Unicorn Hotel in Newark and Sherwood

Pretty standard pub in a pleasant location. Was suffering from (short?) staffing issues on the day we visited: was not overly busy but service at the bar and for (the very average) food was very slow (gave up trying to get a second drinks round in). The real ale was in below average condition taste wise. Could do with more effort!

Been coming here since the 90s. Great location on the river

A nice friendly welcome. The food was good, better than average pub food and much much better then when we last visited several years ago. We were tempted by the special offer this time. I thought the food was expensive for lunch time and we did not want the lunch menu as it was 2 courses which is too much at lunch time. A better vegetarian selection would be welcome. There were vegetarian options but none sounded very interesting.

Food was lovely and great service from Paula

Our first visit to the Unicorn Hotel and we had a lovely meal. We loved the fish and chips, sea bass and steak pie. Paula was delightful - very attentive.

We emailed prior to visiting to request that we stay overnight in our motorhome and to book a table for evening meal. The response was very quick and positive. Plenty of space to park and we had a quiet night. The pub and restaurant was fairly busy and they appeared very short staffed with only one person on the bar and one young girl serving and clearing table (very efficiently i must add). The food was tasty and well presented. Good choice of wines and beers. Overall, a pleasant experience and we would come again.

Lovely hotel with very friendly staff. Paula was so helpful and efficient, and along with all the staff we met on our w night business trip, we had absolutely no complaints with all the service provided. Good job team. 👍.

Came for a catch up with a friend over Sunday Lunch. Lovely meal & service from Paula & Lily was great in a lovely friendly environment. Thank you.

Had lunch here, off the special 2 or 3 course menu. Unfortunately there was a long delay between courses, I presume due to being busy, when the food came out some of the food was luke warm and my friends steak was over cooked so was disappointing.

Friendly pub. Clean and lovely food. We did have to wait quite a bit for it but it was very lovely when it did arrive and the pub was busy

Just had a meal at the unicorn and even though it was very busy the staff were excellent. The meal was of a very high standard and paula was very helpful and attentive and even though they were short of vegan desserts she helped my girlfriend to get something vegan. We had a very enjoyable time and we will be back soon

Great place by the river, it’s dog friendly which is important to us so nice to walk the dog before going for a meal. Food and services always good at a reasonable price.

The unicorn is our half way house to meet friends from Grantham. Always a pleasant meal and drinks, staff unfailingly pleasant and no sense of 'hurry up' during a quieter part of the day. 'We'll meet again' at the unicorn 👍

We were there for 2 nights and have no complaints on accommodation or food. Both were very good. But I do want to especially commend the staff - Amy, Paula & Sherrie. They were not only helpful, as you would expect as a given, but friendly and cheerful with it. And this was genuine, not put on for the sake of the customers. This was our first experience of a Marston's Hotel and if this is the standard of service across the chain, then senior management should be very proud of their staff.

Understaffed and cannot cope when pub is busy.

Fantastic location, pub food and drink great. Rooms a bit dated and getting ready for a refresh. Lovely breakfast with only slight drawback mushroom was cold. Apart from that a nice place and would revisit.

Paula was fantastic! Super friendly and checked on us constantly throughout our stay. Unfortunately the food had sold out of many items and there was a hair in our food but can't fault the service

Lovely Sunday lunch, plenty of food

Service was extremely poor, bar food orders priorities over restaurant and food came out cold after over an hour and a half wait for 4 and 3 children.

Very disappointed in our visit today. Arrived at 13.15pm was told it would be half an hour wait for food. So we ordered a starter and a coffee then ordered our food. At 2.15pm still no food, asked for a glass of water and come 2.45pm still no food or my glass of water. Asked how long food will be was told another 20 min. So we left. Shame because beautiful location.

Over an hour and half waiting for food when we reserved a table at 1.15pm Bar walk in's was prioritised over booked tables. Food came out cold after complaining twice. Burgers and Sausages were not cooked. Garlic bread frozen/cold in middle sent it back to have a quick blast in the microwave still came back cold. One Sunday lunch had 1 slice of beef we asked for a bit more as another plate had 3. Waitress felt embarrassed by how the the place was being run, she ended up shutting off the QR code ordering as it was taking too many orders. Ran out of food at 1.30pm Then miraculously had another joint of pork was available. We heard another table order pie waited an hour to then be told they didn't have any left. Overall I do not recommend.

The food is delicious and the service is great! We love it here. Such a beautiful location and pub too.

Lovely place to stay, right next to the river trent. Food good nice environment

Can't fault it, great reception, lovely clean large room and a lovely evening meal. I didn't have breakfast as I was still full from the previous night's meal. Would definitely stay again.

Right by the river Trent Rooms are large, clean and tidy , comfortable ,with the odd cobwebs but no owners to them . Had a meal which was fresh and tasty Great staff , friendly and helpful

Very disappointed, I visited @5pm on 21.2.25 very expensive, sticky dirty table, peeling paint everywhere. My son had a pint of Estrella which was fine. Only 2 real beers on offer Wainwright's and Pedigree. Lack of any real choice, other decent lager (Hawkeshead) had run out. I opted for a half of Pedigree, flat, dull and not very good no head, girl behind bar hadn't got a clue how to pour a beer. £9.40 for a pint (ok) and half of awful beer. So I thought I'll go for Guinness, girl couldn't get tap to work, I tried it, it had gone off. Watery and smelled bad. I would not recommend this experience to anyone. I will not be returning. Poorly trained staff, far too expensive and other far better pubs within a few miles at Lowdham.

Food was really nice but room was awful. Bed was very uncomfortable and the carpet was covered in stains the radiator was covered in which looked like tea or coffee stains. Would not recommend

Booked a table for Sunday afternoon on arrival 15.30:17.30 arrived early ordered drinks and the marsden’s pedigree had no head after 5 minutes Went to order a meal only to be told they only had beef left which was a disappointment when the meals arrived the were only just warm we had to send them back and to add to it the beef was definitely not melt in the mouth, rather chewy is a good description Then went to order more drinks only to be told they had no Guinness WHAT A UTTER LET DOWN

Very Clean, very cosy, and lovely staff. I love staying in the beautiful rooms. Always choose this hotel. Highly recommend.

Lovely to visit and enjoy the good food and the friendly and efficient service we receive. We mainly come for Sunday lunch which is excellent.

Excellent service and lovely food

Not happy today, cremated sausages , pie with a pastry lid so hard inedible ( possible use as a frizby) , mildly warm soup and £18.05 for 3 cokes and a beer. Not the best.

My friend and I have been here a few times now for lunch. The service we receive is always professional and friendly. The food is delicious whatever we choose. We will definitely be back.

Accommodation a bit dated but bar and restaurant nice with great service and food. Good location for a walk along the river Trent

We met at the Unicorn for our annual family breakfast, Jackie & Chris were fab and nothing was too much trouble! Food was really tasty 🥰 Very friendly, relaxed atmosphere and such a lovely place to be. Loads of parking and are dog friendly 🐶 Thanks guys Shelly & the gang 😍

Great mooring outside for us boaters

Great location by the river and feels like a country inn but near a city (Nottingham). Interior is comfortable and, in winter, feels incredibly cosy. Food is exquusite. Stylish presentation of carefully chosen meals. The choice is mouthwatering and portion sizes are generous. The staff are welcoming fruendly and attentive. Service is smooth and staff are more than willing to make adjustments where possible. A great selection of gluten free/vegan options. I stopped for a few nights and the rooms were delightful, clean and well appointed.

Erin, Catherine and lily are very accepting of my situation

Very friendly staff and nice atmosphere

Great place for a walk in the sun by the lock and then some stirling food and drink on the way back. Food, drink and service always really good 🍺🍲👌

Just stopped for a late lunch, large place, nice and quiet. Good food. Paula looked after us. Veggie friendly.

All in all not too bad, the car park needs some work. Bring your swimsuit as the carpark has pot holes big enough to swim in. Food was very dry and clearly kept in the hot hold for too long. Staff were friendly and the place was well kept. Didn't see the rooms, just the bar and restaurant.

We came for a Sunday lunch and were happy with the service, food was good apart from not being overly hot and the vegetables had been roasted in rosemary and thyme, this I found stuck in my teeth and spent quite a while picking it off the vegetables. They still tasted lovely.

Lovely meal with nice views over the river . It was a meal out not a stay

Friendly pub and overnight stops - and full marks to the lady who pointed out that you had a car charging point, she was brilliant!

Lovely food and great service! Jackie was lovely and made it a nice meal and gave us a lovely welcoming feel

Relaxing stay while bringing in the new year. Excellent service throughout the holiday schedule.

The hotel room, was roomy for us both. Fabulous shower and beds. Slept like a duck to water. The river facing views was, breathtaking! Jacqui,Sherrie and the team were amazingly, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable! They always go above and beyond to meet the needs of the customer. We will be returning for 8th visit, in Spring 2025. You guys are credit to yourselves. Keep up the good work. Kind regards, Richard and Jess Gonzalez

Setting was nice and the food was okay but pricey for what you got. The hunters chicken had, what appeared to be, a slice of processed cheese on top rather than some nice cheese. Also the chips in the children's menu where very salty. It realised that there were advertised as such but for small children best to leave them plain for parents to sort. Service was pleasant. Update December 2024: lovely meal with pleasant service. Good value.

It’s a large pub in a good location overlooking the River Trent. The staff are friendly and were able to find us a table despite not booking. We ordered via app and the food came quite quickly. In general the food was good but the burgers were quite small and came only with skinny fries and a small pot of coleslaw. The vegan burger came without the advertised Thai slaw so was literally a small burger with a squirt of vegan sour cheese dressing and a vegan cheese slice with a portion of fries. This one meal did not seem like good value.

The hotel room, was roomy for us both. Fabulous shower and beds. Slept like a duck to water. The river facing views was, breathtaking! Jacqui,Sherrie and the team were amazingly, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable! They always go above and beyond to meet the needs of the customer. We will be returning for 8th visit, in Spring 2025. You guys are credit to yourselves. Keep up the good work. Kind regards, Richard and Jess Gonzalez

We had some issues with the keypads and locks on the doors to the rooms/hallway but once you know how they open they aren’t too difficult. The room itself was clean, but in a bit of disrepair. The food however was delicious and great value, also there’s a nice choice of cocktails. During breakfast the staff were hoovering the carpet around us which was a strange choice. The hotel is in a great location, right by the river.

Stayed many times here , Good food and great locayion

Warm, cosy and welcoming. Very friendly and attentive staff. Although we found the fish and chips dry, the Hunters Chicken, Vegan Roast & Buttermilk Chicken Burger were hits! Good quality food and drinks. Great location to eat after a walk along Gunthorpe Lock.

Really nice atmosphere, staff were attentive and friendly and meals (all 3 courses) were really nice and presented really well. I'm a real fan of the oblong plates. We have a great Boxing Day celebrating here with family and enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you

We had a hotel booking for Christmas Day which had been booked and paid for 2 months in advance. Despite many automated texts from the hotel, they failed to mention we had to check in by 6pm before the pub closed. They rang at 5:30 to ask where we were. Luckily we were due to arrive at 5:50pm but this was only by chance. We collected our key and were given key codes for the front door and corridor. Cut to 12am after finishing the festivities nearby, we headed to the hotel, and the front door we were using the key code for had been locked from the inside and we could not access the hotel. We had been locked out. We tried turning the lock both ways, putting the code in in all sorts of different ways, banging on the door and windows of the onsite house, and calling the ‘emergency’ phone number on the door, which, low and behold, had been turned off. Absolutely atrocious service. We ended up sleeping in our car on Christmas night. When we finally got in contact with the hotel today to raise the issues we were met with defensive staff who refused to take any responsibility. We were given a refund for the rate of the room, but the inconvenience caused in Christmas Day cannot be made up for. It ruined our plans for Boxing Day too with our family. Avoid avoid avoid.

We booked a table for 11 people on the Christmas eve The pub wasn't too busy but still had to wait to be seated Menu's was limited only 2 for all 11 of us Food wasn't too great either My partner had the mix grill but couldn't swap the lamb for something different. If you wanted onion rings that was an extra and I don't think peas was an option either. Not alot of option for my family member who is vegan And my steak was fatty can get better at weatherspoons We had a 20 percent discount for up to 8 people so we was separating the bills but the waiter said we couldn't do this. It was just disappointing from start to finish I don't think we will come back again

Lovely place and food served in the pub. Beds comfortable and cozy. Space for kids (playground outside, books and puzzles inside).

We dinned here today. Served by Maia, who was extremely helpful and efficient. She even looked after our dog and arranged a bowl of beef. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. Loved the food too. Nice relaxing afternoon. Thank you Maia, for looking after us. Merry Christmas to everyone. We will definitely be back

Maia was extremely helpful during our Christmas dinner! Had a great time.

Lovely service and food was an excellent quality and was also very quick to come out. Wish they had coca cola as an option though, not just pepsi!

We love this "pub stopover" when travelling from Spain to see family in lincoln...we always want to stop here first...the car park is super the staff are always friendly the walks are a lasting memory and the pub is excellent...

Lovely food and relaxing environment. The Hotel was short-staffed but still managed to cope well and we were in no hurry.. Staff could not have been more friendly and accommodating, especially . Paula and Caz, who were excellent.

Staff were very friendly and helpful. Food was delicious. The menu had a great range of options for all members of our party.

I was in the other night, and I was delighted by Anna. An enthusiastic and kind server, poured an impeccable pint. I shall be back!

Food in restaurant poor to average. Steak not cooked as requested, mushroom dry, £2 extra for tiniest pot of peppercorn sauce. Bedroom clean apart from curtain bracket broken, light bulbs missing and only one bedside lamp. bathroom was sub standard. Glass shelf missing, soap dispenser ripped off wall, bath top and surround broken with sharp edges, shower screen mouldy. Room 15

Very nice pub indeed. Only popped in for a coffee but will probably return as lovely views of the river.

Attended two wakes there in the past which were both very good. The hotel is in a lovely peaceful setting right by the river. The bar and restaurant are big with lots of interesting places to sit. Only went for a couple of drinks. Had a lovely visit though very busy and popular Sunday lunchtime.

food was hard and dry table was sticky

Great place. Food great and staff so friendly. Rooms comfortable as are the beds

Warm welcome from the staff, especially to our dog who was in his element with all the fuss. The food from the lunchtime menu was delicious and portions generous. Really lovely staff

This our fourth visit at The Unicorn hotel. We love it so much. It's Absolutely Fabulous! Greatly relaxing! A chilled vibe, you can't beat! The room's are roomy! Topped with a comfortable nights sleep! The food at breakfast is amazing.. A fry-up and omelette to die for! My wife loved the range of options for the continental breakfast . The evening meals, are 'sublime.'.. As well as the mouth watering deserts! All in all, 'fantastic value for money' (for dinner and sleep!) Jackie and the team are superb! They go the extra mile to help.. Continue with the amazing job, guys! Looking forward to see Jackie and team on Boxing Day! Kind regards, Richard & Jessica Gonzalez

We had a lovely Sunday lunch there. Food was excellent. Staff were very friendly. Just a note of caution, it is a very relaxed environment, so don't expect London Restaurant speed service.

Visited for a family birthday, there were a lot of times not available on the menu. Though this didn’t dampen our evening, thanks to our sever Maia who was amazing,

Went on a Sunday evening, completely empty except for another couple. Staff chatty and welcoming. Decided to have dinner. Despite the place being empty we still had to wait half an hour for the food to arrive. Both chicken dishes were very dry, the vegetables sloppy and overcooked, Yorkshire pudding was bone dry and burnt, I couldn't even cut it, mean with the gravy, all very disappointing. Pointed this out to the waitress who was polite but did not seem surprised. We were offered two complimentary desserts which was nice but such a low standard of food should not leave the kitchen. Lovely setting by the river, plenty of parking, good for a drink but give the food a swerve.

Good service, friendly staff and good food.

Very nice place to be staff were excellent and friendly 👏

Very welcoming staff were great. Room was comfortable, clean and had everything we needed. Food was lovely although my first choice was not available. Breakfast was fantastic. Location was good. We will definitely return

The only disappointment with the gammon I had for lunch was accompanying tomato which looked grilled but was cold. The service was good and friendly, seeing that there were only three people working a large pub with a restaurant area

Had a very nice meal, good range of food. Paula looked after us very well and was very accommodating in our choices as we were a little picky!

2x Pork Sunday lunch and 1x fish and chips ordered. 2x Turkey brought out. We told the waitress Pork was ordered, she said it wasn't Turkey, it was Pork. My fish arrived, looking torn, and ragged top edge. We told the waitress that she had provided Turkey, not pork - taken away, I was about to start my fish, rolled it over to find that not only hat the top been torn, but the underneath of the fish was torn, and batter removed. a complete mess. I sent this back. The Pork was delivered and enjoyed, my replacement fish was delivered and enjoyed. My 82 year old mother ordered the melting chocolate dome dessert. the caramel sauce that comes with it was not warm enough to melt the 'melting' chocolate dome. I had a 30% off mains voucher, which I used, but otherwise paid the full amount. We are unlikely to return, or recommend to anyone

Lovely welcome from friendly staff. Great service and the best fish and chips I've had in years! Will be back for more of the same soon.

Had a lovely family meal out at the unicorn, really great service and positive friendly staff, food came well cooked and the steak was great. Food was fast and service efficient. Definable worth a visit if you have the time.

Definitely gone downhill recently, place starting to look rundown and they don’t have enough staff. Went for Sunday dinner, the main meal was ok and was served quickly but the food was warm and not hot and the food was just piled on the plate and not presented very nicely. Ordered an ice cream sundae and apple crumble, after about 15 minutes they came out and said they don’t have any crumble, so we picked another choice. The 2 ice cream Sundaes came out in a pint glass, I kid you not! They looked awful and were missing a lot of the sauces that they should have come with. Their excuse was, apparently they only have 2 sundae glasses in the whole pub, hence why the ice cream was plonked into a pint glass. Some of the younger staff members didn’t look bothered, at one point the chef had to come out, questioned why a table had not been cleared with one of the waitress who was just stood talking, she ignored the chef and walked off, the chef had to clear the table! It’s a real shame, really like coming here but they need more staff, more communication on what food is actually available and for the younger staff to listen to the chef’s and managers.

Were in town for a local running event and stayed the night at the Unicorn in. We arrived around 9pm and missed the last dinner service, but the staff were friendly and enjoyed some pints until closing time. The rooms were tidy and warm, and the breakfast was good value and the staff were again lovely. We were even allowed to return to the room after our race for a shower and late checkout which was much appreciated. Lovely staff and a comfortable stay

Food was great. Such a pity you were so short staffed. Took 15 minutes to get a drink. People came in and left can’t be good for business?

Massive carpark at the front and back. Check in at the side of the bar The room was up a flight of stairs and you need a code to get into the corridor. The room was a good size as was the bathroom. Quite drab and worn looking decor, lots of repair jobs, no headboard but just marked walls as seen in photos! The bed was ok Wifi is good The shower was ok Evening meal was limited menu due to a burst water pipe in the restaurant! Went for the chicken and mushroom pie Very overcooked pie with rather tough pastry. Good size portion Not bad value. Breakfast is not included but can be added if wanted. Location right opposite a river with some nice walks. Not much else close by though. Would stay again if there was nothing else close by.

I feel like this place has gone downhill recently, There used to be a time when you could not get parking on a Saturday afternoon, now it's very quiet, don't seem well staffed and felt sorry for bar maid who was doing all the work while the manager just stood about chatting, food was ok but very mediocre slight step up from a brewers fayre/weatherspoons, even though it was very quiet we had to wait a long time to ask for drink or dessert and then forgot about at the end of the meal waiting ages to pay which just sours the whole experience.

We always enjoy stopping in for a drink here after a walk. It never seems to be running as it should though. This time there was a limited menu and the time before there was no food being served at all. It always seems as though there is not enough staff and you are stood waiting to long to be served. The app works for ordering but is is out of date and you end up having to wait at the bar anyway. Plates left on tables outside for too long, again it's comes down to staffing. The price of drinks is extraordinarily high, at nearly 6 pounds a pint. I can't imagine this leads to people having more than one drink. If Marston are happy with the way things are running then they won't change it, but I feel that the stunning location, will eventually, not be enough for the pub to survive in its current guise. On the positive side, the few staff that there are, are very friendly and are happy to help and the location is fantastic.

Food really good shame about service. Had to find someone to take our order. Had to find someone to take plates away and order deserts despite place being practically deserted.

Been here before at lunch and was great … came here today after work … undercooked scampi , lots of Burnt bits from the fat on the plate .. peas hard … a plate of Beige food … friends burger was ok although the accompanying fries were anemic…

So disappointed. We went for a family Sunday lunch and booked ahead. We waited nearly 90 minutes for our food (from arrival), without explanation or apology for the delay. When the food arrived it was all lukewarm. No-one came to ask if the food was ok at any point. We will not be returning. On the plus side the menu was good and the optional extras were good so we had high hopes and after 60 mins they did bump up the food for the toddler with us, which was just as well for the ears of the other diners! Food quality was also good, if they can sort out the service it could be superb. Now edited, the day after 4 of our party had upset stomachs. Simply not ok.

Here for Sunday Lunch, the order should have been really simple - four roast dinners. It was half an hour before they took our food order, then another 70 minutes and two chases before it arrived. Two of the meals were incorrect, but after the long wait we declined the offer for them to be changed and ate what we'd been brought. Unlikely to return. -- Hi Amy, thanks for your response below. Communication is certainly important here. We weren't made aware of possible delays when seated, ordering drinks or ordering food. It was only when we chased after an hour that we were told that the kitchen was unusually busy, and at that point the further expected delay still wasn't mentioned.

Dreary, poor service, long waiting time for a half-empty restaurant

Always a lovely warm welcome from Jackie. Served by Anna today. Service was quick and efficient. Anna was very polite and genuine checking to make sure we had all that we needed.

Booked for Sunday lunch at 1pm. Party of 6 with a toddler. Waited 20 minutes just to order. Waited over an hour and a half for foo! No indication there would be a delay, no apologies for the wait, took ages to get service which was mediocre at best. Had to ask for my daughter’s food to come out as soon as ready as she was starving and getting incredibly bored and frustrated. She’s only 20 months old but there was no awareness from staff at how difficult it would be for a hungry child to wait that long for food and sit still. Luckily we managed to keep her well entertained but it was stressful. When the food eventually arrived it was luke warm at best. Definitely not worth the wait! When asking about the wait there were no apologies or acknowledgement of how long it was taking. The place was not particularly busy, lots of empty tables yet it would have been quicker to catch and cook my own food! Won’t be going back. Very disappointing.

Booked a table & Drove an hour to this pub for Sunday lunch. On arrival we asked about the Sunday lunch but was told they had run out of food for a traditional roast so we had to order different food from The menu, It happens but were surprised as it was only 3.00pm. Another family followed us in & asked about the Traditional Sunday roast they were told that was enough food left for 5 people! I spoke to the lady who was taking orders & questioned her about the response we'd had from another lady about the lack of food situation she went back to the kitchen to ask but never came back! Another lady came about 15 minutes later telling me the other family had pre booked which we had too but she made her excuses. An hour had passed from entering the pub & no food had been delivered.We decided to leave as we found it unacceptable.Other people were also complaining about their waiting time. If the place had been full it might have been acceptable but there were only approx 7 tables occupied throught the pub. The toilets were also dirty. A total disgrace! Only wished we had read the reviews before travelling there. You really do not deserve people's custom.

Great food and great service. Paula was very friendly and helpful. Thanks for a lovely evening

The food was fantastic, and the staff were so helpful. Great place to eat 😋

Friendly place, nice location, attentive staff, would stay here again if I needed to be in the area.