The Royal Lodge Restaurant in Herefordshire, County of

Absolutely awful woman (I use that word loosely) behind the bar....rude and sarcastic.... told us to go elsewhere if we didn't like it.....plus the prices were so expensive....... do yourself a favour and AVOID like the plague. I hope that barmaid loses her job.

We didn’t stay, but just went for cream teas. They were mediocre - dry scones, processed jam and cream. They cost £12 - extortionate. And when I checked the bill, a ‘voluntary’ service fee had been added without consultation. Avoid.

We had a shocking Sunday roast here and felt ripped off considering it’s £17.95 a pop. Excellent location and loads of good reviews so people seem to like it, but for us it was just a weird experience with bland and tasteless food. We had tried the nearby Saracens Head earlier in the week and regretted not going back for the Sunday lunch there.

We had the most hideous meal where 4 peoples hot food came out and was stone cold. The manager was really rude when dealing with our complaint and got very aggressive and angry - it was so unprofessional. Prices were also extortionate. Don’t waste your hard earned money going here!

I was really looking forward to a Roast dinner and it says outside "Carvery served 12.00 - 5.00pm" only to be told upon entering that it is not a carvery! Maybe they should take this rather misleading sign down from outside? The menu sounded nice; however, it was WAY overpriced, it was cold, meat was chewy and all in all, a bitterly disappointing experience.

After enjoying a lovely lunch today at The Royal Lodge with my 3 year old son, I had an awful few minutes where my 3 year old ran off and I couldn’t find him. After checking all of the immediate areas twice I started to really panic and shout his name, the manager then ran over to me and with a raised, harsh voice said ‘can you stop shouting, we will help you find him!’. I was stunned and replied with ‘that is so inappropriate, he’s only 3’ to which he replied ‘and so is shouting round my hotel!’. Thankfully just then I spotted my son hiding in a corner which he thought was a game, but that manager was more concerned with keeping his hotel quiet than showing empathy for a distraught mother looking for a 3 year old when there was a car park and river right outside. I’m sure if he bothers to read this and reply he will find some way to blame me, but how I’ve described it above is exactly how it happened. I should add that all other staff and customers were empathetic and were helping me to look for my son, the manager was the only person who behaved like this. I immediately left after I found my son, but broke down into tears once outside both from the trauma of those few minutes when I couldn’t find my 3 year old and from the utter lack of humanity shown to me by that person. I hope he never knows how it feels to lose a small child!

We have previously eaten here in years past and it was good food, so we thought we would try here again. We had had a very long walk and we were all hungry. We sat in the garden with lovey views, but it seems very unkempt, there were not enough tables with shade as it was very hot the day we visited. We thought the menu very limited in choices, no ploughman's, no ham and chips. The prices were very expensive for what you got. We ordered soup which came with some crusty bread, and although nice certainly not worth £7.95. I had a mushroom dish which was basically a whole punnet of mushrooms in a cream and perl las cheese sauce at £14.95, I don't know anyone who could have eaten even half the dish! And while it tasted nice it was far too much (not in a good way), it could have been half the size (and price) with some bread on the side and I still would have struggled to eat it all, a total waste of money. We will not be returning anytime soon.

Price of food and drink is eye watering. Unjustified inflated prices. Drinks were also flat. Shame as the location is lovely, although the inside could do with an update. Alex Polizzi, one for you....

I was charged £22 for two jam scones and two coffees. The Manager suddenly appeared as I paid, whilst an embarrassed looking staff member rung it up on the till. A quick look at the website confirms that our portions were halved but the price remained the same. No menu offered at any point. Sharp practice.

I see that Graham has responded to my fiancées review with factually incorrect information. The Police report will confirm that, his Staff -just the deputy manager- I might add was rude and abusive to my fiancée! This is what started the cuffufle! Immediately the 2 young waiting staff run out to the garden to apologise for the short/grey haired, deputy managers conduct. He is rude and aggressive, mainly to women! Both the young members of staff were scared for their jobs as the owner and the lazy deputy manager are both aggressive. Read the reviews from elderly women and elderly couples who have been thrown off the premises for a minor complaint about service. One couple had been going for over 20 years. I won’t tolerate this conduct to my fiancée and yes the Police were called but again Graham seem to like to lie as well! We did not refuse to pay for anything, our dogs were not running wild at all, in fact there were many cyclists who were petting and playing with our dogs in the garden. Following us going to another peaceful night at an alternative hotel I got a no caller ID call the next morning and it was Graham, very bold over the phone throwing out more abuse! Everyone needs to read all the reviews on Google and trip adviser etc to get a measure of Graham and his deputy manager. Both abusive cowards who think they will keep getting away with their conduct! Their slogan is “if you have something to say then go elsewhere”! Tells you everything you need to know! I think Graham has some frustration that he has to run Mummy and Daddies business as he seems to have a lot of pent up anger and aggression! AVOID this place

A very friendly welcome by the front of house. Beautiful location. The burgers were good but the fondant celeriac dish was hugely disappointing, didn't meet the menu description, and was lacking in flavour and presentation. There was a very limited lunchtime choice particularly for vegetarians.

I didn't stay at the hotel, but went for a meal. Service is good, food and drinks are good. The reason for 3 stars are as follows 1) The gardens are small and tables are extremely close together. There is a upper deck where more tables could go to ease congestion. 2) The biggest for me was value for money, I know prices are going up, but.....its very expensive and portions of food in my view have definitely become a lot smaller. 3) The cost of drinks is extremely expensive Having said the above, the hotel has great views and well worth a visit, just make sure you have plenty of money

We went on a family walk to Symonds Yat and popped into the Saracens head which was packed, we had a nice drink by the river and whilst it was busy the staff were friendly and helpful. We decided to. Decamp to the Royal lodge as they seemed quieter. We entered the hotel and ordered 6 drinks from the helpful bar staff and then headed out to the garden. 2 large areas of which were chained off and not accessible. The remaining area was of course full (it was a beautiful sunny day and a Saturday) I had placed a jumper on a table not realising the area was closed, as we went to retrieve it an officious little man came running out to ask what we were doing. It appeared that one area was closed due to reseeding the grass, fair enough, but the other area was closed off for no apparent reason. I asked if he would open an area for us and he replied curtly with a "no I will not it it's inside only" there was no attempt at politeness or customer service, he seemed to have confused running the building as being more important than welcoming paying customers. We ended up sitting on the wall along the drive, choosing to sit in the sunshine rather than indoors in the gorgeous weather. Had this odious little French man (I make reference to his Frenchness not out of xenophobia but simply so you can be prepared for equal levels of customer service) told us the outside area was closed before we ordered it might have been better but his attitude was completely officious and unwelcoming and on future trips we will stick to the much more accommodating Saracens head.

Mediocre food. Moody service. Overpriced. Zero ambiance. Noisy wedding pumping next door. Wouldn't return (even if there was no wedding).

Enjoyed a lovely lunch this afternoon, plenty of outdoor seating and friendly staff. Covid safe. We spent £25 on two pints, a cheese and pickle baguette with crisps and salad and s prawn and crayfish cocktail with bread. Good value for a hotel in this area we thought.

Have eaten here twice recently and both times food has been excellent. As non-residents we ate outside at wooden picnic benches which were plenty big enough for 6 of us but as it was dry it was very pleasant. There’s are several menu options which...

No high chairs No changing facilities Meals for children £9.99 more than adult food. Food tasted bland. Waitress and till staff polite and friendly. Had to take 2 meals back out of 6. Manager was aggressive. Horrid experience. Poor food. Left in tears whilst neighbouring...

Drinks are over priced £4.70 for a pint of Wye Valley! Served in a glass that was far from clean. Looked at the menus with a view to eat but again over priced for what was on offer. Went to the neighbouring pub where the...

Lots of food with great service. Enjoyed both a dinner meal and breakfast. Staff were helpful with tourist type questions

Beware. If you book a Sunday carvery, as I did, for a family of 4 at 3pm, then expect to arrive to find zero food left, zero alternatives offered and zero apologies given. Not even a simple sorry was expressed. Completely unacceptable.

A nice situation however a minimum of £4 to park and an opportunity for business to make similar charges as competition is limited.

Went here for lunch - big mistake. I was asked to pay a deposit when I booked a table. Had to queue for everything, queues were up to 45-minute wait. When food arrived it was clearly ALL frozen yet scampi and chips was £15.95, could...

Called in to the restaurant for lunch after a walk, took a while to find someone to order food and drinks from the drinks/food bar after ringing the bell a few times a maintenance man went and found a member of staff. Food not the...

We visited for lunch as a last resort because the only other pub was full. We sat in the garden so didnt see much of the inside. The food was incredibly expensive. Almost £9 for a kids pasta and £12.50 for a bowl of soup...

I was recommended this restaurant by a friend. First of all we had to pay £4 to park! We then were guided to the bar to order. I chose the quiche - broccoli and stilton and pine nut ! Sounds delicious, and may have been...

Lovely place to stop and recoup after a nice long walk along the beautiful river Wye. Lovely gardens, lots of shaded or sunny seating and a great place to watch the world go by … not cheap on the drinks from but worth it for...

I have to say the staff were lovely from start to finish but the food OMG. We don’t go out often so after a trip up north on the way home to wales we stopped for a late dinner. Meal for 2 people £60 menu...

We didn't stay, we booked a meal for our Anniversary, While waiting for our freshly baked bread & olive's, I noticed a very dirty window sill,dead fly & a food splatter radiator. Feeling uncomfortable about the cleanliness of the restaurant. The waiter brought the olive's...

Arrived via canoe with 12 guys on a weekend trip, sat at the stunning seating area looking over the river out the front. Food was muy delicioso and the atmosphere was nice. Inside looked very inviting but can't comment accurately on the atmosphere in there...

We stayed at the Royal lodge, and ate there on 3 occasions, the meals we had were very nice but overpriced as was the drinks. The thing we noticed most was the unfriendly staff. Not in too much of a hurry to serve. Admitted they...

It was advertised as award winning. The only award I would give it was for mediocrity. There was no atmosphere in the restaurant.i felt I had to talk in whispers.i had the cod in batter which was not very crisp.my partner had pie that came...

we stayed overnight at the hotel and ate in the restaurant. we were stunned by the amazingly delicious food.... especially the Lamb cutlets with Shepherd's Pie (yes we thought it strange when we saw it on the menu but we both had it and enjoyed...

In summary, overpriced average food. Drinks expensive as well. £15.95 for a risotto (vegetarian) is excessive - spring onion, mushroom and roast butternut squash. Ploughmans was £14.95, but did have a choice of 3 things to select, but come on, slightly over the top. Location...

We go down to Symonds Yat regularly for a well deserved breath of fresh air and much needed rejuvenation. The Royal Hotel is the perfect spot for gathering some energy and for tending to our needs of refreshments after the climb to the Rock. So...

Service poor, food overpriced. When finally served, we had burned, dried up chicken, poor quality sausages with unappetizing mash. No ambience and dirty tables. Only good thing was the view. Would not eat here again.

We went to the Royal Lodge for dinner and there was a number of us so we booked and ordered in advance. When we arrived the table was not set for the correct number of people. Also food we didn't order arrived and a number...

We had a large party to celebrate a 70th birthday which was totally ruined by a number of issues. 1st when we arrived, despite have a wheelchair not 1 member of staff offered to help/see Ian Tom our table. the table was set incorrectly so...

Terrible service! Staff were rude. We ordered a number of gluten free meals which arrived and were infact not gluten free which was very dangerous for a number of family members but staff did not care and served it nevertheless. We sent our order a...

Good food and nice beer, but poor staffing. No offer to help carry drinks to the table, no cutlery brought out - we had to go and find it. Nice location. Could definitely be enhanced by some service improvements. A shame.

went for my granddaughters birthday meal june11th,on arrival was told by a member of staff that even though i and our party of 15 we would have to pay to park our cars 3 quid each.never have i come across that welcome before.had an overpriced...

Went for dinner -,nothing good to say; the service was slow and chaotic and the food was expensive and a combination of bizarre and badly cooked. Short crust pie was actually puff pastry slice filled with very chewy beef - like something you could buy...

We approached the dining area on Bank Holiday Friday on a sunny afternoon having seen a sign propped up outside the area quoting that it was open for sandwiches, bar meals, afternoon teas etc. Anxious for something to eat we approached the bar area and...

I couldn't find any restaurant reviews for The Royal Lodge in Symond's Yat, but have since seen it is listed as 'Riverside Restaurant', so have been compelled to write my first TripAdvisor review... Firstly, the location is superb, right by the river. And, as such,...

We booked for Saturday evening for what should have been a lovely meal. Unfortunately this restaurant needs a lot of work to get the dining experience right for customers, it relies far to heavily on the location and lack choice in terms of other eateries...

Ate here while staying at a nearby B&B. Staff were very welcoming and helpful but the food was mediocre for the high prices charged. My partner enjoyed his steak and ale pie but my chicken cordon bleu was hard and overlooked. The chips were a...

Dined in the first night, the food was tasty and filling. Great service from the waiting staff - would highly recommend

We had a good meal. The service was excellent, the food was good but perhaps a bit overpriced for the quality. The location is excellent with lovely views

The food here is imaginative, presented beautifully and was very tasty, with fair sized portions The service is friendly I can't quite put my finger on it but the dining room lacks atmosphere, perhaps the lights are a little bright, a candle or two may...

Each course is beautifully presented and the taste is amazing. Would recommend the scallops and the duck breast. Just wonderful.

We walked down a long, winding hill to Symonds Yat East, discovering that there are two good places to eat. The most popular didn't have a garden, just a stone terrace overloooking the Wye. Riverside Lodge looks a bit tired from the outside, but it...

An extensive menu with quick service with friendly and welcoming staff , A large restaurant with plenty of table both inside and outside and tasty food

Food OK but took a long time to come & we had to wait until exactly the right time to order...they wouldn't even take a pre order and give it to the chef at the right time....attitude appalling & rude. Toilets & pool table area...

After not getting served at the Saracens Head down the road we tried the Riverside lodge. It still has the same stunning location and view of the river Wye. We had a very nice meal and a beer sitting in the garden overlooking the river....

The location is stunning, the staff are very helpful and friendly, the food was extremely good and came very quickly. I would highly recommend a visit to this restrurant.

You can walk here from Monmouth which I have done four times now & each time I've stopped here for a drink before walking back. It is a lovely building with a lovely garden that all people young to old enjoy, dogs are welcome with...

Whilst other restaurants in the area can be extremely busy this restaurant is attached to the hotel alongside the rather uneven car park. We ate here on two evenings in the bar restaurant. The food was fine plenty of it and service was good. It...

My wife and I visited the Riverside primarily because the nearby pub was teaming with customers and this place wasn't. Parking anywhere near the river here is difficult on busy days and we were forced to park in the Pay & Display car park a...

We visited Royal Lodge for an evening meal and were very impressed with the location. The staff were friendly and attentive but the food was very mediocre. The Posh Eton Mess was a shop bought meringue with cream and five raspberries for a cost of...

Poor choice for vegetarians but very helpful for gluten free. Value for money can only be described as average .

Surely some people here have been over critical? It's a lovely resteraunt. Friendly service, tasty food in a stunning location. We can't get there regularly as we're from Cambridgeshire.

We ate here while we were on holiday at Symonds Yat. The restaurant is part of the Royal Lodge Hotel and although we weren't guests there the staff were friendly and helpful. The food was good as was the service. They serve Stowfold Press cider...

If you fancy paying 7.50 per person for the most average cream tea...deal with uninterested staff who roll their eyes when you order it and serves your food with a big, open wound on their hand...say no more. Will never visit again.

We were part of a group that stopped here for an afternoon tea, for which we paid £18.95. This would be the cost of a two course meal in most other hotels. So what did we get for £18.95? A tray of beautifully prepared sandwiches...

Had sausage and mustard mash and onion gravy it was the best I have ever had . Other people also commented have w good the food was.

Either in the restaurant, in the bar or outside, the food couldn't be better. Superb breakfast with such a choice.

Only had breakfasts here but they were served really hot, help yourself to coffee. juice, toast, croissants and cereals. Tables were very clean (as were the toilets). Discrepancies in breakfast closing times - we saw 9.30, 9.45 and 10am - today's time is actually 9.45am

This hotel is a really good hotel for a relaxing break , it also has a really good restaurant with a varied menu of well cooked food

We went for lunch at The Royal Lodge. Food was very expensive - £7.95 for a pork baguette, £6.50 for a cheese and tomato sandwich. Crazy! Pork seemed like ready sliced meat rather than a roast, no Apple sauce and poor stuffing. Horrible margarine. Food...

A really restful hotel with an excellent restaurant, the food is excellent and looks out onto the river Wye , what more could you ask for

We stopped of for lunch and 2 of us ordered the brie and bacon sandwich. We all could not believe the flake of brie (literally a thumb nail size) in each small baguette (baguette making it sound a bigger sandwich that it was). Still, it...

We booked here, because we needed a meal, and the other restaurants in Symonds Yat were full. We were (inevitably) wondering what Royal Lodge might be doing to justify its position at the bottom of the TA ratings.... First impressions: all positive - set above...

Excellent food served at The Royal Lodge, equalled only in the attentiveness of the staff and the quality of their service. Was impressed by our whole experience, to which none of us had a bad meal,so that we have booked again for tonight. Thoroughly recommend...

The buffet breakfast is excellent, with a good choice. A member will take your order for anything cooked i.e. full English. There is a good selection of evening meals and our meals were cooked to perfection.

Passed this place on a walk along the river earlier in the day and decided to return for dinner. It was a toss up between this and the Saracen's Head. The prices were plenty, but you are in the middle of nowhere and it looked...

We ate here and at the Saracen's Head during our stay in the area. This hotel and the Saracen's are apparently owned by the same people. Strange then that the exact same bottle of Rioja varies by £10 (more expensive) in the Royal Lodge than...

We ate there 2 of the 3 nights we were there. Best to book early although, as residents, they did sneak us in on a night we hadn't booked. Good service, fantastic selection, reasonable prices. Superb staff.

The draft beers were very limited and bottled expensive. The bottled lager we chose was limited to four before they ran out. Tables were sticky and badly in need of cleaning ! Tuna roll was fresh but very watery ! What was deceived as 'Crispy...

Had dinner in the restaurant whilst staying in the Royal Lodge. Service was initially a bit slow as staff were having their photos taken with the DIY SIS crew who were staying at the Royal Lodge! Once our order was placed however the food was...

In de zomer is dit een heerlijk plek om te vertoeven. Helaas is nu al voor de tweede keer het...

My wife and I came for Sunday lunch after a day of sightseeing in Symonds Yat. As you would expect for Symonds Yat, the setting is lovely: there's a great view of the river, and there's a Forestry Commission owned woodland just the other side...

very poor and tried decor,blocked sink,rubbish shower,window hard to close due to hinge problem.Staff have no people skills.Your english breakfeast comes to you while you are having your cerals.

Lovely setting but overpriced for the good you get. Service was a bit slow and the meals were about £12 per head which for what you got was too expensive. The deserts were small for £5.95.

We love this area and it's great when it's low season when there are less people visiting this fabulous are which is so peaceful and beautiful are to explore. We visited the Royal for an evening meal, the food was very good, the service good,...

This place has a superb location with great river views but after calling in for a drink and bite to eat, we will not be going again. They are having some work done at the front, so we can forgive the mess, but I dont...

The owners are spending a lot of money adding a dining/function room to the front and inspite of major construction there was no interference to our enjoyment at all. Highly recommended retreat from the hustle and bustle of life.

My wife and I stayed at The Royal Lodge on a Wowcher deal, we had never stayed in the area before, we were very surprised what a wonderful part of the world it was with lovely views over the river from our room. We dined...

Really good wholesome food.The deserts are to die for.Large portions so you will definitely leave feeling full.

We were camping at Symonds Yat, and by accident found the 'other ' barge crossing that takes you directly to the pub. The staff were very friendly and the food was great. They have a selection of books in the bar and when I asked...

As food lovers we were not sure what to expect, however it was stunning, flavours and very well presented - you will not be disappointed!

As food lovers we were not sure what to expect however, Great food, well presented with stunning flavours - well worth the money.

We recently had our wedding at this venue and cannot praise Helen and her team there for the most amazing day and service we have ever had. The staff were incredible and nothing was too much trouble.

Well worth a visit, good MENU and reasonably priced food with exceptional views and good staff, reasonably priced drinks + Local Ales

We were staying at Biblins and came up special for a drink and to watch the Rugby which the hotel had Not particularly impressed with the welcome and the customer service advertised.

Having paid for B & Breakfast, I was informed breakfast wasn't served until 8.30. I explained I had a business appointment and needed something to eat around 7.45 -8.00. The night desk staff treated my request with utter contempt and I quote, "The cook's have been busy here, all day. There's no way they can offer breakfast." Gracious, perish the thought that I put their timings out by half an hour. I asked politely,then perhaps I could have a continental breakfast? Staff, sigh! " Very well, I'll speak to them." Next morning, I arrived in the deserted dining room to more sighs and exclamations from the day staff and no food available. Surprise, surprise! No-one had bothered to tell them I had to leave early. What an inconvenience I was. I was however offered a bacon sandwich which I was foolishly so grateful for until it arrived in slices of greasy, thick bacon, barely cooked and chewy. Needless to say, I passed on that reluctant offering and ferreted around for some (cooked) toast. All the resentment and curtness insured I had a horrible start to my day and left me feeling as if I'd paid £75.00 just to keep the staff nattering and moaning amongst themselves behind the desk, happily ignoring the guests for another night. Prior to visiting, I explained that it was my wedding anniversary the night before and asked about corkage. The girl behind the desk said, "No idea, you'll have to find out when you get here." "Uh no!" I replied, "I need to get an idea of cost if we're eating in your restaurant. Staff sigh, again! She then made the enormous effort of asking her colleague sitting next to her what the cost of corkage was and informed me, "We don't do corkage."What a clever lot!

We had a buyagift voucher for a two night break - booking was straightforward direct with the Hotel. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised, it is in a beautiful spot, overlooking the river. The room we were shown had lovely views. The room itself...

A great place to eat as well as to stay - excellent menus plus very helpful and efficient staff.. plus very easy to park...

Following a good long walk along the river with the dogs we called in here. Walkers, muddy boots and doggies very welcome. We had a cream tea for two which was excellent. Quality scones, cream and jam all well presented.

Although we only stopped here for cream tea, the establishment did give the appearance of being a little tired.We ate outside because the weather was beautiful. Unfortunately one of the local kayaking schools had also decided this would be the ideal place to hold its...

Excellent food at this hotel. My wife and I ate dinner on one of our two nights stay. Good menu and very well cooked and presented food. We had booked bed and breakfast and I can honestly say that it was one of the best...

Family & couples restaurant, all ages, great food, friendly staff doing their best,food service can be slow in evenings