The Retreat Restaurant @ Coltsfoot in East Hertfordshire

Although my previous visit was some while ago, this beautifully-maintained venue has not changed. The environment, the service, and the food on my recent visit was as good as ever.

Well what can i say, We very much enjoyed being at Coltsfoot Country Retreat last weekend at a very close friends wedding. The staff, service and attentiveness was absolutely first class and the surroundings were beautiful as were the rooms and i honestly cant think how you could have bettered the same.

Attending a wonderful wedding the venue was perfect! The ceremony was held with spectacular views and a fox took a stroll across the field. The staff were fantastic and effortlessly transformed from ceremony to dinning space! Food was wonderful and service was amazing.

We had a tasting before our wedding at this venue. During normal restaurant hours the food was excellent. The majority of clientele are business folk looking to stay in a nice hotel and have a quiet night, moon eyed newly engaged, or anniversaries and small occasions. There is a quiet happy atmosphere, and a cosy bar for drinks before and after the meal. I had the salmon, duck pate which were great. For the main we had lamb shank and Boursin chicken, also really good. And dessert, creme brulee was a winner and chocolate torte with Cointreau was very delicious. There was a slight degradation in the food consistency on the wedding day that you would expect when cooking in bulk, but it was still packed full of flavour.

Así que después de viajar por negocios durante dos semanas esta fue mi última cena fuera antes de volver a casa. Yo estaba bastante cansados de comida de hotel y comer fuera. Así que cuando me quedé gratamente sorprendido por la comida presentada en la cena se acabó un viaje muy transitada en una nota alta. Pedí la remolachas y cabras plato de queso que estaba agradablemente presentada y sabor increíble! Pedí el filete para el plato principal que estaba perfectamente preparado a mediano y un corte de carne fabulosa. La combinación de la caza silvestre hongos y cama de kale era ingenioso y realmente me dio un sabor para acompañar la carne. Tener un menú de sólo a algunas pocas cosas también es genial, hay suficiente variedad para todos los gustos, pero no lo suficiente como para conseguir abrumado con la elección. Bien hecho!

Great drinks in the bar (before and after). Lovely food, great service - and a very nice bin-end French White.

Stayed at Coltsfoot Country Retreat for Valentine's Day and had the three course dinner here. The food was amazing, one of the best steaks we've ever had, cooked exactly as we requested. Staff really friendly, great service and lovely atmosphere. Can't wait to return.

We had an amazing evening on Saturday for my Father-in-Laws 70th Birthday dinner up on the mezzanine dining area. We were made to feel very special by the staff, as if we were having our own private function even though the restaurant was fully booked. I feel the staff went that extra mile to make it a lovely evening by allowing our choice of music and even making adjustments to the menu for our fussy tastebuds. The food was delicious and presented beautifully. Beautiful location for a truly memorable evening. Thank you so much.

Great location and good food but service was awful. No bread rolls offered though side plates there. Wine just left on table so had to pour ourselves. No potatoes with main course though clearly said on menu so had to ask for them. Asked 3 times for bill at end though restaurant nearly empty. First time ever not left a tip.

I reviewed Coltsfoot in March and commented on the good food, good surroundings but poor service from untrained waitresses. I went back again last week and we had a super evening. We were served by the manageress Charlotte who was charming and all of her staff were attentive and professional. The food was of a high standard and we had a great evening.

There is a nice open dining room with large well spaced tables and comfortable chairs. The staff were charming, the menu had good variety and the dishes that we chose were all very well prepared and of high quality. However, when we arrived there was a very noisy group in the bar and we were placed at a table right beside the large door into the toilets and had a stream of guests passing our table on their way to and from the facilities. At our request, we were moved to a much quieter table away from the toilets and this was satisfactory. There was some confusion when we were served a dish which we had not ordered. All in all, we had an enjoyable evening but it could have been handled better.

Fantastic food and top class service - The steak is the best fillet I have ever eating - a very classy place to eat in

I have been here twice and both times I have been very impressed. The location is fantastic, the food is very good and service is always friendly but relaxed - no stuffy waiters here just friendly chatty staff. The menu isn't large but has enough to cater for most people. Some would say this restaurant is slightly pricey but I wouldn't say it was over priced. We had a three course meal for two people with a glass of wine and a few beers and it came to around £70. I would recommend this restaurant for couples or adult families rather than those with young children, as it does not cater for children really. I would also defiantly bring business clients here if you are looking to impress. I did bring my 20 month old here for a family meal which wasn't a problem as I had already fed him in advance, or it would have been a nightmare trying to find something off the menu for him!

We have eaten here twice before and had excellent food and service so we took friends back for a friday evening dinner. The setting is great and our request for a round table was met. The food was good (although not everything on the menu was available). The service however was poor. We had two young waitresses and one was very good and experienced. The other waitress was poor and needed some basic training. On arrival, we were shown to the bar although all the seats and tables were taken so I suggested we went to the table. Our coats weren't taken until I asked. The bad waitress asked the men for their orders first instead of the ladies. She served me a brown bread roll and when the lady on my left said she would like a brown roll she went to take the roll from my plate to give it to my guest! She should have offered my guests first. We then had to wait 45 minutes for our starters by which time I was getting irritated as I had gone back to Coltsfoot because of a previously good experience. On the plus side, the food was good and my wife said that her mussels were the best she had ever had anywhere. The bill was also very reasonable - less than I was expecting.

I've been dining here 2 evenings, having the room booked at the hotel. Watch out the time you arrive late, as the small size of the restaurant makes them close the kitchen at early hours ( 9pm if I recall correctly) The food was ok, but not outstanding. The meat was cooked perfectly and was very tender. The limited choice of the menu suggests that all is fresh. The place seem to be specialized in events such as weddings

Went for dinner with friends on a Saturday evening. The location and decor of Coltsfoot is wonderful and a superb setting, out in the countryside, for a wedding or a special meal. We had a good meal, but if only they would up their game with the quality of their food, they would do so much better. I had fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce to start - I think they were smoked salmon but could not be sure as there was so much potato in them, and the menu only described them as 'Fishcakes'. I could not say whether or not they were freshly made on the premises. The sweet chilli sauce seemed to have come straight out of a bottle. For my main course I had the fillet steak with mushrooms, rosti and parmentier potatoes, and cavolo nero. The steak was delicious, melt in the mouth and cooked exactly how I wanted it. However, why put two lots of potato on a plate?! I also struggled to find the cavolo nero - I think I had 2-3 very thin strands. A couple of our party ordered chips with their steak, and it would have been so much better if they could have served freshly made, hand cut chips rather than what appeared to be frozen ones. For dessert, I had a Lemon Panna Cotta which seemed to be home made, and was really good. As you can see, what was freshly made was excellent, and with so much competition in the restaurant business for trade, with a few tweeks and given it's wonderful location, this restaurant could be a great one instead of just average.

Recently enjoyed a business dinner in The Coltsfoot. Its a very relaxed bar and restaurant with a good selection of beers (mostly bottled) and nice comfy sofa's to enjoy them in. The food menu was not extensive but the quality was very good. The portion size was just right to eat a 3 course meal without feeling full. The only negative on the night I visited was that the staff were not attentive (but they were very nice/pleasant) and service was slow. Don't let this put you off though.

I took my husband here for Valentines night and we had a fab time! Having phoned to book a table and not having been here for about 10 years I was hoping it would be as good as I remembered. The Valentines menu sounded delicious - 3 courses with glass of champagne for £39.99 a head.We arrived to be greeted with smiles and champagne and we sat by a roaring log fire to choose our meals. I had moules mariniere to start and my husband chose pate. There were 4 items to choose for each course. Both starters were delicious with my mussels being plump and scrumptious!For our mains we chose sea bass for my husband and fillet steak for me. Again both were delicious and the service was friendly but discreet. We chose a couple of glasses of Rioja to drink rather than a whole bottle as we were driving and this was very reasonable.For dessert we both chose the raspberry creme brulee which was gorgeous.The atmosphere was warm and cosy and although there were mainly couples it wasnt at all twee! My only small gripe would be the mention of the price as we chose our food. If I had wanted to treat my man and keep it a secret I would have felt a bit embarrassed by the waitress pointing out the price of the 2 or 3 courae options. To be honest though this was a minor point and the rest of the evening far outweighed any small blushes I might have had.I came away with an unexpected red rose included in the package and a very full tummy. We both enjoyed delicious food at a very reasonable price.The only question I had was why did we leave it so long to come here to eat again? We will certainly be back soon!

We hadn't been here for about five years as it had gone downhill then. Thought we'd try it again but wish we hadn't.Although service in the bar was very good, restaurant service was very poor. Food was not of high quality ( so saying, the fillet steak was good and well cooked). I wonder if they get their chips and prawns from Icleland?Very expensive meal but no one really enjoyed their food. I think they may be concentrating on weddings or corporate events as that is what the food seemed to be. Boring, unimaginative menu.Note - if you do go, take your wellies as I managed to ruin a lovely pair of shoes trudging from the car park to the restaurant.Service charge is Included, which is possibly why the service was so poor.Won't be returning, nor recommending - sorry, really had hoped it had upped it's game as when it first opened years ago it was hard to beat. I'm sure it's great for a wedding though!

Took some colleagues and their spouses out for dinner and we had a very nice experience. Atmosphere, service and food was excellent and we all left with a big smile on our face.

Went to celebrate a freind's 50th birthday and whilst the setting and atmosphere was great the experience as a whole was disappointing. Started with drinks in the bar, nice champagne but no lime to go in a gin and tonic. We were a table of 10 but were not asked to pre-order (funny given the comments below from the restaurant about guests being asked to do this for tables of 10 or more). Anyway, I would agree that the steak which two of us ordered was the worst I have had in a restaurant that I can remember - utterly tasteless and seemed poor quality meat - definitely not worth the supplement, or even the basic cost of a meal. Much of the food was reasonable (but no better) though the chips that came with the meal were cold and seemed as though they had sat out for a while before serving - we asked for more which they provided and they were hot and well cooked. In the end the overall feeling in terms of food was one of a conference centre rather than a good country restaurant - and for this it felt overpriced.

The hotel has wonderful views across the Hertfordshire countryside and we felt very special as the electronic gates opened to allow our entry. The Coltsfoot has certainly been "designed" with style and our first impressions were very promising. The Bar area was very chilly (as the fire was not lit) and no one offered to take our coats upon arrival .The bar service was adequate but certainly not fast or charming. Two bowls of crisps were on the coffee table to eat with our drinks.The meal was enjoyable and the cooking was above average. Very tasteful white china and a good wine list. The two young waiting staff were adequate but lacked finesse or the ability to make conversation. The restaurant could improve with more professional staff or someone with a personality to make you at least feel welcome!We will not bother going back again as although we enjoyed our friend;s company the rstaurant had no real warmth to charm to entice us this way again.

Went for our 36th wedding anniversay. Was kept waiting for 45mins to be taken to our table and when the main course came (£19) the steak was disgusting! Only one other table of two people in upstairs restaurant! Downstairs was ready for a conference so couldn't be used. Not wishing to argue we left feeling that we would not be returning in the near distant future. Such a shame it used to be a really lovely place but it has really gone downhill.

We have been to Coltsfoot before with friends but on this occasion went just as a couple.Being old and sentimental, we were celebrating the fact we actually first met 50 years ago to the day (January 3rd 1962).I made the booking and as I work some distance away asked for their latest possible sitting, which was 8:30 pm.Well that night just around 5:00 my mobile rang it was the young lady who I had booked with, saying it was perfectly ok for us still to go along, but wanted to let me know we were the only people to book the restaurant for that evening. I spoke to my wife and we decided that it might be nice considering the occasion, but we both mentioned we hoped it would not be to cold in there with the lack of any other bodies.Well that could not have been further from the truth, we walked it to a lovely log fire, and the whole place was warm and cosy. We were directed towards the bar where we sat with a drink on one of the couches by the fire with the menus supplied.Our order was taken and we were shown to our table (one we had actually sat at before as a party of four with friends) the two chairs had be rearranged so we were side by side looking out through the big window. A nice touch was that apart from the lit candles on our table, all the others had been lit on other table and some strategically place in between the oak beams, this added to the cosy feel. We had a delicious meal (starter and main course) but could not decide if we still had room for a dessert. So we were offered to go back and sit in the lounge area while we decided. Back on the couch by the fire we were then offered a complimentary glass of champagne to mark our celebration. All in all this was a truly lovely night enhanced by the service, the food, and the ambience of this establishment.Please do go along and enjoy, as we did, not cheap, but if you want to spoil yourself with this type of opulence, it’s not going to be.But although not cheap it was certainly value for money.Please pay them a visit and let me know if you enjoy it as much as we do.Ray

My wife and I have eaten many times at the Coltsfoot, both with friends and family. We have always been enormously impressed by the location, the food, and the atmosphere (especially in the lounge area for pre-dinner drinks and after-dinner coffee). We have also always found the staff to be attentive, friendly and helpful.We were very surprised, therefore, to see the negative reviews from a couple of "one post wonders". We'd recommend you take them with a very large pinch of salt!Do try the Coltsfoot - it's lovely.

Our experience of Coltsfoot until July 2010 had been excellent which is why we returned with special friends to celebrate my 64th birthday.There were many issues which compounded to make our evening less than enjoyable but the absolute worst was the serving of a glass of wine to my wife containing a dead wasp. It was shocking for her as the wasp was only noticed when she sipped her wine, thereby causing her to spit it out!From the outset our service was slow. This came to a head when four of my party had been kept ages waiting for desserts. When questioned about the delay the waitress explained that there was a party of 17 upstairs, implying that they had priority and greater need than ours!One of our main courses, a tuna steak was dry and inedible. This was served to my friend who 'did not like to make a fuss' so he refused the offer of a replacement as the rest of us had finished that course.Shortly after our visit to Coltsfoot my wife wrote a letter of complaint to the manager. As she did not receive a response she wrote again in October 2010. To date the management have not had the courtesy to reply which says so much about their total lack of customer care.

We ate at The Retreat on a Friday night in midwinter. It was very quiet with only 4 parties in the restaurant. The welcome was friendly and we were seated in a comfortable table by the bar. It seemed like a long wait until our table was ready, but we were in no hurry.The menu offered a number of tempting items and it was difficult to decide. I enjoyed a colcannon cake starter with bacon and hollandaise, which was very good, followed by a sea bream baked in herbs. The sea bream was excellent, although the herbs were too subtle for me to taste. For desert I had a winter berry meringue, which was also very good. To drink we had a very nice Rias Baixas Albarino. We were surprised that we couldn't get a desert wine, which I would not normally expect to be a problem in a restaurant of this class.Overall, I had a good evening and I would happily visit this restaurant again.

We came here for a 60th birthday special meal and was very disappointed and disgusted with food and service. Even though there was only ten of us we had to pre-order our food. When we arrived was told we could not have a simple champagne cocktail as they did not have the ingredients. The "waitress" shouted over to us from across the bar that all our steaks would be cooked medium as that we easier for them. Three of us ordered the goats cheese starter two days in advance but was told on the day that they only had one! What kind of restaurant only has one piece of goats cheese in their fridge. There was no atmosphere what so ever. The whole place was empty apart from us and two other dinners. The fillet steaks where badly cooked. They looked like they had been microwaved. The chips were frozen and they were accompanied by one small mushroom and tomato. The whole meal was a completely over priced disgrace and I would never go back.

Very dissapointed, if you like paying £23.00 for raw steak and frozen chips and think thats good value go to this restraunt.The staff were rude and unhelpful, absoultly no atmosphere,werent shown to our table, had to find our own coats, restraunt was completly empty and still the staff were not seen all night,Get better food and service at a Harvester for a fraction of the cost.