere else. The only positive was that the hotel had its own parking. As we left the restaurant, having given an undeserved tip, the suited fellow on the door had to force himself to reply to our thank you, and goodbye. No, next time we meet up in Woodstock, we shall be dining elsewhere - I wouldn't recommend the Macdonald Bear.

Popped in here for an afternoon drink whilst visiting Woodstock. Asked the Scottish barman if they had any real ale. Was told they’ve got five over the road. No conversation just matter of fact. Visit somewhere elsewith a friendly atmosphere and engaging staff. Will neither recommend or revisit. I work hard and don’t need unfriendliness from staff when spending my money Nuff said

This place is ideally situated for a visit to Blenheim Palace and for me was the perfect overnight stay. The staff were lovely. The food amazing. The hotel was steeped in history and incredibly interesting in its own right. Woodstock is a beautiful village and it made our stay that much more special.

Stayed at the Bear for our Woodstock weekend. Room good but a problem with their heating meant the room was cold in spite of an extra electric/oil radiator being in the room. Generally the hotel was 'tired but breakfast good. We are in the restaurant on the Friday night. Very poor - started with microwaved bread which was still frozen in the middle. Good very poor. Several things not available on the menu in spite of eating at 7.30. Also when the bill came there computerised system couldn't cope with items ordered from the menu & staff put in an impossible position when trying to explain. They did give us some compensation but overall spoilt our evening. Also pretty expensive for what we got.

Stayed at The Bear for two nights. Friendly staff and cosy atmosphere. We were upgraded to a Feature room with a four poster bed, large room and en suite. Breakfast had everything to offer and dinner food and service was excellent.

We remembered this hotel from visits many years ago when we were very impressed.So this seemed an ideal meeting place to see friends from the Midlands..How disappointing to find things so different.The lunch was overpriced and poorly cooked and after I complained we were not charged for our main course.I cannot recommend this restaurant and will not return.

We have been staying in Woodstock for a week over the New Year period and have enjoyed the warm hospitality of the local pubs and hotels. For our last night, we decided to eat dinner at Macdonald Bear Hotel, a beautiful building in the heart of the village. We entered the dining room which was a tad cold for a January evening and consequently, two portable oil filled electric heaters were in operation! The Maitre d' was less than welcoming but we made our way to a table and ordered sparkling water. We were cold and uncomfortable and requested to move to another table. "Be my guest", said the Maitre d' as he left us to move both ourselves, our water and our glasses to another table closer to a heater. We ordered our meals and a glass of wine and the first plates arrived. I said to the surly young waiter, "Given that I have a side plate and a knife, I would assume that I might expect bread". His response was, "If you want bread, you order it from the menu, it is not complimentary, do you want it?"

Staying at the hotel with family across two rooms, came down to see if we could get in the resteraunt and a grey haired man with glasses looked at us and said 'No i am booked' and that is it, we went to the bar and ordered from the bar menu (which was down rate of the restaurant) so instead of ordering steaks and lamb shanks we all opted for fish and chips and sat in very uncomfortable chairs around a tiny table opposite the restaurant. Our food was brought to us and we started to eat, having noticed other people turning up and asking for tables in the restaurant and being allowed staright through!!?? We asked our waiter/barman why we arent allowed in the restaurant and that it didnt look full etc, he told us there is plenty of room, bring your plates and follow me (awkward). We walk through the restaurant with plates of food in our hands with half eaten fish and chips on and are shown to a massive table in a sparce restaurant!!??? It would seem the grey haired old man with glasses (working the restaurant at night on the 14th December 2018) didnt like the look of us as we wasnt all dressed up(we had just been on a massive walk around blenheim palace and was cold and hungry) Not that thi sis the sort of place you need to get dressed up for anyway. Shame on you on old man you ruined the stay of 3 generations of a family staying at the hotel!!!!

Stopped overnight and looked forward to breakfast. Ordered four, three appeared eventually, had to start them before they went cold. Half way through, still missing one, enquiring, the waiter went to find out what had happened. He then asked what was wanted and a few minutes later it appeared. The "jovial" person who looked as though he was in charge explained it away by saying the chef was Romanian!

A great hotel with a great history and with many annexed rooms in a quaint courtyard setting. A great hotel to stay when visiting attractions at Blenheim Palace along with the attractive town of Woodstock.

A very disappointing meal with most of the main courses were cold. The wine menu was presented with many of them not available but we were not told in advance. Quality if service was not great. Would not eat there again.

Dead as a dodo at 1pm on a Sunday should have been the first clue. Food looked pretty but tasted of nothing. Very sad to be in such a beautiful building with lacklustre service and tastes. Missed opportunity Macdonald group. Please make it better - the building and location deserve it.

We were looking for a warm, relaxed place for lunch after several hours at Blenheim and The Bear suited us perfectly.

Not quite two weeks ago, my wife and I enjoyed a one day visit to Blenheim Palace. At the end of our visit we tried to have a dinner at The Orangerie at the palace, but it was closed on that day. Instead of going back to Oxford to find a place to eat, we decided to walk to the Village of Woodstock and eat somewhere there.

We love staying at this hotel as it has so much character and I loved our room which is why I’ve rated it very good. However, every time we stay we hope that the service in the restaurant has improved but sadly it still hasn’t. Most times we choose to eat elsewhere but we were late arriving Saturday evening so we ate in the restaurant. Service and food were surprisingly very good. Sunday morning after waiting nearly 45 minutes our breakfast’s still hadn’t arrived and we had to leave. People were coming off the street and being served breakfast in the bar which didn’t help the too few waiters. When we complained about the wait there was no apology - we were told we should have come down earlier! (We’d arrived nearly an hour before service ended). We ate in the restaurant that evening as we were late back but the same stressed staff from breakfast were working. The service was very poor and the food wasn’t as good as the evening before. We were chatting to another couple who were very disappointed and said they wouldn’t be eating there again. Breakfast this morning before we left was delicious and perfectly served by a very efficient and polite young man so it is possible.

We have enjoyed some outstanding meals at The Bear over the years, but in October 2018 we were disappointed by the very poor standard. It was a meal that I strongly suspect was ‘assembled and warmed’ rather than cooked to order - and certainly not by a chef in receipt of 2 AA rosettes. Shockingly poor.

We stayed at the Bear for a charity run event (see review). Visited the bar for pre-dinner cocktails. Oh well they don’t do them - not even a Bloody Mary! But hey plenty other stuff to drink.

We have stayed at the Bear a few times, but this time staff were pleasant but not attentive enough, we had an evening meal £25 a head, starters were very small, my husband pan fried chicken was ok, mine was 'The Bear dish and chip's ' fish ok but a shame about the frozen chip's, you wouldn't expect them at a fine dining restaurant, we weren't asked if we'd like to see a wine list, had to ask for a drink.At breakfast it assent much better, a small rasher of bacon small egg. Had to call the waiter to take our order, service has gone down hill, shame.

Lunch in the bar is probably Woodstock’s best kept secret. The seating is cosy, decor is understated. Service is attentive. Food is excellent. Atmosphere is relaxed and timeless.

Decided to order from set dinner menu as several things we liked. 25.00 for 3 courses which was excellent value. Staff seemed in a bit of a muddle with wine list availability and non matching menus but could not have been friendlier and attentive. Food was good, not amazing but we had a pleasant evening.