The Maypole in Test Valley

Sunday lunch. The tasteless chewy meat -I had pork my partner beef arrived on top of a small portion of greyish mash, surrounded by a greasy, watery orange "gravy"? which was almost spilling off the plate.A very small dish of mixed vegetables. It was awful. We had lunched previously (last year) and it was really good.

Awful experiance, NEVER AGAIN! For one of the starters we had the chicken & bacon taurine that come with an extra wormy friend crawling all around and inside the taurine. Safe to say that went straight back to the kitchen. Then one of the mains was the rump steak that tasted awful after one bite... got my family to taste and smell the steak to find it was off and actually had an awful smell that ended up taking over the table meaning many members of the table felt put off by their food! This should have NEVER left the kitchen in this state. In a nutshell: expensive place that serves worms and gone off meat. I left the 'resturant' feeling terribly sick, hungry and disappointed. Luckily McDonalds was only down the road and was a night saver!!

I have just stayed at the Maypole for two nights with dinner and breakfast with 8 golfing friends. We all throughly enjoyed our stay, the bedrooms are excellent , the dinner menu had plenty to choose from and was very good, and a very good Continental style breakfast

The most disgusting meal I've had since pickled octopus in Greece 50 years ago!! Starters...Terrine...It was like trying to cut through leather! Goodness knows what was in it but it was almost completely inedible it was so tough. Should have come with toasted sourdough which when it didn't arrive was given wafer thin, cold melba toast which was so hard I was afraid I was going to break a tooth! Main...Cheese and bacon burger...I had to spit out bone/grissle in the first three mouthfuls of the burger. The very fatty bacon was undercooked so didn't touch that. The chips were so soggy they bent double on the fork and the coleslaw was just dry bits of cabbage sliced up. Desert...We weren't offered any. Coffees..We weren't offered any. Got the distinct impression the staff just all wanted to go home. Had it just have been my husband and me we would have complained but we were with friends we hadn't seen for six months and didn't want to make a fuss. They had ordered different courses from me and the next day said their meals were just as awful. It's a disgrace that this place is allowed to operate as a restaurant. A really dreadful culinary experience!!

5 star food and price, cannot fault what so ever. There was a strange shout from the kitchen which was located at the side of the restaurant when food was ready, waitress would rush to serve at the request of Oi (by the chef) - Slightly awkward and I felt insulted on behalf of the waitress. Please purchase a bell.

Me and my husband stayed here as a last minute weekend getaway. My husband booked through Booking.com, and then called them immediately after to make sure the room we had was dog friendly. The lady on the phone said it wasn’t but she would change our booking to a dog friendly room, even asking if we would prefer a twin or double room. My husband asked if dogs were any extra cost but didn’t get a clear answer. When we arrived on the Saturday afternoon, he was told the room we had booked was not dog friendly and that they didn’t think they had a room for us. We were made to wait a short while for a manager, who never arrived. So the kind lady behind the desk said she would just put us in a room that wouldn’t usually be dog friendly, and charged us an extra £30 for this. Even though it was their mess up which I don’t agree with. The room we were put in was very basic and didn’t even look like it had been fully cleaned. There was hair on the toilet and a dirty used glass on the windowsill in the bathroom. The body wash in the shower was completely empty. The room was so bloody noisy from the pub below, and the windows were so thin and rubbish that we could hear every conversation going on outside and there was never any peace and quiet. The bed was tiny, with two single duvets for some reason rather than one double one which I found very strange. And the bed was the single most uncomfortable thing I have ever laid on, it felt like I was laid on concrete. Safe to say I didn’t get much sleep at all. Then there was breakfast in the morning. There was no staff at all in the restaurant area, and to call it a continental breakfast would be a stretch. No option for hot breakfast, or any option to even pay for a different option. So so disappointed and absolutely fuming we spent as much as we did on this hotel. For the quality id spend maximum £60, not £120. Would not recommend.

Last minute overnight stay. Pleasantly surprised at this very good value for money accommodation. Large room and shower room. Lovely bedding and white fluffy towels. Breakfast is continental with lots to choose from. Okay the hotel is not 5 star but I repeat great value. Special mention for Beth who was very helpful and efficient. Thankyou

Overnight stopover en route to Lincoln. Super dog friendly hotel Room & bar. The whole team made me & my pooch feel very welcome. The Rooms are very clean, modern with super comfy beds & ideal for Dogs with super easy access to the Terrace and bar/rest. We had a lovely Evening, the locals were welcoming too, food was lovely & very reasonable. Will definately book again for our next road trip. Special thanks to Laurie who gives extra cuddles to doggies. 😉

Visited on Monday 5th June, me and partner both enjoyed the surroundings, atmosphere and expecially the chicken in a basket, chicken was cooked to perfection, succulent and so tasty, will definitely be returning great food, compliments to the chef

Stayed over for a wedding we were attending near by. The room was lovely, modern and clean. It’s like an American motel style. Very quiet, you could however hear people at their cars in the morning. The breakfast was continental but with little options. Was disappointing with the lack of options. The young girl who we checked in with was lovely and pleasant!

Went with family to watch 6 nations rugby as advertised sky sports. not pleasant at all. Their food is awful and i mean awful and staff are never in bar as sorting out rooms and rude. The bar is so noisy its unreal as they have no soft furnishings so just echos if you speak in there. We left due to the noise as we could not hear each-other speak. Incredibly Slow service and not kid friendly. Would not go in again. One pub off our list in the local area - there are many better.

Stopped off on our way back from Sherwood Pines because we saw the sign saying muddy boots were welcome...we certainly were, no issues with us wearing cycling gear. Staff were so helpful, really enjoyed our Sunday dinner and the beer was really excellent. Great value for money and really good quality Sunday lunch with all the trimmings. Huge portions. We will be back! Definitely recommend. Jane and Paul

last time i went the food was terrible. the lasagne looked like cat food. no thanks. the "chef" seemed not to care when it went back

Pleasant restaurant, 7 people out for Sunday lunch, unfortunately the meals did not arrive together, some had a long wait for the food and when it did actually arrive it was cold, did not bother with sweet. Will not be returning and certainly would not recommend for Sunday Lunch.

I have not even stayed there but were meant to be staying tonight and tomorrow But when I rang to cancel our booking yesterday, due to illness, the answer service said they now do not have a restaurant available? but if you'd like to book a wedding, christening, party they will be happy to accommodated that!!????? Hope they spend my £170 wisely as they probably need it looking at the latest reviews

Popped in whilst on holiday at Sherwood Castle. We were the only ones in there due to it being afternoon on a wednesday. We were made to feel very welcome and the beers and prices were very good. I'd definitely recommend to others to give it a go. We didnt have anything to eat so cannot comment on that aspect.

Great food, lovely people. Very welcoming. Very accommodating. Very clean hotel. Lovely location. Highly Recommend!

Meh ! Food took over an hour, only one chef was working and he was literally flat out I actually wanted to help him, only reason we didn’t complain was he was working so hard. Food was greasy majority deep fried, triple cooked Chips are just re heated to save time and soggy with fat oil . Meat was over cooked and pre heated if not pre cooked. Online menu and pics Were from 2018 and only had two option for vegetarian however the waitress were amazing and work well to accommodate our wishes. They worked extremely hard however let down by the deep fat fryer and food quality.

Went for a meal with family. Waited nearly an hour for food and it wasn’t busy. Only 2 other tables in restaurant. Food was over cooked and dry. The side salad was just two lettuce leaves. After eating they tried to rush us on to order dessert.

We came to the Maypole as we were staying at Centre Parcs and all the restaurants on site were extremely short staffed and couldn't cope with the amount of people. I was accommodated last minute to a table of four adults a toddler and a baby. The food was excellent- you could see the chef working in the kitchen the way the restaurant is laid out. He looked to be handling things extremely calmly in what looked to be a very busy shift. Hats off to him!! The music he had on was ace aswell, 80's soul , right up my street! Thankyou for accommodating us last minute and for a lovely meal. Keep up the good work!

Stayed here as a trial before our wedding night and very glad we did. Would not advice to stay here for special occasions. We stayed in one of the outside rooms, the room is very basic but clean and tidy, the walls however are very...

Lovely place nice food but something needs to be done about about people not wearing face masks. was there today and almost everybody didn't wear one , parties of six people not bothering not good covid is still rife and the staff should tell them...

We stayed here this weekend for 2 nights for our best friends wedding. We had the bridal suite and grand deluxe rooms, along with a selection of the other rooms. The staff could t have been more helpful - they were at our every beck...

We went for lunch at the Maypole in Wellow today; our first lunch out since lockdown. What a wonderful experience. Lovely staff, welcoming atmosphere and good food. Would recommend the Maypole to anyone.

We decided to book at the The Maypole @ Wellow for Saturday 26th September 2020 as we live locally and we wanted to support local hospitality businesses which are really struggling at the moment. They were also continuing the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ offer...

4 of us stayed overnight at the Maypole. The rooms are beautifully clean and well presented. Ensuite shower room perfect with lovely large towels. The village of Wellow is lovely to stroll around. Interesting architecture and history. Staff at the Maypole are warm and welcoming....

We have just arrived home from a 1 night stay at The Maypole. Room was nicely decorated, big bed and on appearance well presented. Unfortunately the attention to detail let them down, such a shame! We had 2 light bulbs not working, shower head was...

The maypole is lovely and clean with modern decor the menu was great adults went for the steak and mixed grill all cooked to our requests. We also had the home brewed beers they offered and went down very nicely 👌🏼 The owner of the...

Went for a Monday night steak night, fabulous steak cooked exactly how I ask for it to be. My husband had the ribeye which he really enjoyed as well. The waitress that served us was very pleasant and to every care to make sure we...

Booked 5th Aug for 10th, arrived with elderly parents and relatives from Lincoln after managing to get into a small parking space in the car park, one of very few as most of the car park is now being used as tarmac beer garden! went...

We had Pie night recommended to us & we were not Disappointed !!!! The staff were friendly & efficient Welcomed us showed us to our Table Took our Drinks order all in a professional & friendly manner. Our food arrived & we were both surprised...

Was very disappointed is an understatement,was told on booking for lunch time meal we could choose off both restaurant menu or bar menu and go in restaurant or bar to be told when we got there we could only go in the bar and only...

The food is the only good thing I can actually say about this place. - Firstly the Prussia lager they sell is the worst pint of lager I’ve ever tasted. - The staff were so slow and miserable we actually felt like we’d made there...

We recently stayed here whilst visiting family who were staying at Center Parks just down the road. We couldn't fault the rooms. They are decorated beautifully and are very clean. The beds are huge and very comfortable. Unfortunately there is one staff member in particular...

We called in at this hotel/restaurant before checking in a Warners Thoresby Hall and were very pleasantly surprised at range of meals available. Ambience was great in small bar area and we had a light snack well prepared and served. Would recommend a visit. Tony...

First visit here as on a weekend break nearby, nice and friendly place got shown to our table and ordered our food. Had a selection of real ales to choose from so I was happy. Food arrived and everyone on table was more than happy with what they got. With puddings to follow.Lovely visit would call again if in area.Thank you

Called in last week and ordered a meal with a portion off fries to be told they were no longer on the menu but would reinstate Today true to there word ordered fries and they have arrived what great honest service will certainly go back The food my I also add has been excellent there home made pizzas really good

Most of the meals were ok, and I mean ok not great. The Lasagne my Wife ordered was disgusting, the pasta top was so hard it could not be cut with a knife & the sauce inside looked like cat food, it was easy to see it wasn't fresh but something that had been reheated. She didn't eat it, of course, so only had garlic bread to eat. When asked if the meal was ok we complained & the pasta was carried through to the kitchen where the chef could be seen to shrug it off with a smirk, That guy obviously doesn't care the kind of rubbish he serves. They seemed to think that as they had knocked the price of the dish off the bill that made everything ok...it doesn't. We will not be eating there again & would not recommend it to anyone.

Not sure if it was just the time of day (4.30 pm) but four of us had Sunday lunch here and were the only people in the restaurant! It must have been busy earlier though because they'd run out of turkey, which was disappointing. Still, the beef and the pork dinners were still yummy. Desserts are overpriced like they are in most restaurants. Would go back.

Stayed for 2 nights recently, really clean & comfortable room, fantastic food & great service 5 stars all the way

Stayed midweek for one night on business. Food,accomodation and cider all very good and was looked after by Kayleigh who's service was good with a nice smile too, well done Kayleigh 👍

Food only just warm. Staff rude. N9 condiments on tables. Had to ask for sauces for meal. When questioning the bill as we all paid separately, the Manager was very rude. Only to realise that we were overcharged. A refund was given. Very disappointed.

I shall start with the service, it was ok. The restaurant was very quiet. The table, glassware & cutlery was clean. The choice on the menu was good. All the food came out at once, my sons chicken in a basket was borderline overcooked, the mussels, sausage & lasagne was good. I had the Cesar salad the sauce & chicken was cooked well. However that’s where it ends for that dish the salad looked like it was out of a prepacked bag & was starting to rot. Disgusting. on the whole the deserts were good however my daughter found a fly nestled in her popcorn on her salted caramel cheesecake.

Booked a table for 7pm for 45th wedding anniversary, firstly struggled to park, had to park on the street opposite, disabled space had planks of wood preventing access, another space filled with a skip, one was too narrow due to railings. When we went inside seated at a tiny table with barely enough room to be comfortable. First course hubby ordered soup, waitress didn't state what it was and when he tasted it we still didn't know what it was, it was like white puree with a pea shoot on top. I had what they described as poached egg with pea and ham. The poached egg was hard and something I would discard if I made this at home, the parma ham was wrapped in thin sliver of toast, all floating in garden peas and pea water. No pea puree as described and no sign of ham stock. The main course, I ordered fillet steak medium, I received a rare, bleeding piece of meat, certainly not 30 day dry matured as advertised. Not rested hence my salad and chips that were plonked on my plate were swimming in blood, husband had rib eye which again was not rested and bleeding all over the plate. Plates came with everything on probably due to lack of space on the table. Waitress not once came to see if we needed anything during our main course so we left most of it until she came to collect the plates, we then complained and she disappeared. We went to pay, had to find someone and we were ushered to reception where we were offered 10 per cent off our meal, noted the manageress hovering but chose not to intervene so we paid our£53+ informing them we would not return. I have photos in case of denial should this be needed. Not impressed and will not return.

My family stayed over night having attended a family wedding. The price of an overnight stay is by no means cheap and a continental style breakfast is thrown in with the price. Our accomodation was in two rooms. The first within the main building, a converted attic area with split floor level. Beautifully converted, looked clean and very appealing. My wife and I were allocated an outside room, one of about eight purpose built rooms, set side by side, chalet style, across the car park area and consisting of a bedroom and en suite shower room, The bedroom appeared clean and well presented but the fact that one entered directly from the car park meant that the carpet at the entrance bore signs of dirty traffic which, although due to the design of the room was unavoidable, a good clean would have been in order. The bedroom lacked a wardrobe, an open metal rack attached to a wall in plain sight was available and looked an eyesore, to say the least. Tea making equipment, hair dryer and tv were provided but a comfortable chair rather than a stool would have been appreciated. The bathroom was well appointed and reasonably clean but the shower showed signs of mildew and flaking mastic around the shower tray, which, being smooth was absolutely lethal when wet. No warning signes to that effect were evident and one found it necessary to use the bath mat as a non slip device. Parking was available within a metre of the entrance door and on two occasions we were concious of fumes penetrating as engines were left running. Our toilet seat was loose and swivelled and the shower had more spray from the faulty connection that the head.Nit picking may be..but look again at the priced charged and one feels justified. Meal wise, the continental breakfast was a disaster..seeminglu unprepared and had to ask for toast and the coffee pot to be replensihed by a young chap who looked as if he would have sooner be elsewhere than looking after the guests. Breakfast was in a section of the dining room that looked set for school dinners, formica tables etc. Big let down.

We had booked a table for three ladies who lunch! When we got there we were told we couldn’t sit in the restaurant so had to sit in the bar area. Not much atmosphere. Beef stroganoff served with rice or chips. No rice available!!! Not cheap and we wouldn’t return.

We recently stayed at the Maypole Inn for my daughters wedding nearby. I can not recommend this highly enough. The rooms were clean and had everything we needed. The staff were helpful and friendly and the food in the restaurant was delicious

We stayed here a couple of weeks ago for a wedding in the area. The room had been booked on our behalf so didn't know much about where we were staying other than it was a pub in a small village on the outskirts of Newark. We were very pleasantly surprised! The rooms are great. The service was brilliant, we were looked after by Simon all weekend. On the first night we ended up drinking with some VERY friendly locals and keeping Simon up until the early hours of the morning, only to be greeted by him first thing in the morning for breakfast where he was still friendly and helpful.... well done that man!

Just happened on The Maypole as passed through the village. What a lucky village! The premises are in the midst of refurbishment but if the loos are anything to go by its going to be first class throughout. Food was excellent and served promptly and the gentleman who served us couldn't have been more helpful. If you are passing that way, do call in, you won't be disappointed!

There were 4 of us that went for Dinner on Saturday night. We ordered Steak for 3 of us & Burger. The Service was very good, efficient and friendly. The food was outstanding, it is not very often I go to a restaurant & have a rare steak cooked to perfection - well done. it was gorgeous....... All 4 meals were fabulous - definately would go again. Thanks guys.

We discovered this place by accident but would definitely recommend it. Between us we had one of each type of roast. Food was lovely, good service and reasonably priced

I don’t really know where to start. What a strange place!

Called in her one Saturday afternoon with my sister and husband. Sat in the bar and had fish and chips. Only a small bar but we managed to get a table. Nice fish and chips in nice surroundings. Friendly courteous staff. Would call here again.

Fantastic food and service, chef Simon is amazing, lovely to watch him work his magic in the open kitchen. The staff made my birthday very special.

Just want to say a huge thank you to the Maypole team our wedding was an absolutey beautiful day.The staff was incredible the day couldn't of gone any smoothly so kind and professional high standards all around we really do appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts Maypole will be a special place to us forever so thank you.

We went to the Maypole on a recommendation from someone at my partners work. We went on Saturday lunchtime in to the main restaurant.

Been here several times with friends for Afternoon Tea and I can highly recommend it. There is a good selection of sandwiches and cakes and the scones are delicious! The presentation is good and the table settings with mismatched china always makes for an interesting, fun conversation. The staff are attentive without being intrusive and will happily bring more tea & coffee on request. And all at a very good price. Well worth a visit.

There were 12 of us so we pre ordered for 7.30.

We went here for our evening meal & was not disappointed. We enjoyed 3 courses of tasty, well cooked & presented food. It really was top notch. The restaurant was very modern & I had to ask for the heating to be turned down, as it got so warm. The service was fantastic. The waitress even made a 'watermelon cooler' drink for my husband, even though it wasn't on the menu....nothing was too much for them. We will be visiting again :)

First time visit to the Maypole although I had visited a number of years ago when it was called the Durham Ox. The changes were amazing. As soon as I entered I thought this place is special. We a party of four, were greeted by very attentive staff, shown to our table, ordered drinks and then the meal, which arrived promptly. First a starter then I personally had top side of beef as my main, accompanied by an enormous Yorkshire pudding.

Visited here for an evening meal which as per usual, was excellent. The food is always of very good quality and tasty and hot. However tonight, the service has been quite poor. It took quite a while for anyone to approach us to take a drinks order (even though one member of staff was stood looking at us) and then longer still to actually get the drinks. We were sat a while before we were given any menus to look at either. It did appear that a particularly large and noisy party were the main focus of attention so they were seen to first and foremost. We have been here a few times for food and tonight was one of the worst nights we have experienced in terms of service. We do understand how stressful it can be if the restaurant is particularly busy but tonight's visit was a little disappointing. Chefs are excellent and food great as usual.

We went for a meal at the weekend as my mother in law was up to visit for a few days. She stayed in one of the rooms and commented it was one of the cleanest and most comfortable rooms she had stayed in.

We stayed here in advance of a family funeral the next day. The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming, they kept the kitchen open for us as we didn’t get there till 9. We had the best ever burger and a nice bottle of wine. Rooms were comfortable and great shower. Breakfast was fine we were still full from the night before so only had something little. What made it for us was the exceptional service. Thankyou

Called in for Sunday lunch . Lovely food , all fresh , well cooked and very tasty. Little bits wrong but I think they had new staff are were training them , such as no knife , tea but no spoon , wrong meal but all quickly resolved . Will be back .

So we all arrived and met in the bar and ordered drinks. We was then shown to our table somewhat 5 minutes later. By the time we had sat we was all ready for new drinks. We asked the waitress for drinks, which then didn't...

Fantastic meal. Cooked perfectly and the best fish and chips I've had in a long time. If you're not a...

We were staying here, so had our dinner that night.

Such a shame that such a nice venue is owned and run by staff that apparently seem to think customer service ends once they have your money. We had issues from start to finish with fewer rooms than we reserved, lost deposits, attempts to charge for a honeymoon suite that was included free, refunds denied for rooms that were unused due to insufficient beds... but as you can see from the managers and owners responses to other reviews of bad experiences, they don't care as they have the money and that's all that matters.

Unhelpful response from staff of hotel 'it's the brides fault!'. Complete shambles on arrival at hotel - admittedly bride had not put the children on her email but they could not find put up beds for children - sat outside with tired children and two babies - eventually the two sets of parents decided to go home - one couple had already paid however staff said could not refund at night - however in morning hotel point blank refused to refund 60! - our experience of family wedding breakfast was ruined as our children and grandchildren were not present! But what was worse was the extremely poor attitude of staff who had no compassion for our situation that evening and complete disregard the following morning - I certainly have never been so poorly treated in any hotel previously -gutted by whole experience! The nice room was overshadowed by staff attitude to customer difficulties!

We have visited The Maypole twice this year as my husband has family in the area. This is the review I left on Facebook following our trip in April. I am not sure if the Management looks at Facebook.April 2017- "My husband and I, and teenage twins, have just returned from a 4-night stay at The Maypole and really enjoyed our stay. We travelled from afar and were delighted to find The Maypole. We cannot fault the hotel in any way. The rooms were clean, comfortable and well equipped. We stayed in the new part of the hotel and loved that we could park our car right outside our rooms! Perfect for managing luggage. We booked adjoining rooms being a family: a twin room (no.12) and a double (no.13). Room 13 also caters for any disabled guests with all the fixtures being geared for a disabled person's use. We would have preferred not to have had the disabled bathroom and sadly the double bed in Room 13 is very small but the management assured us this is the only room in the hotel with this smaller type of bed. I will write a fuller review on tripadvisor but here I want to praise the staff for their warm welcome, nothing was a problem, in fact, the staff went out of their way to help us. We met the owner on our first night who rectified a small problem immediately. The bar is cosy and relaxed and the locals very friendly and welcoming. I cannot comment on the restaurant food or service as we did not have the chance to eat in there but the quality of bar food was excellent. Piping hot and large portions. My husband enjoyed the real ale. There's a great selection of wines too. We are returning to the area this summer and we're looking forward to enjoying the Maypole again then. Special thanks to Andy for making our stay."July 2017 - Our most recent stay was for one night in July. We were staying nearby in the village and needed to extend our stay. We had been in to the bar a few times during the week and were made to feel very welcome. Andy recognised us immediately, Graeme/Graham did not, but that's ok. I think it later clicked with him we'd stayed earlier in the year. On our first night back in the bar however one waitress propped up the bar on her 'phone and there was a table next to us full of empty glasses and remnants of food but she didn't seem to care. I do feel the bar staff need to be a bit more attentive. More proactive. Later in our week at Wellow, we required two rooms again at very short notice. I cannot thank Andy and his team enough for such a warm welcome again. This time I think it was rooms 10 and 11 we had. One room they set up as a double for us (twin beds together so plenty of space) and a twin room for our twins, funnily enough. The rooms were immaculate with everything we needed. Once again, we had the modern rooms, not the rooms upstairs in the main building. The car was parked right outside our door so very convenient and the breakfast (we chose a cooked breakfast) was fantastic, made by the singing chef :-) Re the bar, I think it would be really nice to remove some of the high tables and put more comfortable chairs in the area with the fire, so people can stay longer and enjoy.I really hope you receive the same welcome we did from the Maypole and I'm sure you will enjoy the warm, relaxed, friendly feeling of this little hotel. It is a real find in the area.

Travelled 90 miles to attend a wedding in the Newark area. The hotel was ideally located and we were met by friendly staff.The rooms were very tidy and clean, special reference to the shower quality.Dinner in the evening was excellent, good choose from the open kitchen and extremely good value.The breakfast was a different story. Help yourself continental with added cost for cooked items. Despite small numbers in the restaurant there was no milk, bowls, orange juice or t bags. The waiter was also the receptionist and cleaner and struggled to meet demand. We waited 15 mins for a self served cup of tea and orange juice. Despite this hiccup the staff were very friendly and apologetic.Just needs a little investment in staff

We live about 20 minutes away and decided to have a drive out with some friends for a meal. The Maypole is a lovely looking place and it looks inviting from the road. It was a very warm evening and we sat in a restaurant with the patio doors open and it was lovely. This is the slightly disappointing bit, 3 of us ordered the the Surf and Turf, which was a meal of 2 halves. The steak and chips were lovely and steak cooked to perfection, but the lobster was not, it was cold and not freshly cooked and slightly rubbery, very disappointing. I'll be honest I was expecting it to be freshly cook, perhaps with a little garlic and butter, but it wasn't and I wouldn't order this again. We did see some nice food coming out the kitchen. We then went into the bar for a drink and you can eat in here, but it has those tall stools and tables which are not the most comfortable to sit at. I would pop for a bar meal on a nice day when I can sit outside. Looks like a lovely little boutique hotel. I wish you well, but if you can't do lobster well then please don't do it.

Stayed here twice on business, excellent accommodation , clean spotless. Meals were tasty , great welcome and well looked after . Will certainly stay again, and plan to stay for leisure .

Great meal with thanks to Deano and Simon. Staff were helpful in giving directions. Night porter was excellent when we returned late. Rooms were nicely furnished and comfortable. We will be returning.

Piccolo hotel vicino al castello di Sherwood, ma lontano da Mansfield.La mia camera, la numero 7, era nuova e cosa molto rara da queste parti aveva il miscelatore sul lavandino, era molto piccola quindi per permanenze superiori ai 5 giorni la sconsiglio.Comodissimo il fatto di arrivare con la macchina direttamente davanti alla camera ed entrare tipo motel.Ottima colazione e cornetti (altra rarità), buono anche il ristorante.Consigliato!!!

Spent 3 nights here, the staff were really friendly and helpful. The rooms were lovely, clean and a good size. The shower was awesome.Breakfast was good, I just had the cold breakfast but there was hot available and a cost.The bar was cute, well set out with a good range of drinks.

Second visit since refurbished and both times food well prepared but very small portions and no side dishes. Small desserts. One in our group had 'loin' of cod or haddock and very small amount of fish and little more to build the dish to make up for small cut. Came home and had to make a sandwich and have a bag of crisps! Decor modern but no sure about the Hp sauce in the middle of the table at a 'boutique' hotel. Definitely won't go back again and wish I'd taken some pictures to show amount of food.

Made very welcome, our two dogs were welcome in the bar and able to sit with us. They could have come into our room overnight - but they prefer to be in the car! there is a very convenient walk from the car park to an open grassy area for dogs to enjoy. Dinner overall was very good and well presented but the plates should be hot to keep the meal warm whilst on the servery and during the meal. also the extra vegetables could have done with a few more minutes cooking as the carrots and broccoli were almost raw.

After not a good reception at the Old Red Lion went to the Maypole across the road. I was a little apprehensive as the reviews were not good. How ever pleasantly surprised at the reception. Very pleasant staff who explained they were only serving Sunday lunch. We were shown to a table and given the menu. the meal was good, plenty of veg. and the pudding menu was good. I had the sticky toffee pudding and asked for ice cream instead of custard which was no problem. Service was good and the only criticism was they did not make their own apple sauce!!!

The soup was not good, so wasn't eaten, because of this,the staff started talking about us, being rude. I do not expect that when I go out for Sunday lunch. Will not be going back any time soon. Disappointed.

We found this hotel and restaurant by pure coincidence on route to London and were delighted by the friendly service, lovely room and gorgeous dinner. A nice little gem in the middle of nowhere.

I want to be more gracious to this hotel but despite their best efforts I did not feel like I was in a boutique hotel. The rooms or certainly mine seemed looked pleasant enough to the eye but on a cold November evening heating is a must regardless of how many people are in the staying, I know there was a fan heater which albeit a little noisy did warm the room up when it was on. Shortly after arriving some friends were joining me for dinner in the hotel restaurant and so I didn’t make any enquiries about the heating thinking that surely when the room got cold enough the thermostat would drop and the heating kick in.I went down to the restaurant and met my two friends where it had evidently not necessary to book a table because for the duration of the evening we were the only people in there. The restaurant was distinctly lacking atmosphere and the only background noise was from the chefs radio in his open plan kitchen and then when the chef called it a day sometime after nine there was silence when we weren’t talking. A little background music would make such a difference and then maybe there would be more than three diners of an evening. The food however was delicious with which my friends and I could not find fault and during our meal service was fine. Incidentally the heating was working in the public areas. After my friends left I went to finish my wine in the bar area which had one other person in and if the restaurant was lacking in atmosphere then the bar had none at all and so I decided to settle my bill and finish my wine in my room. Making my way to reception I found the young barman wondering around the restaurant eating a bread role which he continued to hold in front of me whilst I explained that all my own charges were to my company and the girl who had been or waitress for the evening was wondering around the bar and restaurant area with headphones in whilst customers (myself and one other gentleman in the bar) were still present.I went back to the room and the heating still hadn’t come on, so on went the fan heater again. This warmed the room up sufficiently to sleep whilst I finished my wine under the duvet because of the cold. I felt sure the heating must come on in the morning and went to sleep but the room was so cold I woke in the early hours seeking more layers of clothing to sleep in. I have NEVER stayed in a hotel where I have had to do this!At 6.30am my alarm went off and I woke to a cold and damp room, still no heating. I got out of bed and went into the cold bathroom (one of my pet hates) and got into the shower which to its credit was super powerful, however the soap dish had broke off the shower riser rail with only its remains present and there was nowhere to put toiletries! Also the shower door in room three didn’t meet so the floor got soaked. Having left the noisy fan heater on whilst I was in the shower I got dressed in relative warmth and made my way down to breakfast. The continental was all laid out ready with fruit, bread and cheese for my delectation but how was one supposed to serve it? I ended up using sugar tongues to pick up my choices and as I was leaving braekfast another gentleman was looking equally puzzled as he served himself and so I said I had used the sugar tongues which he did too.All of the above doesn't add up to what it takes to be a boutique hotel but with a little more effort, some heating and attention to detail the Maypole could be a nice place. Must try harder!!

We had our parents down last weekend and recommended they stay in the accommodation at The Maypole. The receptionist was very kindly on the phone, offering to book a taxi from the station for them. Aside from that, booking couldn't have been simpler. We ate in the restaurant the night of their stay and thoughtfully enjoyed some good British food, nothing too silly and pretensions, just some good meals well made. Excellent steak for myself and some nice creamy fish for the wife. The waitress was even kind enough to talk us through the wine list and recommend a Pinot to go with the creamy fish. It went really well together and it was so kind of her to put in the extra effort. My parents had a lovely stay in their room, again; simple, clean and effective, nothing too pompous, just consistent high quality. The breakfast, similarly, was simple and plentiful, some continental meats and breads.Altogether I have to thank The Maypole staff for their excellent accommodation, keep up the good work. Big thumbs up!

Good choice of bar food, great swift service, lovely bar area as well as more formal dining room, all well presented and very inviting.

Took my dad here for his birthday. Given drinks menu but after a 10 minute wait and having to shout to the waitress for the menu cos she was just chatting, we ordered. Waited 40 mins for food to arrive. I ordered liver supposedly on a bed of bubble and squeak with a sauce. It arrived but the liver was like powder and the bubble and squeak was potatoes crushed so very lumpy and dry with a few strands of cabbage! Appalling! Bubble and sqeak is supposed to be cold mash and cabbage fried in butter till crispy on the outside but soft in the middle. My partner enjoyed his meal, my dad ordered same as me but didnt want to hurt my feeling...I've since found out and thought it was horrible too. When our plates were cleared, I complained that it was inedible, I only ate for fork fulls and the response I got was...oh ok! I asked for the bill and subsequently paid 60 pound for the worst food I've had in years...no discount and no appology...do not go here its awful

Lovely food, well presented and tasty.Nice staff, Stayed in hotel which was a pleasure, able to take the dog. All we needed in the room was there, very clean and would certainly recommend

Clearly there has been some serious money spent on the building. The rooms out the back extension (the Stables, I believe) were of an excellent standard.The rooms also had their own table and chairs outside the rooms which is perfect for smokers (although they might have to smoke in the designated smoking area). They also have a room set up specifically for disabled / wheelchair users.If you are looking for some good accommodation to visit the forest - we can't recommend this highly enough. The bar/bistro is good, but there just a few niggles. The seating in the bar area is tall stools which are just not comfortable for an extend sit (although the breakfast seating area in the bistro appears to be available). The bistro area would rival any 5 star hotel with its decor.Clearly, the food and wine on the menu shows that they are trying to be a high class venue. The champagne was particularly excellent by the way.We might have arrived on bad day, but the food was only reasonable. The vegetable dish was re-heated and partially burnt, but tasted ok. We suspect that the steak was cooked with peppers (although requested plain) and then the pepper scrapped off; although it might just have been badly over seasoned.Some of the staff were excellent and customer focused; others appeared to lack initiative. Several times we were left waiting for some considerable time, and we had to chase down a waitress/waiter for service. Similarly, on both days, the breakfast ran out of juice and coffee, and the guests had to request more. While this was eventually forthcoming, it would have been more professional for the staff to keep on top of this.Cooked breakfast was hot and tasty (but again we had ask for our order to be taken). Small irritations aside, this could be highly recommend four star establishment. Some small changes in service and cooking would result in a big improvement in customer experience. All of the staff were polite and friendly, and some went out of their way to keep us satisfied.

Beautiful boutique hotel seems out of place in a rural village. Staff friendly no local beers at the bar but well stocked wines, Spirits Peroni etc. Lovely white wine by the glass all the seats are buffets and high table level would not do for elderly. Did not eat here apart from a bag of crisps which arrived a few minutes after ordering in a large cone! A bit pretentious but fair prices. The bar tender was meticulous in polishing glasses from the dishwasher. Toilets were clean. It's a world away from the red lion over the road, do not choose one over the other, one is an inn and the maypole is a hotel fitting both tastes.

Dropped in to the Maypole at the last minute and was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.The restaurant was bright and clean and the level of service was very good.Maybe a bit busier at the weekends than when we went on Wednesday night.Menu was a little limited but we all found something to our liking.Also had a very good pint of draught beer.We will return.

Excellent food perfect service .. I would recommend this restaurant without hesitation.. Food and service were first class and great value for money . We will definitely return

Well mixed review really. My husband fish cake starter and mixed grill main and enjoyed it, I had goats chees starter and calves liver with bubble and squeak main, liver tough, poor excuse for bubble and squeak the sauce was poured over dish and it was really strong tasting I left all of it. Two people had sea bass and two had steak and 1 side portion of vegetables which cost £3.50!!! and all said dishes were nothing special. We had desserts which were ok but the chocolate brownie tasted burnt. We had drinks and the total bill for 6 people was £218. We eat out regulary and thought this price was expensive. It was saturday night and only one other table occupied so perhaps alarm bells should have rang. The waitresses are lovely and pleasant,they came at begining of meal and asked if everything was ok at this point I hadn't tried my meal fully but on collection of plates did not ask why I'd left my meal?? Perhaps out of courtesy they should have done. Perhaps just personal taste but I wouldn't hurry back.

We liked the look of the maypole when we were staying locally so pulled up one evening and sat on the patio, we went inside to get drinks and a menu, waiting at the bar. One member of staff looked at me, then kept walking where he joined customers in watching the horse racing on TV, a second staff member looked me up and down then kept walking. To be honest, that was enough to put us off and we decided to go to the pub over the road instead. Due to having seniors in the party it took us several minutes to make our way to the car in full view of the near empty restaurant, but nobody bothered to approach us. So disappointing as they have a lovely outdoor seating area.

I have visited the Maypole on numerous occasions in the evening but this was my first lunch time visit.... I LOVE this place, everything is stylish and understated and the dining room is so comfortable, fresh and relaxed.On previous visits my only complaint has ben the long delays between courses, whether that has ben fixed or not I cannot say as the restaurant was quiet at lunch but I have to mention that the waitress that served us was outstanding and I wish I had asked her name. For the management she said she was fairly new and had Blonde hair, she was friendly, atentative and glided in and out almost unseen.... other waitresses could do well to take note from her,she was delightful. The set Lunch at £18 is the best set lunch in the area,beautiful food, cooked ell and served attractively , my only grip once again is that the menu doesn't change frequently enough so for regular visitors the choice can become a little restricting and is the only thing that stops me given a top score. The Maypole is a tucked away jewel and I urge people to visit... I will be returning for lunch again very soon

Stayed here for three nights because I was working nearby. I found the place after searching for places near Eakring, where I was working. Looked at Google maps and went to street view, it looked awful, then I realised it was not the same place. It has been renovated since Google were there. So, don't let the photo on Google street view put you off. This place is excellent. The rooms are great, the bar is great the restaurant is great and the service is excellent. There are some of the best staff I have come across for helpfulness and courtesy. Really exceptional service. The food was more than I had hoped for, a varied menu and all the meals I had were cooked very well indeed. The full English breakfast was spot on.I have no hesitation in recommending this place to stay or just to eat. First rate.

Really great new (?) staff, fantastic bar and restaurant layout. Dogs allowed in bar and lounge area of the restaurant if you want a meal. Only improvement could be to add some stockcubes to the bland vege risotto for flavour!, the salt and pepper wasn't working. Otherwise, great meals, great menu range, great portion size and friendly young staff.

We call in regularly for a relaxing drink and the atmosphere is very welcoming. Tonight I tasted the best cheese and mushroom quiche I have ever had! Please chef....I need the recipe! x

We went with friends for an evening meal at the Maypole where we have previously been. As usual the food was excellent and well presented in a room well decorated and comfortable.

The Maypole were kind enough to get us in, even though I left it late to book for mothers day. The bar area is nice and relaxing and we were told we go could go to our table earlier than the booking, although we were not shown to our table, which I found a little strange. The waiting time was reasonable given it was a busy Sunday, The food came and as expected it was really good, fresh vegetables, good quality meat and a nice rich gravy. Unfortunately this is where the compliments end, although the staff were friendly enough, the attention to detail with customer service was not what you would associate with a good quality restaurant, we had to ask for our drinks to be refilled. ask for our plates to be taken away, ask for the dessert menu and for the bill, given that trade had died down then, there were plenty of staff on hand, but they were not very attentative, the tables either side had to do the same. I will definitely return as the food was really good, I will put it down to the staff being tired after a long day, but it is a shame the service does not match the décor and food, this is an area where they could do spo much better.

Stayed for two nights in this very clean well furbished local Hotel with superb and friendly staff who could not do enough for us. Had Breakfast and the Sunday Roast which was great value for money.

Have had Sunday lunch here on a couple of occasions, and the food was OK.Booked for lunch yesterday (24/02/16) and was extremely disappointed with the food.The 3 times cooked chips were soggy, not crisp on the outside.The pannacotta was set far too firmly - it should have wobbled.