The Stuart Restaurant at the Billesley Manor in Stratford-on-Avon

We booked for Sunday lunch for my parents birthday as treat. It didn't start well with starters coming and then we had to ask for our drinks which we had ordered. Starter were excellent and we all had various starter from crispy paneer , scallops and soup which all went down well. Unfortunately we all ordered the roast sirloin and I've never experienced such shocking meat. All our sirloin was covered with gristle and inedible and it was shocking and disgusting that this ever left the kitchen . It appeared that no thought to the paying customer was even considered. I wouldn't give this to my dog. We complained as we couldn't eat this and we had a totally different experience in the next lot with sirloin so tender and no gristle. Unfortunately it spoiled the occasion which we was looking forward to and we couldn't wait to leave. Who ever runs the kitchen really needs to look at the crap they send out . unfortunately with the grandest of places there are unscrupulous people who want to cheat the public instead of giving people quality that reflects the price that we have to pay. I wouldn't touch this place again!

Poor service Incorrect information in relation to service times. Kitchen was unable to serve food as advertised

"Do not book your afternoon Tea experience here for Family or Friends" My partners daughter booked for us months in advance through 1 of the gift packages. We turned up on the Saturday end of May-24, and reception took us round the back through where staff working areas are, and it was dark & dangerous, to bring us to the other side of the building. It looked as though there was a wedding Reception going on, and no one else for afternoon Tea!! Our booking was for 2:30pm Staff told us to sit in the study room, looking a bit baffled, as if they weren't expecting us. They conjured up some mouldy sandwiches & cakes probably left over from the Wedding guests. I asked is this where we are sitting for our A/ Tea, and the waitress said yes. The tables were the low tables, not the ones you see in pics a Normal Table. I requested to see the Manager, and stated we can't eat sitting like this. I thought we were sitting in the main room. on a proper table! He said oh no can't sit in there that's taken up by wedding guests! But I see what I can do for you. From bad to worse, we got moved to the front of the building in a large empty room, where all the tables were in a corner not dressed. He pulled one of the round tables across for us all scratched & dusty. They didn't even put a cloth on the table unbelievable. I was going to walk out, but but my partner was really hungry & we didn't have anything since morning breakfast. This is Afternoon Tea by the way :-) I even had a an email a day before to confirm our attendance which I did. I took a bite of 1 of the sandwiches & it tasted stale, instead had 1 of the scones. My ate some of the sandwiches. ONLY TO BE VIOLANTILY ILL ON THE WAY HOME IN A PUB we stopped by in Henley in Arden!!! So advice if you want to book a proper afternoon Tea- Then we recommend 'Coombe Abbey' or 'Old School House' in Weeford near Lichfield. Honest Reviews as always. Happy Dining Peter & Yvonne :-(

Had Sunday lunch. Thought beef could have been a bit more tender for the price I was paying. All veg al dente. Staff very friendly and efficient.

We had a 2 night stay for Valentines. The food in the restaurant tastes lovely but very small portions and you need to pay extra for vegetables and potatoes, unless you are happy with one small potato and one small carrot. Menu prices are too high for what you get.

Food was average and included in our package. Disappointed that even though we had a budget which we were under , they charged extra for very expensive coffee.

We were unable to stay at the hotel for our wedding anniversary due to being fully booked but travelled in two expensive taxis from Charlecote Pheasant... which didn't help or start things off particularly well (£25/£30).I'm aware that the hotel has undergone a multi-million pound renovation and looks great, impressive as you sweep into the grounds with the hotel facade front-facing but I'm still wondering what the hotel aspires to be due to low serving standards and a very expensive meal. We were told to wait past our reservation time due to a wedding party and told to come back later and so were sent to the bar - again, overrun by wedding party people - all of which seemed chaotic and at the expense of the diners. The staff looked run off their feet and stressed leaving us to assume that there was insufficient to appropriately serve both party & diners.We were seated around 7:20/25. Order-taking was fairly prompt but then the issues started.No bread and had to ask - given whatever they wanted to give from the basket when it eventually arrived and constantly reaching across my wife and I rather than going around.Red wine ordered was presented only to be attempted to open with a cork-screw for a screw-top bottle - so cold it may well have been white wine!Large wine glasses were used for water but no new glasses for the red wine were ever bought and we had to ask again - wine unpleasantly cold and asked fro a decanted to help - begrudgingly and slowly executed (for a £40 bottle)...Crab dish hopelessly small and goe in two small mouthfulls and even then they were of different potion size.Lamb meat was good but plated "veg" were pitifully small too ....

My husband and I went to Billesley Manor yesterday for afternoon tea.Lovely surroundings with beautifully manicured lawns.We were shown into the dining room and were the only couple there. Not a problem in itself,but makes for a lack of atmosphere.Staff are polite and duly took our order for tea or coffee.This arrived but unfortunately the food did not arrive at the table for another 20-25 minutes. No one came into the dining room so unable to query.We have had a lot of afternoon teas and this was average.3 finger sandwiches,(first time I've ever not had 4) which were unexciting plain cheese,ham and mustard and smoked salmon and cream cheese being the most interesting.2 scones each with the usual jam and clotted cream.2 small cakes each which had grainy almost synthetic tasting cream.A small lemon tartlet which was actually cut in half for 2 people!Nobody came in to ask us if we wanted more tea.This had long been consumed before the food arrived.More organisation is required for smoother running as the staff were not rushed off their feet.Definitely more thought needs to be given to the selection of cakes. A fruit tartlet each or a small pastry would be an improvement.Get rid of the poor quality individual cakes and swap for a slice of traditional sponge cake.This would have made all the difference!

If you go to this hotel do not order the sirloin steak I have had better boot leather ( 2 poor steak in one meal time that we could not cut through) eat out from then on for dinner, and a cold full English breakfast that was reheated and took 25mins. overall.

Visited the Billesley Manor for an afternoon tea. The location was wonderful. Billesley Manor is a beautiful place and the grounds look amazing.We were excited to be going for an afternoon tea in such a wonderful setting and didn’t mind the £20 a head price ... until the shop bought scones & cakes arrived along with the cold, badly made sandwiches.You can buy better scones for £2 per packet of four, the cakes were something like you get at Tesco for a couple of pounds and the ham & mustard sandwiches and cheese & pickle sandwiches were so full of mustard & pickle, you couldn’t taste the ham or cheese!Possibly the worst afternoon tea I’ve ever had. Definitely will not return.

The hotel refurb is fab !! Just a shame the afternoon tea was not up to scratch. It may be that we booked for 2pm ( the start of afternoon servings ) but the cakes where Ice Cold as if they just came straight of the fridge, we also had 2 finger slices each of sandwiches Between us 4 - so we couldn't even try one each . HOWEVER they did cater fo our Veggie party and the scones were yummy and hot.The price is £20.00 PP although when booked they advised the child would be £10.00 , however they didn't do this on the bill and don't accept blue light cards when we were told we would. Didn't want the confirmation so just left it .

Tastefully refurbished with old world charm maintained, the staff are superb and the variety and standard of cuisine is excellent.

Just returned home from a wonderful lunch 15/12/2019 I want to say thankyou to all the staff who looked after us so well and the food was perfect

I visited this establishment last year with four colleagues , the service , food and general experience was dreadful . We waited over 1 hr for our starters which I must add were incorrect, the mains were cold and the complete experience was a farcical . After complaining to the manager we were invited back for a complimentary meal or a full refund . We made the mistake of giving them another opportunity and accepting the managers apology and agreed to return when back in the area rather than a full refund . We believe they would act with integrity and professionalism . That was definitely the wrong decision . I recently contacted this establishment to book returning and they denied all knowledge of the formal complaint . Emails were not returned and I was informed they had a new management so we’re not honouring what happened last year . They were able to locate the original email of complaint etc so obviously have access to the records but refused to honour what was agreed . No emails are now returned . The complete experience with this new management has been shambolic . They are not honest , or professional , and have walked away from honouring what was agreed . The attitude is of complete arrogance and customer service is something they obviously do not understand . Please be aware that they will deny things when they go wrong and totally mislead their customers . They will walk away from all responsibility . This situation could have been resolved amicably , however they had had zero interest in resolving this matter . They are still operating under the previous name . I Have never felt the need to write such a review , however I feel customers should be aware of what is going on in this establishment . Note to the managing director, you have failed to reply to my emails , I’m sure you must be very proud of the service you provide . I hope you are thoroughly embarrassed . Honestly and integrity are very important aspects of running a business , that is something your establishment clearly does not value !!

Good variety on the menu. Caters for GF and vegans too. All 3 courses were delicious and very well presented.

Excellent, faultless, best part of our stay at the hotel. Great menu choices, cooked to perfection, delivered so professionally,

The spa was lovely and i would return to this....but never ever ever!!! would i return to the restaurant..it was appauling some members of staff there were terrible and we all felt most unwelcome..they ruined my birthday..i was shocked at the rudeness of some staff members in the restaurant.

Stayed on dinner bed and breakfast... Bed and breakfast reviewed seperatly and enough said.So dinner, was delightful. We were shown a table straight away selected scallops and salmon dishes for starter and we both had the venison for mains. Unfortunately our first wine choice was unavailable but the second choice was lovely.Food was delicious well presented. The venison was served quite rare which was fine by us but others may like check.We were both pursuded by the cheese and biscuits to follow. Again, lovely and plenty of biscuits!Can't fault it. Didn't place an overall view as our comments on the bed and breakfast are not quite as glowing.

very nice oldy worldy charm to the restaurant very quiet and relaxed well looked after by the team look forward to going back

I was on a business trip so came for a quick meal with no high expectations. The soup was ok, very simple but edible. For the main I ordered cod - came stinky, raw with raw potatoes, peas and plain sauce. I returned it to the kitchen. I was offered to order another main. Gnocchi are not homemade so I went for a risotto. Well the meal that arrived I wouldn’t identify as a risotto. It was risotto rice in a watery sauce without taste with some raw vegetable which looked like a carrot - surprise - without taste! The wine was okay but not worth the price. As bonus, the material on chairs makes sounds as you move. This is a place to remember..

I have to say that the evening meal on our first night in the hotel was, without a doubt the tastiest meal I have eaten in a very long time. All three courses were magnificent.The staff in the restaurant, both in the evening and in the morning for breakfast were very polite and courteous, to the point where it felt they were constantly apologizing for keeping us waiting, even though I didn’t think they had.

As referred to in my review regarding Billsley Manor and it’s hotel facilities, or lack there of, here is my review on the Stuart Restaurant.Service is tip top! The house beer, keep an eagle eye out for it, is something else, the food is brilliant. We went for the Soup of The Day, in my Wife’s case was Butternut Squash, I had the Pork Terrine. We both had the Chicken main course and both had the Cheese board, for a minor supplementary extra, as our finish. The only gripe, if you can call it, was that we wanted more. In hindsight, the portions were perfect to be fair.If I was in the area and fancied a slap up meal, this is special.

lovely food, asparagus to start, chicken and then sticky toffee pud, really good food although had to wait quite a while for starters.

No health and hygiene standards apparent within the entire building and the stench of sewage meant that we did not order any food as there was no way we could risk eating at this establishment

Restaurant ambience is lovely. My wife and I were looking forward to the evening meal but were disappointed by the slowness of the service - we waited ages for the starter to arrive. My main course was excellent - pork belly - but my wife had to send back her fish because bits were raw. The kitchen did promptly provide a properly cooked replacement.

We enjoyed two evening meals whilst staying here, especially the Halloumi and Chickpea starter, the duck was very good too.

Food ok .Starters good.,Mains average(some served without potatoes?) Sweets commonplace.Service not up to par.Ordered wine with main.Arrived after main finished! Cleaners need reprimand i.e.check rails on underside of all dining chairs!

We were here for 2 nights on a Secret Escapes deal. We had one meal in the restaurant and it wadms excellent. Decent choice, good quality and no rush, thank you Vivien.

We enjoyed the location, the building the service and the food, being able to mix and match from both menus is a bonus

Fantastic location bar meals available as well as two separate menus which can be mixed and matched in the restaurant. A must is to try the local gin i can't recommend the mulberry and lemon tonic and the rhubarb and ginger delicious!!

Food served on cold plates, Waiting time between course be lengthy and I had to ask for steak knife and condiments

Had a lovely breakfast yesterday, amazing food, fresh, good portion and I was really impressed with our waitress Vittoria. Would definitely recommend !

Visited this restaurant on a short break. Very picturesque, lovely menu. Could not fault the food or service.

I've reviewed the hotel and the restaurant within that review, however the points to highlight are:

Long Long wait between courses SEA BASS the size of MINNOWS Dauphinoise Pots. DRY LAMB cooked WHEN ??? just warmed up NO MINT SAUCE Chose not to use it on our 2nd night

Food is lovely, if expensive, but WAY TOO SMALL!! I understand it is usual to have small portion sizes for fine dining, but really, 6 chips per serving and 4 lettuce leaves to a salad? Come on guys, some of us are hungry!!

Lovely food and well presented and served. Would have been nice to have a different menu o the 2nd night though. Furnishings very faded and tired looking. Dust - a lot of it - on window sills.

Three course meal was disappointing. Starters and desserts ok but main was very limited in choice and overcooked. Not enough veg for dinner and couldn't tell you what some of the bits on my plate were!!

Comer aquí mientras se hospeda en el hotel. Hay un límite que no lo sabía, pero a menos que vayas por unos temas principales de estar dentro, bebidas a precios razonables. Ambos tuvimos carne podría haber hecho con un extra de patatas, pero era ese tipo de comida. Personal es bueno posiblemente algunas estaban aprendiendo. En general, una agradable comida y sillas confortables.

We had a 3 course dinner with a good selection of all courses we chose to have the wine from our room which was an anniversary gift and this arrived in an ice bucket all 3 courses were of a good size and we were give rolls and butter there were side dishes but these came with an extra cost we found 1 dish between 2 was enough the service was quick and the waitress was polite and had a smile.

Nos alojamos en Billesley Manor hotel 2 noches repetir una visita a Startford Arts en marzo; esta vez para un espectáculo de Dominic kirwan. El hotel tenía habitaciones, construido a partir de una conversión de un viejo granero, pero muy bien hecho! Ambas habitaciones eran excelentes y 75 libras por persona incluye desayuno, quedamos muy satisfechos. . . . . Mucho mejor que el sello Welcombe que intentamos entrar a la montaña para llegar a nuestro "Cabras casilleros"! ! ! Es cambiar de manos mañana Billesley. . . . No cambie SU NIVEL!

Estábamos muy ansiosos de tener una buena comida de bistec para celebrar mi cumpleaños de mi esposo. El menú era limitado sin carne. El cerdo y ternera cocida pedimos ambos estaban muy secos y más preparado. Los aperitivos y postres eran preciosas.

We dined here on two evenings during our stay and the food was exceptional. Well presented, light portions and tasted amazing.

Evening meal was good, lots of choice. Wine not chilled, no ice bucket when asked to bring one no ice.They need to sort breakfast, had to wait for items to be topped up, they must know how many people have stayed overnight but are unable to keep buffet running, plates were cold to put luke warm food on. Had to queue for a while whilst food re-stocked.Staff were friendly, but unable to cope with numbers.

We had a meal included as part of our hotel stay at the Billesley Manor Hotel. We were very impressed by the choice on the menu and the wine list. The food was very tasty and well presented. The service was good, although the room is quite echoey and so heavy footsteps of rushing staff was a little distracting. Other than that we were very content.

The food in the restaurant in my opinion, does not deserve a 1 AA rosette and is not worth the money. I had chicken to start, which had several bits of gristle in it, beef for main, which was mainly fatty and tough, but the bits that weren't were lovely! Apple crumble for dessert, which tasted like it had come out of a ready made box. There isn't enough staff for them to be tentative towards the guests so everything is either rushed or you just cannot get someone's attention. The restaurant is overlooked by the main staircase landing and is used as a through way to get to the bedrooms about - overall the atmosphere is not very inviting and is in fact uncomfortable.

This is in the hotel and was included with our nights stay , The room is small wooden panels with open fires not working and the room was quite cold even though it was busy tables are close together , Not a varied choice but an ok menu one lamb one beef ,one fish , one chicken one veggie , so hopefully it was like what you wanted I went for the steak but it was quite fatty and not as hot as I though it should be , desert was baileys brûlée very large portion and very sweet staff not very attentive and didn't notice when u wanted another drink it was busy but as it was cold room , we eat and left quickly not sure the kind of place if you were just going out for the evening more if your stopping in hotel get your dinner

My husband and I ate in the Stuart Restaurant on the friday evening and were amazed at how delicious the food was. It came out in perfect time so we could chat first and enjoy the atmosphere, and all meals were cooked perfectly and were hot.

We booked a meal for four in the restaurant at Billesley Manor Hotel and were completely shocked and disappointed at the poor quality of some of the food. Two people ordered crispy duck as a starter. It came and didn't contain any meat. It was simply burnt bits of skin. Three people ordered seafood risotto as a main and when it came it was completely dry and inedible. We complained to the manager and to be fair he allowed us to re-order a main and didn't charge us for the meal so the hotel restaurant did the right thing in the end but we expected more first time from a hotel of this quality. Based on our experience I would not return and would not recommend the restaurant.

The food was well cooked and presented but arrived way too fast as if already and waiting to be served. We were seated at about 8pm and out before 9pm.The wine list is like something out of KFC or Pizza Express. They had run out of Pouilly Fumé and no wines even the more expensive ones had vintages. You cannot spend £40 on a red wine without knowing its age.

Staff didn't know how to chill wine. Tried to give an alternative wine but then failed to chill the wine - had to be asked to take the wine away and chill it before we could drink it. Dogs in restaurants do not equate to the awards they have been given

Very nice location. Kind and quick service.Food delicious. We ate as mains suprema of chicken and beef brasato. Also starters soup and ham were delicious.Well done! Everything was fine

We had a lovely anniversary dinner, enjoying the modern fine dining experience and attentive and pleasant (though not particularly experienced or knowledgeable staff)

Ate here as part of a Wowcher deal for dinner bed and breakfast. The Stuart is a beautiful panelled dinning room with the Great Hall next door (that has space for approx. 2 dozen covers). For dinner we both had ham hock terrine and beef blade for starters and main course. Both nicely presented and tasty. Although available there was no need for additional Sides with the main dish. I had the 70% Chocolate and my wife the Fig Tartlet for dessert. All in all a very pleasant meal. Yes as you are eating at a discount the menu was restricted but even so there appeared to be choices for most tastes. We returned to this room for our breakfast which was a buffet style self service collected from the bar next door. Continental and full English available. Usual problems with some food drying out under the heat lamps. That aside all good. Would recommend eating here.

We booked to return to the hotel as part of our anniversary, the hotel was our wedding venue and we thought it would be a nice way to commemorate 3 years since our happy day. The service and communication between the waiters and kitchen staff is the main issue with the low rating. We waited 45 minutes for starters No water or bread on the tables and not enough attentiveness to feel like your experience is anything special. You are left feeling like you are just forgotten about and when you do get the food it isn't as described.No sauce to accompany meats leaving the dishes very dry. No vegetables as stated on menu. We even had issues with ordering a simple sandwich at the bar. Wrong sandwich came out to what was ordered and the one they got right was missing mayonnaise and a dill relish. By the time we had finished our evening meal we just wanted to retire to our room. Breakfast was a complete disaster many of the guests who dined in the main restaurant complained of tables not being set and having to wait for long periods for simple things like spoons to have a hot drink. We decided to pay. £5.00. Charge for breakfast in our room. They did come to the room on the stated time. But our selection was missing marmalade and jams, pastries and my preference of porridge in place of cereal.We both had a cooked breakfast and this was fine. But when you are paying what many would consider a premium rate you would expect the basics in communication and professionalism to be standard for this hotel. We both came away with the same thoughts. We would not trust this establishment with an occasion such as a wedding as I couldn't see how the current service could cope with a timely schedule such as a wedding breakfast.Very sad that this review has focused on the negatives as the grounds and the rooms are stunning.

We visited Stuart Restaurant as part of our Living Social deal. The restaurant was fairly busy. We were seated as soon as we arrived. We also ordered our food fairly quickly. The both had pigeon to start, which had a supplement of £3.50 each. Well after waiting around 40 minutes for the starter to arrive we were somewhat underwhelmed to put it mildly. We were at this point very hungry. Pigeon breasts are very small, the starter consisted of a line of crushed nuts, 2 tiny slices of duck breast (not even 1 whole breast!!!!) and a bit of a garnish. The pigeon was also over cooked.For mains I had the Blade of Beef with mash in (as described a rich red wine gravy). I was really looking forward to this. The gravy was just a 'Jus', so I asked for some more which they bought out. The food was very bland. I don't know how they could get it wrong. Especially a restaurant with an AA Rosette. The beef was tasteless and the wine wine gravy was like coloured water. So so disappointing.The deserts were very nice. We both had Fig Tarte tatin. Our expectations weren't very high at this point, however it was very good. So our meal did end on a high. The overall service is ok. The staff seemed a bit raw, and maybe new?Overall, this restaurant should be producing a lot better food than we had

Ich wurde al Gast dorthin eingeladen, man teilte mir mit, dass es ein GANZ besonderes Restaurant sei! Pustekuchen es war für mich eine Riesen Enttäuschung. Aber von Anfang an. Ambiente eichfach umwerfend, typisch alter englischer Stil. Wir waren etwas zu früh dran und haben in der Bar einen Aperitif genommen. 3 Personen hintern der Theke (die klebrig war) aber es dauert eine Ewigkeit bis man sein Bier bestellen kann, die 3 sind zu sehr mit sich selbst beschäftigt. Dann wird man mit Verspätung zum Tisch gerufen, die Getränke von der Bar muss man sich selbst muitnehmen andernfalls werden sie einfach entsorgt (volles Weißwein Glas) Mis en place , vorbildlich, nur die Bedienung das dauert und dauert. Das Essen nun ich bin kein übergroßer Esser aber ich bin hungrig aufgestanden. Es ist eine Frechheit geräucherten Lachs zu servieren den man am Teller gar nicht sieht (vielleicht 20 gr) so beim Fisch . Die Qualität des Essens nun einfach nur Durchschnitt. Dazu kommt, wenn man etwas von einem der VIELEN Kellner will , man überhaupt keine Acht bekommt. Die laufen alle immer einfach vorbei! Selten habe ich so eine unprofessionelle und schlampige Truppe gesehen. Meine Empfehlung vorbeigehen das herrliche Ambiente ansehen und in ei Pub gehen, da ist das essen nicht schlechter aber um vieles billiger und es geht schneller.

We dined in The Stuart Restaurant as part of a two night stay at the Hotel (see separate poor review) for our Anniversary weekend, booked through Secret Escapes and reserved a table by email in advance (others checking in were getting 9.00 pm tables). The room is gorgeous, historic, grand and imposing with lots of wood, high ceilings, wonderful windows, secret doors and lovely fireplaces, the tables were nicely spaced and laid out with comfortable seating. We were seated politely and provided with the set menu, orders were taken and our drinks arrived promptly. My husband thought the terrine was good but found a couple of bones, I enjoyed my squash with mushroom but was a bit difficult to cut and eat nicely. My husband then enjoyed his duck with pea and I thought my pork belly with parsnip was delicious. My husband’s espresso soufflé was a bit tasteless and came with a huge biscotti and my panna cotta was ok with yummy pear. Overall, our service was friendly, polite and well timed, the food was excellently presented, we enjoyed our evening and had a lovely Anniversary Meal. We also had two breakfasts and an Afternoon Tea during our stay and generally the service became a bit of a running joke, not because of the wait staff, but because of the lack of them and whatever the kitchen staff were doing - being told to find a table and they would come over, sometimes waiting and waiting to be served, overhearing one couple waiting at least 45 minutes just for bread, others asking where their food or drinks were, one of our breakfast orders was wrong, drinks didn't arrive and having to wait 50 minutes coffee - if the poor wait staff weren’t literally running around, they were being called over to tables or seemed to be apologising to someone every couple of minutes. At check out, we were also almost charged for a random and incorrect extra meal, which was then removed. They need to sort something out in regard to service…

I have eaten in this restaurant on many occasions and have seen various incarnations of chefs...sometimes the food was a disappointment and the service slapdash.Tonight with members of my family we enjoyed attentive and charming service, both at the bar and in the restaurant,and the food was impeccable.A table of critical foodies enjoyed well-cooked and tasty food served with style and not a criticism on the table.Lamb, belly pork and sea bream all earnt praise and the chicken terrine, risotto and red mullet were all excellent.Wines were served correctly and with enthusiastic knowledge, adding to the occasion. In all a wonderful evening and a chef who impresses.

Lovely dining rooms at Billesly, great buffet style breakfast was a bit chaotic on first morning ( 3 night stay ) the young waiter did not seem to know what to do and looked a bit lost but was on his own. Dinner was superbly cooked and presented. No change to menu over our three day stay.

A lovely oak-paneled room and the evening started off as a pleasant experience. We were greeted and shown to our table and the menu explained to us. Our orders were taken very quickly and the starters and mains arrived in reasonable time. The food was very good and the hotel was keen to say that they were looking to gain an extra Michelin star. During our meal, the restaurant began to fill up as did the Great Hall and we noticed that the service started to drop off as other diners were having to wait longer between courses. Our mains dishes were cleared away and we seemed to have been forgotten about, no dessert menu was forthcoming; it was only after a couple who had arrived later than us were given dessert menus, that I managed to attract attention and get some menus for ourselves. After a total time of 50 minutes had passed, did we get up and walk out. I handed the menus to the maître d’ and stated that we had had enough. He apologised saying that they were very busy and took our drinks off the bill.Note that the kitchens are separate across a corridor from the dining rooms and the waiters have to keep scurrying across.The quality of the food was excellent, they just need to look to improve the logistics of serving their customers.

Gosh - where to start. Crumbs on my chair when I sat down. Really very average entrée - 3 tiny pieces of chicory accompanied by 2 tiny dollops of ricotta - very little dressing, if any, but to make things worse the waiter introduced it as the goats cheese entrée, confusing us both.Main of Sea Trout was lukewarm and tiny - not sure which was worse - but returned and requested a hot dish only to have a lukewarm dish returned. Gave up on a hot dish through hunger - but this was nevertheless an altogether flavourless dish accompanied by a stalk of brocolli & a spinach leaf or two. Partner's dish of Pork Belly was OK - but nothing to get excited about. Side dish of seasonal greens was the highlight of the evening, as it would turn out.As dessert was included, gave it a go - only to be disappointed once again. Earl Grey Panacotta that I suspect you could sole your shoes with. It's meant to wobble, as anyone who watches cooking shows will readily tell you!My partner was so embarrassed, as was I. Compounded when we got a bill for 5,000 + pounds due to another error. Which we thankfully were sober enough to detect.It possibly just wasn't our night, but won't be rushing back or recommending in a hurry.

Had a couple of delightful meals here whilst staying over. Great food served by attentive staff. We were well looked after. Took coffee after our meal in the lounge/bar area. Lovely olde-worlde atmoshere!

AS A birthday treat for my wife, our 2 daughters treated us to a "deal" which consisted of, Evening Meal, Bed & Breakfast & use of The Spa etc. Our friends came along as well, they also paid £135 + for the same "Deal". Our youngest daughter experienced the "Deal" previously. Before we went my daughter said to my wife, "make sure you take Dad to Wetherspoons for a XL mixed grill, as the meals at the Manor won't be sufficient for him. What an understatement! My starter was Duck egg on Fried Bread. It came out on a large plate, a saucer would have been too big. More like a Pullet egg, cold, & the Fried bread was smaller than the egg itself, also stone cold. Our friends ordered the Goats Cheese, about 6 or 7 blobs of goats cheese dotted around the plate, If there was an ounce of cheese in total, that would be an overstatement. The best is yet to come My friends paid a £4 supplement to have Scallops. When the Waitress brought it out there could not have been ONE, I repeat One Scallop in total on the plate. It had been sliced razor thin amongst the Garnish. The soup my wife had looked like the best option, but at £6-95 even that was OTT. My friend paid a further £8 supplement to have an 8oz Rump steak for his main meal! His wife yet again paid £4 extra for a very, very small portion of "cheese board" instead of a Sweet Course. The Pork Belly with Black Pudding was tasty, but very minute (small). No vegetables were served with our Meals.We were too embarrassed to return the Food. We ordered a Bottle of Dessert Wine, but the waitress said she'd only got 2 glass fulls left, 20 mins later the Head Waiter or a Manager arrives with a full Bottle, after we'd all finished. Breakfast was a shambles this morning, they had run out of Baked Beans, then no Fried eggs ready. To really make matters worse, you could literally scrape the dust off the wood panelling around the Dining Hall. The best thing, was the location of The Manor, beautiful setting & surroundings.

We had an evening meal here and it was excellent fine end dinning but not at fine end prices the quality of the food used shows in what is produced.

The restaurant itself is superb with wood panelled walls.The food was excellent and not too expensive.Top marks to the staff, who were very attentive and hard working and who appeared to enjoy what they were doing.

After spending the day at the spa, we'd booked in for afternoon tea. I already left a glowing review for the spa, which we highly recommend but the food was slightly lacking and I did say all of this on my other review but I have copied and pasted for ease. The main hotel was beautiful, really picturesque and the staff really helpful. No faults there at all but the food was a bit lacking. I would've assumed that you'd get a little choice with the sandwiches. It didn't really bother me, as I'll eat anything but my partner doesn't like celery or tuna or meringues and so it made that over half of the food wasn't edible. Funny really but I had ordered extra chips to compensate as we were hungry! You also only got three finger sandwiches each (one and a half sandwiches with no crusts) and no refills on these. Admittedly, we didn't ask for any replacements, which would've been the sensible thing to do but he doesn't really like to make a fuss. I'm sure the staff would've been perfectly happy to oblige. My reason for posting here, not only for hotel feedback but also for anyone wanting to go. Just check. With the voucher off and the added extras it really was value for money, but probably not if that's all you're going for. Highly recommend the hotel in every other aspect!!

A choice of two characteristic rooms to eat in for both dinner an breakfast Excellent service. Pleasant food

Visited here today with family for afternoon tea & was extremely disappointed with the quality of food, amount offered and service...To begin with, we had to wait approximately 30 minutes to be served, even though we had booked weeks ahead. We were then offered tea, but had to wait a further 15-20 minutes for food. The quality and quantity of sandwiches was very poor... We only had 2 or 3 finger sandwiches each and the choice was grated cheese, tuna, ham & mustard & egg mayo... No salad & mean on the filling. The cake selection was ok, but we were given 4 small pots of jam for 6 of us & no butter (I thought this was standard with scones). I had to ask for butter & was then offered 2 small pieces, which were frozen! We also had to ask for our tea to be refilled as there was no way anyone was going to offer. I have to say that compared to other afternoon tea experiences, this was very disappointing & mean at £15 per head!

No major issue just lacking and slightly disappointed. I always order a dessert and I didn't here. I couldn't be bothered with the disappointment. The food was great if you were staying in the hotel and didn't want to get in your car to go elsewhere!We were pleased with the bar area, the service in general was pleasant. There was no mention of 'the Stuart' so we weren't convinced we were in the right place. We started off with a huge weatherspoons style drinks menu (although very good drinks) and a very small (trying to adhere to the shakespeare fans worded) menu. The food was fine. Just not worth the special trip out, I think it needs a new lease of life! In the decor as well. I am used to old buildings and love a bit of character but sometimes things could do with a refurb. Both our napkins also smelt like cheese!

Absolutely wonderful food - venison to die for and fabulous atmosphere. The panelling in the restaurant is gorgeous and gives a great warmth to the room, no matter what the weather... Food cooked to perfection - couldn't fault - fantastic quality ingredients & despite what looks small portions, the richness and quality outweigh the portion size. Wish we lived closer to visit more often!

We booked a table at the Stuart Restaurant which is located in and part of the Billesley Manor hotel. The dining room is beautiful with old paneling. Its like stepping back in time.The quality of the meals was good but not very special. I would recommend the lamb which was very well prepared

Very average food served by very ordinary, albeit pleasant, staff in a delightful environment. If you are staying in the hotel it's okay but you would not travel out of your way to attend this

Great service and beautiful decor set in an old world manor country house hoteVery good food , wine list is well served with vintages from all over the world , service was prompt and food was better than the menu described

Had two evening meals there and both were very good,with attentive staff who were there to help. You could see that the room was full of history, very good ambience with secret doors in the side panelling.

Had a four course meal here on our wedding anniversary . The food was excellent. Very tasty and nice and hot. The service was good also. It was a Monday night and we thought it may have been quiet but the restaurant was full. Would definitely come back again.

The location and surroundings were very good, the room in the annex was average, the staff were very friendly but the dinner menu and quality did not meet expectations. The prices in the bar were very expensive but to end on a positive note the breakfast was excellent.

We had booked the weekend away here and decided to book the evening meal in the Stuart Restaurant for the first night so we wouldn't have to go out and about looking after a long drive. The menu was quite limited which surprised me for a venue of such "stature". I expected more "top notch" choice. What we had was very nice, but relatively small portions really and we had to have the puddings to make sure we felt full at the end of the meal. We decided we would not have our second nights meal here based on the above. It was ok, but didn't blow us away, I think for the price both for the weekend stay (and for the meal and drinks on top) I just expected it to be excellent, but it didn't quite live up to this, it was just good.

We had a very enjoyable stay here with friends we met last year on holiday , the spa treatments were very good and overall an excellent stay

This restaurant is in a sumptuous wood panelled room with a great fireplace (see if you can spot the old hidden door). The staff are excellent. We had a meal on a night that they also had a full wedding party going on and you would not have known. Try the Pork Belly, absolutely fabulous.

This was our belated 27th anniversary weekend away and we dined in this lovely room. The food was excellent and could not fault it.

Apart from excellent table service (and of course exquisite food) the staff are friendly and clearly want to make each guest feel at home, taking into consideration ours (and other guests) requirements without need to mention.

the dinner in the restaurant was great, the staff were more than helpful as one of friends is GF and tools were freshly baked for him which was much appreciated, I would say eat in house when staying in this hotel

Good food beautifully presented. Perhaps menu could have a larger selection of mains. The starters and desserts were also very good

We ate in the hotel resteraunt as part of our hotel package but we're far from disappointed . The food was amazing and the staff very accommodating even when we wanted to swap the house wine for a favourite spotted on their menu. We would definitely go back.

At this restaurant I pre-ordered a 3 course meal from a set menu and I can honestly say the main chicken course I ordered was the best dish I have ever eaten and it was followed by a cheese board which I also can't fault. The only thing that was a bit disappointing for me was the goats cheese starter which was a bit tasteless and far too creamy for my liking. Overall I would definitely recommend this restaurant, the standard of the food delivered was excellent and I'm already planning my next visit!

Had set 3 course dinner on 12/06/15 a party of 4We had this as part of a weekend break deal on Superbreak.Booked for 8.15, shown to table and eventually got starter at 9pm, food was fine but the wait and service was abysmal, had to request plates where moved and then wait until 9.45pm for Main Course, again no complaints on the food.We had to eventually ask ' can we order our sweet please @ 10.15 and received them about 10.25pmWe had ordered a bottle of wine but where frustrated by the extras ie Lamb extra, Duck extra, Vegetables extra, etc etc anyway we ere presented with a room tab of £155 !!We politely as possible pointed out that the meal was included in our Superbreak deal and was incorrect hence sent back unsigned, surely the staff are aware of this as everywhere else it appears to be the case . Anyway another bill came back for £35 removing 4 x £30 set meal price which we signed for.Whilst food was very nice the wait time between courses is totally unacceptable and it wasn't as though the place was rushed of its feet, the staff who where looking after us didn't particularly seem to apply any common sense and at times looked bewildered and the supposed Maitre D blonde in a white shirt needs to smile a bit and organise her staff better for us to even contemplate return.The only plus side was that when we checked out they only said £19 for the extras--another grey area surely ...

Dinner was included in the weekend package and i couldn't fault the menu. Not too many choices but enough for my partner and i to choose from. Great staff who were always happy to help/answer questions. lovely dining experience.

We ate here as part of our hotel package. The 3 course set menu had some of our favourite dishes. Portions were ample and the presentation was great. The highlight of the meal being the lamb main course which was cooked to perfection! The service was great, very friendly and attentive staff. We will dine again!

Stay away from this room if you like food. You will be seriously out of pocket and starving if you go here. The most miserable eating experience of my life!!!!!!Do not encourage these people by booking for the only thing missing from our experience was the facemasks on the robbers who masquerade as waiters, if you can find one.

Food was good but the chocolate fondant was excellent.I had it on both nights.I changed the free bottle for one on the wine list the second night.They only charged the difference which was good but the claret was cold as it had come form the cellar.

Nice atmosphere but not a good choice set 3 course menu. Liked the desert. The main choice was poor.

food very good and lovely restaurant and the gardens are beautiful in the summer for sitting in .the patio is great for an aperitif

Beautiful restaurant with good choice on menu. Service was prompt and efficient and the food was superb.

Very ordinary rolls. Smoked salmon sliver swimming in oil but NO buttered brown bread! Chicken looked anaemic and was tasteless. Dessert quite nice.

We had a meal at the restaurant as part of the package we bought, however I noticed that the menu stated that a three course meal was £29.95, with the odd suppliment on some items, I thought the price given the quality of the food and location was exceptional!

Chose the wrong starter (soft shelled crab) but my main of fish with white bean cassoulet and chorizo followed by the most delicious egg custard rhubarb was worth the £22 paid. Waiting staff were lovely

Good service but the food was cold by the time it gets from kitchen to the table.Not good value for money. Paying extra for vegetables is a nonsense

Breakfast - buffet style continental and full English choices, good and enjoyable. A bit slow to clear tables. Dinner menu limited and was not changed during the 3 nights we were there, small portions which require supplementary side dishes as virtually no vegetables or sauce served with main course, also supplements to some dishes, which can make the meal pricey for what it is. Package prices and inclusive wine offer confused with full prices as you sign bill for full price - had to be explained to everyone, but it did get charged correctly on check out in our case.

Good quality,value for money,excellent choice in both food and wine. Well trained professional staff.